When her legs almost gave out, he encircled his arm around her waist and held her up. She continued stroking him until his hand gripped her wrist and he stilled her movement. She didn’t understand why he’d made her stop until laughter floated down the hall. Someone squealed, and something banged loudly.
Reality returned with a jolt that left her almost as shaken as the amazing orgasm he gave her. She’d never experienced anything like it before. She’d made out with other guys, but she’d never gotten this far with any of them, and he was far more exciting than her hand.
However, as much as she desired him, letting this continue here was a bad idea. Anyone could walk in on them, including her brother. She tore her mouth from his and labored to catch her breath as she settled her hands on his chest.
“We can’t do this here,” she whispered.
Dante rested his forehead against hers as the alluring scent of her arousal beat against him. She was right, but the vampire part of him protested her words. And then he thought about someone walking in and seeing her partially naked. The demon calmed a little, but it still hovered beneath the surface, ready to break free and take her.
“I didn’t mean for things to get so carried away,” he said.
His deep, husky timber sent shivers down her spine, and she gave herself a mental kick in the ass. Get your shit together.
“We should go,” she said.
“Can we leave out the back door?” he asked as he forced his cock back into his jeans. It was not happy about being denied, but he would have her.
“No, it’s alarmed.”
He’d hoped not to have to see her brothers again, but they didn’t have a choice. Taking a deep breath, he rested his arm against the locker as he willed his erection away. Having Cassidy in front of him and her chest brushing against his didn’t help. He pushed himself off the lockers and took a couple of steps away.
“Will you come back to my place with me?” he asked when he felt a little more stable.
Cassidy was still debating jumping him here and now, but that would be a spur-of-the-moment thing; if she went back to his place, it would be a calculated move. Given her intense reaction to him, it could also be an irrevocable step toward completing the mate bond, and she didn’t think the possibility they could be mates had crossed his mind.
“I think there’s something we have to discuss first,” she said.
“Then let’s discuss it.”
“Not here.”
“At my place then?” he inquired.
“Yes.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Do you remember when we talked about mates?” Cassidy said as she walked with him toward his apartment.
Unsure what to do with her hands, she shoved them in her pockets as she stared at the cracks in the sidewalk. Her stomach churned with anxiety over this conversation, but she smiled when she spotted a dandelion growing through one of the cracks and carefully stepped around it.
Dante gave her a sidelong glance as she walked beside him with her head bowed. For the first time since meeting her, there was an awkwardness between them he didn’t understand. He also sensed something more to her question.
“Yes,” he said.
Cassidy glanced around the street, but they were in a mostly residential area now, and they still had some time before the bars called last call, so the street was almost empty. No one could overhear them here.
“My parents are mated, most of my siblings have found their mates, and my adopted uncles are mated. When a vampire finds their mate, it’s often an instantaneous attraction, and it’s impossible to deny. I’ve also been told it can be extremely overwhelming, especially since vampires are often on edge until they complete the bond.”
He studied her as she avoided stepping on another weed. Her words struck a chord in him as they described how he felt since meeting her. Could she be his mate? He blew the possibility off before, but was she meant to be his forever?
Excitement thrummed through his veins as he took in her beautiful countenance. If he could join with anyone throughout eternity, it would be Cassidy with her stubborn ways, fantastic voice, and loving heart. She was as beautiful inside as she was outside, and that was so rare to find in this world.
“Interesting,” he murmured.
“The closer a vampire gets with their mate, the tougher it is to resist completing the bond.”
“I see.”
Cassidy glanced at him from under her lashes. “Do you?”
Dante frowned at her. Then, like he was hit upside the head by a two-by-four, he understood why she was talking about this. I’m not the only one questioning if I’ve encountered my mate.
“Do you think I’m your mate?” he asked and held his breath while he waited for her response.
“I’m not sure. It’s too early to tell… I think,” she muttered more to herself than to him. “But I feel more attracted to you than anyone I’ve ever known before.”
That admission left her feeling vulnerable and exposed, and she hated every second of it. In her pockets, her fingers dug into her palms as she focused on the headlights coming toward them.
On the street corner, a group of kids was hanging out on the steps of one of the apartment buildings. When they laughed at something one of them said, their laughter caused a smile to tug at the corners of her mouth. They were so happy and so oblivious to the real horrors lurking in this world; she hoped they stayed that way.
Dante continued to study her as she smiled. Since first seeing her, he’d done nothing but think about her. The other night, he had no intention of returning to the bar, but after seeing her on the street, he couldn’t resist.
She’d filled his thoughts and fantasies for two weeks; even now, he’d give anything to taste and
