“I’m Laurent. What is your name?”
“Why do you need to know my name?” Paul crossed his arms over his chest, still not giving any ground.
The vamp took another step forward. “Because I want to know the name of my future lover.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? I just told you I’m not gay.”
“I know what you said. But I don’t believe you.” Laurent put out his hand. “May I touch you again?”
Paul looked at the hand, it was slim and white, unlike his own calloused palm. He could never quite get all the grease off from working in his dad’s shop but the vamp’s hand looked like he’d never done a day of work in his life. Probably hasn’t. Dressed like that—he’s probably had everything given to him on a fucking silver platter. But try as he might to distract himself, none of it could erase the fact that he was trembling because he wanted contact with the other man so much.
“Why…” He cleared his throat. “Why do you want to touch me?”
“You know why.” Laurent inched his hand forward. “Just shake with me—that should be safe enough. I need to see if I feel it again. Need to be sure it’s real.”
“If what’s real?” Paul asked but he was already putting out his own hand, drawn as if by some invisible force, to shake with the vamp.
Laurent grasped his hand firmly and he felt it again—the shooting bolt of electrical current, the overwhelming need that threatened to drown him. “Dios! ” It broke from his lips like a prayer or a curse and suddenly he was all over the vamp.
He had the presence of mind not to do it in the open, at least. Grabbing Laurent by the back of the neck, he maneuvered them both into the shadows cast by the thick vegetation. Then he pushed the other man up against a palm tree and slanted his lips over Laurent’s full red ones for a kiss.
The vampire melted against him, returning the kiss as hungrily as Paul was giving it. He parted his lips and Paul took the invitation, pushing his tongue into the other man’s mouth and lapping hungrily. He sucked Laurent’s tongue until the vamp moaned, noting with the part of his brain that was still functioning, how delicious Laurent tasted. His mouth was warm and spicy with a slight coppery undertone. Paul didn’t know what it was but it was good—damn good. And it felt so right to be kissing him—to be kissing another man. There was no sticky lip gloss to get in the way and the body against his was warm and hard and muscular, not soft and yielding. The vampire’s hands at his waist were firm and demanding, pulling Paul even closer so that their hard shafts rubbed together through the fabric of their pants until he felt like he was going to fucking explode.
God, so good…so fucking good! Can’t get enough. Need more…more…
The thoughts were cut off abruptly when the vampire bit his tongue.
“Ouch!” Paul jerked back, the spell broken. “What the Hell?”
“Forgive me.” Laurent gestured to his mouth. “My fangs come out when I am excited. It was an accident.”
“Your fangs?” Paul stared at him stupidly, still feeling weirdly drunk from the intense encounter.
“As you see.” Laurent opened his mouth, gesturing to where his two top canine teeth had lengthened and sharpened considerably. He ran the pointed pink tip of his tongue over them in a distractingly erotic gesture.
His fangs—oh my God, his fangs. Not only have I been kissing another guy, I’ve been kissing a fucking vampire. The thought jolted him back to reality and he took an unsteady step backward. Laurent moved forward and put out a hand to steady him but Paul jerked away from the touch just in time, lurching away like a drunk man.
“Please…” Laurent looked hurt. “I know this must be shocking to you—it is to me as well. But you must see that there is something between us—an attraction that supersedes our differences, no matter how great they may be.”
“I don’t see any such fucking thing.” Paul was still backing away. “I don’t understand what just happened—what you just did to me—but I know it’s not going to happen again.”
“Not unless you let it happen.” The vampire’s voice was soft…pleading. “Please, I’ve been searching for you all my life. You are my Coeur de Sang.”
“I’m not your anything,” Paul said, trying to sound more certain than he felt. “I…I don’t even know you and I don’t want to either. Get the fuck out of here.” He gestured vaguely. “Go on and go before the rest of the pack gets back.”
At the mention of the pack, a worried look flitted across the vampire’s handsome face. “I do not wish to leave you. You seem…unsteady.”