Part 24 (1/2)
As she put the knife down, she touched her lips. There had been nothing s.e.xual about the kiss he'd given her behind the couch; it had been all about grat.i.tude. And the mouth-on-mouth action in the park had been deeper, but the distance on his side was the same. The pa.s.sion had been one-sided. Hers.
Did vampires even sleep with humans? Maybe that was why he held back, instead of it being some kind of power play.
Except what about the hostess at TGI Friday's? He'd definitely sized that woman up, and not because he'd wanted to buy her a dress. So clearly his kind had no problem being with another species. What he had no interest in was being with her.
Friends. Just friends.
When the omelet was finished and the toast b.u.t.tered, she rolled a fork up in a napkin, tucked the twist under her elbow, and took the plate and the bowl into the living room. She quickly shut the door behind her and turned to the couch.
Whoa.
Rhage had taken his s.h.i.+rt off and was leaning back against the wall, inspecting his burns. In the glow of candlelight, she got a serious look at his heavy shoulders, his powerful arms, his chest. His stomach. The skin over all that muscle he was carrying was golden, hairless.
Trying to keep it together, she put what she was carrying on the floor next to him and sat down a few feet over. To stop herself from staring at his body, she glanced at his face. He was looking down at the food, not moving, not speaking.
”I wasn't sure what you liked,” she said.
His eyes flipped up to hers and he s.h.i.+fted so he was facing her. The frontal view was even more spectacular than the profile. His shoulders were broad enough to fill the s.p.a.ce between the couch and the wall. And the star-shaped scar over his left pectoral was s.e.xy as h.e.l.l, like some kind of brand on his skin.
After a good beat or two of him just staring at her, she reached for the plate. ”I'll get you something else-”
His hand shot out and gripped her wrist. He stroked her skin with his thumb. ”I love it.”
”You haven't tasted the-”
”You made it. That's enough.” He picked the fork out of the napkin, the muscles and tendons in his forearm working. ”Mary?”
”Hm?”
”I would feed you now.” As he spoke, his stomach let out a howl.
”That's okay. I'll get something for myself... Ah, why are you frowning like that?”
He rubbed his eyebrows, as if ironing out his expression. ”Sorry. You couldn't know.”
”Know what?”
”Where I come from, when a male offers to feed a female from his hand, it is a way of showing respect. Respect and... affection.”
”But you're hungry.”
He brought the plate a little closer and tore off a corner of the toast. Then he cut a perfect square out of the omelet and placed it on top.”Mary, eat from my hand. Take from me.”
He leaned forward, extending his long arm. His teal eyes were hypnotic, calling her, pulling her forward, opening her mouth. As she put her lips around the food she had cooked for him, he growled in approval. And after she swallowed, he came toward her again, another piece of toast suspended between his fingertips.
”Shouldn't you have something?” she said.
”Not until you are full.”
”What if I eat it all?”
”Nothing would please me more than to know you are well fed.”
Friends, she told herself. Just friends.
”Mary, eat for me.” His insistence had her opening her mouth again. His eyes stayed on her lips after she'd closed them.
Jesus. This didn't feel like friends.
As she chewed, Rhage picked through the bowl of fruit with his fingertip. He finally chose a slice of cantaloupe and held it out to her. She took the piece whole, a little juice escaping down the side of her mouth. She reached up with the back of her hand, but he stopped her, lifting the napkin, brus.h.i.+ng it over her skin.
”I'm finished.”
”No, you're not. I can feel your hunger.” This time half a strawberry came toward her. ”Open for me, Mary.”
He fed her choice morsels, watching her with a primordial satisfaction that was unlike anything she'd seen before.
When she couldn't take another bite, he made quick work of what was left, and the moment he was done she picked up the plate and headed to the kitchen. She made him another omelet, filled a bowl full of cereal, and gave him the last of her bananas.
His smile was radiant as she laid it all out in front of him. ”How you honor me with this.”
As he ate in that methodical, tidy way of his, she closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the wall. She was getting tired more and more easily and felt a stab of cold terror because now she knew why. G.o.d, she dreaded finding out what the doctors were going to do to her after all the tests were in.
When she opened her eyes, Rhage's face was right in front of hers.
She jerked back, banging against the wall. ”I, ah, I didn't even hear you move.”
Crouched on all fours like an animal about to spring, he had one arm on either side of her legs, his ma.s.sive shoulders bunched up from bearing the weight of his torso. This close, he was huge. And showing a lot of skin. And smelling really good, like dark spices.
”Mary, I would thank you, if you would let me.”
”How?” she croaked.
He tilted his head to the side and put his lips on hers. As she gasped, his tongue penetrated her mouth and stroked her own. When he s.h.i.+fted back to a.s.sess her reaction, his eyes glowed with the promise of ecstasy, the kind that would boil her bone marrow.
She cleared her throat, ”You're... welcome.” ”I would do that again, Mary. Will you let me?”
”A simple thank-you is fine. Really, I-”
His lips cut her off and then his tongue took over again, invading, taking, caressing. As heat roared in her body, Mary gave up the fight and savored the mad l.u.s.t, the pounding in her chest, the aching at her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and between her legs.
Oh, G.o.d. It had been so long. And it had never been like this.
Rhage let out a low purr, as if he'd sensed her arousal. She felt his tongue retract, and then he took her lower lip between his- Fangs. Those were fangs nipping at her flesh.
Fear threaded through her pa.s.sion and thickened it, adding a dangerous edge that opened her even further. She put her hands on his arms. G.o.d, he was so hard, so strong. He'd be so heavy on top of her.
”Will you let me lay with you?” he asked.
Mary closed her eyes, imagining them going beyond the kissing to a place where they'd be naked together. She hadn't been with a man since well before her illness. And a lot about her body had changed since then.