Page 25 of Caution

And I couldn't even fire back, couldn’t deny it. I was too drunk on whatever this feeling was he was infusing into me.

Pain?

Pleasure?

I wasn't actually sure as he finally retracted his fangs from my neck. I stumbled backward, away from him, fingers clamping down on the two puncture wounds that quickly became nonexistent right under my fingertips.

I pulled my hand away, looking at it expecting crime photo levels of blood.

There was none.

“It would be ludicrous to spill your blood without reason, Ambrosia.”

“So… you… healed me?” I asked, my thoughts running a million miles a minute.

“You healed yourself, love. It’s one of many perks.”

Huh?

How could that be, when I hadn’t even thought about it?

“It’s reflexive,” Cassius said out loud. “You don’thaveto think about it. Your body knows exactly what to do.”

“Okay buthow?” I insisted. “And since when?”

The question was fresh off my lips when my knees buckled again, a sudden wave of exhaustion sweeping through me. I put my hands out, attempting to mitigate a fall to the ground that never happened.

Cassius had already swept me off my feet and into his arms.

“Since your awakening, which has clearly taken a lot out of you. Which isn’t surprising.”

Before I could reply to that, we were already inside, already upstairs in a room I hadn’t seen on my previous “tour” of the house.

“Where are we?” I asked, taking in the obvious luxury of my surroundings. He’d put me down on a soft leather bench at the end of a bed covered in plush linens to walk away, into what was presumably a bathroom.

I heard the water come on.

“My—our—bedroom,” he answered, correcting himself as he came to stand at the doorway. “Not what you expected?”

“Not at all.”

When one thought of a vampire’s bedroom, soft surfaces, clean lines, warm wood accents and lush green plants weren’t exactly what came to mind.

Not to mention, the lack of a coffin.

“Seriously, Ambrosia?” Cassius chuckled and my gaze snapped back to him.

“Can you get out of my head?!” I asked, embarrassed. “Or do I no longer have the luxury of private thoughts?”

He raised an eyebrow, studying me for a moment. “Of course you can have private thoughts. You just have to stop projecting them at me.”

“What?”

“I’m not in your head, love. You’re inmine.”

Those words took my breath, because…what?

No way could that be true.

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