Love Bites

She didn’t know who she was anymore. Or what she was becoming.

“Why did you stick your thumb out when I drove by? Why did it have to be me?” She bit the inside of her cheek, hard. The metallic flavor of her own blood coated her tongue, but it wasn’t enough. His was what she longed for.

Only his.

“It had to be you because you’re the only one I want.” He kissed her temple. “You put me under a spell the first night I walked into Pastry ’n’ Joe and saw you wearing that tight pink top.” His grin came and went as his gaze sobered. “I knew you were special, but I never guessed how much.”

“Sure, I’m special.” She huffed out an indignant breath. As angry and upset as she was, her sex still quivered and her nipples were as hard as stones. She didn’t understand any of this, especially her own body’s traitorous reactions. “That’s why you wanted to share me with Lucas.”

“You didn’t act like you had any problem screwing him.” Kellan’s eyes blazed into hers. “I did that for you, because it gave you pleasure.”

“I liked it,” she whispered. “I liked taking both of you. I always dreamed of being filled like that. But he’s not—”

He lifted her chin up to his. “He’s not what?”

“He’s not you.” She swallowed, squeezing her eyes shut as tears threatened. Her emotions were all over the place lately, and she wasn’t used to that. She’d never been the weepy woe-is-me type. “But you picked me up together. You intended to share me with him all along.”

“Yes, I did. The reasons are complicated and flew out the window the first time I kissed you. There’s something between us.”

Sydney glanced down, letting out a sniffly laugh as she eyed his cock. His erection stood up straight from its nest of crisp, dark hair. “Sure looks that way.”

“Not only that. We have a connection. One that’s very rare and can’t be discounted. Some people search their whole lives for this.”

“Now you’re a person.” She scrubbed her cheeks with her hands. “What are you, really? A human? Or a vampire?”

She expected him to dismiss the question. He didn’t. “I was human once, but it was so long ago I scarcely remember. Now, I’m not.”

Part of her wanted to argue. The other part realized resisting what she already knew in her heart was futile. “How long ago?”

“Thirty years ago. A blink of time in vampire years, really, but enough time to forget.”

She wet her lips. As freaky as all this was, maybe if she listened, she’d begin to understand. Hell, she read chakras and tarot cards for a living. Plenty of people believed in the extraordinary, so why shouldn’t she? And right now, with bloodlust still cramping her belly, she wasn’t exactly in a position to deny. “How old were you?”

“Twenty-three. Lucas was twenty-one.”

“No wonder you treat him like your little brother.”

“He is, in many ways. The closest thing to it I’ve ever had, actually.” A fleeting smile softened his mouth. “It was Lucas’s birthday. We were at a frat party. I was a grad student, so I considered myself above fraternities and all that came with them. But there was this girl.”

Sydney sighed. “Isn’t there always?”

“All too often. She was older than both of us, and we were equally interested in her. Not surprising, since we competed with each other as easily as we breathed. Grades, women, how many shots of tequila we could down. Alysia enjoyed the competition and offered a fine prize for winning.”

“Let me guess. The opportunity to have sex with her?”

“Smart, as well as beautiful.” Kellan smoothed his hand absently down her hip, but even that simple touch aroused a firestorm inside her. “Ye

s.”

“And you won.”

He smiled again, flashing those unnaturally white teeth. Some dental plan the undead life touted. “Why do you say that?”

“Because you seem like someone who always wins.”

His smile deepened. “I both won and lost that night. There was a drinking game, and I could hold my liquor. Then we played pool, and I came out ahead there, too. Lucas was rightly pissed at me and said I should’ve eased off since it was his birthday. Alysia solved the problem by giving herself to us both. At once.” His features hardened. “I never liked sharing. Not that night, not last night. But I encouraged him even though he balked, because I was afraid she’d become annoyed if we refused her. So I forced him into it, much as I forced him into that car with you. He doesn’t understand ulterior motives and likes sex as much as I do, so why not? And last night, he was as eager to prove I didn’t have him pegged as he was to mate with you.”

“Have him pegged how?”