Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 47359 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 237(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47359 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 237(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
He said it with such seriousness that it startled her, and she quickly said, “But you won’t.”
“There will come a time you will want me to.”
“You’re so sure?”
“Very,” he said with such confidence that it made her shiver.
Lara silently questioned the sanity of any further discussion about sex with him. Somehow it always seemed to come back to them eventually making love. And it troubled her that she could easily, though foolishly, surrender to this man. But he wasn’t only a man, he was a vampire. Something she continued to have difficulty believing even though she was seeing proof with her own eyes. And that’s what would stop her...surrendering to a vampire. It wasn’t what she had planned for her life. But then life never quite turned out as you planned it.
However, never in her wildest dreams would she have believed she would not only meet a vampire but give thought to having sex with one.
Needing to get away from the topic of sex completely, she said, “I could use a bite to eat.” She cringed at her choice of words.
Michael laughed. “So could I.”
That made her eyes pop wide open.
“One of the misconceptions of vampires is that we exist solely on blood.”
“You don’t?” she asked surprised.
“It is our main source of nutrition, but through the years we have evolved, and we can now enjoy certain foods and drink.” He stood and leaned over her to slip her wine glass out of her hand and took a sip. “To my pleasure, wine is one of them.” He sat the glass aside and offered his hand to her. “Come, we’ll get something to eat.”
She eyed him suspiciously.
He stood and leaned down over her, bringing his face much too close to hers. “Or we can remain here and continue to discuss my sexual appetite.”
His lips started to pull back in a smile or was that a snarl? She didn’t wait to find out. She slipped out of the chair and squeezed past him, relieved that he didn’t stop her.
When there was a safe distance between them—though was there any safe distance from a vampire—she said, “I’m starving.” This time she rolled her eyes at her words.
“Never worry, Lara, I’ll see that all your hungers are more than satisfied.”
Lara froze, not sure if shivers were running through her or if cool fingers were stroking her flesh. When she thought she caught a hint of red in his eyes, she quickly fled the room.
CHAPTER 5
Lara stood in the foyer, bent over at the waist, catching her breath.
Keep your distance from him. Keep your distance from him. She repeated the silent litany over and over, whether it would do any good or not was another thing. Suggestive words, blatant or simple touches, faint kisses and those damn dark eyes tinted red sent her into a sexual frenzy capped with a hint of fear.
Dark and dangerous that’s what he was, and she had never been one to go for such a man. The type was trouble with a capital T.
She changed her litany. Keep your wits about you. Keep your wits about you.
A cool hand suddenly traveled up her back. She straightened in a flash and backed away from Michael. He was smiling, and she couldn’t help but think of the sly Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderful—the rabbit hole scenario again— though Michael’s smile was not as wide and was much more pleasing to the eye. Still, her situation seemed as surreal as Alice’s.
“Keeping your wits about you in any situation is wise, though in this one I would recommend the inevitable...surrender.” He turned away and headed toward the hallway to the far right.
“I told you to stay out of my thoughts,” she said, following him.
“And I told you to stop sending them to me.”
“How do I stop doing something that I don’t know I’m doing?”
“Ask,” he said without turning to face her.
They were in the kitchen before Lara could ask him and once there the room caught her by surprise. It was a modern kitchen with the backsplash a blend of white, black and grey tiles, sleek black cabinets, and high-end, stainless-steel appliances. What use did he have for a stove and two wall ovens or a microwave? And what about the fully stocked wine fridge beneath the island snack bar, unless it was stocked with his specific flavor?
“I see my kitchen surprises you,” he said, walking over to the fridge and opening it.
Her eyes widened at the fully stocked fridge, and she tilted her head at him questioningly.
“Appearances,” he said and stepped aside, “help yourself.”
She eagerly rifled through the fridge and whipped together a favorite of hers, a cheese sandwich. She also sliced an orange pepper and was about to sit on one of the steel stools beneath the snack bar when he snatched her plate from her hands.