Page 23 of Every Bite You Take
“Can we go somewhere and talk for a minute?”
“Sure,” she replied with a warm smile. “Where?”
We found a quiet nook near a window at the back of the Celestial Lounge while “Unchained Melody” played softly in the background. Time to man up and lay myself bare.
“Kylie,” I began and reached across the table to take her hand. “I know you’re leaving to go home in two days.” A tightness formed in my throat and I forced it down. “What I was thinking was—what if you didn’t have to go yet?”
She tipped her head and let out a soft laugh. “Of course I do.”
“But…couldn’t you stay onboard longer?”
She snorted a laugh. “It would be nice to extend my vacation, but cruises cost moolah.” She pulled her hand away and rubbed her thumb and forefinger together. “And I’m not rich.”
“I mean… I was thinking…” Wow, I was really killing it in the eloquence department. “I have some money saved and I can pay for another week. Beyond that—we’ll figure something out. I’ll talk to someone about a job.” I watched her, searching for her reaction. When her smile faltered, dread crashed into the tiny flicker of hope that blazed inside.
“Damien, thank you, but no,” she said gently. Her gaze shifted out the window to where the dark waves tumbled away. “That’s a pretty big gift. I can’t accept that. Besides, I have a plane booked. A job to return to. I can’t just drop everything for a vacation fling.”
Ouch. Those last two words hit me like a stake. The air around me thickened as the sting of her rejection settled. “I don’t think of this as a fling.” I motioned between us. “It’s real,” I implored her. “I know it is.”
Her eyes met mine and softened. She nodded and gulped. “I know what you mean.” After taking a shaky inhale, she let out a slow breath. “But it doesn’t change anything. I have a life back home. I need to go,” she declared with forced determination, but I caught the tremble in her tone.
I leaned back in my chair, reeling from rejection, as a growing ache spread within.
Kylie leaned closer and took my hand in hers. “We only have such a short time left together, Damien. Let’s not dwell on it ending and enjoy it while we can.”
Although I triedto follow Kylie’s lead and live in the moment, the hours rushed by too quickly. I wished I didn’t have to sleep at all so I could spend more time with her. Explore Alaska outdoors with her during sunlight.
But that was a decision I’d made a decade ago, and it was one I couldn’t change. I knew the consequences of becoming a vampire and had to live with them.
When I woke on the final night of the cruise, I had to prepare to play with the band. Damn, I wished I could call in sick and just lock the two of us together in my cabin. Kylie dragged me out of my brooding, saying she wanted to see me play one more time.
While we played a set featuring hits from the 2000s, she sat in the audience, watching me with her lips parted. My fingers danced over the strings, strumming with longing as my heart spilled out my reluctant goodbye.
Piper stopped by to chat with Kylie, and it reminded me of when I’d met her just last week. How had so much happened in such a short time?
After I was done for the night, Kylie and I had a drink.
“Stay with me tonight?” I asked her.
She put her wineglass down. “I almost forgot I had a cabin.” She grinned at me. “My bags are packed and ready to go. So I’m all yours.”
For just a few more hours…
We returned to my cabin soon after. Once I closed the door, her scent wrapped around me, that intoxicating lilac fragrance that stirred the beast in me. Her heart raced in her chest, beating like an enchanting melody. As we kissed, the hunger for her rose. My fangs itched to bite and claim her, and I struggled to control the bloodlust.
“Damien,” she murmured, her voice husky. “I want you.”
That soft plea echoed every instinct that pounded inside me. As we undressed, tearing off each other’s clothes with desperate need, a growl spilled from my lips. I pulled her closer and ranmy hands over her soft, exposed skin, tracing every curve to memory as her blood teased me from just beneath the surface.
I couldn’t get enough of her and pawed at every inch with feral need. My cock was achingly hard, aching to be inside her.
When I slid my fingers between her legs, I groaned. “So wet…”
“For you,” she whispered.
I needed to taste her, feel her pleasure explode over me. Pressing kisses down her body, I slid down and breathed in the irresistible scent of her arousal. Then I tasted her sweet, sweet ambrosia. With my hands and mouth, I explored her, bringing her to the brink and back until she moaned and begged me not to stop. I added more pressure the way she wanted, and this time I didn’t pull back. She cried out, her body arching, and shattered.
More. I wanted more.
