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

“It’s just…” Should she go ahead and bare her soul to this man standing in front of her? Should she go ahead and tell him she was probably too damaged to ever hope for another relationship? She really had no desire to, for that would surely bring an end to the wonderful fantasy she had been living in.
    Kevin placed his index finger on her lips. “Shh, sweetness, I promise, it is okay. I’ve spent the night in your room before, correct? Is there something about this room that makes you uncomfortable?”
    Erica glanced up into his eyes and gave him a wobbly smile as she shook her head. “No, it’s just me.” Kevin watched her breathe in deeply, and then exhale. “Kevin, I need to tell you something.” No, she didn’t want to bare this part of her soul, but as patient and kind as he had been, he did deserve an explanation.
    Kevin continued to keep her cradled up against him, as he gently guided them over to sit on the end of the bed, keeping a peaceful atmosphere going in an attempt to keep her calm.
    She took a deep fortifying breath before beginning. “I should have brought this up to you long before now. It’s just, it’s a rather uncomfortable subject, and I’m not sure where to begin.” Erica kept her eyes averted from him, while hot tears continued to stream down her cheeks. She swiped the worst away with the back of her hand before continuing.
    “Love, you have nothing to fear from me. Please just talk to me,” Kevin begged her, as he gently lifted her chin and used the pads of his thumbs to brush away a few more tears.
    Erica gave him a faint smile and ran her hand lovingly down the side of his face before beginning. “You have been the most patient and sensitive man I have ever met. But I am well aware that even you have a limit. It’s just…” She paused there and gulped, knowing her face was turning red from embarrassment. “Well, you’ve never pushed the intimacy issue, but I haven’t exactly been upfront with you on everything, either.”
    “Oh God, Erica,” Kevin breathed, knowing what she was getting ready to reveal. “I know Shawn hurt you. I’ve held back in order to give you time to heal.”
    Not realizing Kevin indeed knew more about her past than she had ever shared with him, she continued to try and make him see what was truly at the heart of her fears. “Kevin, I am not talking about the bite marks on my arms. You have no idea what else he…” she trailed off for a long moment, as gut-wrenching sobs suddenly wracked her body. Exactly how do you tell someone you love that you are probably emotionally damaged for life because your ex-husband forced himself and beat you every chance he could?
    “Yes, I do know,” Kevin admitted quietly, as he cuddled her closely to his chest, providing what comfort he could for her.
    A sudden fear rippled through Erica. “What, but how?” she asked incredulously, head shooting up off his chest to give him a glare.
    “Erica, you are aware that as long as I have skin contact with you, I have the ability to read your mind, right?” Kevin inquired gently.
    “Well yes, but wait,” she sputtered. “How long have you been reading my mind? Dear God, have you been reading my mind all along? And why haven’t you told me?” Anger warred with embarrassment as she tried to imagine the depth of privacy that had been invaded. Just the thought of him having access to her thoughts and not informing her of this fact was enough to set off her anger. Just how many wild thoughts of lust had he been able to glean from her over the past several weeks that she had been staying with him?
    Kevin looked down with a bit of an embarrassed look. “I didn’t have a choice in the beginning,” he started. “You certainly were not about to tell me that you had a vampire torturing you.” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “And then when you moved in, and started having nightmares, I would enter your mind to help calm you down. I’ve only done it a few times, Erica, and it has always been to help you. I would never take control of your thought process, or even retrieve your thoughts unless I had good reason to.”
    “You should have told me,” she gritted out between clinched teeth. She had folded her arms over her chest, and it was all Kevin could do to keep a straight face. On top of the fact that the stance she was in brought her breasts up and squeezed them together, he also quickly realized it was the same stance he used when he