Forbidden Blood: A House of Comarre Novella by Kristen Painter (the unexpected everything TXT) 📗

Everythinghuman in him said no, but the human side of him had died centuriesago. He stood and took her wrist in his grasp.

“Weshould not be doing this.”

Herother hand lifted and her fingers delicately followed the lines ofhis vampire face. “You treat me with such kindness. I wonder ifyou mean to turn my head, but then you refuse to take what I offer—”

“Iam not trying to turn your head.” Or was he? He didn’tknow what he was doing when she was around. He brought her wrist tohis mouth and kissed the tender flesh. “My refusal is for yoursafety. Something you seem to care very little about. What makes youso bold, comarré?”

Sheleaned into him, closing her eyes slightly. She swallowed and thesound drew his eyes to her throat. “You make me bold,”

Sheconfessed, regret shading her face as soon as the words left hertongue.

Hedropped her wrist, slid his hands into her hair, and kissed her,hard. For a moment, she went utterly still, only to melt into him asecond later, but her acquiescence was short-lived. She yelped insurprise as though she’d just realized what was happening. Hismouth muffled the sound.

Helet her go, threw his hands up, and walked away. “Mi faiimpazzire!” He growled softly, and muttered admonitions toimpazzire!” He growled softly, and muttered admonitions tohimself. “Pazzo! This between us is wrong, crazy, and yet I donot care.” He spun on his heels and came back toward her. “Infact, I tell you, I do care—I care that Arnaud does not touchyou again.” He beat his hand against his chest. “I shouldnot feel that way, but I do.”

Herhands covered her mouth. “Because I am comarré and youare vampire.”

“Si.As foolish as the lion falling in love with the lamb.”

Shewent very still and he realized what he’d said too late.

Herhands dropped from her mouth. “You…love me?”

Hehesitated, frozen by his own words. Then he threw one hand into theair as if none of it mattered. “I love many things.

Wine.A well-tailored suit. Art.”

Herexpression darkened. “So I am just another thing to you.”

“Thatis not what I meant.” This was going poorly. Very poorly. “Ionly meant that…” He shook his head. “You make mecrazy. I cannot think when you’re around.”

“Why?”She came closer. “What fills your head?”

Hestared at her. “What do you think? You. Your sweet scent. Yourgilded skin. Your damnable glow. You are like a sickness in myblood.” A sickness he no longer cared to be healed of.

“AndCatarina never made you feel that way?”

“Catarina,pah. I am a plague Catarina has not yet found a cure for.” Heshook his head. “Why do you not treat me the cure for.”He shook his head. “Why do you not treat me the same way? Itwould be so much easier.”

“Perhapsif you drank from me, being around me would not be so difficult?”She held her wrist out to him again.

Butit wasn’t her wrist he wanted. The depths of his vampire soulcried out for the taut column of her neck. “Perhaps you areright.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms,cradling her head and bending over her before she could protest.

Swiftly,he sank his fangs into her throat and drank deeply.

Shemoaned softly, a sound he’d not heard since he’d lastbedded a woman. It spurred him on. He held her tightly, his otherhand pressed into the small of her back. The taste of her spun lightthrough his veins and heat into his bones.

Ina word, paradiso.

Helet it spill through him, willingly giving himself over to herforbidden blood. Catarina had never tasted like this.

Then,afraid he would take too much, he released her. Her eyes were wide,her chest heaving. The tiny wounds at her neck began to close almostimmediately. She blinked a few times.

“Youare a very powerful vampire. Already I feel renewed.”

Asharp pain racked his body as the strength of her blood became his.He grabbed on to the workbench and let it run its course. His musclestensed as hot and cold warred within him, and as the pain subsided,his heart began to beat. He inhaled, filing his lungs with herperfume. “So much…different than Catarina. That’stwice the reaction I get from her.” He blew out Catarina.That’s twice the reaction I get from her.” He blew out abreath and the storm of sensation inside him leveled out. “Areyou all right, cara mia? You look shocked. I was too rough.”

Hetook her hand and led her to the stool. She sat, looking a littledazed. “No, you weren’t too rough. You were fine. I just…

Arnaudalways takes my wrist. Or maybe it was”—her chest roseand fell with a deep breath—“the kiss.”

Herskin was flushed and the rhythm of her pulse matched the beat of hisown. Perhaps he was falling in love with her. Either way, the thoughtof her returning to Arnaud made him want to run a sword throughArnaud’s heart. “That was too forward of me. But I am notsorry.”

Shesmiled a little. “I’m not either. I just never knew akiss could make you dizzy.”

“Thenyou’ve never really been kissed before.”

Shelaughed. “Of course I’ve never been kissed before. I’mcomarré.”

“SoI am the first to kiss you? And the only one to have pierced yourthroat?”

Shenodded, her cheeks faintly pink. “Yes. You have ruined me,”she teased. “How will I go back to Arnaud now?”

Possessivenessgriped Dominic’s spine like steel claws. “You will not goback to him at all”

“What?”

Heglanced over at the sunlight serum still awaiting testing on hisworkbench. “Arnaud is too dangerous. He doesn’t need theability to walk in the sun any more than he deserves to have yourability to walk in the sun any more than he deserves to have you ashis comarré. You will not return to him. I have enough wealth.

We’llleave, start over somewhere new. Then neither of us will ever have toface him again.”

Thecolor bled from her face. “I can’t do that,” shewhispered. “I cannot spend the rest of my life looking over myshoulder.” She grabbed his hands. “You know Arnaud. Youknow he won’t let either of us leave like that. I cost himmoney.

Hewould consider you a thief. He will have you made anathema.”

Theword cooled Dominic’s ardor, but not by much.