Page 5 of An Acquired Taste

“Because the safer option turned out to be not so safe after all,” I say. “And I’m so tired of just scraping by. I want somethingbetter. So I just feel like… fuck it! I want to do something just because I want to, not because Ishould.”

He nods, his expression thoughtful. “So the lifestyle appeals to you?”

“Yes,” I say emphatically. “It just seems so romantic. The luxury, the social scene… even the danger. It makes me want it more.” I look away, cheeks warming. “I probably sound unhinged.”

“Not at all,” Benjamin says. “Trust me when I say that all vampires are grateful that humans like you exist.”

“People with little to no survival instinct?” I joke.

“People who enthusiastically consent to meet our needs,” he shoots back with a sliver of a smile. I blush more deeply but don’t argue.

“So…” I cock my head. “Is this the part where you bite me?”

He chokes on his tea, sputters, wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Well… yes, I suppose so. You certainly seem… calmer. Let’s see what we’re working with.”

I grin despite my nerves. My heart is leaping again, with some anxiety, yes, but mostly with excitement. I slide over to make room on the chaise. No matter what he says, I still feel like a freak for beingexcitedat the thought of being bitten… and more than a little turned on. I hope that his heightened senses don’t work quite like they do in spicy novels.

It’s not like I’m going to jump Benjamin’s bones, especially not when I suspect there’s something going on between him and Lissa. But still… I’ve imagined this moment for most of my life. Now it’s time to figure out if reality can live up to the fantasy.

Benjamin settles beside me, leaving a few inches of space between us. He takes a small metal kit out of his pocket and sets it on the table: I spy a sanitizing wipe, bandages, and a vial of smelling salts, along with a second vial containing a thick dark liquid.

I brush my hair off my neck, tilting my head to the side, but Benjamin stops me with a raised hand.

“Neveroffer your neck to a stranger,” he chastises. “It’s dangerous. Far too easy for someone to overindulge. And it is also intimate, best saved for someone you trust.”

“Right,” I say, face heating. “Then, where…?”

“The wrist is standard.” He reaches out, gently takes my hand in his, and flips it over to expose my pale blue veins. “May I put my other arm around you?”

I nod. He holds my wrist with one hand and slides his other arm around my waist.

“Sometimes, people faint,” he says. I stare up at him, meeting his dark eyes. He’s so businesslike about this, but my mouth has gone dry, my heart thumping rapidly. I knew what I was getting into, but now that the moment is here, I’m more nervous than I thought I would be. And more excited, too.

“May I bite you now?” he asks, lifting my wrist to his mouth.

My heart skips a beat.

I’m so enamored by the sight of two canines sliding out from behind his slightly parted lips that I almost forget to answer. His fangs gleam in the light, white and sharp and all too enticing. “Yes,” I breathe.

“Try not to tense,” he murmurs. His voice is thicker and has the slightest hint of a lisp with his fangs out. “It will make it hurt more. Take deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth.”

I suck in air and let it out, trying to heed his advice. “Easier said than done,” I mutter. “Like when they tell you to relax when they’re about to stick you with a big-ass needle and—ah.”

An involuntary noise escapes me as he sinks his teeth into my skin. There’s a bright burst of pain in my wrist and then— And then—

Pleasure. It floods my veins like a drug. Heat rises to my face, and my head goes fuzzy. Tension oozes out of me until my entire body feels loose and relaxed, like being tipsy but better.

“Oh, damn,” I mutter. Everything’s going hazy around the edges. Holy shit, am I actually swooning? I didn’t think that happened in real life. Benjamin’s hand tightens on my waist, his arm holding me steady even as my body goes liquid and boneless in his arms. I can feel his tongue pressing against my skin, thepullas he drinks from me, my pulse. An ache between my thighs throbs in rhythm with it, and I bite back a moan.

Then the pressure of his fangs disappears. The heady rush fades a couple of seconds later. I stiffen, cheeks burning. I was always turned on by the thought of being bitten, but my god, I still didn’t expect it would feelthatgood. I’m breathing hard, and it takes a few moments for me to sit up again.

But my pleasant haziness fades as I glance over and notice the look on Benjamin’s face—brow furrowed, lips slightly puckered, like he just sucked on a lemon. Except he just sucked onme.

“That bad?” I ask, chuckling nervously.

He smooths his face into indifference. Still, the silence ticks on for an uncomfortable couple of seconds. He takes the dark vial from the kit, puts a drop on a small cloth, and dabs at the puncture marks on my wrist.

“This is vampire blood,” he murmurs. “It has healing properties. Ingesting it can have its dangers, but applying like this is safe.”

---