Page 101 of Love Bites Hard

“If you were a vampire, you’d find it appealing.”

He barked out a laugh, shaking his head as his entire body started to tremble “I can’t live without you. I survived without my family, just barely—but I can’t lose you. I fucking can’t.”

“You’re not going to.”

“There’s no guarantee.”

“We’ll just stick together all the time. It’s not a big deal.”

“You like space, Izzy,” he grumbled.

“I like living a lot more. When I need space, I’ll make you take me on a hike or a run.”

“I can manage that.” His arms tightened around me. “I think you’re going to have to feed on me, if you want me to turn the truck on. And don’t offer to drive—I’m not letting you take the wheel with wolfsbane in your system.”

“That’s fair.” I tipped my head back, and pressed my lips to his. He opened for me after a moment, and I tapped into his emotions.

Fear.

Pain.

Betrayal.

Relief.

As I drank, his emotions deepened.

Desperation.

Possession.

Devotion.

Terror.

Determination.

He was still my buffet. Something told me that would always be the case. The man just felt things more deeply than most people.

We kissed slowly, and I remembered Blair asking me and Avery about Damian’s devotion.

About whether or not it could be love.

I’d told her,“He wants you to be his mate. His real mate. Anyone with eyes can see that.”

She hadn’t been sure, because of the way they started out. Damian hadn’t given her a choice.

Unlike her, I had chosen to mate with Porter. But that choice didn’t come with emotions. It didn’t mean he cared about me, or that I cared about him. We had developed those feelings ourselves, over time.

And while our bond had been an emotionless arranged marriage at the beginning, it had become so much more.

I drank until he had become slightly less panicked, and finally pulled away. Wrapping my arms around him, I buried one of my hands in his hair and whispered, “Porter?”

“Yeah?” His hug was fierce.

Warm.

Engulfing, in the very best way.

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