Page 28 of Sexual Appetites of Vampires

She could only imagine why his grandfather would do such a thing, and she had to ask, “Was anyone in your family ever tortured?”

“Yes,” he said bluntly, but did not expand on it. “Now turn around so I can take care of your wound.”

She thought a moment, gnawing nervously at her bottom lip.

He brought his nose to within inches of hers. “Don’t bother to argue. This is going to happen one way or the other.” He tilted his head and smiled. “I’ve already seen you naked, sweetheart, so what difference does it make?”

She jabbed him in the chest. “A big difference between feasting on me until I couldn’t stop coming and taking care of a wound to my backside.”

He leaned even closer until his lips almost touched hers. “You have no idea the pleasure you would get if I truly feasted on you. Now turn around.”

She gave his chest a push, not that it did any good. “Step back.”

He did, though slowly.

Lara turned around before she lost her nerve and gripped the edge of the vanity for support. She jumped when his fingers touched her bare backside and fought to keep her mind empty of any salacious thoughts.

“Thank goodness the spike didn’t fully puncture your skin,” he said as he came to stand beside her.

She watched as he searched the medicine cabinet, taking out a bottle of peroxide, antibiotic ointment, and a large bandage.She had to ask. “I thought vampires healed instantly, so why a stocked medicine cabinet?”

“Appearances.”

“You have many strangers going through your medicine cabinet?”

“Overnight guests,” he said with a wink, and then dropped down beside her once again.

The thought that he had had other women here, in his bathroom, in his bed, annoyed her, so she threw a sarcastic barb at him. “Bite any?” She winced, the peroxide having connected with her wound and stinging mightily.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to hurt you,” he said.

His apology was so genuine that it touched her heart. It sounded as if it had pained him to have caused her pain. But what about when he bit a woman on the neck? Surely that would be more painful than this minor wound. What did he feel then? Pleasure?

She was about to ask him again if he ever bit any woman when he sprung up to once again stand beside her.

He got busy wetting a hand towel and grabbing the larger one that lay beneath it on the towel bar. “Need to get the blood off you.”

“I can do that she offered.” Worried the blood might be too much for him.

“Not to worry. I’m not a young vampire who needs to learn to control his urges. Although with you, it is proving more difficult than I anticipated.”

“Is that why you looked so...” she shivered recalling the feral look on his face when she had seen him at the end of the hall after the lights had come on.

“I was in the middle of trying to get the generator to kick on again, not wanting you to wake to pitch darkness when I sensed you were already up and about. Then when I realized where youwere,” —he stopped— “I was too late to stop you from getting hurt. I should have gotten to you sooner.”

He’d been angry because she’d been hurt, not because he was thirsty for her blood. He cared about her, and her heart didn’t hammer this time, it swelled like a young girl who was on the precipice of falling off and into love.

“The snowstorm has grown worse, and I fear the one generator will shut off again and might not turn back on, so it would be best if you slept in my bed tonight,” he said as he finished drying her leg and patting her backside dry.

She was about to reject his suggestion when she felt him apply the antibiotic cream to her wound. His touch was so tender, so considerate that the little embarrassment left from this strange incident vanished. That was as long as she didn’t allow herself to think about her naked derriere being practically in his face. Or be reminded that he had told her he’d love to give it some tender bites.

She quickly said, “I’ll do fine in my own bed.”

“There’s no need for you to worry, I’ll sleep on the chaise,” he assured her and stood, taking her by the arm and turning her slowly around to face him. “I want to make sure you’re safe. And being with me, I know you’ll be safe.”

She realized right there and then that it wasn’t Michael she had to fear—it was herself.

“Can I have my pajama bottom?” she asked much too tempted to remain half naked in front of him. After all it would only take a quick yank of his sweatpants to have him naked. Yup, the thought was just too damn tempting.

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