it's my turn."
"No," I said with a laugh as I pointed to the bed. "Lie down."
His frown returned. "You are being dominant. Evidently you are under the impression I like that in my Beloved. While it's true that I'm prepared to explore new things with you, I have never been one to take enjoyment from being passive."
"Alec, less than an hour ago I thought you were dead. I know you think you're perfectly fit for lovemaking, but I don't think you are, not really. However" - I held up a hand to interrupt his protest - "I am willing to admit that you're absolutely right in that I want you more than anything I can think of, so I'm willing to indulge us both, providing you let me do things my way."
"What way is that?"
"For one, you let me seduce you. I know that you don't normally like that, but - " I blinked as Alec, after staring at me for a moment, ripped the blankets from the bed standing across the room, and flung himself down on his back, his hands clasped behind his head, his feet wiggling in anticipation. I couldn't help but laugh.
"Come and seduce me, Beloved," he said in an arrogant, demanding voice. "I am willing to let you take the lead this once, so long as you do it now, and don't waste any more time in telling me I'm not healed enough to pleasure you as you deserve."
I laughed again, and slowly, so as to tease just a little, unbuttoned his shirt that I still wore. His eyes lit with faux outrage as I deliberately took my time working my way down the line of buttons, making sure I stroked my hands over my hips (which seemed to hold some fascination for him) all the way up to my breasts.
"Take off the shirt," he demanded, his breathing erratic as I stood, considering him for a moment.
"You're the only man I know who can be simultaneously demanding and submissive." I started to take off the shirt, pausing at the heat shining so brightly in his gorgeous green eyes. You're going to seize me the minute I get within range, aren't you?
Absolutely.
That's what I thought.
His eyes widened as I grabbed my jeans and jerked them on before turning on my heel and marching out of the room.
Corazon! Where are you going?
Stay there. Alec, I mean it, stay there! Don't think I don't know you're putting your clothes back on and going to come after me, because I know you are, and you can just stop it. I'm going to get something . . . fun. Just get back into bed, and consider how lucky you are to have a Beloved who plans on making you wild with delight.
You make me wild with delight without fetching anything else. And what is it you're getting? His tone was grumpy, but I knew he could feel the sincerity in my intentions, and was doing as I asked even though it wasn't what he wanted.
You get extra bonus points for that, I told him. And you'll see.
He spent the next ten minutes alternating between ranting at the way he would punish me if I didn't return to him that exact moment and telling me exactly how he wanted to make love to me. The former I ignored, but the latter made it extremely hard to carry on a coherent conversation with Sally, whom I found sitting in a sunny bow-fronted room with Terrin, sipping tea and eating petits fours.
Alec was scowling when I returned to the room Sally had given to us, his glare a truly magnificent thing to behold. "You have been gone exactly twelve min - what the hell do you think you're going to do with those?"
I twirled the red silk braided rope in one hand, while draping the matching scarf over my shoulder. "Sally gave them to me. I'm going to use them, my sexy vampire, to keep you from doing everything you want to do. You're still healing, so it's important you don't put too much stress on your wounds. The rope will ensure you don't."
"You don't seriously believe you can tie me down."
"Oh, yes, yes I do."
He rolled his eyes and tried to hide a smug thought that he would indulge me for a few minutes before simply ripping his hands free from the restraint. I smiled a secret smile to myself, and peeled off my jeans and shirt.
"You're not happy anymore," I said,