His eyes glimmered bright red. "What did I say?"
"You said I loved you." She ascended the steps, and a glorious feeling of power washed over her.
"And I do." She eased into the hot water.
"You do?" He moved over to give her room.
She settled beside him. "Yes, I do. I was thinking about you all week, trying to get up the courage to follow my heart."
"So you've defeated that fear?"
"Yes. There was a scripture that helped me. The one that says there's a purpose for everything under heaven. I realized you were here for a noble purpose. You protect the innocent from bad vampires." She touched his face. "How could I not love you?"
He gave her a wry look. "You're trying to make me noble?"
"You are noble, you silly goose. Deal with it."
He chuckled. "I love you, too." He glanced at his bandaged arm. "But I may have trouble proving it."
"You don't have to do anything." She nestled against his left side and rubbed a thigh against his leg. "I'm here to seduce you."
"Really?"
"Uh-huh." She planted kisses along his shoulder and up his neck. "I hope you don't mind. I know how you hate feeling powerless."
His mouth quirked. "Strangely enough, I'm all right with this."
"Good." She skimmed a hand down his chest, reached his stomach, and bumped into the tip of his swollen manhood. "Oh. You're not completely out of action."
"No." He hissed in a breath when she wrapped her hand around him and squeezed.
She stroked the shaft, enjoying the way it grew thicker and harder. The tip remained velvety soft.
She kissed his chest. "I never could resist you. From the first time I met you, I wanted you."
"Heather, I love you so much." With his left arm, he pulled her half on top of him. He kissed her on the mouth. A hungry, demanding kiss.
She tasted a hint of whisky on his tongue. She explored his mouth and skimmed her tongue across the edge of his teeth. The sharp points on his canine teeth didn't faze her. She knew who he was, and she loved him.
She straddled him, and they continued to kiss. His left hand stroked her back. She nestled against his erection, rubbing herself against the length. Her breasts moved against his chest.
"Come up higher." He wrapped his left arm around her waist and lifted her up so her breasts were even with his mouth. He drew a hard nipple into his mouth and suckled.
She moaned and arched into him. Tingles spread all over her body, and a deep need flared inside her. Good Lord, Fidelia had been right. A man who had sucked blood for centuries knew how to use his mouth.
Somewhere in the daze of sensual pleasure, Heather realized he'd taken charge. "Hey." She gasped as he tugged on her nipple. "I'm supposed to be seducing you."
"You were wildly successful. Consider me seduced." With one arm, he lifted her out of the water and sat her on a corner of the tub.
Wow, super strength came in handy. Goose bumps prickled her body as cool air caressed her skin and her back came in contact with a cool marble column.
"Hold on." He eased her hips to the edge of the tub.
"Like this?" She raised her arms overhead and grasped the column. She gasped when he buried his head between her legs.
Oh God, that mouth of his. That tongue. She pressed her fingers against the marble. Her heels dug into his back.
He stroked and nibbled till she was panting and writhing with tension. Just when she was ready to explode, he pulled back.
"You're beautiful," he whispered. Then he twirled his tongue around her, and she shattered.
Her body was still shuddering when he pulled her back into the hot, bubbly water. The swirling currents pulsed against her sensitized skin and sent another wave of tremors through her body.
"Oh God." She fell limp against him. "I should seduce you more often."
"Every night, cherie. Hold on."
Everything went black for a second, then Heather felt herself falling back onto his bedspread. He must have teleported them straight to bed.
He zoomed back to the bathroom. She sat up to see him zipping back to her with a towel.
"Here." He dried her back, then pushed her gently onto the bed so he could dry the front of her body.
"Wait!" She pointed at the camera.
He zoomed to the bedside table and grabbed the remote. "Don't worry. The guys are out looking for Lui. No one's seen you." He turned off the surveillance camera, then jumped on the bed.
He leaned over to kiss her breasts, then winced. "Wait a minute." He moved to the other side of her so he could prop himself up on his left arm.
"I have a better idea." She shoved him flat on his back. "You're the injured hero. So just lie there and take it like a man."
His mouth twitched. "You're cute when you're bossy."
"Cute? You think this is cute?" She cupped his balls and lightly squeezed.
He moaned. "I take it back. You're an incredibly erotic seductress."
"That's more like it." She sat beside him and ran her fingers over his body. This was the first time she was getting a good look at him naked. He was lean and muscular. A few scars marked his pale skin. She traced them, realizing they had to be centuries old, dating back to his days as a mortal.
Curly black hair shaded his upper chest. She traced the thin line of black hair down his torso to the thicker patch surrounding his erection.
She stroked the shaft and it twitched. "It's alive!"
He gave her a wry look. "I need inside you."
"All in good time." She leaned over and kissed the soft tip.
He winced. "I really need inside you."
"We have all night." She dragged her tongue up the shaft, then took him in her mouth.
He groaned. "Take me inside you. Now."
She swirled her tongue around the tip, then released him. "Hmm, yummy."
"Dammit, woman!" His eyes blazed red. "Ride me."
She blinked in surprise. "Oh. You're so cute when you're bossy."
"I'm not bossy. I'm dying." He pulled her on top.
She straddled him, then tried to position him in the right place. "I'm not very experienced in this—aagh!" She gasped when he shoved himself into her and pulled her down at the same time.
"Okay, that'll work."
She settled down on him, letting him fill her completely. "You feel so good."
"So do you," he breathed. He caressed her breasts. "Love me."
"I do." She rocked on him slowly, then leaned forward to kiss him.
He pulled down on her hips, urging her to go faster. She did, feeling the tension coiling tighter and tighter. He reached between her legs to rub her clitoris, and she went frantic. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she realized she'd never behaved so wildly before. It was liberating. It was glorious.
He tweaked her as she came down hard on him. Convulsions shook her, and her body went limp. She fell beside him. He rolled with her, then grasped her bottom as he drove into her. He groaned, grinding his hips against her as his climax shuddered through him.
Slowly their breathing returned to normal, and they lay on their sides, gazing into each other's faces.
"Wow," Heather breathed.
"Indeed." The red in his eyes slowly faded.
She touched the curls on his head. "I love you." She felt tears crowding her eyes. "I love you so much."
"Will you marry me?"
Before she could answer, he sat up and continued, "I promise to get rid of Lui. You won't have to live a life of entrapment. We'll be able to travel and enjoy life. And we can—"
She put a finger on his mouth. "The answer is yes."
He grinned and kissed her finger, then kissed the palm of her hand.
She shivered. "Let's get under the covers."
He pulled back the bedspread, and they snuggled between the sheets. He winced when she accidentally bumped against his injured arm.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." She kissed the shoulder.