EXCERPT included below
I'm a vampire. And I've done the unthinkable: I've fallen in love with a human. Since I refuse to turn her, I set her free, to live out her life. The way she's supposed to. Now she’s in trouble, and I’m the only one who can save her.
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~ ~ ~ EXCERPT ~ ~ ~
Vampires and humans could not live happily ever after, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to turn her. I’ve never turned anyone, and I never will, for all my eternal life. It wasn’t fair to steal someone’s actual life from them. Some, like Abigail’s sister, would say being a vampire was better, but she didn’t yet understand. In twenty years, when her parents were gone, in fifty, when she realized her family lineage had ceased forever, in a hundred…then she’d understand and it would be far, far too late.
I shouldn’t still be here. When Anya invited us into the backyard, I should have taken my leave and avoided coming back until Abigail went back to her human life. Preferably not here in Chicago, partially so I wouldn’t have to worry about bumping into her but mostly because it was too damn dangerous here right now, with Hollis on the loose. He was a wild card. I had no idea to what length he’d go to exact vengeance on someone he believed had wronged him.
Actually, I knew all too well how far he’d go, and Abigail was in danger purely due to her connection to Cam, through Anya. A hum an was no match for any vampire, let alone one as old and heartless as Hollis.
She needed to go home before he became aware she was in the city.
I tried several times to inject my opinion into the conversation, which mostly consisted of Anya telling Abigail how wonderful it was to be a vampire. Abigail’s eyes grew wider and wider with each detail. Damn it to hell.
It must have been my annoyance that caused me to leap to my feet when, shortly after midnight, Abigail stood and stretched and her breasts pressed against the thin cotton of her dress.
“Let me show you to your room,” I blurted, the words rushing out of my mouth. Cam arched an eyebrow and Anya giggled and I ignored both of them.
I couldn’t ignore Abigail’s hopeful look, though, and it should have been enough for me to change my mind. But it wasn’t. The only other point in either of my lives that someone had been able to circumvent my self-control like this was shortly after I’d been turned, when my maker had complete reign. But that had been a matter of sustenance. I needed to feed in order to survive. This … this was madness, pure and simple.
“Which room is mine?” Abigail asked, and I was given at least a brief reprieve when Anya instructed her to take the one at the top of the stairs to the left. If she had given her a room in the basement, I might well and truly have been a goner, because then I could not only spend the night with Abigail but the day as well.
Now, I had no more than seven hours to convince myself to keep my hands off her, and she would likely fall asleep at some point before dawn, so…surely, I could do this.
It would be smarter if I left now.
“Let me get that for you,” I said when Abigail reached for her bag as we crossed the foyer.
“Thanks,” she said, and I was momentarily blinded by her beautiful smile, until my gaze caught the bottle of wine and two glasses in her hands. Clearly, the woman had plans and they involved me, and, God help me, I wanted her follow through with them.
As much as I didn’t.
I swear, if I were human, all these conflicted feelings would have given me a heart attack by now.
Stepping into the bedroom behind Abigail, I noted a king-sized bed covered with a blue and khaki plaid comforter facing French doors that led to a small balcony overlooking the backyard. Releasing my hold on her luggage, I stalked over to pull the curtains closed over the doors so Anya and Cam, who were still sitting outside, were not subject to a view of the kinky fuckery I anticipated and yet still held out hope would not happen tonight.
When I turned around, Abigail was bent over her open suitcase, her flouncy skirt riding high enough on her thighs that my hands itched to reach out and flip it over her back, to see what sort of panties she wore over that heart-shaped ass.
She straightened and glanced over her shoulder, then fully turned around, holding a thigh-high, silky negligée by the spaghetti straps. “Do you mind if I slip into this?”
“You’re trying to seduce me.” And it’s working.
“Yes, and it’s annoying that I even have to try.”
