Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 53212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 266(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 266(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Her hands clutch at my shirt like she’s anchoring herself. “Rook—”
I cut her off with a kiss.
And I kiss her like I mean it when I say she’s safe. Like I mean it when I say I’m not going anywhere. She kisses me back with the same intensity, her fear bleeding out into the space between us until all that’s left is heat and need and the quiet understanding that we’ve chosen each other.
When I lift my head, I rest my forehead against hers.
“I’ll carry the fear,” I tell her. “All of it. You don’t need to.”
Her lips tremble. “You can’t do that alone.”
“I’m not alone,” I say. “I have you.”
That seems to settle something in her.
She kisses me again, and when I lift her into my arms, she lets out a small laugh through her tears and wraps her legs around my waist as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.
I carry her to my bedroom—our bedroom—down the hall, kissing her the entire way.
I lay her on the bed and slowly remove our clothes.
Nothing about this moment is rushed. It’s slow. It’s steady. And it’s focused on us. On just being together.
When I slide my hard cock inside her, she’s wet and aching and needy, but I don’t move with haste. I move with care and gentleness and every ounce of love I feel for her.
“Feed on me, Rook,” she whispers into my ear before pressing her neck to my lips.
Her blood calls to me like a fucking beacon. And my mouth is already watering at the thought of sinking my teeth into her skin and tasting her. Hell, it only makes my already hard cock harder.
But I swallow down the urge and lean my forehead against hers, locking our eyes while I continue to move my cock inside her.
“No,” I say gently. “Not yet.”
She frowns. “Why?”
“Because I’ll never take from you at the expense of your well-being,” I tell her. “Not tonight.”
She studies my face, and I hear her mind trying to find a way to get me to feed on her. She wants it as much as I want it; I have no doubt about that. But her safety and health will always come first for me. I simply can’t feed on her if I feel it’ll make her weak.
“I love you,” I tell her. “Fuck, I more than love you, Kylie.”
“I more than love you too, Rook.”
Eventually, we come together—slowly, deliberately—letting the world outside the cabin walls fall away. The fire crackles. The night presses close. And for the first time since this all began, I let myself believe that here, in this place, she’s truly safe.
I hold her until sleep takes her again. And I spend the rest of the night listening to the quiet thrum of her heartbeat and the steady breaths of her lungs.
All the while, my mind makes a firm decision—I will fucking burn down anything that dares to take her from me.
Kylie
I wake up smiling.
The fire in the hearth has burned down to embers, painting the cabin in low orange light. Rook’s arm is still wrapped around me like a steel bar, heavy and sure, as if it hasn’t moved once since I fell asleep.
The clock on the nightstand reads 3:14 a.m.
I wiggle just enough to test a theory, and he doesn’t stir. Not even a little. And I tilt my head back and find him already looking at me.
“Were you just…watching me sleep?” I ask on a whisper.
“Yes.” He smiles, and there’s no embarrassment or hesitation.
“Oh boy.” I giggle. “That’s either incredibly romantic or incredibly creepy.”
“Depends how you feel about it.”
“Definitely romantic. Though, maybe it should be a red flag?” I roll onto my side, propping myself up on my elbow so I can see him better. “Pretty sure most serial killer documentaries start with someone creepily watching another human being sleep.”
His chest shifts with a surprised laugh, and that leads to several hearty chuckles escaping his lips. Grumpy, surly, always-super-serious Rook Slater laughing? Man, I love that sound. Want to spend the rest of forever hearing that sound.
“I can assure you, I’m not a serial killer,” he says with an amused smile. “But I won’t deny I love watching you sleep. I also love watching you smile.” He reaches out to run his index finger across my currently smiling mouth. “And laugh. And talk. And do pretty much anything at any given moment of the day.”
“So…you’re obsessed with me?” I ask, my smile turning teasing.
“Oh baby, I’m more than obsessed with you.”
I don’t miss the fact that he looks exactly the same as he did hours ago—alert, calm, eyes dark and focused like the night hasn’t touched him at all.
“You’re not tired tonight,” I note.
“No.” He smiles again. “Vampires don’t get tired.”
“What do you mean by that exactly?”