Page 30 of Fighting for Her Heart
My teeth scrape my bottom lip as I absorb the waves of desire carried toward me on that single word—both. Until today, I’ve never been spanked, not by anyone, ever, and I’m shocked that the idea is so titillating.
“Come on.” Ryker nods toward the door. “Let’s go join the others. Axe made some food.”
He opens the bedroom door and the scent of bacon and something sweet fills the air. My stomach growls as I walk down the hall toward the kitchen, Ryker behind me. I can’t believe I didn’t notice the cooking smells earlier, but I was so focused on Ryker.
Axe flips a pancake, then turns away from the stove, a broad, loving smile on his face. “Hungry?”
I nod as I walk toward him and he bends to let me plant a quick kiss on his cheek. “Starving.”
Zuben is standing stiffly by the fridge, but he bends to let my kiss meet his cheek too.
“Why am I hungry for food and not blood?” I ask Zuben as I slide my hand into his.
Zuben raises our hands and kisses the back of mine. “Your hormones are still in transition.” He leads me to the table, pulls out the red chair and eases it back in as I sit. “As a vampire, you will always be able to consume and digest food, if you so desire, but your body no longer requires it as fuel. Over time, the hunger signals will wear off. The hunger forfood.”
He pulls out the black chair and sits, leaving one chair between us, and the distance feels like a metaphor for how he holds me at bay.
“So, vampires…” I want to be sure I understand “…we digest food, but…”
“Vampiric metabolisms,” Zuben replies before I finish, “are far more efficient than those of humans. We have the same basic bodily organs for the most part, but every ounce of matter we consume, whether it be food, blood or liquid, is fully burned with no waste.”
I nod, kind of amazed. Back in the cave, I felt too shy to ask why the men didn’t have any need to…to get rid of waste, but assumed it was because none of them ate or drank much—or because they went off somewhere when I wasn’t looking. I have so much to learn about my own body.
“Where’s Nora?” Ryker folds his arms over his chest.
“Out.” Zuben gestures toward the covered window.
“Where? Why?” Ryker leans on the back of the chair between Zuben and me.
“I believe she is still on the property.” Zuben closes his eyes for a moment, and then nods. “She is currently near the north east perimeter, walking toward the property’s edge.”
“Going off to tell Octavia’s witch pals where we are?” Ryker’s eyes narrow.
“No,” Zuben says. “I do not believe so. If that were her intent, she has already had ample time to do that.”
Axe sets a plate in the center of the table, laden with a massive pile of bacon. “Careful, plate’s hot.”
I smile, loving this unexpected domestic side of Axe as he turns back to retrieve a baking sheet, piled high with pancakes.
“What’s she up to, then?” Ryker asks Zuben. “Summoning spells to get rid of us?”
“Why would she do that?” Zuben asks. “She wants us to stay.”
“Yeah, she wastooeager for us to stay here, if you ask me.”
“You, my friend, are paranoid.” Zuben says to Ryker, then he turns toward me. “May I serve you?”
“Sure. Thanks.” My stomach grumbles, even though Zuben has just explained that I don’t need food and my hunger is a hormonal remnant of my life as a human.
Zuben picks up the plate of bacon, stands and steps to my left. And then using two forks together like tongs, he transfers a few slices of bacon onto my plate, moving the rashers to the far right and arranging them in a slight fan, and then he serves me a stack of three pancakes, artfully arranging those too.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Ryker uses his fingers to grab a handful of bacon that he slaps onto his plate and then does the same with at least five pancakes. He grabs the jug of maple syrup and drowns his meal. Then he holds the jug of syrup toward me like it’s on a silver platter. “A soupçon of syrup my darling?” He winks.
“Yes, please.”
Ryker pours syrup on my pancakes with much more care than he took with his own.
“May I please have some syrup?” Zuben asks, but Ryker ignores him and stretches to set the jug down at the opposite end of the table from Zuben who frowns and clears his throat.
