Page 124 of Vampire's Choice

Reaching back, he gripped her hand. “It makes sense.”

He turned and brought her to him, resting her against his chest, folding an arm around her and a wing over her. She traced both with her fingertips, her eyes half closing, thinking of what it all meant. They drifted for a while that way, then he spoke against her ear. Reluctantly.

“Marcellus reached out to me earlier, when you were with your father. Lady Kaela has completed her territory business, and the Trad is due to meet us at her home at eleven o’clock tonight. Pacific Time.”

It was too close to dawn to leave. But she remembered how fast Merc could travel. Or they could use the portal Adan had arranged.

“Sleep. When you rise, I’ll get us there in time. You’ll have time to speak to your parents before you leave. Your mother said she was making corned beef hash and biscuits.”

“If she wasn’t making breakfast, would I have time to say good-bye?” she teased him.

“An irrelevant question, since she is.”

“Will you stay with me while I sleep?”

“Is that what you wish?”

Yes. If that is what you wish.

It is. “I’ll get up at dusk to speak to your father, but I’ll stay for now. To ensure you do as you’re told and rest. Fully recuperate.”

She pinched his leg. “Don’t treat me like an egg. What are you going to talk to Da about?”

I’ll treat you as I wish. I’m your Master. You’ve said so.

Don’t let it go to your head. Or I’ll cut it off. You didn’t answer the question.

Manly things. Don’t worry your pretty head about it.

She did her best to find more sensitive appendages to pinch, hard, but he thwarted her, gripping her wrists and holding them across her breasts, his thumbs teasing her nipples. She halfheartedly hissed at him as she enjoyed the sensation. He chuckled at her, but when his grip on her wrists constricted, it was a little harder than expected. I mean it, Ruth. Sleep. Regain your strength.

She obeyed, because she had no real choice. Dawn and the night’s events were pulling her under. His blood and sexual energy reversal had restored her to herself, but only to herself. It hadn’t made her a stronger vampire. Wishful thinking, she guessed.

Your will more than makes up for that. And you don’t need to be stronger. You have me.

She drifted off on that thought. Merc watched—and listened—to her do so. He expected that Mal, as a stronger and older vampire, would be up as soon as dusk arrived. It would give Merc time to have the discussion he wanted to have with him, while not leaving her alone for long.

He'd done a lot of shitty things. Far more awful than risking the life of a female vampire who attracted him. Yet he’d never had the strength of feelings he had for her, and rather than blaming that as the cause of how he was feeling now, all he could think was that he never, ever wanted to feel how he’d felt when he’d regained control of his demon side and seen how close he’d come to taking her life essence.

She might not have died, physically, but he would have left her mind and soul an empty vessel. He’d been sure of it.

The third mark…it was indescribable. He was bound inside her and she was bound inside him. From exploring the shape of it, yes, he had the power to push her out, reject the marks. Close down the gateways she could pass through to reach his body, mind or soul. He couldn’t think of anything he desired less. He felt reunited with parts of himself he’d been away from for so long, they were new and strange. Some of them he wasn’t sure he’d ever met before.

Something to explore, like the third mark between them.

Marcellus had suggested the mark as a way to protect her in her world. Merc would make sure of it. He would be the servant no one in the vampire world would fuck with. Not if they wanted to live.

He stayed in her room as the hours passed, examining the things from her childhood and items collected from her present, filing away questions to ask her about them later. Eventually he lay next to her again and let himself have the pleasure of doing nothing but holding her, of gazing down at her when she shifted and turned, curling herself against him. She had no idea that no woman had ever done that with him. He’d never allowed it. Never wanted to allow it.

Now he considered demanding it from her at every sunset.

When dusk arrived, he rose, he settled her under the covers and left a feather in her hand, curled under her chin. His tough vampire female, who looked like a child when she slept. He’d tease her with that, next time he wanted her in a fighting mood.

As he emerged from below, Elisa was coming through the side kitchen door with a handful of herbs and a smile. “Can I make you some coffee? I’ll have breakfast ready when Ruth rises, but I can get you something now.”

“No, but thank you. I’ve interrupted your gardening.”

“Just gathering some seasonings for the meal.”