Page 76 of Auctioned for Her Blood
He blinks, his long lashes kissing his sharp cheekbones. “I did not suggest that you were.”
“Do you prefer men?” I ask. “Is that it?”
He shakes his head.
My gaze drops to the floor, along with my self-esteem. “You aren’t attracted to me.” How could I have read him so wrong? Has my lust been seeing things that aren’t there?
His hands release my wrists and land at the sides of my face, tipping my head up so our gazes meet. “Ember, my attraction to you is…it isverystrong.” He exhales through his lips, his breaths coming more quickly now and reminding me of the other evidence of arousal I saw when his suit jacket parted.
“Then why?” I hate the desperation in my voice, but my need is miles beyond the point of transparency and edging toward pathetic.
Taking the lapels of his jacket, I grip tightly to keep my hands from stroking his chest or worse, grabbing his erection or letting my hands venture behind him to explore his ass. Touching him will make him move away from me—the last thing I want.
“Your physical need—” his tongue flicks out, barely grazing his lush lips “—yourdesirewas caused by my blood.”
“It was?” I’ve already figured that out and don’t care, but he likes to explain things, so I’ll let him. “I can feel your blood’s effect on my body. It quenched my thirst, healed the rest of my burns.” I stroke my shoulder and upper back to confirm what I already suspected, and then drop my hands to my sides. “And your blood gave me atonof energy. Does vampire blood have caffeine?”
Smiling, I reach for his hips, but he releases my face and steps back from me, slamming against the wall.
He disappears, and I turn, finding him on the other side of the room in front of an oddly shaped leather bench. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how quickly vampires can move.
I cross the room, this time over the mattress, holding my arms out for balance and loving the textures of fur and silk against the soles of my feet, wanting to lie down and luxuriate in the fabrics. But even more, I want to reach Zuben, to pull him down into the heavenly softness with me.
As I cross, he moves away from the strange bench toward a nearby sofa, and when I step off the mattress, he sits, gesturing for me to sit too.
Resisting the urge to slide onto his lap, or even perch too close, I lower myself near the other end of the furniture and turn toward him.
“Let me explain more fully,” he says, and I nod.
“Vampire blood has a…apleasurableeffect on humans.”
“Like the venom?”
His head tips slightly as he nods. “Yes, I suppose that is correct. Ryker told you about vampire venom?”
I nod. “He said it usually puts humans to sleep.”
“Normally it does, yes, but it also invokes pleasure, helping humans to relax so they do not resist the feeding in any way that might cause trauma or physical damage to their throats. The venom ensures that humans suffer no more than the small puncture wounds necessary to drink, and then it heals those wounds.”
“I didn’t fall asleep when Ryker fed.” But I certainly felt pleasure. So, so much pleasure. Thinking back on my time with Ryker, it’s hard to remember which was better, the feedings or the sex. It’s all intertwined for me.
“I was very interested to learn that,” he says, “and it makes me even more certain about the special nature of your blood. But at this juncture, I would like to focus, not on the pirate’s taking your vein, but onmyblood’s effect on your…yourlibido.”
His tone is pedantic, like he’s a teacher and I’m his pupil. He’s making it sound as if I have zero control over my own wants and needs, and… Okay, even if that’s true, even if I’m starting to suspect the same thing, I feel like a fool being called out on it.
And I also hate knowing that my reaction must be something that happens to him all the time.
“Do youoftengive humans your blood?” I ask, hoping the slight jealousy I feel doesn’t show in my voice.
“No.” He shakes his head. “You are the first human who has ever tasted my blood.”
I straighten. “Then how are you so sure that your blood is the reason that…the reason I want you?” And I want him so badly. Right now, my sexual need is in control of my body, my mind, in control of everything.
“I have seen this reaction before,” he says. “I have seen other vampires give humans a taste of their blood.”
I cringe, imagining vampires using their blood like a rape drug, and I’m starting to understand why he doesn’t want to take advantage of me. “So, you’re saying that vampires drug humans to have sex with them?”
“Not normally. No.” He shakes his head vigorously, then tips it slightly. “I cannot say I have never seen that happen, but that is not what I meant. I have witnessed vampires feeding humans small amounts of blood to save them from pain, or to heal them from life threatening injuries. But…” his head tips to the side “…while it was obvious that the humans felt sexual desire after those feedings, your reaction seems…unusually strong.”
