“It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine.”
“I deserve it,” I whispered.
“Nobody deserves to be hurt,” he said. “Nobody.”
“I’m sorry I egged him on,” I whispered. I knew that I had. I’d gone overboard for no good reason except that I had wanted to show off how brave and strong and independent I was. That was pretty bad, to be honest.
“I like a sassy girl,” Colin said, stroking my cheek.
“A sassy girl?”
“Yes,” he said.
“Well, then I guess it’s a good thing I’m a little bit sassy,” I told him. “Because I like you, too.”
I hadn’t meant to say it. It had just sort of slipped out. I liked him. A lot. He was fun and interesting and smart, and he knew so much about the world of vampires. I understood that he was a busy man. He was independent and he was strong and wild. He had his hands full running Darkvale, but he still made time to take care of his team and the vamps who lived with him.
He was a good man.
He talked a big game and acted all scary and menacing, but I’d seen a lot over the past couple of days that told me just how not bad he was. For one thing, he was always saying “please” and “thank you” to the other vampires. I mean, I hadn’t expected much from him, but I really hadn’t expected him to be using good manners.
It was obvious that he cared a lot about the other vampires in ways that most creatures didn’t. That was part of what I liked about him. The other thing I liked about him was that he made me come apart endlessly. Even now, as he stroked my cheek, he looked at me like I was fire and ice. He looked at me like he was going to turn me into a meal.
“Take off the dress,” he finally said, and I found myself getting to my feet.
“You’re a little bossy,” I whispered. We were alone in the sitting room, but the doors were still ajar. There was a big hallway just outside of the room that people walked through pretty frequently. If anyone walked by and peered in, they’d be able to see me.
Did I care?
I knew this was some sort of test. He wanted to see if I’d listen to him. Perhaps more than that, he wanted to see if I’d do something simply because it pleased him. That was asking a lot for a guy I wasn’t officially dating. We were sleeping together, and I was feeding him, but it was temporary. In fact, I’d wager that he’d be sending me home tomorrow. The idea was that I’d be here to feed him while Norman was in town. With Norman gone, Colin would have plenty of blood available.
I’d never done anything like this before for any guy I’d ever been with. I’d never been bold or brave or sexy or wild. I’d never stripped down just because they liked it. I’d never teased my dress off and tossed it to the floor. Never.
The idea that someone might see me probably should have been horrifying, but it wasn’t. I actually really loved the idea. It was a good idea, I thought. My nipples peaked at the very thought of showing off for strangers. Vampires were known for being sexual creatures. Would one of the vamps who roamed the house see me and want to join in?
Maybe it was a dangerous game. Perhaps I was playing with fire, but I just couldn’t bring myself to care. Colin was incredible. He protected me. He’d keep me safe if someone wanted to get too close or if they crossed a line. Right now, though, he was asking me to trust him.
That’s what this was.
It was a trust game.
“I think you like me being bossy.”
“A little.”
“Take the dress off, Juliet.”
Somehow, I tugged at the dress. I pushed the straps over my shoulder and the soft fabric fell to the floor, pooling around my ankles. I was wearing a strapless black bra and matching lace panties. I didn’t have any shoes on because Colin was a fussy vampire, and he didn’t like people wearing shoes in the house.
He twirled his finger, gesturing for me to spin in a circle so he could see me. I moved carefully, slowly. I was trying to tease him a little. I wanted a rise out of him, but I wanted a rise in a good way. I wanted him to push me down on the floor and fuck me from behind. I wanted him to take me, to devour me.
I didn’t have to wait long.
“Stop,” he said. His voice sounded husky and aroused.
I looked over my shoulder at him. He’d pulled his cock out and was stroking it. That was fast. I hadn’t even heard him unzip his pants.