“The lady said this is a custom model that uses capsules. An Arab sheik ordered it but ended up not buying the espresso maker because in the meantime he had changed his jet, and the new interiors clashed with the chrome finish,” Adrian explained, making it sound like it was a secondhand bargain. Misunderstanding her silence for disapproval, he said, “If you don’t like it, I can send it back and order a different model.”
“I love it, but it’s too much for me.” She looked at the machine and sighed. “You can’t go on buying such expensive pieces—”
“Why not?” Adrian placed the food tray on the antique stove and turned to take her hands in his.
“Because what if things between us don’t work out?” she asked, feeling her heart sink at each word.
Adrian’s face became ashen, his eyes reflecting deep sadness. “Don’t say that.” He pulled her closer to him. “Don’t ever say it.” He enveloped her in a tight embrace. “You are my bloodmate and the most beautiful, unexpected surprise, but now that I’ve found you, I can’t lose you.”
“But you don’t even know what exactly this bloodmate thing entails,” Lavinia said softly.
For all she knew, this Vampire’s Thirst he talked about could lessen one day, and Adrian would tire of her. What then?
“I don’t, and we can research it together. I’ll call Lando and ask him the number of his contact. We’ll fly to wherever this librarian lives if necessary, but we’ll have our answers.” Adrian kissed the tip of her nose.
Lavinia shivered. Even that soft brush had awakened her senses. She raised her mouth to his, needing him to kiss her.
“I promise you—” he whispered in a hoarse voice, his lips hovering over hers as the dark in his eyes dilated “—that what I feel for you won’t ever change.” His hand traveled along her arm before moving to her waist. “I ache for you.” He pressed her against him, and she could feel how hard he was. His fingers trailed up her side, skimming the swell of her breast.
She strained against his touch. A heavy sensation thrummed between her legs, making her weak in the knees.
25
During his short human life, Adrian had refused to be a slave to his instincts. As a vampire, he made a personal oath that blood and lust would never reign over him. In a matter of days, this soul-consuming Vampire’s Thirst had shattered hundreds of years of rigidly imposed control over his base desires, and yet, he was happy about it.
Losing control had never been so exhilarating.
With his hand, he cupped Lavinia’s breast, so soft and heavy against his touch. She pressed against him, her nipples hardening to peaks. The sight of his shirt loosening over her chest combined with her moans stirred his desire more than any erotic encounter he had ever experienced.
He wanted to press Lavinia against the glass wall of the conservatory and finally unite them in the most intimate of embraces. He needed her warmth to sheath him tightly as he rode them both to an explosive release. He needed her blood to coat his mouth and fill his throat, intoxicating him with her fine bouquet. His mouth descended to her earlobe, eager to nip at the tender flesh as his fangs grazed her skin.
Lavinia trembled at his touch, her head falling back, giving his fangs better access to piercing her. “Adrian—” She grabbed the lapels of his jacket, pulling him closer to her.
His fangs pressed against her throbbing vein and his hand moved down, raising the tail of his shirt—her shirt now. Her warm scent ignited his senses. He dipped his fingers into the waistband of her panties, inching toward her hot core. When he cupped her mound, the touch elicited a deep, throaty moan from her which he heard vibrating against his strained fangs. It took all his willpower not to consume their union right then and there.
Rocking against his hand, Lavinia cried softly, driving him mad. He had to have her, but the need to protect his bloodmate was stronger than his needs. Kissing a trail toward the hollow between her breasts, he moved his hand softly against her mound, soothing her ache with his strokes. His fingers played with her nipple, pinching the hard peak before he lavished it with his tongue.
Adrian knew how to please a woman and took great pride in satisfying a partner, but leading his bloodmate to her orgasm was different. Nothing could compare to the gratification he received when he entered Lavinia with one finger, and her pulse became faster, her cries louder, and she threw her head back, consumed by the release he was giving her.
Her warmth still convulsing around his finger, Lavinia opened her eyes and stared at him with a pleading look. “I need you,” she said, reaching for his belt.
“Not now,” he said, again. How many times had he uttered those words? He couldn’t remember, but he sure hated them by now. “I can’t have you without feeding, and I won’t do it until you’re ready.”
In the throes of pleasure, Lavinia started to say, “I want you,” arching her throat for him.
Taking her now would be like taking advantage of someone with her senses impaired. Lavinia’s eyes were glazed, and her chest rose and fell fast, her skin flushed. She was drunk on sensual pleasure, and he couldn’t feed from her without being sure that it was what she wanted.
As he denied himself the pleasure he so much craved to give his bloodmate the freedom to choose, he realized something. “I can’t feed from anyone else but you,” he said, taking Lavinia’s hands away from his pants. “For the rest of my life.”
His statement startled her. Lavinia blinked, her eyes finally focusing, and she took a step back. “How do you know that?”
“There was a note in a book about it, but I know, deep inside—” he pressed the heel of his hand against his heart “—that’s the truth. I can’t even imagine feeding from anyone else’s vein but yours.”
Looking like a disheveled goddess, Lavinia hugged herself, her exposed skin covered in goosebumps. “I—” she started, then hesitated, her green eyes huge and her mouth swollen and red. She bit her lower lip, making him even harder. “I know it doesn’t make sense because we just met, but I’m glad that you only want to feed from me because I can’t stand the idea of you touching another woman so intimately.”
“It’s not just a matter of wanting, I’m afraid. I can only feed from you,” he said.
“Are you saying that you can’t physically drink from another person?” Her frown was adorable.
“From now until eternity, you are my only sustenance.” When Lando had read him the note, Adrian had been too distressed to focus on the words, and the entire concept of a bloodmate had sounded too abstract to be true until he had met Lavinia. Now, he couldn’t even entertain the idea of piercing a stranger’s flesh to feed without feeling sick to the stomach.
“It’s a lot to process,” Lavinia murmured. “I know that I’ve just said that I don’t want you to seek someone else for blood, but I’m still a werewolf, and I shouldn’t crave your bite the way I do—” She waved her hands in frustration. “There’s this strong prejudice against vampires that makes me feel ashamed for wanting you. And this whole thing about bloodmates is insane. I am a half-breed werewolf; how can I be your mate? I’m so confused. And Carolina is dead, and it feels like I’m a horrible person for enjoying life. Since I’ve met you, you’ve taken centerstage in my thoughts.” She looked at him from under her lashes. “Everything’s happening too fast. And I am repeating myself a lot.”
“The Thirst took me by surprise, too.” Adrian reached for her wrist, gently pulling her to him. “When you live as long as I have, you don’t think life can surprise you any longer, but then a dark illness almost killed me, and I met you because of it.” He brought her hands to his lips and tenderly kissed them. “After suffering for days, I came to the gala looking for answers, hoping to find a cure for my agony. The moment I entered that ballroom, the Thirst lessened, and a sense of peace descended on me as all my senses pointed at the corner where you stood. Even before seeing you, I knew you were the one.”
His cell phone rang, startling Lavinia. “It’s Mark,” he said to
her before answering the call. “News?” he asked after greeting his friend.
“I’ve just parked in front of your house. Let me in, and I’ll tell you what I’ve found,” Mark said and hung up.
Lavinia started to walk toward the foyer, but Adrian stopped her. “My love, would you do me a favor and put something on?” His hand brushed against the white shirt, the fabric stretching against her hard nipples and soft breasts. His eyes lowered to the shirt’s tail caressing her naked thighs and came back to her face a moment later. “I can barely control my jealousy as it is. If Mark as much as looks at you, I might be liable to attack him. I’m afraid that my highly sophisticated manners have taken a leave of absence lately, and until we properly bind, you are stuck with a caveman.”
Lavinia’s eyes lit at his statement, only to darken soon after. “I don’t have anything else to wear,” she said. “I destroyed my gown when I shifted yesterday, remember?”
“About that,” he said, kissing her. “I took the liberty of ordering a few clothes for you.”
“You didn’t ask your PA to buy me clothes,” she said, with an impish smile.
“No, there are some things I don’t delegate. I called a few boutiques and had them fast delivered.” He gave her a brilliant smile that reached his eyes, making him look devastatingly handsome. “Your new clothes are in the master bedroom’s walk-in-closet. Go and see if any of the pieces I chose is to your liking. We’ll visit Via Condotti later today—”
“Via Condotti?” Lavinia asked.
“There are a few ateliers in Via Condotti where I buy my clothes, but if you’d rather shop somewhere else, we’ll go there instead.”
Her eyes widened as she hurried to say, “I’ve never thought I’d ever set foot inside one of the stores in the city center.”
The doorbell rang, announcing that Mark had arrived.
“We’ll wait for you to change,” Adrian said, playfully slapping her round bottom to send her on her way.
26
Lavinia climbed to the fourth floor feeling as if she had sprouted wings.
Although her situation remained complicated, Adrian’s presence in her life had brought a much-needed breath of fresh air. They had just met, and yet, her sixth sense told her that she could trust him. Besides his sexual magnetism that left her addle-brained, he also made her feel at peace.
Since Carolina’s horrific death, Lavinia had been at the mercy of her emotions. Only in Adrian’s arms had she found respite from the recurrent thoughts plaguing her mind.
Entering the walk-in-closet, Lavinia realized that some clothes in Adrian’s vocabulary meant a new wardrobe. While she had been sleeping, he must have arranged delivery of the multitude of jeans, sweaters, shirts, dresses, and shoes on the shelves. When she opened one of the drawers, she found the most exquisite lingerie. The tags said La Perla. She picked up a flimsy piece in black, a delicate negligee, and couldn’t help but think that piece alone cost as much as one month’s rent for her apartment.
She draped the negligee across her chest and imagined wearing it for him. Her daring thoughts made her caress the lacy fabric over her breasts. A sweet pleasure mounted between her legs. When she caught her reflection in the closet mirror, she blushed, then dropped the babydoll back into the drawer. Her skin still tingled from the feel of the fabric, though, feeding her mind with more thoughts of Adrian’s hands stroking between her curls and pinching her nipples.
With her past boyfriends, Lavinia had never reached this level of intimacy in such a short time. It excited and scared her at the same time. Every single aspect of the unexpected relationship with Adrian shocked and titillated her, widening her horizon to new experiences. Her only fear was that once they completed the bloodmate bond, his interest in her would wane.
Remembering that Adrian was waiting for her downstairs, Lavinia chose a pair of skinny jeans and a dusty-pink, loose angora sweater that dropped down one shoulder. She paid the bathroom a short visit to brush her teeth with a new toothbrush she found in the ceramic cup on the sink, and made sure to pass her hand through her tresses to comb her hair before leaving the master bedroom.
As she entered the hallway, a strange sensation gripped her heart.
Her wolf howled in her mind, urging her to hurry. She descended the stairs two at a time, skipping steps to reach the first floor as soon as possible. Angry voices reached the landing, where she stood. She sprinted toward the foyer.
Four wolves were circling Adrian, snarling at him. His jacket’s sleeve was torn, and fresh blood stained the front of his shirt. Her entrance distracted him, so one of the wolves attacked Adrian, biting his arm and dragging him down.
As the rest of the wolves closed ranks around Adrian, hiding him from Lavinia, she shifted and burst into the circle with a loud bark. One of the wolves turned to fight her, the intruder, and Adrian emerged from the melee, shouting her name in anguish.
Lavinia’s small wolf valiantly threw herself at her attacker with all she had. Her strength and size would’ve never won her a fight, but her big heart and determination spurred her to snarl and bite without pause. The wolf underestimated the she-wolf, opening his throat to her fangs. She didn’t waste the opportunity and bit down, cutting fur and sinew. Her enemy’s blood soon drenched her, but only when the wolf’s hold on her lessened did she relax her jaw.
Filled with rage, she moved from one shifter to the next. Her wolf’s heart galloped hard against her ribcage, her breath coming out as a pained hiss, but she kept fighting, keeping Adrian in her peripheral vision. Her mate destroyed one of the opponents by eviscerating him, crushing bones, and severing the wolf’s heart in one movement.
The third wolf ganged up with Lavinia’s opponent. Adrian grabbed him and threw him away from her. Lavinia’s wolf aimed for the remaining attacker’s heart, and the shifter launched himself at her for the final blow. She used her smaller size and speed to her advantage, while the big wolf only relied on his brute force. Crouching to the ground, she waited until the very last moment to strike. When the wolf was on top of her, his fangs closing around her head, she slid further down and turned. The sound of clenching jaws resonated over her frantically beating heart. She slashed at his underbelly, tearing ribs. Her fangs sank into the soft beating heart, killing the wolf with a jerk of her head. A moment later, the wolf shifted back into his human host, who died immediately after.
She too shifted and tried to free herself from underneath the heavy carcass.
“Lavinia!” Adrian threw the man off her and immediately and took her in his arms. “Are you okay?” His hands roamed over her, sliding over the blood covering her body.
“It’s not mine,” she said, finding comfort in his embrace.
“You are incredibly brave, my love.” His voice broke. “The most courageous wolf I’ve ever seen.”
Shuffling steps came from the entrance.
27
Adrian moved in front of Lavinia, hiding her naked body with his as Mark burst into the foyer. Then, he removed his jacket and handed it to her. “What happened to you?” he asked his friend.
Mark’s suit was torn, and his pants slashed in long stripes. His wounds were already healing, but blood stains covered the destroyed garments. He gave the corpses a brief glance before answering, “I suppose the same that happened to you.” His eyes cut toward Lavinia but didn’t linger, focusing back on Adrian. “I stopped the rest of the gang just outside the corner. The Directive is sending the special squad to clean up.”
“Whatever you wanted to tell us will have to wait a few minutes longer,” Adrian said, reaching behind him for Lavinia’s hand. “We need to freshen up.”
Mark smirked. “Take your time. I’ll be entertaining the Directive for you, again.”
“Do that.” Adrian turned and cradled Lavinia in his arms, sprinting for the stairs.
He deposited her inside the shower stall in the master bathroom and removed his jacket before making short work of his torn clothes. Once they were both nake
d, he took her in his arms once again and turned on the jets. Hot water cascaded on them, washing away the blood.
Fighting always awakened his senses, but since he had met Lavinia, his body had never relaxed and combined with the dash of danger they had just experienced, it made him unbearably hard.
His mouth descended fast on her, his tongue demanding an entrance she offered with a sigh. Her soft body melted against his, and he anchored her legs around his waist. He needed her. His hands caressed and stroked, pinched and soothed her skin, coaxing her cries and sultry moans. The stall filled with hot mist as his senses exploded. Driven by the primal instinct to possess his mate, he slipped a finger inside her. When she rocked against his hand, he added a second finger as his mouth closed on the hollow of her throat. His tongue swirled in time with the motion of his fingers.
Lavinia grinded her body against him, her frantic pants guiding his tempo until she shouted his name under the torrential water. Adrian couldn’t wait any longer to take her. He removed his fingers and thrust inside her warmth, burying himself deeply. Her still throbbing sheath spurred him into a frenzy of pushes and pulls as she pressed her breasts against his searching mouth. Her nipples grew harder from his nips and licks.
Adrian lowered his hand between them, reaching for her nub. It only took a gentle flick of his finger on the sensitive spot to send Lavinia over the edge. Her soft channel that had never stopped contracting spasmed tightly around him, pulling his throbbing hardness deeper inside. He silenced her loud shout with his mouth, riding the crest of their pleasure by slamming into her harder and faster. His fangs cut his gums and elongated. He grazed her tongue, nicking her flesh. It was less than a drop, but the scent and taste of her blood filled his mouth and spread throughout the rest of his body.
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