He smirked, snuggling deeper into the pillow. “It’s not your fault. That is, unless you compelled me.” He raised his head and narrowed his eyes. “Did you?”
“No. I didn’t.” The truth was, I suspected I couldn’t have compelled him if I’d tried. Supernatural beings weren’t subject to my powers but how could I explain that to him since he didn’t seem to know he was anything other than a normal man.
“Okay, well, I suppose I should tell you that I wanted you the minute I saw you too.”
I smiled widely, moving ever so slightly closer to him. Tentatively, I slid my foot over and touched his. His eyes widened for a second before he relaxed, not moving away.
“Why aren’t you cold?” he asked.
“What?” I was momentarily startled. I hadn’t had conversations with previous lovers so this pillow talk was all new to me.
“Vampires are dead, right? Why aren’t you cold?”
It was a great question. “I can regulate my temperature so that I’m as warm as you are. I can’t explain how it works. The dead giveaway—forgive my pun—is that I have no pulse or heartbeat.” I turned my head slightly and pointed to my jugular vein. “Look close.”
Romeo’s eyes zeroed in on the vein before they lifted to mine. “May I touch your chest?”
I snorted. “You had my cock in your mouth a half hour ago. Yes, you may touch my chest.”
I watched his arm sliding across the sheet under the covers. A second later, he placed his palm between my pectorals as he felt for my absent heartbeat. After a minute, he sat up and moved closer before lying down again. Only twelve inches separated our bodies and faces and I felt the familiar tingling in my gums again. I willed my fangs to stay right where they were. He trailed his fingers along my largest scar from my collarbone to my bellybutton and I shuddered, trying not to launch myself at him. After a moment, he glanced up at me.
“Tell me about yourself,” he said, leaving his hand where it was. “How did you get the scar and why isn’t it healed? Aren’t vampires supposed to be flawless and perfect?”
I sighed. “We heal very fast. I heal faster than most vampires because I’m very old. That applies to new wounds. Old scars—that is, scars that were on us when we were turned—never go away.”
“How old are you and then tell me about the scar,” he said. He was beginning to warm to the conversation and so was I.
“My human life was taken on the Isle of Ruad in 1304.”
Romeo frowned. “You’re over seven hundred years old?”
“Yes. I was killed by a knight of the realm. His name was Sir Robert.”
“He was your… what do you call it? Your maker?”
“Yes. I was also a knight of the realm. When my human life ended, I was on one of the final crusades to the Holy Land.”
“Where is the Isle of Ruad? Part of the Holy Land?”
I nodded. “Modern day Syria—basically the northwest portion of the country on the Mediterranean coastline. The Knights Templar set up an outpost there and that’s where I died… but the scar came years before.”
“You were a knight… a medieval knight,” he breathed, somewhat in awe. “How old were you?”
“When my human life ended? Twenty-eight. I’d been in the Holy Land for almost four years with my father and my uncle when a handsome young knight rode into our camp one night.” I smiled. “He seduced me away from my sleeping elders and for some reason, he decided not to kill me and instead turn me into what you see here.”
“Wow. It’s all so hard to believe… and the scar?”
“I was struck with a broadsword which nearly cleaved me in two. I’m sure that had been the barbarian’s intent. He very nearly succeeded. I hovered between worlds for nearly a month before my fever broke.” I smiled. “We had terrible doctors in our camp—if that’s what you could call the butchers they were—and of course disease and filth were rampant. My father brought in a local woman who treated me with an odd combination of powders after I became feverish. If it hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t have lived. I learned later that my uncle feared the woman would use witchcraft on me. After I recovered my father told me of the fight he had with my uncle. If it hadn’t been for my father’s love for me and his willingness to try anything to save my life, I would have died. It’s kind of a miracle I survived at all.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet.” His gaze slid over my face. “You’re very interesting. In fact, this is all very interesting. I’m actually not afraid of you.”
I chuckled, capturing his hand as he moved to pull it away from my chest. I flattened it against my belly, needing to keep him close. I could feel the small capillaries in his fingers throbbing again. I was going to have to eat soon or risk hurting the beautiful creature in front of me.
“I’m so glad you’re not afraid. The last thing I want is for you to be afraid of me.” I let go of his hand and slowly reached for his face, gently cupping one side of his jaw. “I want to see you again, Romeo, but I have to go now.” I glanced at the clock on the table. We’d talked a long time and it was now past midnight. I glanced back at
