Free BloodGifted by Tima Maria Lacoba

jewellery.
    ‘Okay, so what does that mean?’ I asked.
    ‘Were bonded.’
    ‘Excuse me?’ I angled my head to look up at him as he loomed over me. Why did he have to be so tall? He had at least a couple of inches on Matt. At this rate I would need some serious physiotherapy on my neck.
    ‘It only happens when an Ingenii has accepted her guardian.’
    ‘But I never said…’
    ‘There’s no other explanation.’ I must have had a shocked look on my face for he added, ‘Don’t worry it’s not like a marriage but, as long as you’re under my protection, where you go I go and vice versa.’
    ‘You’re not serious!’
    ‘Indeed I am.’ Seeing I was not impressed, he added, ‘I can’t protect you if we’re in separate states or cities and since you’ll be sharing your blood with me, it’s imperative we live close by.’
    Well, I guess that makes sense , I thought. As long as he doesn’t move into my apartment. That’d be fun to explain to Matt!
    ‘All right then,’ I sighed. ‘What happens now?’
    He lifted his hand and traced a trail down the length of my cheek ending at the hollow of my throat. It was so unexpected and sensual my body responded with a deep, and delicious, fluttering in my stomach while the pulse in my throat throbbed almost painfully. His eyes lightened for a fraction of a second and when I saw his head dip and lean in, I took a compulsive step backward. His gaze was on my throat as if deciding which side was the tastier. I had a feeling he was not admiring my lovely new opal pendant.
    ‘Oh, no you don’t Alec Munro,’ I said firmly, and placed my hand on his chest.
    He straightened and a smile lit his eyes. ‘It’s your choice. My place or yours?’
    ‘ Um, yours.’ I didn’t want to risk any of my friends, especially Matt, seeing a strange man entering and leaving my unit on a regular basis.
    ‘Which days do you prefer?’
    ‘How often do you need to see me?’ An image of myself reclining on an old-fashioned chaise lounge, with Alec leaning over me, fangs deep in my throat, sent a shiver through me. The trouble was, I couldn’t tell whether the shiver came from fear or… something else I wasn’t willing to admit to.
    ‘Every third day is sufficient, ’ he replied.
    ‘Don’t you need to— um, eat or feed every day?’
    ‘No, your blood is very rich.’
    Oh lovely . ‘Mondays and Thursdays I suppose. Weekends I’m with my boyfriend, Matt.’
    ‘I see.’ He pulled out a business card from his trouser pocket and handed it to me. ‘My apartment is walking distance from here. I’ll send a car for you.’
    ‘No, thanks. I’ve got my own car, ’ I said.
    ‘N ot a good idea. The first few times I feed from you, you’ll experience a slight weakness till your body begins to compensate for the blood loss. You could pass out at the wheel. Either I drive you, or you stay the night.’ A wicked glint lit his eyes.
    Was he serious? As far as I was concerned this was going to be a stri ctly platonic relationship. ‘I doubt my boyfriend will like that.’
    He gave me an enigmatic smile. It was infuriating, as if he knew somethin g I didn’t.
    ‘You know what , for all I know this could be a con. How do I know you are what you really say you are?’ Yet as I said it, I knew it to be wrong. My aunt hadn’t been fooled these last fifty years and the bite marks on her wrist were real. Besides which all my instincts told me that what he had revealed tonight was the truth. But there, I’d said it. I just challenged him.
    A crease appeared between his brows. ‘You do like to live dangerously, don’t you?’ Something about his eyes changed, just for a split second.
    I blinked. I’m sure it wasn’t my imagination as I don’t have one that good. ‘Your eyes changed.’
    ‘Did it frighten you?’
    ‘Not really.’
    ‘That’s interesting.’ He cocked his head to one side as he regarded me.
    ‘So what does a vampire look like?’ I ventured to ask. By now my