Bite Me (12 page)

As the days passed, I began to think of all the obstacles to our relationship. I barely knew him and, technically, he was way too old for me though you could never tell. Then it began to sink in that he was immortal, and I definitely was not. Would he continue to be young, broody, and hot as I withered away to dust and blew away?

Obviously I was fragile in comparison to him. What happened if Vanessa decided she wanted to snap me in half? Even if Conner went crazy and demanded her death or punishment, it wouldn’t make me any less dead. Or what if he had other enemies that wanted to hurt him. Certainly it would be easy to use me to make a point.

I never considered myself a coward, but all of these thoughts were scaring the crap out of me. Sure, a relationship with a vampire sounded romantic in movies and books, but in reality, it was fucking terrifying. Deep down, I knew that I should be talking to Conner about all this, but I couldn’t do it. I had known him less than a month. What did I really know about him? For all his talk about how I made him feel human again, he mostly kept his thoughts and feelings to himself. Of course I resolutely ignored the little voice in my head that said I didn’t exactly share my feelings with him either. Fucking common sense.

I had decided not to call Conner until I thought it all through. Unfortunately, it was three days later and I was still confused as hell. Since four o’clock in the morning was not the time to deal with my confusion, I made up my mind to deal with it after I woke up in the afternoon. It wasn’t right for me to leave things as they were with Conner. He was being incredibly patient but it wasn’t fair for me to leave him in the dark.

When I finally got my door unlocked, I sighed and stumbled into my apartment. After I dropped my bag and my keys on my side table, I flipped on my lights and shrieked. Conner sat on my couch, legs crossed, and his arm stretched along the back of the couch. Dressed in gray slacks and a dark blue shirt, he looked like he belonged in a GQ photo spread. I quickly shut my front door and hoped none of my neighbors heard my scream.

“What are you doing here?”

My throat felt tight when I spoke, probably because Conner scared the shit out of me. When I looked more closely, my blood chilled. He was looking at me with the same vaguely disdainful gaze that his pal Vanessa had used on me a few days before. Conner had never looked at me like that before.

“Hello, Donna. I’m glad to see you are well. I’m doing fine, thank you for asking,” he stated quietly.

I hadn’t realized how open Conner was with his thoughts and emotions until now. His face was cold and devoid of expression. I hated it.

“Excuse me for not asking after your health, Conner, but I certainly wasn’t expecting to have someone waiting for me in the dark. How did you get in here?”

He smiled but it was humorless. More like a baring of his teeth.

“I’ve lived a very long time, sweetheart. You learn a lot of things most people never do.” He paused. “By the way, your lock is shit. I believe I’ll be having a word with your landlord about that.”

My mouth dropped open and I was speechless, which rarely happened. What the fuck?

“Excuse me?” I asked, my voice rising about three octaves. “I don’t believe I asked you to have a word with my landlord about my locks, and I damn sure didn’t give you a key so you shouldn’t even be in my apartment without my express invitation!” I stopped when I realized I was yelling and forced myself to take several deep breaths.

Conner stared at me for a moment before he responded. “I should put you over my knee.”

He said it so calmly I almost missed his exact words.

“What?!” I yelled.

Again, Conner’s response was completely calm, almost emotionless. “You said you needed time. I assumed you would at least call me or possibly even text within twenty-four hours. Even if it was just to tell me you needed another day or so to think. Instead, I don’t hear from you for three days. Never mind that I might be worried about you, it was just plain fucking rude.”

I winced. Conner didn’t curse very often in my presence. I thought it was because of his age. Most men of that time would have been somewhat circumspect in the company of women. And not only was he cursing at me, he was chastising me for my behavior, and he was justified.

“I’m sorry, Conner. You’re right, it was horrible of me not to call you. It’s just…” I trailed off as I tried to decide what to say. “I’m not sure how to deal with all this. I mean you’re a vampire, which is hard enough to wrap my head around. You also have a very jealous almost-ex-girlfriend. Oh, and somehow you’ll grow to crave the taste of my blood.”

He stared at me for a few moments, and the cold, immobile expression left his face. The warmth and affection I was more accustomed to seeing returned.

“You’re feeling overwhelmed,” he said.

Major understatement. “Yes Conner, to say I’m overwhelmed is the least of it.”

He stood. “You handled the knowledge of what I am so well that I never considered that night might have been too much for you.”

I watched him warily as he approached me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer so that my head rested on his shoulder. Gently, he rubbed my back, and I felt all the tension leak out of my limbs. This was the Conner I knew.

“It’s just a lot to handle.” I felt tears prick the back of my eyes, and I blinked several times. This wasn’t worth crying over. “And the more I thought about all this, the more it hit home with me that you’re immortal. I’m obviously not. I hate to bring this up after just a few weeks together, but, what happens if our relationship progresses? Do I just continue to get older and eventually die while you stay the same age? I’m not sure how sexy you would find me if I were eighty years old and covered in wrinkles.”

He didn’t say anything. He only kept rubbing slow circles on my back.

Irritated, I pulled away slightly so I could see his face. “Any response?”

Conner dropped his arms. “I think you covered all the angles, Donna.”

I only stared at him with narrowed eyes until he sighed. Oh yeah, no matter the species men were the same. The Look worked on them all, even if it annoyed them.

“You’re right, things are moving too fast for you. I have all the time in the world. Waiting a few months or even years for you to be comfortable won’t kill me.”

Now it was my turn to be silent but for different reasons. Good God, Conner was talking about our relationship in terms of years. My heart started hammering. I wasn’t exactly a commitmentphobe, but we were moving at the speed of freaking light.

Conner tilted his head to the side. “Now why did that make your heart speed up and anxiety to start leaking out of your pores?”

“You think we’ll be together for years?” The question burst out of me before I could stop it.

“You don’t?” he shot back.

I threw my hands up in the air. “That’s my whole point, Conner. I’ve known you for a few
weeks
. I don’t know how I’ll feel in another month, much less another year.” I didn’t mention the fact that I felt more for him than anyone else in the past. I wanted him to understand how crazy it was to be thinking about years together in such a short time, not encourage him.

“Donna, you seem to have forgotten that I’ve lived a very long time. I knew with one look at you that you were special, different. I knew that I would do whatever it took to have you in my life, even if I had to court you as though I were human.”

“You mean you were going to lie to me?!” I yelled.

Conner’s hands closed over my shoulders, and he shook me lightly. “Dammit, woman, that’s not important. I didn’t have to lie to you and, now that I know you better, I never would. What I am telling you is that in three centuries, you are the first woman to make me want to plan for years together.”

His accent had thickened as our conversation continued. I knew that meant he was getting angry but hearing his Scottish brogue turned me on, which sucked. How was I supposed to stay focused on our argument when he sounded like that? It also sucked because I knew he could feel my lust.

Sure enough he looked at me oddly. “I don’t think I will ever understand women, even if I live another millennia and could read your thoughts.”

I couldn’t help but laugh because he sounded so confounded.

“How can your mood change from angry to lustful so quickly?”

I rarely blushed but I felt heat creeping into my cheeks. “It’s your accent. When you get angry, your accent gets stronger. I, uh, really like that.”

Now it was Conner’s turn to laugh. “I suppose that makes sense,” he said, “I’ll keep that in mind for other times.” He kissed me lightly. “In regards to our other conversation, how about this: let’s take it a day at a time for a while. When you feel more comfortable we can discuss the future.”

I hesitated but eventually nodded. One day at a time sounded better than the freak out I had been entertaining for the last three days.

“Good,” he said, “then let’s go to bed. I’ve missed you when I’ve gone to sleep the last few nights.”

“I’ve missed you too,” I replied.

It amazed me how quickly I grew accustomed to having Conner beside me at night. I hadn’t slept well since the last night we spent together. I followed him down the hall to my bedroom and got ready for bed. Conner pulled me close and, to my surprise, went to sleep.

Before he left in the morning, Conner asked me to come to his house later. When I arrived I noticed a new security pad and gate at the entrance to the driveway. It seemed Conner wanted to be sure that Ms. Bitchface and company didn’t come in uninvited again. Conner buzzed me in and told me the front door was open.

I parked my car in front of the house and went into the house.

“Conner?” I called.

“In the kitchen.”

I wandered back to the kitchen and was surprised at what I saw. Conner was standing over the stove, stirring something in a pot. I had seen the cold side of Conner and the sweet. Now I was seeing the domesticated part of my man. Whatever he was making smelled fantastic.

“I didn’t realize that you cooked,” I commented.

He shot me a wry look. “I’ve lived for over three hundred years, Donna. Of course I know how to cook.”

I sneered at him but without heat. “But you said yourself you don’t have to eat.”

Conner took a glass from the cabinet and filled it from an open bottle of red wine on the counter.

“Yes, but I also said that I enjoyed good food. There are times that I have to cook it for myself.”

I took the glass from him with a smirk. “I think I like this side of you.”

When we sat down at the counter to eat a little later, I decided that his three hundred years were well spent. He served me chicken in a rich creamy sauce, green beans, and risotto. It was delicious.

“Oh my God, Conner. This is fantastic.” I couldn’t resist dragging a finger through the sauce left on my plate and licking it clean.

I started to do it again when Conner’s hand shot out and grabbed mine. He lifted my finger to his mouth and sucked it between his lips. Suddenly my mind wasn’t on how incredible the food tasted. I started panting as his teeth nipped the pad of my finger. I leaned closer and he released my hand so he could kiss me. I saw a flash of fang just before his mouth settled on mine and knew Conner was turned on too.

Our tongues tangled, and the kiss turned almost violent. I knew my lips would be bruised later. Conner pulled back, his hair mussed from my hands and hanging in his face. He shoved the plates off the counter. I vaguely heard them crash to floor and shatter before he grabbed my waist and lifted me onto the granite counter top.

He shoved my skirt up around my waist and pressed my thighs open roughly. His thumbs pressed onto my clit and, even through my underwear, it felt incredible. I grabbed the edge of the counter and my back arched. Conner’s lips hit my inner thigh, followed by the scrape of his fangs. I gasped.

As his mouth teased me, never moving to the place I needed it most, Conner wrapped a hand around each of my ankles and set them on the bar stools on either side of him. His hot breath seeped through my panties and I whimpered. A ripping sound filled the air, and felt his lips on my bare skin. I realized he had torn my panties down the middle, and every muscle below my waist clenched.

Conner was usually a gentle lover, rarely leaving bruises despite his greater strength. I loved it but I was also thoroughly enjoying the rougher side of him. After he bit me the week before, he finally realized that I wasn’t lying when I said wanted him to be harder, harsher.

Conner’s eyes met mine as his mouth descended. I couldn’t tear my gaze away as his tongue swirled firmly over my clit. My thigh muscles shivered as I tried not to close my legs around his head. Conner liked for me to remain still if he positioned me a certain way.

Our eyes stayed locked as he continued to lick and suck at my clitoris. Of their own volition, my hands released the counter and fisted in his hair. As the orgasm started to crest, I saw Conner’s mouth open just before his fangs pierced my flesh. I threw my head back and screamed as the climax intensified. Black dots danced in front of my eyes.