Page 37 of Claiming Her Vampire

We stop as one, and I close my eyes when Ryker rests our heads together. That was embarrassingly fast. I guess that happens when a sexy-as-hell vampire who seems to be totally into you knows how to play your body to perfection. Plus, I don’t remember the last time I had an orgasm. It definitely didn’t involve a man.

“Do you—” I start. He is still hard.

“No, that was for both of us. It gives me pleasure to see you enjoy yourself. That was the best thing I have ever seen.”

“You don’t have to say that.” I touch his face, brushing my knuckles over his scruff.

“It’s true. I’ve seen and done things in my life that I deeply regret. Things you may have a hard time accepting. I won’t apologize for them. Some of them I had to do to survive. Others I did for pleasure, pain, or just to have a good time. I can honestly say this has been the first time I did something with completely pure intentions. For the pure pleasure of showing you the beauty you hold. The beauty we will have together when you completely trust me.” He covers me back up with his shirt. “Come down when you are ready. I made some breakfast.”

He leaves me sitting on the bed, flushed and curious to hear about his life. I understand having moments of regret. I have plenty. But I’m not that naive. His are bound to be more severe and, I’m guessing, bloody. Do I trust him already?

Are our lives too different? How can I possibly relate to his life experiences?

I pick up my clothes and go into the bathroom, excited to shower in his room. His bathroom is more extravagant than mine. It takes far too long to figure out the nozzles, but it is worth it when I step under the spray. The shampoo smells like him, making me eager to rub it all over my body. I want to smell like him.

I can’t deny I am drawn to him. The more I am around him, the greedier I become. Not just because of his looks, although that certainly is a bonus, but for the comfort of his presence. After a few moments, I am more at ease with him than after years with Tom. I was always on guard with Tom. If not, I would get blindsided. I learned to be prepared for all of his triggers. The problems happened when he added things to his list. I couldn’t guess what day he would find something else to punish me for.

I finish coating my body with everything Ryker and dry off. I freeze when I notice a new set of clothes on the counter. He came in while I was showering. I don’t know if I should feel grateful for his thoughtfulness or offended that he invaded my privacy. He probably would hope for the first. He’s used to doing what he wants. He already told me he is ruthless in his pursuit.

He picked out my comfy sweats and a tank top. I blush when I see the panties he picked out for me. Ava must have slipped them in my bag when I wasn’t looking, as I would never pack them myself. She was the one that gave them to me as a gift. So far, I haven’t had the guts or a decent man to wear them for.

I feel naughty, pulling them on and looking down at the floor until I find the confidence to look in the mirror. What did he think about when he saw these? Did he imagine me in them? I study them and my body in them critically. They are black lace, cut high on my hip, and completely see-through. I turn to look at my ass, blushing because they only cover half of my cheeks. I ignore the fleeting thought of Ryker taking them off with his teeth, or better yet, with his fangs. I quickly finish dressing. But no matter how many clothes I have on, I can’t shake the picture of what I have under them.

Who pairs sexy panties with sweats?

When I get downstairs, Ryker is setting the table. He is dressed as he always is, in black dress pants and a dress shirt. His knives are still in place. I realize he never took them off upstairs when I look at them. Why does that make me warm all over?

“How are you feeling?” He holds out a chair for me.

“Good. I forgot that I had a hangover.” I smile.

“Anytime you want me to help you forget, just let me know,” he says, sliding my chair in. He takes the opportunity to touch my arms, his fingertips fluttering over me.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I hope you like omelets?” he says as he sits beside me.

“I love them. It’s been a long time since I’ve had them.” I’m going to get spoiled staying here with him.

“You smell like me,” he says softly.

“Do you mind?” I never considered that he wouldn’t want me to use his things.

“Not at all. I love that you are covered in my body wash, but I love how you smell, too.”

“I smell?” I’m horrified, automatically doing the smell test.

“Not how you think. Every shifter and human have their own particular scent. A shifter or vampire can smell them. You smell like flowers.” He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes to savor. “When a shifter or vampire finds their mate, he is attracted by her scent, one of the first indicators.”

“So, you knew I was your mate when you smelled me?” I’m not sure how to feel about this. Can he smell other things? “Do you have a scent?” I wrinkle my nose.

“Yes, I knew the minute my office door opened, letting in the air. Your essence floated in.” He sits back, holding his cup of coffee. “Vampires do not have a scent. We are void, for lack of a better term.”

“Huh.” He smells great to me. I’ll circle back to that once I have thought about it. “How did you change after you became a vampire? Was it for the better?” I ask casually, cutting my food.

“It depends on your point of view. For me, I believe it was for the better. I became stronger and faster, and it’s handy to be so hard to kill. There have been challenges, especially right after the point I was changed.” He frowns. “It was a dark time. The vampire that bit me disappeared, so I didn’t have someone to guide me. I didn't know what I was or why I was burning inside. It took some trial and error for many years to get used to my new life.”

“Are you essentially the same person, though?”

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