Alexia looked around her sparse room. The pink and white sheets now all rumpled from sex, the few pictures on the mirror, and the turntables set up along the wall were the only decorating she’d bothered doing because she’d always secretly suspected she wasn’t going to stay. This was never supposed to be home.
She closed her eyes and tried to picture a world where she and Lee made sense. She’d practically died to have him say these things to her. Died. For weeks and months, she’d watched and wanted and wondered if he’d ever want her in a million years.
She pried her eyes open. “You have no idea how much this means.” Still, there was one problem they couldn’t get around. “But what about the biological stuff? I’ll die in a few decades. You’ve still got centuries.”
He opened his mouth, but she reached behind his head, pulling him down to land a kiss on that dangerous mouth. Her leg lifted high to wrap around his waist. “You know what? There are so many questions. Let’s not dwell on the bad stuff right now.” She could tell he was still aroused, and there were better places they could both put their energy. “Listen. Whether I stay another day or another decade, I’m yours, okay? I can promise that much.”
Those gorgeous eyes threw heat at her, and even if she shouldn’t, she let those big arms of his make her feel safe. She wanted to enjoy him while she could. Didn’t want to dream of things she couldn’t have. They were both better when they focused on the physical.
That, she could do.
Strong hands slid along her leg and underneath her ass, lifting her like she weighed nothing. Bringing her slowly up the wall until they were level, looking into each other’s eyes. She shivered, not from cold and not from fear. Not from some evil-bad encroaching memory. Lee.
Heat. Clarity. Those eyes of his glowed beautiful and bright. Something else lingered in there behind his desire… hurt. Unease. Anxiousness. Something that she wasn’t detecting through their blood connection because of her own anxieties, no doubt.
“Lee, what aren’t you telling me?”
With a pained snarl, he dropped his head to her shoulder. “It’s not—I don’t want to burden…” His head rocked side to side on her spaghetti-strapped shoulder.
Alexia wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, ignoring some soreness in her stitched-up knee. Thanks to Lee’s blood, it was nearly healed. Speaking of burden, how was he still holding her so easily? Damn, he was strong. “See, here’s the thing: You want me to think about staying? You need to share with the class. I need proof that this isn’t just fucking around. Throw me a bone.”
He groaned and shifted, pushing her against the wall and securing his grip. The move pushed him between her legs, and in spite of whatever had him upset, in spite of the fact that they’d just made love, he was ready to go again.
Men. How did they manage that?
Was he actually trembling? Could’ve been air-conditioning on his wet clothes. Could’ve. “The blessing. The prediction for the heiress. ‘She will be scarred by someone who has been sworn to protect her.’”
The question in his eyes amazed her. “You can’t possibly think that meant you,” she said.
His next breath made his entire body shudder. “Guarding the family is one of my primary duties. Of course it could.” He winced at something she couldn’t see. “My mother and sister died on my watch. I swore I’d keep them safe. I’m supposed to keep you safe. It’s no wonder you don’t believe.”
Oh, Lee. It was like seeing him naked for the first time. Lee, who wasn’t afraid of anything. Who could take down half a dozen evil baddies all on his own. He was afraid of not protecting the ones he loved.
She put a hand to either side of his face. The stubble on his cheeks scraped her fingers gently. “You’re amazing at what you do. Besides, it could be nothing. You’re always saying that for all we know, Nessa’s wacko.”
He chuckled, kissing her hard. His lids lowered. “You know, I don’t want to talk about my ex right now.” His voice had dropped, all full of gravel. “I want—Can I—I need you again. Please.”
“Hell yeah.” God only knew what would happen tomorrow. She had him right now.
One hand stayed on his cheek while the other grappled for his pants. He hissed and shifted to give her better access. It took little time to pop the button fly and peel aside the wet pants, freeing his heavy erection and pushing the pants down. Just enough, anyway, that they had room to maneuver. They kissed again, tongues dueling ever so briefly before he pulled back with a hiss.
“Dammit, Lexi.” His pupils were wide and dark. She’d never seen him so wild and so restrained all at once. “I want you so fucking much…” Wow. He was trying to hold back for her. To make her feel safe.
She already did. She’d never allowed anybody to hold her the way he held her now. She’d never relaxed her weight into someone’s arms and trusted that she wouldn’t fall. Despite what she’d insisted before, she did trust him right then. “It’s okay.” She looked into those ocean-like eyes. “Go ahead. I’m yours.”
He bunched up the fabric of her skirt, and then he was inside of her again. Hot. Hard. Connected. “Oh God, Lee.” She breathed his name over and over like it was a prayer for something.
Maybe it was.
***
Lee ached to drive forward fast and hard, and for the first time, he felt true fear while making love. Deep inside, Lee was a monster. A primitive, primal beast honed into an angry fighting machine over many lonely centuries. To be what Alexia needed, he needed to be something more.
He pushed slowly into Lexi’s tight heat, holding her legs with his hands and her stare with his own. He made promises with his body that he had no idea how to deliver. Shifting and reseating himself inside her, he pressed deep to find the right spot that would drive her wild.
She gasped. Her head went back.
“Dammit, Lexi.” His fangs, already long and sharp and desperate for a target, scraped inside his cheek. He hunched over and ran his tongue along her jaw, the inviting warmth of her throat… The heat of her skin and her subtle fragrance spurred him to thrust faster as she tightened the grip of her thighs. Each of her petite hands grabbed a handful of his back, nails and all. “More.”
“It’s okay?” God forbid he ever be the one to scare her. Hurt her. He couldn’t. Never again. He’d die first.
Her palm came to his chin. Fingertips and nails gouged into his jaw, forcing his head to her eye level. “Look at me. I know it’s you. I’m okay.”
Lee responded with a pleased, possessive snarl. Even if she didn’t recognize the low cadence of it for what it was, he knew. I know it’s you. I’m okay. In that moment, with those words, she owned him. Owned him.
Fever burned over every inch of his skin. He peeled off his wet shirt and pressed their bodies tight—skin, lips, everything. “Lexi…” He’d run out of words. Seven hundred years on the planet, and he did not have enough words. She had just informed him that he was her safe place. He was unspeakably humbled. Awed.
“Lee…” Her legs squeezed tighter around him. Hell, yes. She was close. Thank fuck. She gripped him hard. His fingers dug into her ass, and she responded by digging hers into his biceps. “Harder,” she hissed. Lord, he loved Alexia’s spirit. Her aggression. Sometimes even her stubbornness.
Her. Yes, he loved her. So much.
The realization nearly made his chest explode. He gasped for breath and thrust into her with renewed fervor, gripping her tight against him.
Their hearts raced together. Alexia’s desperate pants came short and sharp, delicious high-pitched pleas and agreements and praises to God.
“Yes, Alexia. Come. Please.” Lee choked out the words, hardly able to breathe.
He adjusted his grip and thrust up, deeper and faster. Riding the edge.
“Your fangs,” she gasped. “You need… need…”
“No.” Oh, like fucking breathing, he wanted to drink more of her blood. Biology and desire demanded he take from her. The sweet memory of that honey on his tongue called out to him. Knowing that sludgy, angry glug, glug in his chest vanished when he drank from Alexia. He pumped deeper. Slower. So close. “I don’t need to.” She’d already given him so much. He wouldn’t take more.
No. He wanted, but he could wait. Right now, he was flying high. On top of the goddamned world because he was balls deep inside of Alexia, and he had just sworn his own private vow to protect her. He would. He fucking well would keep her safe.
He would control his damned vices. He would find a way for them to be together.
This was not duty. This was love. Something he’d sworn he would never do again. Never feel again.
Never say never.
Her fingernails scored his shoulders and her eyes held his. Sweat dripped from her temples, and her hair fell in disarray around her shoulders. Her dress had long ago slipped down her arms. Need shook him hard as he bent to lick across that gorgeous collarbone. If he couldn’t have her blood, tasting her skin would have to do for now.
The slick heat of her muscles gripped him tight. She shouted her release so loudly that her cries rained on him from the ceiling.
Then he did the same when her teeth sank into his shoulder. “Oh fuck.” It pushed him over the edge. He shoved inside her to the hilt, riding the pulses of his release. “Harder,” he grunted.
She complied.
“Yes. God, yes.” He hadn’t allowed a female to bite him in so long. Even though Alexia’s human teeth couldn’t pierce his skin the way fangs could, hell on earth, was it ever hot.
She shivered and wrapped her arms around him, her muscles still pulsing and grasping as he spilled into her. Their bodies, rain-damp and slicked with sweat, clung together. He held them both, breathing hard against her forehead.
Neither of them spoke. Lee wasn’t even sure what to say. Like nobody else, Alexia left him at a loss. Overwhelmed by emotion in parts of himself he had long thought were darkened and dead.
In Lee’s arms Alexia’s weight was solid and gratifying. He had thought… He stifled a laugh. He’d held on to this ridiculous notion that she was so small and delicate. She was no such thing. Small, yes. But the way she had met him thrust for thrust and manhandled him… The way she’d kept up with him in the woods. Shit, the way she’d gone after that guardian with nothing more than a tree branch.
So tough, so amazing. Like a tiny tank.
He could see the way she struggled mentally, and now he understood why. She just hadn’t been taught how. That part, he could help her with. Or maybe they could help each other. Seven hundred years of mental armor… If anybody could handle his baggage, maybe Alexia could.
Lee took a deep, satisfied breath as he lowered Alexia to the floor. “Lexi, I do have one request. Please don’t go sneaking out unannounced again. I know you want freedom, but if you need to leave, please tell me. Tell someone. I’d prefer to have you take Anton or Tyra, but if you must go alone, I’d at least appreciate knowing your location. Just in case.”
She disappeared into her bathroom, conveniently avoiding eye contact. When she’d tugged her dress back into place, he took hold of her hand so she had to face him. “You are going to stay. Yes?”
She looked like a deer in the headlamp of an oncoming train. “Probably. I think—I know I want to. You’ve given me an awful lot to think about.”
“Probably?” An awful lot to think about. “I see.” That was as far as he’d gotten her to budge? “Probably” was not an answer. How could she still be unsure? What else did he need to say?
Her arms went around his waist. Her forehead bumped his chest. “Okay, I want to. I do. I’m scared. We don’t have any idea if this can work. And I’m worried that when the lust fades, you’ll have regrets. Being with a human is something you were against for so long.”
A loud explosion shattered the quiet night. It came from close by. Too close.
“Shit.” Well, they wouldn’t be discussing it now. He could only hope that later there would be time. His fingers tangled in her hair, and he gave her one hard, short, last kiss. “Stay here. Please, Lexi.” Please stay.
He reached for his jacket and pulled out a 9 mm. “You said you know how to shoot?”
She nodded.
His chest squeezed hard and painfully. “It’s loaded just in case. But stay here. I’ll be back.”
He hoped.