Tall, Dark & Lonely (Pyte/Sentinel 1)

“Why not?”

“For f**k sake, Madison, you’re a virgin! You’ve only kissed men. You’re safe.”

She waved that aside as if it weren’t important. “I get that, but you seem rather adamant that you aren’t going to drink my blood.”

“I’m not! Stop trying to push it.”

“No, there’s obviously something wrong with my blood and you won’t tell me. If you’re worried I’ll be grossed out don’t be.” She walked towards the bed, holding her hand out. “Just take a taste. It’s okay.”

Ephraim climbed over the bed to get away from her. “I’m not going to drink from you so stop it!”

She stopped. “Why?” Suspicion rose up. “You’re not a vampire at all are you? That was some kind of trick. Either you’re insane or you and David were in this together.”

He threw his hands up in the air in irritation. “No, I’m not a vampire and I would never do anything with a dick head like David. What you saw was real. Be that as it may, I have no intention of drinking from you.”

Understanding dawned on her. “Ah, I see. Okay, I’m sorry I understand.”

He didn’t like that tone. “Understand what exactly?” he asked slowly, suspiciously.

She wasn’t looking at him. She was looking past him as if in deep thought. “That makes sense….” she was talking to herself.

“What does?”

She ignored him and paced back and forth in front of the bathroom door while she talked to herself in a low voice. “You’ve been here three years and all that time you’ve never brought any friends home, you’ve never been seen out at night with anyone except other cops at a bar, you go fishing, sometimes bring a friend from work, you’re secretive, you only came downstairs tonight because you heard I was having someone over.”

“What are you babbling about?” he asked harshly to cover his nerves.

She didn’t seem to hear him. “No one’s ever seen…” she didn’t finish that thought. “You tasted his blood, let him stick his finger in your mouth. The idea of tasted my blood repulses you….focused on him……hmmm.”

He stood nervously, waiting for her answer. She didn’t say anything for several minutes. Then she turned and faced him. “I know why you won’t drink my blood.”

“Oh, do please enlighten me,” he said mockingly.

She smiled cheerfully. “You’re g*y.”

********

She took a step towards him. He hadn’t moved a single muscle in the last two minutes. “It’s okay. It’s not a big deal if you’re g*y.” It was okay, but she was oddly disappointed.

He looked so serious. “H-how did you know?” he whispered.

“It’s kind of obvious.” She felt so bad. But he didn’t need to hide who he was, the bloodsucking part, yes, but not this.

“What do you mean it’s obvious?” he asked in a guarded tone. All he could think about was his brothers and their feminine features and gestures. There was nothing feminine about him and they weren’t g*y.

“Well, you’re secretive.”

“That’s because I’m a Pyte,” he said before he could stop himself.

“What’s a Pyte?”

“Don’t change the subject. You’re telling me how you knew,” he said hastily.

“Well, you only spend company with other men. You don’t bring anyone here. You don’t want to share space with a woman. You readily tasted David’s blood, but the thought of mine disgusts you. It just seems rather obvious,” she said with a shrug.

He covered his face with his hands. “Oh my god…I can’t believe you found out.” His voice was thick with emotion.

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. She was safe. He didn't like women and wouldn’t feed off her. It was the only reason she felt comfortable enough to touch him now.

It was too bad that he was g*y. He felt so good right now. She forced herself to focus. “It’s okay. You don’t have to go through this alone. It won’t be so bad. There are plenty of g*y cops these days. As long as you don’t bite anyone you should be fine.”

He chuckled softly.

“I suppose you’re right.” His hands dropped from his face and wrapped gently around her waist. “You really don’t mind?” he asked as he nuzzled her neck.

His breath felt warm and teasing. There was no fear. She was safe. He was a g*y whatever the hell he was and she was off the menu in many ways.

“No, I don’t mind. It’s okay, Ephraim.” She ran a hand down his back trying to soothe him. She stretched up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “It’s okay.”

He pressed a soft kiss to her neck. It sent shivers down her spine. It was really a shame, she thought. She froze as he continued to press soft kisses to her neck.

“Tell me something,” he said between kisses.

“What?” her voice cracked. She tried to pull away, but his grip tightened, holding her against him.

“You discovered I’m g*y.” Relief shot through her. For a minute there she thought she was wrong. “This was mostly based on the fact that I refused to feed from you, correct?”

“Yes,” she said slowly.

He nodded against her neck and pressed another tender kiss. “What if I told you the reason I refused to feed from you isn’t because I’m g*y, but because your blood and your blood alone is my biggest weakness? What if I told you that in the last hundred and ninety years I have never come across someone whose blood drives me to distraction, that just the mere scent of your blood in the air is enough to send me into bloodlust. That I have to stay away from you because I want your blood more than anything else on this earth and that it takes everything I have not to go into your room at night and take me fill? What would you say then?”

“You’re not g*y?” There were several other questions floating in her head at the moment, but she focused on that because if he wasn’t g*y then…then he was telling her something.

He chuckled as he peeled one of her arms away from around him and brought her hand between them. He pressed her hand against the front of his boxers and moved it over his very large and very hard erection. His deep moan sent heat through her body. She gulped as she yanked her hand away and he allowed it as he wrapped his arm back around her and pulled her back against him. His tongue ran from her neck to her earlobe. He took her earlobe into his mouth and gently sucked on it. “No, baby, I’m not g*y.”