"Wrap your legs around my waist tightly," he commanded quietly against the side of her head. "You do not want her to see you."
No matter how much Eva wanted to ask who 'she' was, she relented and obeyed. Curling her left leg around his waist, she gripped the front of his shirt, suspecting that he didn't want to be seen by 'her', either. "If you try anything…" she warned, still mad at him for leaving her alone without any notice.
His head dipped, and Eva sucked in a startled breath as she felt his lips curve into a smile against her cheek. They were as warm as the rest of him. "You'll do what?" he whispered. "Try to kick me again?"
"Yes."
"Even though you know you wouldn't be fast enough to deliver a blow."
Her grip on his shirt tightened. "Yes."
He chuckled softly, and Eva felt it from her hips to her chest. "Shh."
Had he just shushed her? Eva's entire body went as tight as a bowstring. The bridge of his nose skated over the curve of her cheek, and she went taut for an entirely different reason. His lips were near hers, brushing just the corner of her mouth. A riot of sensations rocketed through her body, a wild mix of disbelief, anger, and something like the anticipation she had felt the last time he had touched her so closely.
He is dangerous, her subconscious warned. He was a predator, no matter how beautiful or benevolent he was.
"Kiss me," he ordered and Eva managed to prevent her jaw from falling slack.
What the—? Her temper flared. She hated being told what to do. Maybe that was what provoked her and made her want to kiss him. A kiss that he would never forget for the rest of his life. Fine, she would give it to him then.
So Eva kissed him.
The contact of her mouth against his caused her stomach to pitch like it did when she came close to falling down. His lips were warm, but they were somehow soft yet firm, a strangely enticing comparison as they moved against hers. It was the only thing about him that moved. His mouth.
Unlike the previous time, the hand on her left thigh and the one on her hip remained still. He was motionless, and Eva didn't know what suddenly came over her. It could've been her impulsivity or it could've been her irritation over being in this situation. It could've been how still he was. It could be because he had left her all alone these past few days, not even bothering to show his face to her. Whether these reasons were right or wrong, Eva realized she didn't care.
Remembering what he had done last time, she caught his lower lip between her teeth and bit down. Not hard enough to draw blood, but his entire body jerked, and then he wasn't still any longer.
Theo pushed in as his head tilted, deepening the kiss. Nothing about his mouth was soft then. He parted her lips with a fierce stroke of his tongue, and a tight shudder rolled through her at the sharp graze against her lower lip.
His teeth.
Fangs.
Fear lit her veins because she knew how sharp they were. Eva knew what a vampire could do with them. But something else entered her blood, a wicked and decadent, heady thrill as she flicked her tongue over his and sighed. He tasted of something smoky and forbidden—like whiskey. A sound came from him, deep within his throat, and it sent her heart pounding furiously against her chest.
The hand on her thigh curled, his fingers pressing into her soft skin, becoming an icy brand that somehow scorched her flesh. A wild shiver shimmered through her as his hand left her hip and worked its way between the wall and the back of her head.
His fingers curled into her hair, weaving through the silver locks with ease. She knew her hair would look like a bird's neck after, but Eva really didn't care as he drew her head back, as he…kissed her like he wouldn't allow a single part of her mouth to go unexplored. As if he'd been waiting for ages to do this. As if he never wanted to untangle her lips from his.
Would all his kisses be just as intoxicating as this one? That faint smidgen of common sense told her she should be worried. Why was he kissing her? Why the hell had she kissed him? She should care, but instead, Eva kissed him even harder because she refused to let that damn insecurity overcome her. She let herself exist in the moment.
Her hands slid up his chest, brushing past his neck as she buried them in his hair and scratched her nails against his neck to earn a low growl out of him. Her back instantly arched at the sound, tipping her hips against his lower stomach and that's when he froze and she froze instantly after.
Eva opened her eyes to see that he had closed his eyes shut and was looking down as if in pain. Her body wriggled in his grip and that's when she felt something hard brush against her hips. Her lips parted open in realization and shock.
Then his mouth was gone. His forehead rested against hers, and for a handful of seconds, there was nothing but silence between them. Nothing but her pounding heart and his shallow breaths as his hand slid back to her hip. Another moment passed, and then he slowly lowered her to her feet. Eva forced her fingers to open, to let go of his hair. Her hands fell to his chest once more and remained there.
"You," he murmured, his voice sultry and thick. "You learn fast."
Still breathless, Eva managed to shrug a shoulder in response and looked up at him, straight into his eyes.
"Why did you kiss me?"
"I felt like doing so."
"Don't lie to me." Eva's voice remained firm and she was surprised she didn't stumble over the words like she always did. It only boosted her confidence to ask further questions.
"You don't think I want to kiss you?" he asked, leaning in until his now cool breath touched her lips and she resisted the urge to sigh and give in.
"I think you have an alternate motive behind it," she spoke in a breathless whisper and shivered as his fingers trailed down her cheek to settle on her neck.
"Our scents are mixed. The visitors won't be able to sense you or find you. You now know my secondary motive."
So he had pretended to enjoy himself? Kissing her? Eva's eyes narrowed as she shoved him away.
Theo stepped back, chuckling softly as he ran a hand over his head, dragging his hair back from his face.
Eva stepped away from the wall, turning her attention to the darkened pathway, but she saw was unable to see anything. The high walls were blocking almost all the sunlight from entering. She lifted a finger to her swollen lips, then withdrew it and looked down to see a spot of red on the tip of her finger. He'd…
He'd drawn blood.
Her head snapped up. "You—"