A Forever Series Box Set: A Paranormal Reverse Harem-(Book 1-5)

yed when you gave him an out,” he says.

My head hears his words, but my heart doesn’t believe him. “I’m hungry,” I say suddenly as the need for blood surges up in my frustration.

Without a word, he pulls me onto his lap. Snuggling into his chest, I raise my mouth to his neck and sink my fangs into him sucking hard. He groans in pleasure as he pulls me closer to him, wanting more, but I pull away from him and tenderly take his face in my hands. I kiss him gently and say, “Thank you.” Then I’ve gone in a flash of Vampire speed back to my bedroom.

I creep back into my bedroom and realize to my relief, but also my disappointment, that Cole has fallen asleep on his side.

I crawl into bed and carefully cuddle up to him, my chest to his back and drape my arm over him. He pulls my arm closer around him in his sleep. I settle down for a long wait, wanting Cole to wake up first, in my arms, to know that he slept, and I didn’t hurt him. A quick glance at the clock shows 3 AM. I’d be nodding off in an hour or so anyway, so I just try to relax and not think about anything other than my to-do list at work.

I must have slept eventually, as I come to when I feel a soft tickle down my cheek. I don’t open my eyes yet, enjoying his touch. I can tell it’s light out but have no idea what time it is.

“Oh, Liv,” I hear him whisper so quietly, “I do love you.”

My heart hammers as I hear the three words, he has wanted to tell me and that I thought he wouldn’t ever say after my revelation. I pretend to stir in my sleep and turn over with my back to him. I glance quickly at the clock, 5:45 AM. Well, I can pretend to sleep a bit longer and go back to my mental to-do list, while Cole sighs deeply. But then I feel him cuddle up behind me, draping his arm over me, as I did to him earlier, and he kisses my shoulder. My heart flutters and I risk snuggling my backside closer into him.

He inhales sharply and trails his hand down my stomach and across to my hip, where it comes to rest lightly. He drums his fingers as if deciding what to do. He must come to a decision as I feel him bunching the satin up in his fingers and sliding the soft material up my thigh. I wiggle a teeny bit to let him know I’m not completely dead to the world. Encouraged, he pulls the fabric up over my hips and softly moves his hand between my legs. I sigh in pleasure, relief, and joy as his fingers stroke my clit and he kisses my shoulder again. I open my legs wider for him, subtly, of course, and he plunges his finger inside me. I gasp as if in surprise, but not wanting him to stop I stay silent and looking away from him. He seems happy with that arrangement with my fangs out of reach, as he doesn’t speak either.

Continuing his slow, steady pulsing in and out, I can feel myself getting wetter and he moans softly in response. Abruptly, he withdraws his finger and I hold my breath. I feel him fumble behind me and the next minute he raises my leg and places it over his, giving him access to me. He thrusts quickly and I know this is going to be hard and fast.

Pulling on my hips, he thrusts deep and hard, making me cry out. I chance placing my hand over his on my hip and he laces our fingers together. That simple act sends me over the edge, and I come in a rush of pure relief. Expecting him to come as well, I’m surprised, pleasantly so, that he carries on moving inside me, pounding away his confusion and doubt and fear of the unknown. I come around him again and it seems more than he can bear as he comes quickly after me, my name on his lips. He rests his forehead on my shoulder while his breathing eases, his fingers still entwined with mine on my hip.

Leaving him to do this at his own pace, I wait.

After what seems like hours, he moves our joined hands up to my chest to roll me onto my back. His deep blue eyes stare into mine telling me everything he is feeling.

“I love you,” he says, and before I can respond to tell him the same, he dives down to my mouth, pushing his tongue between my lips. He runs his tongue along my top teeth and my breath hitches. He does it again and I know he is teasing me. I pull back a bit wary and he smirks. “I’m sorry I was a bit of a douche last night,” he says. “Please don’t think that it is because I’m afraid of you. It’s not that.”

“What is it then?” I speak for the first time in what feels like a month.

“I’m in awe of you,” he says softly. “I feel completely inadequate and unworthy of you.”

My mouth drops open in shock, but before I can say anything, he carries on. “Next to you, I feel inconsequential, unworldly, inexperienced and unsophisticated. You have no idea how difficult a feeling that is to process. I see how you are with Devon and I don’t know how I can possibly live up to that,” he finishes despondently.

“Oh, baby. You have nothing to worry about. And before you say anything else, I need to tell you something,” I say, sitting up and taking his face in my hands.

“What?” he asks with a gulp.

“I love you, too,” I say with a broad smile.

He grins at me and we kiss softly before I pull away with a serious face.

“I do know how it feels. I felt the exact same way around Constantine,” I try to reassure him.

“But you are a thousand and, technically, sixteen years old. That’s nine hundred and eighty-eight years older than me!” he exclaims.

I raise my eyebrow at him, my face still serious, wondering if another bombshell would shatter his hesitant acceptance.

He goes serious then too. “Seriously? He was a thousand when he turned you?” he asks incredulously.

Well, he’s going to find out sooner rather than later, so jumping in with both feet I say “No, older. When I met Constantine, he was one thousand, seven hundred and fifty-nine years old, technically as you put it, he was one thousand, seven hundred and seventy-nine.”

Cole sputters as it sinks in. “That makes him two thousand, seven hundred and fifty-nine years old now?”

I nod and he starts laughing nervously. “Holy shit! I do not want to meet this guy. Fuck! How old does that make his sire?” he asks then as the thought crosses his mind.

“He doesn’t have one. He’s one of the Initial Vampires. There are three of them now. They are called The Council and are based in Milan, Italy.”

“Initial Vampires? What like the first ones ever?” he asks, bewildered. “Why Italy?”