He nodded once. “Trust.” Gradually, he lowered his hand to the bed. “What’s next on your agenda tonight, since you have a free evening?”

My eyebrows lifted in thought. “I have no clue. I haven’t had an evening to myself for three months.”

His own brows lifted and he bent forward, his face coming closer. “You could stay here for a little while and we could,” closer, he was inching closer, his lips hovering over mine, “become better acquainted.”

I lifted a quick finger, setting it against his lush lips, stopping them from landing at their destination. “That wasn’t why I came in here.” Ezra’s eyes narrowed slightly from his blocked attempt, but I ignored them, glancing around his room. “Maybe we could watch a movie or something, if you bring in the TV from your front room. I haven’t done that with an adult in a very long time.”

He spoke against my finger. “I’m beginning to get a complex, wife. The first night I offered, you only wanted to sleep, and now, at my second offer, all you want to do is watch TV, when you’re already,” his voice turned growly, “naked in my bed.”

My lips twitched as my eyes came back to his. “Well, we wouldn’t want you getting a complex would we, husband?” The slightest shake of his head, his lips brushing against my finger. I lowered said finger slowly, watching avidly as it dragged over his bottom lip. “Fine, one kiss, then if you’d like we can watch something. I’ll even let you pick the movie.”

“How very kind of you,” Ezra whispered softly, his breath spanning my own lips now.

I chuckled softly, my eyes on his mouth as they moved damn slowly toward mine. “Kindness isn’t a trait I’m used to anymore, so you should feel fortunate I’m bestowing it on you.”

“Oh, I’m feeling something all right,” Ezra whispered.

His lips landed on mine. And we both groaned at the contact, our lips again molding together perfectly, soft flesh aligning seamlessly with soft flesh. Lifting a hand, I set it just as gently on his bristly jaw, his shadowy beard rough against my palm as he kissed me. The warm touch was heady on my palm and lips, and I pressed for more, a soft moan of need slipping past my lips onto his. His Vampire growled, soft and slow, sounding content as he gave me what I needed, his lips pressing more firmly against mine as he tilted his head, threading his fingers into my hair at the back of my head and lowering us so I was resting on his pillows.

This kiss was a bit different than our last one, more tentative, hesitant, and I knew he felt it too with the cautious trust we had formed. Honestly, I could tell we were both letting our guard down, showing a bit of our vulnerability to each other.

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I ran my fingers over his face, lightly touching his temple and cheeks, memorizing the shape of his features and warmth as he ran the tip of his tongue around the curved edges of my mouth, also memorizing me, if I wasn’t mistaken. Sighing softly at the whispering glide of his warm tongue, I opened my eyes to stare at the man over me, who was being careful not to put any weight on me except for a leg he’d thrown over mine as if he couldn’t help but want to keep me under him. This Vampire stranger, my husband, was beautiful, flawless.

His thick, black lashes slowly lifted from where they had cast their shadow against his cheeks to reveal sparkling green eyes, half-hidden even if aimed at my eyes, and he whispered, “Can I tell you a secret?” Softly, he nibbled at my bottom lip as I nodded slightly, running my hands through his spiked hair and making his eyes dip more. “When you stripped on my bed that first night, I thought that I had never seen anyone so perfect before.”

My lips curled at the truth of his words. “But you didn’t let yourself get distracted.”

He chuckled quietly. “No, unfortunately, I didn’t.” Our lips stroked softly. “I couldn’t.”

I nodded, brushing our lips and noses against each other. “I understand.”

“I know you do. That’s why I’ve never had to lie and apologize,” he murmured quietly, tilting his head, and our lips caressed softly, both of us sighing into each other’s mouths.

“All right, confession time, I guess.” I lifted a finger as he stopped kissing me to listen, and I ran my digit lightly over one of his arched eyebrows, our mouths still connected. “The night we met, I thought you were the most beautiful Mys I had ever seen.” I blinked. “And that was even before you took your shirt off.”

His lips curled against mine, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly. “So you like what you see?”

Simple words to what appeared to be an honest question behind his cockiness. “Yes, very much so.”

His lips curled even more on mine, and his teeth nipped at my bottom lip softly. “The feeling’s mutual,” he paused, then he whispered, “sweetheart.”

My heart stalled for a moment at the endearment. Because that’s what it was, an actual tender word. And I felt the protective, cold shell covering my broken heart — yes, it had been broken, shattered, really, from the mind rape — melt some and begin to heal. And that hurt and scared me. “Don’t…” I sucked in a harsh breath. “Don’t mess with my heart…please.”

His thumb brushed back and forth over my jaw, again dragging his wedding ring along my flesh. Not backing away, he spoke bluntly. “I’m just as scared and confused as you, thrown into this situation our previous selves decided for us. But I did marry you. I chose you even if I’m only just beginning to see why from a stranger’s eyes.” Said green eyes flittered over my face. “I give you my word…I won’t hurt your heart.” His lips stroked mine slowly as my breath caught.

And I wasn’t quite sure how it happened, between my heart seizing at his brutally honest words and our mouths melding together, but somehow he ended up under the covers with me, lying directly on top of me and lifting his arms as I pulled his silk shirt over his head and tossed it away. His hard, warm chest connected with mine and I groaned, pressing my soft curves up against him and instantly grabbing onto his back, digging into the muscles flexing there. His pulled his mouth away from mine, breathlessly muttering a curse as he lifted his hand away from my face to dig into his pant pocket.

“Just a second,” he rumbled, his eyes holding an apology as he pulled his cell phone out and hit a number on it, listening with it at his ear, but it didn’t stop his mouth from reconnecting with mine. Even as I kissed him back just as generously and hungrily as he was me, I heard a masculine voice answer, and Ezra lifted his lips from mine, muttering into the receiver, “Guard my tent. I don’t want anyone entering, not even you.” The voice over the line said something, apparently assenting because Ezra snapped the phone shut, dropping it beside us to grip both sides of my face…and his warm and slick tongue dove inside my mouth, sliding against my tongue before I could warn him.




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