Vampires Among Us [Vampires Among Us 1] (Siren Publishing Classic)

vampires from invading our thoughts. Only an extremely old vampire can penetrate those defenses. However, vampires tend to lower their defenses when making love, and from what I am told, most of my kind find biting during love making very erotic. Some call it blood sex,” he continued, “because when done at the right moment, it will increase the pleasure of an orgasm immensely.
    “Oh,” Erica replied quietly, as Kevin watched her cheeks stain red. She grew silent for a moment, and then glanced up at him hesitantly. “So, if I asked you to bite me, would you?”
    “No, I would question your sanity!” Kevin exclaimed, as he vaulted up to a sitting position, all but throwing her out of his arms. Why would you ask such a thing? You’ve been bitten all over your body, for God’s sake, and the bastard didn’t even do what was necessary to help the wounds heal quickly, or to erase the pain.”
    “That’s just it, Kevin,” Erica quickly countered back, “I want to take those nightmares, and turn them into something beautiful. I’m tired of being afraid. You are the only one that can do that for me.”
    When Kevin remained silent, Erica pressed further. “Please, Kevin, I want you to do this. I need you to do this. I need to truly put the past behind me, and I want to enjoy a future with you.”
    Kevin stared into her eyes as if seeking something from her soul. When he responded, it was barely above a whisper. “Baby, most of the time, when one of my kind bites during making love, it is considered a mark of possession. I can’t nor won’t take this lightly, Erica. I am already head over heels in love with you. If I bite you and leave my mark, I’ll not want another male, human or vampire, to ever touch you again. Do you understand? I’ll want you to be mine, now and forever more.”
    He stopped for a minute and brought her up to a sitting position on the blanket. “Before we go any further, I have a question for you. I was going to wait for this, but the time seems right.”
    Feeling a bit self-conscious, sitting on a blanket with absolutely not a stitch of clothing on, Erica hugged her knees up to her chest in an attempt to hide herself somewhat. For some reason he was hesitating, eyes glued to her face, as if trying to read something there. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he gently picked up one of her hands and brought it to his lips for a soft kiss.
    “Erica, I love you. I love you more than I ever thought possible to love someone.” He reached up with his free hand and stroked her cheek, running his thumb over her bottom lip.
    “I love you, too, Kevin,” she responded in little more than a whisper.
    “Marry me,” came a whispered request through her head, and Erica realized he had not moved his lips to speak the request, and instead had done it telepathically.
    Erica’s breath caught in her throat. “You want to marry me?” she verified, hoping her mind wasn’t playing tricks.
    Kevin smiled beautifully. “I want to marry you and spend the rest of your life showing you every day how much I love you. I want to continue showing you that not all men are evil, and that true love is never painful.”
    “Oh, Kevin, you have already proven to me that you are not evil, and I never knew making love could be like this,” Erica replied, as she threw herself into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, and peppering his face with kisses. “I know I probably have a few more things to work through before I completely put myself back together, and if you are willing to be patient with me, then my answer is yes. Yes, I would love to marry you, Kevin O’Rourke.”
    Kevin surprised Erica as he jumped up with her in his arms. “Kevin,” she squealed in surprise. Ignoring the blanket and the food, he took off for the house at vampire speed. Erica found herself attempting to catch her breath as he deposited her on the bed, a mere few seconds later.
    “Don’t move, I’ll be right back,” he stated, as he turned and dashed back out the door. He returned just a few seconds later, finding Erica in the exact same spot he had left her, her backside perched on the bottom edge of the bed. He deposited the picnic basket on the bed next to her. “I thought we might want to use some more of that chocolate,” he stated with a wicked grin, as he leaned down to steal a kiss.
    He clasped her hand and quickly led her around to the side of bed. Sitting down and bringing her down in his lap, he