Page 22 of Last Shot at Love

“Please.” He shifted positions until he was sitting cross-legged at the foot of the bed, facing me.

“Vampires have intermingled with humans over the last few centuries. We can produce offspring with humans, and the vampire traits are passed on to the children, but in a slightly weakened form. With each progressive generation, the vampire features will continue to grow weaker.”

He leaned forward, resting his elbow on his knee and propping his chin on his palm. “And you? What are you?”

“I’m a halfling,” I answered without embarrassment. “My father is a vampire, and my mother was a human. I inherited several of my father’s traits. For instance, I’m able to shift to a vampiric form. I inherited his fangs, although mine are slightly shorter than his, but thankfully, I have my mother’s digestive system.”

Sneaking a glance at him, I once again searched for disgust but found nothing but curiosity in his eyes.

I took a breath and continued. “Other than the occasional glass of blood, I’m able to keep my vampiric hunger under control by regularly consuming rare meat. So if you’re concerned that I’m a danger to you or that you’ll wake up to find me latched onto you like a bloodsucking leech, you needn’t worry. I’ve never taken blood directly from a living being.”

As soon as the words tumbled from my mouth, I wished I could take them back.

I’d just admitted to still possessing the vampire equivalent of a V-card. Most vampires did away with both types of virginity during their high school years. This was an extremely personal detail about myself I hadn’t intended to reveal to anyone… ever.

His brows rose. “Is that common among vampires?”

I paused, trying to decide whether I should be honest and embarrass myself, or if I could brush it off with a lie.

The latter didn’t seem a great way to start a relationship with the person who’d signed a contract to be my mate.

Taking a breath, I blew out a long sigh and dropped my eyes to the brilliant white bedspread.

“While vampires no longer feed upon unwilling humans whom they’ve stalked and turned to prey, it’s an extremely…” I searched for the right word. “It’s an intensely sensual experience to drink from another living being—or so I’ve been told. Apparently, nothing compares to the taste of fresh blood straight from a vein.”

My cheeks burned. “The experience is like eating at a 5-star restaurant while having mind-blowing sex at the same time. It’s a highly erotic experience that almost always ends with sex.”

“And yet you haven’t—”

“No.” I cut him off, hoping we could move on to other conversations.

He wasn’t ready to let it go. “Why not?” A gold ring formed around his deep blue irises.

“I haven’t had time for it,” I stated matter-of-factly.

It wasn’t a lie, but it was only half the truth.

I’d been busy, and there’d been no one who’d aroused me enough to stir my vampiric urge to feed. And there’d been a part of me that only wanted to experience it with the person I wanted to spend my life with.

I certainly wasn’t a virgin, and when my biological needs grew distracting, I had no qualms about letting my hair down and blowing off some steam with a romp in the bedroom, but I’d never given all of myself to my sexual partners.

And now that I’d signed the mating agreement with the golden god in front of me, I might never experience that. Because I’d never sink my fangs into him without his consent.

Some people had a kink for being bitten, but there were far more who’d be squeamish at the idea of having a vampire’s fangs sink into their necks.

I watched as her eyes sparkled and her sexy, full lips moved as she spoke.

She was heartbreakingly beautiful.

Appearance had never mattered to me, and I’d arrived on land with no expectations… so finding a living goddess sleeping in our room had been a shock.

Other than her name, I’d purposely chosen to not find out about my new mate until we met in person. The downside to being matched through a business transaction was that it was far from being romantic.

By waiting, I’d hoped to have my mate tell me about herself rather than reading those facts on a legal document. For that reason, I asked the agency to provide me with only the essential information.

Things like her requirements for our relationship. One of the most important had been her insistence that I move to her area, as her job was the highest priority for her.

She’d even offered a generous allowance if her mate was willing to agree to her terms. I’d been fine with moving, and the allowance was unnecessary, but I figured I’d tell her that later.

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