He and Siobhán were capable of making rational decisions, they knew there might be consequences, and they were taking the risk anyway. As far as he knew, they weren’t hurting anyone else in the process. Unless Siobhán told him otherwise, he didn’t see any reason to spare the others at the expense of their love. If he’d learned anything over the last year or so of his life, it was that one should never take anything for granted—especial y the people you cared about.

By the time he’d shaved and brushed his teeth, he was feeling weak and achy, as if he was recovering from a long bout of the flu. Slinging a towel around his waist, Trevor reentered the bedroom and nearly tripped over his own feet.

Siobhán was in his bed.

He stared at her, frightened by the force of his hunger. It surged inside him with such violence it was only his affection for her that held him back from pouncing on her and f**king her until neither of them could move.

His fists clenched at his sides. “What are you doing?”

Her gaze dropped to where she was fidgeting with the hem of the sheet. “You need to feed. Over the next several months, you’l need to feed every few hours until your body has completely Changed. Right now, you’re a fledgling. You’re very vulnerable in this state and you’l require a lot of care.”

“Okay.” His chest heaved with the effort of restraining himself. His erection was tenting his towel and throbbing painful y. In his mouth, blood pooled as his newly emerging fangs sank into his bottom lip. He could hear the beat of her heart and the rapidness of her breathing; he could smell the lush sweetness of her skin and the softer notes of her desire. His senses were so sharp now that she barraged him from all sides. “That doesn’t explain why you’re in bed.”

“Feeding is very . . . erotic for vampires,” she said shyly. “You’l want sex while you drink from me.”

“Every few hours?” he growled, gripping his c**k in his fist through the towel, trying to ease the ache that was driving him half mad.

Siobhán nodded.

He swal owed hard. “You’re going to give me blood and sex every few hours? ”

“You’l need it.”

“Is that what you want?”

She licked her lips. “Yes. I want more of what we had in the hotel.”

“More.” His eyes closed against the sight of her tucked in his bed, unable to bear the stimuli. “I want that, too. Desperately. But—” He inhaled sharply. “Are you a virgin, Siobhán?”

There was an extended pause. “I’ve never had sex before, if that’s what you mean.”

Jesus Christ.

“Sweetheart.” He looked at her. “A woman’s first time . . . It’s special. It shouldn’t be with a salivating, bloodsucking half-animal with barely any control. It should be slow and gentle—things I’m not capable of right now.”

Sitting up, she tucked the sheet under her arms and frowned. “Why does it have to be slow and gentle?”

“Wel . . . it’s painful for a woman.”

“Trevor.” Her mouth twitched. “I don’t mean to chal enge your masculinity, but I could snap you in half like a twig. I was worried before that I might hurt you. It’s still a concern, but I feel better about it now that you’ve Changed. It’s safer for you.”

“Safer for me,” he repeated, shaking his head. “Siobhán baby, you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into with me right now. I don’t have any idea, either, come to think of it.”

Turning away from her, he debated going back into the shower and cranking the water on cold. Maybe jacking off three or four times would give him some breathing room and control . . .

He heard her slide out of bed and pad across the floor to him. His head bowed, his body rigid with the effort it took not to grab her. He heard the rushing of blood in her veins and felt the vampiric hunger uncoil inside him. Even as his mind rejected the thought of ingesting blood, his new instincts fil ed his mind with thoughts of pinning Siobhán down and thrusting into her, his fangs sinking deep into her neck as he f**ked and fed with untamed abandon.

“Trevor.” She touched him, gently stroking across his back. He was so focused on control ing his raging desire that it took him a moment to realize . . .

She was caressing him with her wings.

He spun with a groan. The woman he desired above all others stood naked before him, displaying a body of breathtaking perfection. As tiny as she was, her curves were ful and luscious. Her stomach was flat and lightly muscular. She was tight and hard, yet soft and warm. Everything he’d ever admired or lusted over in the female form was framed by those wings resembling the light of dawn. He was awed by all that creamy, flawless skin surrounded by pale pink feathers that darkened into deep amethyst tips with gilded edges.

His eyes burned with tears of wonder and love, his entire being overwhelmed by the beauty of her. As he watched, her wings stretched toward him, curling around him so they were enfolded together. He felt the tips brush across his back, even as her hands reached for the knot of his towel. Extending his arms to either side, he ran his fingertips down her feathers. She gasped and shivered, her ni**les furling into tight tips.

“Your wings,” he murmured. “Touching them turns you on?”

“I didn’t know.” Her wide blue eyes looked into his. “It’s never happened before.”

The miracle of her soothed his ragged need, giving him the strength he needed to make love to her with the gentleness and respect she deserved. Leaning forward, he pressed his forehead to hers. “I’m going to love you, Siobhán. Long and well . Forever.”

“Start now.”

Tilting his head, he pressed his lips to hers.

Chapter 12

Siobhán stepped out of the shower and shook out her hair, spraying water all over the gorgeous, sexy vampire lounging against the bathroom’s doorjamb.

“Watch it, angel,” Trevor purred, his amber eyes bright with sensual promise. His arms were crossed over his bare chest, his jeans hanging low on his lean hips in a way that made her stare with greedy delight. “I can get you wet, too.”

“You just did,” she reminded, shivering as she recal ed how he’d bent her over the edge of the bed and slid into her from behind, his hands stroking over the sensitive backs of her splayed wings as he rode her. She’d clawed at the comforter, muffling her cries as the pleasure inundated her in endless waves. “For nearly two hours. We have to work now.”

“I know.” He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose as she slipped past him. “That’s why I let you shower alone. Let me clean up and I’l join you.”

She squeezed his hand as she moved into the bedroom. She headed toward the armoire for her clothes, feeling so blessed to have found Trevor. He often thanked her for finding him and saving him, in more ways than one, but she knew he’d saved her, too.

A knock came to their bedroom door and she snatched up her robe, rushing over to answer it.

Malachai stood in the hal way, looking grim. “Siobhán. Adrian’s plane just landed. He’l be down here in just a few minutes.”

She took a deep breath, surprised to feel a nervous fluttering in her stomach. But she wasn’t afraid. The decision she’d made to be with Trevor had brought her the first true happiness of her entire existence. She would make the choice again, with joy. “Thank you.”