"I don't want it," Dani interrupted on a mutter. "I'm not-I don't-" Shaking her head, she pressed her face to his chest again and repeated, "I don't want it."
Decker peered down at the top of her head, slowly realizing Dani was still struggling to accept what she was. There had been shame and even despair in her voice as she'd refused the suggestion. He understood, but denying it wasn't going to make it go away, and neither would refusing to feed. And judging by the way her face glowed palely in the dark of the closet, she was in need of blood whether she admitted it to herself or not. The longer she left it, the more likely the chances she would be leaping on some poor unsuspecting mortal in search of food. Decker considered the problem briefly, and then urged her away from his chest, saying, "Come. Let's sit down."
Dani hesitated, but then sat down on the floor with her back to the wall when he did. The moment she was settled, Decker reached to open the door, grabbed first one bag of blood and then the other, and dragged them into the closet before pulling the door closed again.
"Here, can you hold this for a minute?" He handed her one of the bags. "I'm afraid of kneeling on it and bursting it."
Dani reluctantly took the bag, and he immediately popped the other to his teeth. He didn't look at her, but could feel her eyes watching him in the bit of light creeping under the door as his teeth began to drain the bag. Decker had hoped seeing him feed would encourage her to do the same, but she merely watched him silently. When the bag was nearly empty, Decker tipped it up, deliberately allowing the last few drops to dribble out and run slowly down his chin. He tore the empty bag away and set it in the corner, then turned to face her.
"Kiss me," he said softly.
Dani swayed toward him, nostrils flaring and eyes locked on the droplet of blood and the trail it was leaving, and then she caught herself and leaped to her feet, dropping the bag of blood as if it were on fire. She reached for the doorknob, but Decker grabbed the discarded pouch of blood and launched to his feet, catching her hand to stop her.
"Kiss me," he repeated.
"I don't want to," Dani said, but he could hear the lie in her voice.
"I want you to," he said softly, drawing her closer and lowering his head above hers. "Just one kiss."
Decker saw her swallow, her eyes shifting between his lips and the blood, and then he lowered his head the last few inches and pressed his mouth to hers. She managed to remain completely still and unresponsive for perhaps a heartbeat, and then Decker slid his tongue out to urge her lips apart, and she moaned and opened for him. He knew she could taste the blood he'd just consumed, knew it was like waving a glass of scotch under the nose of an alcoholic, and hoped to God this worked as he slid his arms around her and drew her against his body.
When she began to suck on his tongue, drawing off any remnants of blood remaining there, he hoped it might work, but when she then broke the kiss to lap up the blood on his chin and the blood that had trailed down his throat, he knew it had. When she'd cleaned up the last of the blood remaining, Dani pressed her head to his chest with a defeated sigh.
"You're hungry," he said quietly.
Her head nodded against his chest.
"Do you want me to open the bag?" When she stilled against him, but didn't respond, he added, "I'll turn my back if you like."
Dani sagged against him with a sigh, and then burst out, "I know this is stupid, but I don't want you to see-"
"It's all right," he said gently. "This is all new and upsetting. We'll take it slow."
Dani nodded, a little sigh slipping from her lips, and then she stepped away. Decker used his teeth to tear off a corner of the bag, holding it carefully to be sure he didn't spill any. He then handed it to her just as carefully. The moment Dani took it, he turned his back and waited. A soft sigh told him when she was done, but he gave her another moment before turning around.
"Thank you," Dani murmured as he took back the empty bag.
"Feel better?" Decker asked as he bent to set this bag with the other. She nodded her head as he straightened.
"I didn't think I-" She shook her head, unwilling to say that she'd needed blood.
Decker slid his arms around her and drew her back to rest against his chest. "I know. You'll soon learn to recognize the signs."
"I wish I didn't have to," she muttered.
Decker ran one hand up and down her back and then cupped her head and urged it up so he could see her face. "I'm sorry this is so upsetting to you, but I'm not sorry you're now an immortal. I would have turned you myself when you were ready for it."
"But now I'm-" She shook her head unhappily.
"You're Dani," he said quietly. "The nanos don't change that. You're Dr. Dani McGill. And fangs or no fangs, you're an immortal." He let that sink in and then added, "My immortal, my life mate, my hope for the future, and the woman I love."
Dani's head shot back at those words. Her heart leaped, but she stared wide-eyed at him through the dark and shook her head from side to side. "You don't love me, Decker. You can't."
"No?" he asked.
"No. We just met."
Decker nodded, but asked, "What do you know about me."