A Vampire for Christmas(111)
No cut. No scab. No scar.
Son of a bitch, he’d given her enough of his blood to complete the bond. As a human, she might be able to walk away with little or no effect. Normally, a vampire seeking to take a human mate would continue to feed her small amounts of his blood, slowly building up both her tolerance and her need for it.
But through their newly forged connection, he’d always know where she was and what she was feeling. There would be an empty ache in his chest and his heart that nothing would ever completely assuage. His fault. His problem.
He needed to leave, to put some distance between them so he could get his head around what he’d done.
Eagan?” His name came out on a yawn. “Is everything all right.”
No.
Yes,” he lied as he sat up on the edge of the bed. “I just realized what time it was. I need to get back to my place before dawn.”
She rose up to look at him. “So the reflection and garlic are myths, but not the whole sun allergy thing?”
Yeah, unless you like your vampire well-done.”
His clothes were scattered across the room. When he retrieved his boxers and pants, he realized that they’d never gotten around to getting under the covers. She’d be cold as soon as he moved away.
He left the jeans unzipped and started to turn down the quilt she used as a comforter. “Let me help you get between the sheets.”
She smiled up at him. “I’ve been putting myself to bed for years, Eagan.”
Della did so much for everyone around her, and as far as he could tell she asked for very little in return. It seemed important to do this one last insignificant thing for her. He got her tucked in, fighting hard not to crawl right back in beside her. To take her again, further cementing their connection.
He picked up his shirt and shoes before tiptoeing toward the door. Before he made it, she spoke one last time.
Thank you, Eagan. For my hand, and well, everything.”
What could he say to that? Certainly not “anytime,” not when he already knew he wouldn’t be coming back. He settled for a simple, “You’re welcome. Now get some sleep while you can. My blood might have given you a boost, but healing that fast will still have taken a lot out of you.”
Nag,” she teased. “See you later.”
No, in fact she wouldn’t, not if he were careful. He still had a case to solve, but then he’d move on to the next assignment. Maybe he’d even consider a transfer to Portland or even somewhere in California, any place that would keep him too busy to think about what he might have held in his arms only to lose it minutes later.
CHAPTER NINE
THE MORNING CAME WAY TOO EARLY, but somewhere between slumber and awake, it hit Della that she’d left the kitchen a total wreck last night. What had her staff thought about walking into a room splattered with flour and blood? How could she explain it when her hand no longer had even a hint of a scar? She couldn’t very well tell them that her lover had magically healed her wound. Heck, she hadn’t come to terms with Eagan being a vampire herself.
She bolted upright and charged for the bathroom. A quick shower and clean clothes did little to disguise the effects of a night spent…well, spent the way she’d spent hers.
Flexing her wounded hand, she couldn’t detect even the smallest amount of stiffness or pain, all thanks to Eagan and the gift of his trust. She poked and prodded, trying to figure out how she felt about the knowledge that she owed the use of her hand to the ingestion of his blood.
Definitely grateful, even if a bit queasy if she thought about it too much.
She also checked the side of her neck, looking to see if he’d given her a love bite. She had vague memories of a brief pain right before he exploded deep inside her. Nope, no mark, but the memory of how spectacular the sex had been left her smiling. It might have been a long time since she’d last had a man in her bed, but no one else had ever made her feel the way Eagan did.
Which left only one question unanswered: would he disappear from her life as quickly as he’d appeared?
She very much feared the answer was yes. Obviously he’d never meant for her to know the truth about what he was. That she’d want him in her arms and in her bed had clearly come as a shock to the man. She’d been a bit surprised, too, but couldn’t regret her decision.
His reluctance to share the secret of his people’s existence was understandable. After all, he wasn’t just outing himself to her. Who else hid their secret nature right in plain sight? Were there only vampires or did some of the other ancient myths actually walk the streets of Seattle?