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

burning up I want you so much!”
    The tears that she had been carefully holding back fell in torrents. There was no stopping them. “Oh, Kevin, I thought you had changed your mind about me. I love you too, Kevin. I know things have gone slowly, and I’ll be the first to admit I am a mess, but you must be the most patient man on the face of the earth, and I am trying, Kevin, I truly am. Thank you for loving me, thank you for caring for me, and thank you for being patient.”
    Kevin held her in his arms while she cried, soaking the front of his shirt while he crooned in her ear how much he loved her. Finally, when her tears had turned to a few sniffles, he took his index finger to lift her chin. “I was dreading telling you about the trip because we haven’t had much time to be together. The timing sucks on this, of course, but the team needs my animal form for parts of the jungle.” He kept his eyes locked with hers, and kept skin touching skin, allowing him to maintain a forced relaxed atmosphere on her.
    “Tell you what,” he continued in a seductive whisper, bringing his face closer to hers. “Let me get this job wrapped up, and when I return, I’ll have a surprise for you.” He softly kissed her lips, and the low moan that escaped her throat was hard to miss. Much to Erica’s surprise, her body acted on its own accord and glued itself to Kevin’s.
    “My family owns a house at the beach, just outside of San Luis Obispo,” Kevin whispered seductively in her ear. “Pack for about three or four days and be ready to leave immediately upon my return. I promise you, babe, I’ll make up for my absence.”
    He thought about his next move with her. Was it too soon? Would he end up pushing her too far?
    “I want to ask you a question. Will you hear me out completely, before reacting or answering?” he requested, keeping his hand on top of hers in order to maintain access to her thoughts.
    “Okay, I can try,” she answered him honestly.
    “Would you consider staying the night with me in my room?” Kevin quickly raised his hands up in front of him, as soon as he spotted the flash of fear skittering across her face. Not fully understanding where her sudden fear was coming from, he quickly added, “We don’t have to do anything. I just want to cuddle with you. However, I need to be in my room and crank the air conditioning down. I need the coolness to recuperate from any lost strength. I’m not going to be with you for the next five to seven days, I just want us to be together while we can.” He kept a peaceful calmness swirling around her in hopes it would help keep her tranquil.
    He had seen that look of fear return to her eyes the moment he mentioned, “Stay with me in my room.” Had he done enough to reassure her? He hoped so.
    He watched as she drew in a deep breath and then glanced up at him. It was easy to see the idea made her nervous, although it didn’t make any sense to him. He quickly doubled his effort to keep a cerebral calmness going strong in her. “Okay,” she breathed in a trembling whisper, but it was enough for him.
    He dropped a light kiss on her forehead, smiling in triumph that she had agreed. He lightly rubbed her arms for a moment, just allowing her the time to accept her decision. “Go ahead and get ready for bed, I’ll meet you in the bedroom.” He chose his words carefully and with a neutral tone, hoping it would reinforce his desire to see her comfortable. As she stood up, he reached out for her hand as he whispered another reassurance. “Thank you, Erica. You are safe with me, I promise.”
    Erica attempted to give him a weak smile before turning to head for her room. Once in the privacy of her bedroom, she felt her breath hitch as she paced the floor. What in the world was she freaking out about anyway? This was Kevin, gentle, kind, considerate, Kevin. But old fears kept raising their heads. He had waited long enough. Sooner or later he would want to take their relationship to the next level. She was somewhat surprised he hadn’t tried already. And she knew what it would bring when he did. Pain and humiliation, her mind screamed.
    But they had messed around before, and he had been nothing but gentle. He could have hurt her then if he wanted to, but instead he made certain she enjoyed what he was doing to her. Was it possible to have sex with no pain? If it was, she certainly had never experienced it before.
    Her brain immediately went to her wedding night with