Page 115 of Bite Marks & Broken Hearts

My teeth ground themselves together. The weight of his earnest gaze was almost unbearable. “You won’t like what you find.”

“I don’t care. I want to know every piece of you, Seb. Even the bad parts.Especiallythe bad parts.”

Self-disgust coated my tongue like ash. Memories threatened to surface—flames licking at wooden stakes, screams echoing through stone corridors. “The things I did… The person I was…” My voice roughened. “Once you know what I am—what I’ve done—you’ll see me differently. You’ll look at me and see a monster.”

“I already know exactly what you are,” Flynn insisted. “I’ve seen you kill. I’ve felt your fangs against my neck. I’ve watched you struggle againstyour own nature, to keep me safe. And I’m still here, wanting more of you, not less.”

I shook my head, chest tightening with a familiar panic. These were methodical acts of cruelty, performed in the name of God. “This is different. This is…” The words stuck in my throat. How could I explain the magnitude of my sins? The weight of centuries of guilt?

“This is something you did five hundred years ago? Yeah, I think I’ll get over it. Come on.”

I stared at Flynn until the reality of his determination sank in. Bloody hell. He wasn’t going to let this go. That stubborn streak of his was now fixed firmly on me. With a groan that could have woken the dead—and I would know—I dragged myself from the warmth of the bed.

My clothes from last night lay scattered across the floor. As I retrieved each item, I felt Flynn’s gaze burning into my back. When I glanced up, he quickly averted his eyes, a delicious blush creeping across his cheeks.

“Do you want to take a photograph?” I couldn’t resist teasing.

“Just making sure you’re actually getting dressed and not trying to distract me.”

“Distract you? Me?” I buttoned up my shirt with deliberate slowness. “I would never.”

“You absolutely would.” Flynn grabbed my hand, tugging me toward the door. “Come on. Your office. Now.”

I dug my heels in, though not enough to actually stop him. “I have work to do, you know. Important vampire business. Very pressing matters.”

“More pressing than this?”

“There’s a list of sightings I need—”

“They’ll wait.”

“And Kit needs me to—”

“He’ll survive.”

I let him pull me down the corridor toward my office, grumbling under my breath about pushy humans who didn’t understand the complex responsibilities of leading a supernatural crime task force.

We reached my office door, and I made one last attempt. “You know, I could make you breakfast instead… I’m sure a bowl of cereal is within my skill set.”

“Nice try.” Flynn pushed open the door. “In.”

I went straight to leaning against my desk, eyeing Flynn’s determined stance. “My, my. Your vampire hunter persona from last night has really gotten to your head, hasn’t it? Should I be worried about coat hangers appearing from hidden pockets?”

“Shut up.” Flynn’s lips twitched. “If I remember correctly, you rather enjoyed being at my mercy.”

I lunged forward, catching his waist, lifting him effortlessly and spinning us both around. His surprised gasp turned into a laugh as I deposited him on the edge of my desk, stepping between his knees. Papers scattered, a pen clattered to the floor.

My fingers tangled in his hair, tilting his head back to expose the line of his throat. The marks from the other night had already faded—a fact that both pleased and disappointed me.

“I think my fearsome vampire hunter needs a punishment. Or three.” I let my voice drip with promise.

Flynn laughed and planted his palm firmly against my chest, pushing me back. “Stop it. No deflecting.”

His eyes sparkled with his stubborn defiance, and my heart attempted to stutter.

“You’re infuriating.”

Flynn gently weaved out of my grip, heading to my bookcases, which were stuffed beyond logic. “Where do we need to start?”

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