“Do you know a lot of leaders?”
“I have a thing for vampires, so you’re the only one I’m interested in.”
That was all Raven needed to hear. Throwing caution to the wind, he darted across the room at an unnatural speed, coming to a halt in front of Stu.
The human’s eyes widened, but that was the only physical reaction Raven saw, although he did hear Stu’s heart rate pick up. Having a predator come at you at a high rate of speed would do that, though.
“I’m very glad to hear that.”
Raven took a deep breath again, enjoying the scent that came off this human. Seriously, it was the best thing he’d ever smelled. Objectively he studied Stu. He was a bit taller than Raven and was very good-looking in the “boy next door” way with his short brown hair and pretty blue eyes.
A strong chin, a straight nose, and very kissable lips rounded off the picture. But it was the freckles that lured Raven in. They were the most breathtaking thing he’d ever seen in his long life.
Lifting his hand, he gently touched Stu’s face, unable to resist the cute decorations across his nose and cheeks. “How lovely.”
“Why don’t you move those fingers down a little lower? I don’t bite.”
Raven snorted as he flicked Stu’s nose. “You might not, but I do.”
Stu groaned. “Hell. I didn’t think about…. I wasn’t trying to…. I didn’t mean….”
Raven squeezed Stu’s chin. “Glad to see I didn’t scare you with what I said.”
Stu stared into Raven’s eyes. “You didn’t. If I didn’t want you to bite me, I wouldn’t be here.”
“I can fuck you without biting you. You do know that, right?”
“Sure, but why bother?”
“Stu, have you been bitten before?” Raven trailed his fingers down Stu’s neck, then wrapped his hand around his throat. “Are you addicted to a vampire’s bite, pretty human?”
Raven didn’t think so. If the human was, there were usually signs, and Stu didn’t exhibit any of those. For one thing, an addicted human was usually malnourished because they wouldn’t give their body time enough to recover after giving blood because they were chasing the next high of a vampire’s bite.
That usually meant they had multiple bite marks that were infected. Stu’s skin looked to be untouched, and he was definitely healthy looking. The clothing he wore showed off a tight body.
“Of course I’m not addicted. You would know simply by looking at me. We both know that. And as far as being bit? I have been before, but it’s been a while.”
For some completely idiotic reason, Raven found the idea of someone biting this human troublesome. “So you know what you’re getting into. Is that correct?”
Instead of answering, Stu moved into Raven’s personal space.
That was a yes in Raven’s book. Still, he needed verbal confirmation. “Do you know what you’re getting into?”
“I do.”
Wrapping his arms around the human, he pinned him against the nearest wall. Stu gasped, his arms coming around Raven’s waist. But the gasp was one of excitement, not fear.There was no scent of the acidic emotion in the air, but there were plenty of pheromones.
Raven buried his hand in Stu’s hair and pulled his head back. The soft moan that escaped pleased Raven as he trailed kisses up Stu’s neck. Stu closed his eyes as Raven’s lips caressed the soft skin, his breath picking up and chill bumps rising on his arms.
“Still good?” Raven breathed into his ear.
“Yeah.” Stu shivered, tilting his head back.
Raven growled softly at the action. “For future reference, baring your neck to a vampire is one of the most erotic things you can do for us.”
“Oh God.”
“If you want to pray, I suggest praying to me.” Raven nipped the tender skin with his fangs, careful not to break it. Not yet. “But be very, very careful how you prod my monster. You might bite off more than you can chew.”