"When we do find her, or if she finds me first, I know what I'm going to do."
"Oh? And what's that?"
"I'm going to apologize to her. Now I know I have something to apologize for, I'm going to beg her forgiveness and hopefully that will convince her to break this stupid curse."
"That's a very mature decision."
"I'm very mature." I kissed him then pulled back a bit. "Hey, listen, Ron has an interesting theory about the Red Devil's reappearance. You should ask him about it."
"As I've said before, it's not the Red Devil. The man you met the other evening was an impostor." He said it with such certainty.
I shook my head. "You don't think it's even possible that he's the real deal? Maybe he is.
Stranger things have happened."
His jaw tightened. "If he attempts to makes contact with you again, Sarah, please let me know. I am wary of his true intentions."
I crossed my jeans-clad legs and tried to feel comfortable but I only felt tension emanating off Thierry in waves at any mention of the Red Devil. "Wary? But he saved my life."
Thierry stood up from the desk and crossed his arms. "He happened to be in the same area as you when you were in danger, and he acted on that. Whether it was truly to save you or perhaps to wedge his way into your life we don't know."
"Why would he want to do that?"
He shook his head, his expression tense. I don't know what it was about this guy that got
Thierry all wound up, but it wasn't a good thing. Not at all.
"Okay, forget it," I said. "I promise you'll be the first person I tell if he sends a smoke signal my way."
His frown remained. "And you mustn't let his charms work on you."
"Charms?"
He raised an eyebrow. "They do say that the Red Devil is a charming man."
"And you think my head would be turned so easily?"
He shrugged slightly. "I don't know."
"Obviously you didn't get the memo that stated that I'm only interested in one ancient vampire with issues, and it's you."
"Issues?" he repeated.
"So many you should offer yearly subscriptions."
His mouth quirked. "I see. Well, I could say for your young years you also are the bearer of many issues."
"Tell me something I don't know. But even with our issues we're still together. Even though everybody and their pet rabbit thinks we're doomed."
He raised a dark eyebrow. "Who thinks we're doomed?"
"Everybody. And their pet rabbit."
"And how do you feel?"
I smiled up at him. "I'm starting to feel warm and fuzzy again."
"Is that so?"
I nodded. "Now if I promise not to bite you, can I get a proper kiss?"
He hesitated and glanced at the door, then back at me. His expression was serious, but the longer he gazed into my eyes the more he seemed to relax. "Your idea of proper and mine may be two different things."
"I don't think it's that far apart."
"I'm glad that the events of the day haven't made you more fearful. I would have thought that perhaps you wouldn't want to be near me for a while."
"Then you thought very wrong." I stood up and wrapped my arms around his waist. "I hate coming to the conclusion that I was mean to Stacy, but I guess it's a relief. She wants an apology and I'm going to give her one because she deserves it. Everything will be fine then."
"Then I share your confidence." He leaned over and brushed his lips against mine. I sighed. "You promise you won't bite?" he breathed into my ear.
"Cross my heart."
I guess that was enough to convince him, as our lips met again and held and I kissed him deeply. I waited, feeling a little tense, before I relaxed against him and opened my mouth to the kiss.
I felt a bit of pain as my enthusiastic tongue met the edge of his sharp fang, but I ignored it. Fangs can get in the way of making out, though normally it was my fangs that got in the way. This time it was Thierry's.
With the small taste of my blood, his grip on me grew tighter and the kiss more urgent. I thought for a moment about Butch being right outside the door and maybe this wasn't quite the perfect moment or location for taking things any further, but the thoughts quickly left my mind as I lost myself in the kiss and I wanted more of him. My mind grew cloudy and my skin warmed at his touch. Thierry broke off the kiss and held my face between his hands.
"Do you know how deeply I care for you?" he said, his eyes black and his voice raspy.
"Show me," I said, leaning back on the desk. "Right here. Right now." Again with the sultry voice and rising lust as I looked at the black-eyed Thierry.
Red flag!
Alert! Alert!
Danger!
He pushed me back onto the desk and pressed his weight on top of me, his mouth on me, licking a hot line along the pulse at the side of my throat. I ran my hands down his back under his jacket just as I felt his sharp fangs pierce my skin.
Unlike the last time he'd bitten me, which had been painful and scary, this felt very, very good. I knew on some level that my mind wasn't working the way it should. That this actually wasn't good. But… but it felt so… overpowering. Better than sex. Better than chocolate, even, and that's saying something. True, I couldn't eat it anymore and didn't even get cravings for it, but my memories of chocolate were… well, not as good as this.
I vaguely wondered why he hadn't been able to stop himself this time, unlike last night, when I'd begged him to bite me and he'd managed to put the brakes on just in time.
But last night he hadn't tasted my blood first. This time he had, if only a couple of drops—