Page 60 of Lair

“A man—in the library—and there was a woman on the floor—”

“No, no,” he soothes, moving to wrap me in his arms. “He couldn’t have been one—”

But I hold him back. “How do you know?”

He sighs. “It’s hard to explain, but... we can sense each other. Almost like a smell.” He takes my face in his hands. “I would never leave you alone if one was here. This is a lot to take in, it’s understandable that you’d be scared and”—his teeth show in an annoyingly cute grin—“start to see vampires everywhere. You’re safe, okay? I promised you: I will always keep you safe.”

I want to believe him. I have never wanted to believe anything more in my life. I lift my face, nuzzling at him, and my lips find his. For a moment I breathe him in, as if I could take all his certainty inside me, and then I’m pulling at him with a hunger that terrifies me.

Take me, Adrian.

He does. In one swift movement he drives me back against the ivy cascading down the villa wall, his mouth on mine, so ravenous it draws a helpless whimper out of me. Then his mouth is at my neck, his hands roaming down my sides and up my front, over my breasts. There’s nothing polite about it, nothing respectful. It’s pure want. The ferociousness of it dumps heat into me. I take the lobe of his ear between my teeth and bite down hard, scrape my nails up his back beneath his shirt, wanting all of him.

Yes, I think. This again. Please.

When his hand slides up under my dress and cups my ass, wraps my leg around him, I moan, the roughness of it thrilling, taking my breath away. I’ve known hands like these. Hands that could bruise and abuse. In fact, they are those hands. The body against mine no longer Adrian’s. It’s now a body that once reared up above me in the dark as I blinked tears out of my eyes. The face so close to me a blur, focusing into—into—

No.

It can’t be, but it is. It’s my ex, Josh.

Why? A sob quivers in my throat. Why am I equating Adrian with—

A freckling of blood, on the collar of Adrian’s white business shirt, gleams in the light from the side door.

The violent explosion of my push staggers Adrian back several steps, his face drawn in confusion. “What—”

“God, I’m so stupid,” I hiss. I’m pacing now, jittery and hands in my hair. “And here I was, thinking you were doing this for me—”

“This has been for you. What are you talking about?”

I cross my arms and cock one hip, eyebrows raised.

“What?”

“The blonde,” I finally grit out. “Inside. You found her, didn’t you?”

He closes his eyes, shoulders sagging. “Shit.”

I shake my head. “How could you? I mean, did you bring me here just so you could feed—”

“No!” He slides his hands down his face with a sigh. “Look, I was turned on by you, and—I didn’t want to hurt—”

“Shut up! Don’t you dare use that as an excuse—”

“Look, it’s not like I slept with her—”

“Oh my God!” I scream, holding my hands up like blinkers. “I can’t believe we are having this conversation right now!”

“Aurora, please, I swear—”

“I know what it means for you. It’s—God, it’s like you’re cheating, okay? Whether you’re fucking her, or”—I throw up a hand—“ripping her fucking throat out. It’s cheating.”

And we both stand there, feet away from each other, unable to look into each other’s eyes.

How? How could I go from every nerve in my body sparking with celebration... to this?

I grit my teeth. “I mean, a blonde? A blonde?” I half-scream out a groan, fingers clawed and head flung back. “Why? You’re with me now. So why the hell are you still going after blondes?”

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