Page 140 of Bitten By Desire
“I thought that was implied when I told you to end things with Bennett.”
“That definitely wasn’t implied.”
He smiled. “It was. You couldn’t be with him. Because you’re mine.”
I swallowed hard. “So you’re my boyfriend?”
“It doesn’t sound like a strong enough word to relay how I feel about you. This is another way that I’m old-fashioned. I’m happy to court you for as long as you wish. But it feels like I’ve been waiting my whole life to be with you already. I want you to be my wife.”
This was all moving so fast. But also slow at the same time since I’d been dying to have him in my life again for ten years. “You’d be stuck with me forever.”
He lowered his eyebrows.
And I knew why his smiles were suddenly gone again. It wouldn’t be forever. It would only be for another sixty years or so. He’d be frozen at thirty something his whole life. And I…wouldn’t. I didn’t want to grow old and gray alone. I wanted him to change me. I wanted to live with him forever.
“It’s possible, isn’t it?” I asked. “To be together forever?”
Chapter 41
Tuesday
Callum took a step back from me. And another. He looked just like he had at the train station. Like he was about to say goodbye to me.
“Callum…”
“I’m not changing you, Emma.”
“But you already bit my neck. You even bit my finger ten years ago. It didn’t hurt. I liked when you did it. I’m not squeamish around blood or anything.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Of course it’s that simple. I love you. And you love me. I’m going to be eighty some day and I don’t want you to look at me like I’m ancient. I want you to look at me the way you do right now. Like you think I’m the most beautiful woman in the room.”
“I’ll still think that.”
“You won’t. I’ll have wrinkles. And saggy boobs.”
His smile finally returned. “I’m sure your boobs will still be perfect.”
“No.” I grabbed them. “They’ll be so saggy.”
He laughed and grabbed my hands to lower them.
I leaned closer to him. God, I loved the sound of his laughter. I realized I hadn’t heard nearly enough of it.
“We’re not going down this road, Emma. I’m not changing you. I don’t want anything about you to change.”
“So you want me to die?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“I know. You just said you wanted to freaking marry me. That you wanted forever with me. So let’s have forever.”
“You don’t understand what you’d be giving up.”
I think I did. I’d be giving up my love of cheese. And wine I guess. And pastries. But apparently I was going to really love the taste of blood. Probably more than I loved cheese, wine, and pastries. And I’d have a lifetime of him. I’d be immortal. We’d literally live happily ever after always. “I do understand,” I said.
“No. You don’t. And I’m not doing it.”
