A Vampire for Christmas(55)

He pushed open the gate and spied the two girls sleeping on a wooden bench in front of the old apartment building beside which their mother had passed out. He’d once offered to put them up in the hotel down the street but the mother had refused, and the oldest girl had stood by her mother. They frequented a local shelter. The little one wouldn’t have minded; he knew that.

See you tomorrow night, girls,” he said, and the oldest thanked him then nodded back to sleep.

What kind of world allowed things like that to happen? Hell, allowed vampires to walk the earth? It was just wrong. He was wrong.

But he’d be damned if he’d let the wrong continue.

His anger rising, he fought to keep it to a simmer. He didn’t need to go around punching in heads or flashing his fangs because his world wasn’t right. He needed grounding.

And he knew where to find that.



WITH A YAWN, Olivia opened the door and tugged Daniel across the threshold. It was two in the morning, but she hadn’t been able to sleep. Now that he was here, she could.

Missed you,” he murmured as she snuggled into his cool embrace. Snowflakes sifted down her back and skimmed the slinky silk nightgown. “Shouldn’t be here, but can’t stay away.”

Here is the only place you should be,” she said, and led him into the bedroom. “I figured you needed to go out to…”

Yeah, I had to do that,” he agreed.

Imagining Daniel leaning over a woman to sink his fangs in her neck made her heart ache, so she quickly pushed the image away. “Let’s not talk. Just touch me.”

Works for me.”

They landed on the bed like lovers who had been together for years, finding each other’s sensitive spots with ease and lingering until the heady climax bonded them in ways neither would ever unravel. And yet they were new lovers, so finding an unexplored sensitive spot behind Daniel’s ear with her tongue gave Olivia a giggle. And he wanted to spend time searching for her G-spot, which she didn’t mind at all, and—mercy, but he found it.

Skin flushed from exhaustion hugged and caressed. Lips tendered kisses to every inch of arm, leg, stomach and breasts. Fingers learned to speak a sign language shared by lovers with taps and tickles and strokes.

Hours later, Olivia rolled into Daniel’s embrace. “Don’t leave me tonight.”

He kissed her forehead. “I won’t. It’s almost morning and the curtains are drawn. I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.”

Me, too. Daniel, I love you.”

She felt his muscles tense and when he moved away from her, Olivia’s world shattered.

Sorry, sweetie, you can’t love a monster. I don’t deserve that.” He winced and smoothed a hand over her hair. “My soul doesn’t deserve you.”

You’ve a beautiful soul, Daniel.” She kissed him in the darkness, two mouths, one making promises the other didn’t want to speak, didn’t know how to accept. “I wish your soul felt worthy of love.”

Yeah, well, it doesn’t.” He rolled to his back and allowed her to snuggle against his arm, but she sensed he’d shut down, no longer open to emotion.

I’m not going to apologize, because I meant it,” she said. “I don’t need you to love me back. I wanted you to know how I feel. This past week has been amazing. You’ve distracted me from my world and—”

And brought you into my world. That was stupid of me, Olivia. Hell, you said you wanted to go slow.”

She had said that. But apparently her heart hadn’t been listening. She wanted him to want her, to want to share his world with her. But she understood his reluctance.

Didn’t make it any easier on her heart right now.

I should leave,” he said.

No. Please. I know you probably don’t need much sleep. Can I fall asleep in your arms? You can slip out when I’m snoring.”

Olivia.”

Please.” She kissed his ear, the side of his eye where his lashes flicked faery kisses against her nose. “And I’d like you to bite me. I want to feel that intensity again.”

It was as if their souls had bonded in that moment. And whether or not he could deal with that emotion, she needed it desperately. It was a sacrifice that didn’t feel like a sacrifice. It felt like the next natural step to their relationship.

He nudged his nose against her neck. “You smell like sex and cookies. My favorite smell.”

Can I be your favorite taste? Can you bite me more often, without causing…you know?”