her face. “What’s wrong?”
He dropped his lids. God, how could he explain this to her without reminding her of what he was and what she was potentially unleashing in him?
“Please, am I doing something wrong?” Her voice cracked.
No, he couldn’t disappoint her, couldn’t let her cry again. But he had to be honest with her. When he raised his eyes to meet hers, he swallowed hard.
“When you lick my teeth like that, I can feel my fangs descend.”
Her breath hitched.
“Fangs are the most erogenous zones in a vampire. They want to feel you licking them. But I can’t allow that, because if I do . . . ” He hesitated, searching her face for signs of fear.
“What’ll happen?”
Oliver’s gaze dropped to the pulsing vein at her neck. “Once my fangs are out, it won’t take long until I can’t hold back my hunger for blood. I would bite you.”
She sucked in a quick gulp of air.
Seeing that she was withdrawing from him, he quickly added, “But I won’t. I promise you. I won’t do that to you. You’ve been through enough. Please give me a chance. If we’re careful . . . ”
He hoped he wasn’t lying. Could he truly hold back his hunger for the next hour so he could make love to her without subjecting her to the one thing she hated most: being bitten by a vampire?
“Careful, how?” she asked and approached slowly, her head dipping to the crook between his neck and shoulder. “Like this?” She pressed a gentle kiss on his skin, then another one.
Oliver closed his eyes, allowing the tender caress to sweep him away. “Perfect.”
Her hands tugged on his T-shirt, pulling it from his jeans.
“Take it off,” she whispered into his ear.
He did as she demanded, welcoming the cool air that touched his heated skin. But the relief didn’t last, because a second later, her hands were on his chest, caressing him. His head fell back against the headrest. Wasn’t he supposed to be the one seducing her, not the other way around? Clearly, things weren’t going exactly as planned, not that he was complaining.
However, he’d made her a promise: to give her sexual pleasure. And he would not break his promise. It was time to take back the reins.
Oliver reached for her T-shirt, pulling it from her jeans. “Lift your arms.”
She didn’t hesitate and let him strip her of her T-shirt, exposing her bare breasts to him.
“Beautiful.”
Her breasts were small, but perfectly formed, round and firm. He cupped one and squeezed lightly, then dipped his head to suck her nipple into his mouth. The little rosebud was already hard when he swiped his tongue over it. Her skin tasted of citrus fruits, pure and young. Innocent. The thought suddenly threw up a question.
“Are you a virgin?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Good,” he murmured against her soft skin. “Because I would hate for you to feel pain when I’m inside you.” No matter how short-lived that pain would be.
He returned to teasing her nipple, then paid her other breast the same attention, all the while listening and watching for her reactions so he could figure out what she liked most. He worked his way down to her stomach then shifted her with one move, placing her with her back down on the bench, so he could bend over her.
While his lips were blazing a trail down to her navel, his hands were already opening her jeans and lowering the zipper. When he pulled on her pants and looked up, he noticed her watching him, her lips parted, her breaths uneven. Desire shone from her eyes, and her cheeks were as flushed as her entire torso.
“I haven’t done this in so long,” she said, her voice low and almost apologetic.
He chuckled softly. “It’s like riding a bike.” Only tonight she would ride him. The thought sent another wave of heat through his body, igniting him even further.
He freed her of her jeans and panties, pulling off her shoes in the process, then let the items fall to the floor. She lay in front of him in the nude. He was glad for his vampire vision which allowed him so see her in her full glory despite the dim light.
Stroking his hands up from her calves to her thighs, he spread her legs apart then lowered his head toward the apex of her thighs.
“You’re going to—?” She stopped herself.
Oliver lifted his eyes to look at her face. “You didn’t think I would pass this up?” Not