Free In Blood and Worth Loving by Marilyn Lee Page B

morning. She smiled and reached out to rub her palm over the tent in his briefs. “This feels almost like a dream.”
     
    “I thought the same thing.”
     
    “You did? When?”
     
    “Last night while I watched you sleep.”
     
    “You watched me sleep?”
     
    “Yes.”
     
    She smiled. “Did you like what you saw, Adrian ?”
     
    “Apparently so or I wouldn’t still be here.”
     
    She slipped her hand in his briefs to palm him. “I’m glad you’re still here.”
     
    He removed her hand from his briefs.
     
    “Don’t you like being touched?”
     
    “It depends on who’s doing the touching, but I think you can safely assume I like your touch, honey.”
     
    Her smile widened.   “Then what’s the problem?”
     
    “Who says there’s a problem?” He lifted her off her stool and swept her up into his arms.
     
    She linked her arms around his neck. “You’d better be careful, Adrian ,” she warned.
     
    “Of what?”
     
    She stroked her fingers through the dark hair at his nape. “A full-figured woman can easily get used to a male who can not only pick her up, but effortlessly carry her up an entire flight of stairs and still have the energy to love her until she can’t stop coming once he gets her in bed.”
     
    A slow smile spread across his handsome face, quickly followed by warm, deep laughter. When he sobered he met her gaze. “Why are you staring at me?”
     
    She caressed his cheek. “You must know you’re a handsome male.”
     
    He shrugged.  
     
    “Actually, you’re more drop-dead gorgeous than handsome.”
     
    “I’m glad you think so.”
     
    “Have you ever met a woman who didn’t?”
     
    He shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about other women. For me tonight, there are no other women. There’s just you, sweet, sexy Brandi.”
     
    She wondered what her chances were of getting him to want more than a weekend with her. “You’re smooth as well as handsome.”
     
    “And you are sultry, sweet, and irresistible.”
     
    There was that delicious word again. Irresistible. She caressed his neck.
     
    He smiled.
     
    She trailed her fingers over his lips. “When you smile and laugh…”
     
    “When I smile and laugh—what?”
     
    “You take my breath away.”
     
    “You do that for me as well.”
     
    The admission pleased her and gave her the courage to go on. “And you make me wonder and hope.”
     
    “Wonder and hope what?”
     
    She shrugged. “For…more.”
     
    He tensed. “For more than what?”
     
    “I can’t help wondering what it would be like to have more than just this weekend with you, Adrian. I want to be your woman. Your only woman.”
     
    “My only woman?” His smile vanished.
     
    She frowned. Why had his voice cooled? “Rayna said you were ready to settle down.”
     
    “And you think I…Don’t, Brandi.”
     
    “Don’t what?”
     
    He shook his head and looked away.
     
    She pressed her hand against his cheek and turned his head so she could look in his eyes. “Don’t what, Adrian ?”
     
    “Don’t ruin what’s left of the weekend by trying to change the rules mid stream.”
     
    “What rules?”
     
    “The ones we both agreed to—a single weekend of sex.”
     
    She stared at him, shaking her head. “Is that really all you want from me, Adrian?”
     
    He placed her on her feet. “Yes. That’s all I want from you, Brandi.”
     
    Recalling his tenderness, she placed her hands on his chest. “I don’t believe that.”
     
    “Believe it. I want a single weekend of sex. I won’t deny that sex with you is superb, but I’m not aware of having said or done anything to make you think I wanted more.”
     
    She allowed her hands to drop to her sides. When would she learn that sweet talk meant nothing to most men? It probably meant even less to a vampire. She nodded. “Fine. I won’t forget all you want is weekend sex.”
     
    She waited—hoping he’d say something to give her hope.
     
    His silence gave