Lover Revealed

icon from his Catholic childhood, the Madonna of salvation and love… and him her unworthy servant.

He dragged himself off the floor, his spine cracking as it supported his weight. 'Marissa.'

Ah, shit, his emotions were all right there in his rusted-out voice, the pain, the sadness, the regret.

She held her hand up. 'I meant what I said in that message last night. I loved being with you. Every moment. That wasn't why you had to leave and I wish I could have explained myself better at the time. Butch, we need to talk.'

'Yeah, I know. But do you mind if we go down the hall for this?' Because he had no intention of having an audience, and no matter what she said, he figured she'd prefer not to be in a bedroom alone with him. She was tense as hell.

When she nodded, they headed to the sitting room at the end of the corridor, and on the way, he was stunned by how weak she was. She moved slowly, as if she couldn't feel her legs, and she was terribly pale, nearly transparent from a lack of energy.

Once inside the peach and yellow room, she went over to the windows, away from him.

Her words were thin as breath as she spoke. 'Butch, I don't know how to say this…'

'I know what's doing.'

'You do?'

'Yes.' He started toward her, arms out. 'Don't you know I would do anything—'

'Don't come any closer.' She stepped back. 'You've got to stay away from me.'

He dropped his hands. 'You need to feed, don't you?'

Her eyes widened. 'How did you—'

'It's all right, baby.' He smiled a little. 'It's very all right. I talked with V.'

'So you know what I've got to do? And you don't… mind?'

He shook his head. 'I'm fine with it. More than fine.'

'Oh, thank the Scribe Virgin.' She lurched over to a sofa and sat down as if her knees had buckled. 'I was so afraid you'd be offended. It'll be hard on me as well, but it's the only safe way. And I can't wait any longer. It has to be tonight.'

When she patted the couch seat, he went over with relief and sat beside her, taking her hands in his. God, she was so cold.

'I'm really ready for this,' he said, with thick anticipation. Man, he was suddenly dying to head back to her bedroom. 'Let's go.'

A curious expression crossed her face. 'You want to watch?'

He stopped breathing. 'Watch?'

'I, ah… I'm not sure that's a good idea.'

As her words hit him, Butch became aware of a sinking feeling in his gut. Like someone had popped the stoppers on a number of his internal organs. 'What are you talking about, watch?'

'When I'm with the male who lets me take his vein.'

Abruptly, Marissa recoiled, giving him a good idea of what the expression on his face must be like.

Yeah, or maybe she was reacting to the fact that he'd started to growl.

'The other male,' he said slowly, as he put it all together. 'The one you told me you've been seeing. You've fed from him.'

She nodded slowly. 'Yes.'

Butch jacked up to his feet. 'Often?'

'Ah… four or five times.'

'And he's an aristocrat, of course.'

'Well, yes.'

'And he'd make a socially acceptable mate for you, wouldn't he.' Unlike a POS human. 'Wouldn't he?'

'Butch, it isn't romantic. I swear.'

Yeah, maybe on her side it wasn't. But it was damn hard to imagine any male not sexing her. The bastard would have to be impotent or some shit. 'He's into you, isn't he. Answer the question, Marissa. Flyboy with the superhero plasma… he wants you, doesn't he? Doesn't he?'

God, where the hell was this wild jealousy coming from?

'But he knows I don't feel that way about him.'

'Has he kissed you?'

When she didn't reply, Butch was very glad he didn't know the Joe's name and address. 'You're not using him anymore. You have me.'

'Butch, I can't feed from you. I'll take too—where are you going?'

He stalked across the room, shut the double doors, and locked them in together. As he came back at her, he tossed his black suit jacket on the floor and ripped open his shirt, the buttons popping off and flying everywhere. Falling to his knees in front of her, he tilted back his head and offered his throat, himself, to her.

'You will use me.'

There was a long silence. Then her scent, that gorgeous clean fragrance, intensified until it flooded the room. Her body began to shake, her mouth opening.

As her fangs unsheathed, he got an instant erection.

'Oh… yeah,' he said in a dark voice. 'Take me. I need to feed you.'

'No,' she moaned, tears glowing in her cornflower blue eyes.

She made a move to get up, but he jumped at her, taking her by the shoulders, holding her down on the couch. He moved himself between her legs, bringing their bodies together, getting all up in her. While she trembled against him and pushed at him, he kept her close, nuzzling her, nipping her ear, sucking on her jaw. Before long, she stopped fighting to get away. And started gripping the two halves of his shirt to pull him in tighter.

'That's right, baby,' he growled. 'You grab on to me. Let me feel those fangs get into me deep. I want it.'

He palmed the back of her head and brought her mouth to his throat. As an arc of pure sexual power exploded between them, they both began to pant, her breath and tears hot on his skin.

But then she seemed to come to her senses. She struggled hard and he did his best to keep her in place, even though they were both going to end up with bruises. And even though he was ultimately going to lose the fight against her. As he was just a human, she was stronger, even though he outweighed her by well over a hundred pounds.

But hopefully she would give in and use him before his energy flagged.

'Marissa, please, take me,' he groaned, his voice hoarse from the struggle and now the begging.

'No…'

His heart broke as she sobbed, but he didn't let her go. He couldn't. 'Take what's inside of me. I know I'm not good-enough, but take me anyway—'

'Don't make me do this—'

'I have to.' God, he felt like crying with her.

'Butch…' Her body bucked and strained against his, their clothes flapping as they struggled. 'I can't hold back… for much longer… let me go… before I hurt you.'

'Never.'

It happened so fast. His name shot out of her on a yell and then he felt a searing blaze of pain at the side of his throat.

Her fangs sinking into his jugular.

'Oh…fuck… yes …!' He loosened his grip and cradled her as she latched on to his neck. He barked her name at the first erotic draw, the first hard suck on his vein, the first swallow for her. As she repositioned for a better angle, pleasure swamped him, sparks flowing all through his body as if he were orgasming. This was so the way it had to be. He needed her to take from him in order to live—

Marissa broke the contact and dematerialized, right out of his arms.

Butch fell headfirst into the empty air where she'd been, face-planting into the sofa cushions. In a messy scramble, he shoved himself to his feet and spun around. 'Marissa! Marissa!'

He threw himself at the doors and clawed at the lock, but couldn't get free.