Free Reluctant Partnerships by Ariel Tachna Page B

chuckle, “since you’re both here talking with me right now. So can we raise it to the level of rape, or do we have to stop at assault?”
    “More importantly, is the sentence that might be a deterrent for a mortal sufficient deterrent for a vampire?” Jean asked. “Five years, ten years, even twenty years, is nothing to a vampire compared to that same time for a mortal.”
    “Twenty years for one turning seems reasonable,” Denis said. “I’m not a legal expert, so I don’t know what the comparable crime would be, but because we’re dealing with vampires, each additional non-consensual turning would be an additional twenty years. Sequential sentences instead of concurrent.”
    “I don’t know what the equivalent crime would be either,” Raymond said, “but we can find out. It looks like we’ll be taking another trip to Paris. You’re welcome to come if you’d like, Denis, although the legislators we work with have gotten used to Jean being able to go about in daylight. We could see about setting up an evening meeting if you want to attend.”
    “I don’t need to meet with the legislators,” Denis said, “and indeed since the criminal is most likely from my Cour, if he belongs to any Cour, I think it would serve us all best if I have a word with them instead of going to Paris.”
    “I’ll take you home, then,” Raymond said, setting aside his cognac. “Let us know if you learn anything useful, of course, and we’ll keep you updated on any progress with the legislative agenda.”
    Raymond and Denis disappeared with a wave of Raymond’s wand. Jean took another sip of his cognac and waited for his lover to return.

Chapter 5
     
     
    I N A matter of minutes, Raymond reappeared in the sitting room.
    “So it isn’t the worst thing in the world to be bitten by a vampire?” Jean drawled, stalking across the room to his lover’s side.
    “No, it isn’t,” Raymond replied, hiding his smile. He had deliberately kept his words neutral in talking to Pascale earlier, not wanting to scare her with the possibility of a commitment she would have no way to process. There would be time to broach the subject of l’Institut and partnerships later, when she had recovered from her turning. “In fact, it might even be slightly more than tolerable.”
    “Tolera—” Jean’s control snapped, his hands tugging at Raymond’s clothes. A whispered spell sent them to the floor, leaving Raymond gloriously naked and, Jean noticed, fully aroused. As always since their Aveu de Sang, their bodies were totally in sync. “In the bedroom. Now.”
    Raymond considered casting another spell to move into the bedroom, but that would deny him the ability to tempt Jean even more as he walked naked across the room. He doubted the fang marks Jean had left on his backside while they were in Paris Sunday night were still visible, but their absence would drive Jean nearly as wild as their presence, his lover’s need to stake a claim almost as overwhelming as Raymond’s desire to be covered in the proof of Jean’s devotion. Raymond reached the bedroom door, looking back over his shoulder. “Are you going to stand there all night, or are you going to join me?”
    In less than the blink of an eye, Jean reached Raymond’s side, crowding him through the door and onto the bed. His fangs dropped as he tore off his own clothing, needing blood—Raymond’s blood—now. The moment he was naked, he pounced, bearing Raymond back onto the bed and sheathing his fangs in his lover’s willing flesh. It did not matter where he bit, though they both had their favorite spots. For now he would settle for the taste of Raymond’s blood augmenting the passion he could already feel through their bond.
    Raymond’s hands burrowed into Jean’s shoulder-length hair, stroking his scalp as he sucked on the patch of skin right above Raymond’s navel. “Feels so good,” Raymond whispered. They did not need the words, but Raymond gave them to his vampire