Demon Moon

and tugged.
    She blinked in sudden understanding; a mirror sat above the bar. The café was shaped like an L, with sofas and comfortable, upholstered chairs in the short leg—and it angled outside of the mirror’s reflection.
    “Or this is why you’re reclusive,” she said as he led her to an unoccupied love seat. “Mirrors everywhere. And cameras.”
    “Yes.” He brought the cup to his lips, inhaled. His eyes closed. “What is this?”
    How could he sniff tea and make it an exercise in sensuality? “Chai. Tea, milk, vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon. A little ginger.” Food, everyday ingredients. Something she knew intimately; listing them shouldn’t have this effect on her, make her want to pour it over herself and let him inhale her, too.
    Colin set it on the low table in front of the love seat, drew her down beside him. Resting his arm along the back, he turned toward her.
    His pale gaze held her immobile. “Don’t move,” he said softly.
    She couldn’t anyway. His warm hand tilted her chin up; he leaned forward, his mouth hovering above hers, and breathed in.
    Exactly as she’d wanted. But she wanted more.
    “Cinnamon. Vanilla.” His thumb traced the curve of her bottom lip. “What I would not give for a taste. I am mad for you, Savitri.” Did you intend to string me along until I was so mad for you that I’d beg and promise to forsake every other woman for a taste of you?
    She hadn’t. But she didn’t need to think about what he could give; she’d already thought it over—dreamed it, wished it—too much, and it came easily. So easily.
    “A month,” she said against his mouth. “I want a month.”
    His brows drew together. Pulling away, he echoed, “A month?”
    She couldn’t interpret the sudden hardness in his eyes, the clench of his jaw. She looked at her hands fisted in her lap. She could do this. There was nothing left to lose, anyway. And if he said no, why not pile one rejection on top of another?
    “A month. Just me. I’ll give you as much blood as I can; I’ve been looking at donation and testing sites to see how much is safe. And I’ll look for any drugs that will keep me from becoming too anemic, and boost my blood production. And if you supplement with animal…I know you can’t for long, not more than a month or two.”
    Probably not two; he’d had to rely on animal blood the year before, and it took time to rebuild immunity against it. Years, for most vampires, but he was stronger than most.
    “I don’t want you to get to the point that its degenerative effects begin to slow you down, or make you sick, especially not with a demon impersonating you. And if it’s only a month you’ll be at full strength again within a couple of days of regular feeding—”
    “Stop, Savi.”
    She bit her lip, held her breath.
    “Look at me.”
    She was too afraid. “Tell me first.”
    His silence stretched her lungs tight, knotted her stomach.
    “On the condition that you move into my house for the duration,” he finally said. “I want you readily available to me.”
    She exhaled, and a relieved smile curved her lips as she met his eyes. “Won’t that be like scavenging?”
    “ And on the condition that you never remember anything I said to you when I was being an ass.”
    “There won’t be many conversations to recall, then.”
    “No.” He brought her hand to his lips, watching her over the kiss he pressed to her fingers. The tip of his tongue swept into the sensitive juncture between her middle and ring fingers, streaked a wet line of heat from her hand to her sex.
    “Let’s go,” she breathed, and tried to pull her hand from his, get to her feet. She might as well have tried to escape a singularity. Yes, she’d likely already crossed that critical point. Nothing to do now but let it take her.
    “Your impatience is flattering, but I’m too aggrieved to give in so easily; you have completely disrupted my plan to seduce you into my bed tonight. I’d thought of witty observations, romantic lyrics designed to sweep you off your feet. Yet all my scheming has gone to waste.”
    He smiled against her hand when she laughed, but he made no effort to move.
    “One more condition: If you’ll make a list, I’ll procure any medications you require through Ramsdell—but if the drugs have side effects, don’t use them.” His eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and his voice carried a thread of something that sounded like wonder…or hope. “And it’s possible that with your