The Reluctant Vampire Page 0,97

first?"

Harper chuckled at her complaint and bent to kiss her nose. He then countered, "Why do you always make me so crazy with passion that I ejaculate far too soon, and then swoon like a girl?"

"I'm not too pleased about the fain ng bit either," she assured him. "It's rather alarming. I didn't even faint when those damned corsets were all the rage, and they wore them so ght you couldn't breathe."

She grimaced, and then leaned back, and met his gaze as she added, "As for the other, I don't think it's too soon."

"No?" he asked with a smile, his hands sliding up and down her back.

Drina shook her head, and then smiled and admi ed, "Well . . . there are some things I'd like to do to you that I don't think we're going to get to for a decade or so un l this new-life-mate madness passes, but

. . ." She shrugged. "I guess I can be patient."

"Decade?" Harper asked with a grimace. "I thought it was a year or so before it slowed down?"

"So they say," she agreed. "But I'm not holding my breath."

Harper grinned, and then bent to kiss her. It started out a sweet, gentle kiss, but soon turned more carnal. When Drina pressed close and wrapped her arms around his neck, he began to back her up, then turned them and fell back on the bed so that she landed on top.

Breaking away on a laugh as they bounced, Drina sat up to straddle him and grinned wickedly. "Now I have you right where I want you."

"I thought that might be the case," Harper admi ed solemnly, and when Drina s lled and eyed him quizzically, he explained, "It occurred to me that you're a woman who has fought for independence and control all your life, and yet in this area I keep taking that control from you. I don't want you to hate me, so it's time I gave up the reins and - " He paused with surprise when she suddenly covered his mouth.

"First off," she said softly, "I don't hate you for being dominant in the bedroom."

She felt his mouth move under her hand and lifted it.

He was smiling crookedly, and now that he was free to speak, said, "I'm glad to hear it."

"Secondly," Drina began, smiling back. "As it happens I . . ."

When he raised his eyebrows at her pause, she sighed and shrugged her shoulders helplessly.

"Surprised as I am to admit it, I don't appear to mind. I don't understand it myself," she added in a rush.

"I mean, I no ced in Toronto that you liked to be in control, and since I'm all about control, I wondered myself why it didn't bother me, but . . . it doesn't. I even like it. It kind of turns me on." She frowned, and then admitted, "Which really rather bothers me."

Harper smiled gently at her confusion, and then raised a hand to brush her hair behind one ear, murmuring, "Or maybe you're just tired of having to be in control all the time and are enjoying a break."

"That's possible," she admitted wryly, and then warned, "Which means it may change."

"I sincerely hope so," Harper assured her and when concern fli ered across her face, he said, "I'm sure it will change for me too. We have time immortal ahead of us, Drina. Change is good."

Relaxing, she nodded. There would be mes when he was dominant and mes when she was, and mes when neither was, she supposed. There might even be mes when they wrestled each other to be on top. But that would probably be fun too. Definitely never boring, she decided.

"Take off your T-shirt."

Drina blinked her thoughts away at his words - which had most definitely been an order, not a request -

and met his gaze.

"Take it off," he repeated. "I want you naked."

She smiled faintly, aware that her nipples were ghtening, and moisture was pooling low in her belly, then sat up straighter, reached for the hem of her T-shirt, and slowly began to pull it up and off. She swiveled her upper body slightly to toss it to the floor, then turned back and simply waited as his eyes slid over her breasts, taking note of her already erect nipples. The sight made his eyes begin to glow.

"Now take off your pants," he said gruffly.

Drina hesitated, and then slid backward along his thighs to get off the bed and stand up. He immediately