* * *I groaned as I slowly dragged myself from a deep sleep. Bronwyn’s pert little ass was wiggling against my cock—who was already awake and raring to go.
“You’re testing my control, angel,” I growled. “If you don’t stop that squirming, you won’t be able to walk tomorrow. I’m already missing having your tight pussy wrapped around my cock, but I know you must be sore.”
She’d stilled when I spoke, but after I was done, she shifted again, and I had no doubt it was deliberate, the little minx. I needed a distraction so I wouldn’t give in to my growing hunger for her. “How about I go collect your things while you take a bath and recuperate?”
Bronwyn’s head turned to look up at me. Her expression was suspiciously blank, and she shook her head. “Um, I should probably do it. You can...um… whatever and I’ll just run over there and be back in no time.”
She was keeping something from me, and I scowled as I studied her intently. “You can’t leave here, Bronwyn.”
A delicate eyebrow raised, her chin lifting with it, and her gaze narrowed. “Am I your prisoner, Mr. Bancroft?” I pursed my lips to keep from curving up at her display of fire. It was sexy as fuck.
“As appealing as that idea is, perhaps I could have said that better,” I admitted, losing the battle with my smile. “What I meant was that it’s safest if you stay here. And you certainly can’t leave alone.” She opened her mouth, and I held up my hand, silently requesting she not interrupt me. “You have a target on your back, angel. I need to be with you to protect you until you’ve been changed.”
She seemed mollified by my final explanation, but there was still a stubborn tilt to her chin. “Fine, you can come with. But you’ll wait outside while I gather my things.”
No way was that happening, but I let her think she’d won for the moment. We’d cross that threshold when we were in front of it. I gave her a fast, hard kiss in lieu of answering, then climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of loose pajama bottoms before padding into the large en suite bathroom. I turned the knobs on the spacious bathtub until I found the right temperature and let it fill up.
Bronwyn wandered in a minute later, wearing only the shirt I’d given her the night before, her long, toned legs on display. My mouth watered, and I squeezed my eyes shut as I mentally listed out the acronyms for every company I owned stock in. When I felt stable enough to open my eyes, I avoided looking at her as I turned to shut off the water.
After taking a deep, cleansing breath, I faced her and quickly unbuttoned the shirt, letting it fall to the ground when I pushed it off her shoulders. I took her hand and helped her into the bathtub. As I turned to leave, she grabbed my arm, and I halted. When I pivoted to face her, I was surprised to see her beautiful eyes swimming with doubt.
“Aren’t you coming in?”
My face softened as I dropped to my knees and cupped her face. “I would love nothing more than to have your wet naked body pressed against mine, angel.”
“Then—”
I shook my head and interrupted her before she could convince me to change my mind. “I plan on spending the next few days with my fingers, tongue, and cock in your delectable pussy, Bronwyn. But I refuse to hurt you any more than I had to when I popped your cherry. So, relax and let the tenderness abate.” I ran a finger down her cheek and stared into her gorgeous face, awed that this incredible creature was fated to be mine. “We have forever together, angel.”
I gave her a light kiss and forced myself to leave the bathroom. There were many ways in which I preferred to live as humans did. Bathing was one of them; I found I could handle the stresses in my life a lot better after spending time in a hot shower. But in this case, I wouldn't have the strength to resist my consort if I went back in there, and I was anxious to get the errand to the boarding house over with as soon as possible. With barely a flick of my hand, I was clean and dressed in fresh clothes.
My vampiric gifts only went so far, and though I’d changed by magic, it was into clothes I already owned. Not that I couldn’t summon something from a store, but with my wealth, it seemed ridiculous to shoplift. It left me in a bit of a conundrum when figuring out what Bronwyn could wear. It was hot as hell to see her wearing my clothes, but they dwarfed her and weren’t practical for our little trip.