“Nice? That’s what everybody thinks because he has the angelic face of a college kid. Don’t let that fool you. He’s a dangerous man. And he’s no longer a friend.” There was a harsh undertone in Zane’s voice.

Portia pressed a soft kiss onto his lips. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

She shook her long locks. “It is. If I hadn’t pestered you to do this, you wouldn’t have lost your friend.”

“Pestered me?” He smiled softly. “I guess that’s a way of looking at it.” He slanted his mouth over hers.

“Then come back to bed,” she whispered, feeling his hunger physically. Her body instantly responded to him, her nipples tightening into hard points, hot lava shooting through her veins instead of blood.

“I can’t.” Zane pulled back.

His refusal jolted her. Had he already had enough of her? Disappointment stood at the gate, ready to enter.

“I have to go feed.” He lifted her from his lap and stood. “Let me get dressed. I promise you, I’ll be back within an hour.”

Dumbfounded, she stood there for a second as he walked toward the bedroom. Then her lips parted and words tumbled from them. “Why don’t you want my blood?”

Zane rocked to a dead stop.

Her eyes bored into his back, and she noticed his shoulders tense.

“Portia,” he started before his voice faltered.

“Why?”

In slow motion, he turned. His eyes were glowing red and his sharp fangs protruded from his lips. As her gaze swept lower, she noticed his boxer shorts tenting. Her mouth watered in response, and she realized that the thought of drinking her blood turned him on.

She took two determined steps in his direction, yet he still didn’t move.

“You do want my blood, don’t you,” she husked.

Her hand came up to stroke over the pulse on her neck, drawing his attention to it.

“Then why not take it? Why not sink your fangs into me and drink from me?”

She licked her lower lip, the image her words painted making her knees weak and her pulse pound against her skin.

Zane’s feet finally moved, his hesitant steps bringing him closer until he stood only a few inches from her.

“Yes,” she breathed. “I want your bite.”

Her hand dropped to his boxers, brushing against the hard shaft beneath. It jerked as she pulled the waistband down and freed it.

“And I want your cock inside me.”

She wrapped her hand around it, feeling the heat beneath her fingers. “Deep.”

She stroked down its entire length. “Hard.”

His ragged breath bounced against her. “Fuck, Portia.”

His hand clamped down over hers, stopping her from repeating her movement. “If I take your blood, I won’t be able to stop.”

“When,” she corrected him. “When you take my blood, we’ll both make sure you won’t hurt me.”

***

Zane closed his eyes, the sensations coursing through his body too intense to bear. “Portia, are you sure you want this?”

Had she really offered him her blood or was he hallucinating because he needed blood so badly? After everything she knew about him now, did she still believe him worthy to take this gift, to allow him this ultimate intimacy of feeding from her?

The last twenty-four hours had depleted him. He could barely remember when he’d last fed, but he knew it had been too long ago. Making love to her all night and day had robbed him of his reserves, and now he was wiped. If he didn’t get blood in the next six hours, his hunger would grow to frightening proportions, and his control would snap. Hell, he’d probably even attack the dog to feed, even though animal blood would provide him with little nourishment.

Knowing how close he was to giving into the bloodlust that hovered just below the surface, how could he accept her offer? What if he couldn’t stop?

His dark side reared its head. She would taste delicious, better than anything he’d ever tasted. To fuck her at the same time would make it all the better.

“You want it,” her voice repeated.

“But do you?”

“I want what you want. When I drank from you, it was the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

Zane’s eyes dropped to her throat where her pulse jumped against her skin.

“The best thing I ever felt,” she continued, her voice a mere breath. “I want you to feel the same.”

It wouldn’t be the same. It would be much more. Her blood was so much more potent than any pure vampire’s blood. Hers was laced with the sweetness of human blood. Not only would it nourish him and strengthen him, it would make the connection that already existed between them more pronounced.