Page 41 of Ouch! My Vampire Doms Keep Biting Me
It’s the back, basement door of The Corbin. Someone’s knocking? Nobody sees that entrance. And if they do, they ignore it. It’s nothing. We placed it and designed it to blend in, hid it behind bushes and down a set of stairs.
Could it possibly be…? Could she remember…?
No. My dead heart should not hope.
Whoever is knocking is lost. They’ll give up in a moment.
The pounding gets louder, though. More insistent.
I decide to wait it out.
I watch my computer screen until the auction deadline. I won with my insanely high bid. I’m paying well over the value of the collection. I don’t care.
The uninvited guest continues their abuse of my door.
Fuck.
I march out of my office and to the door down the hall. We don’t have a peephole of any kind. It has never been necessary. I yank open the door. My glare is at the ready.
My glare vanishes immediately. I’m looking at Autumn. Rain-drenched. Spitting mad.
This shouldn’t be possible. I open my mouth to say something. What, I don’t know.
She speaks first.
“I remember,” she says, shoving me.
I’m so surprised, I allow her to push me back inside. She follows. The door closes behind her. Drops of rainwater ping to the floor.
She shoves me again. Not hard, but angry. “I remember everything, you big freakingjerk. How could you make me forget?”
“Hey, hey now, love,” I say. My mind buzzes. So many possibilities. She is back.She is back. “What do you remember?”
Her hazel eyes are bright with fury. “Don’t call melove. I’m sorry for pushing you just now, but donottry to sound all understanding and sweet. You and Xander fucked me. I let you bite me.” She blinks rapidly. Trying to stop her tears. “Then you stole my fucking memories. You’re assholes.”
How does she remember? She never saw me. I made sure of it. It’s possible she saw me off to the side and didn’t register my presence in the moment.
Or maybe she sawXander?
How she remembers isn’t as important as caring for her right now.
“Autumn,” I say, reaching for her.
She flinches.
“Autumn, I’m sorry.” I cup her face in my hands. Rainwater has dampened her skin, and she shivers from the chill. Her clothes are soaked.
“Don’t try to placate me,” she snarls.
“I’m trying to placate myself,” I say. “I’m trying to believe that you’re really, truly here.”
Surprise crosses her features. “What?”
“I’ve been in agony without you.”
No more words. I lean forward, my mouth crashes against hers. She presses herself to me. Wet and cold. I wrap her in my arms. Our tongues twine together. She runs the tip of her tongue over my teeth, searching for my fangs.
A little sound of pain. The faint taste of blood. She found the sharp edge of one. I surge forward, backing her against the wall. A few days ago, we were in this same position. Now, though, she’s cold and wet.
