The Reluctant Vampire Page 0,96

there were things he wanted to do to her that this shared-pleasure business really put a kibosh on. He just couldn't keep their excitement level down long enough to get to them.

For instance, he wanted to e her to his bed and kiss and lick his way from the ps of her toes to her nose, and then kiss her as he plunged himself into her. But he doubted he'd make it halfway up her thighs before they were both screaming and fainting.

And that was another thing, Harper thought with disgruntlement. He had never fainted in his life, and while he knew it was this whole life-mate, mind-blowing-sex business, it was s ll damned demoralizing to be fain ng like a breathless virgin at the end of every encounter. And he couldn't even blame her for exciting him too much or driving him wild with passion until he lost control. Well, perhaps he could this last me, Harper acknowledged with a smile. Drina had definitely been the one in control of this last round, and she had driven him wild with passion, so fast and so hard that he'd performed no be er than an inexperienced fourteen-year-old with a high-priced hooker. He swore she hadn't been on her knees two minutes before he'd been throwing his head back and screaming like a madman . . . only to wake up on the floor in a heap.

Which was precisely why he normally tried to take control of the situa on. It was an effort to slow it down and try to make it last longer than two grunts and a gasp. Unfortunately, so far that wasn't working. It didn't mean he wouldn't keep trying, though, Harper thought wryly. Drina deserved for him to make slow love to her, to be appreciated and -

These thoughts paused abruptly as another occurred to him. Why did she let him take control in the bedroom? Drina was a woman who had fought for independence and control her whole life, yet she'd never once protested his taking the lead when it came to passion.

Harper dropped his gaze down to her and frowned, now worried that his doing so might be taking away from her pleasure. Well, not pleasure exactly, because he knew damned well that she enjoyed it as much as he, but Drina might resent it at the same me. He scowled at the thought, and then a creak drew his gaze to the stairwell. There was nothing there. The sound had just been the house se ling, he supposed. But it made him realize how reckless they'd been indulging themselves here in the hall. While Stephanie wasn't there, Leonius might decide to add Drina to his list of desirable females. Allowing themselves to get caught up in a passion that le them passed out and vulnerable just hadn't been that smart. The least they could have done was move to his room, where the door could be locked, he thought and began to sit up.

Rustling and the sounds of drawers opening and closing drew Drina from sleep. Blinking her eyes open, she sat up slowly and peered around what she knew must be Harper's room. He had said it was a nice room, and he hadn't been kidding. It really was lovely, with the bed, closet, and chest of drawers in one corner and the rest of the room taken up with a li le si ng area complete with television, music system, and bookshelf as well as a love seat, chair, and then a small dinette set. It was like a small bachelor apartment, she thought, her gaze sliding to where Harper was quickly dragging clothes out of the chest of drawers and packing them away in a suitcase. Drina watched him for a moment, and then slid her feet off the bed to sit on the edge.

"Oh, you're awake." Harper smiled at her, then closed the drawer, shut his suitcase, and quickly carried it to what she presumed was the door to the rest of the house.

Drina stood up to follow him, thinking they were leaving, but stopped a er a couple of steps when he merely set the case down by the door, and then turned back.

Smiling, he walked back to her and slid his arms around her waist.

Drina relaxed against him with a li le sigh, and then asked with annoyance, "Why is it you always wake up before me? I'm older than you. Surely I should wake up