Free A Night at Tears of Crimson by Michelle Hughes

"Please," she whispered in anguish. She wasn't even sure what she asking at that moment. Please don't leave me, or maybe please forgive me, or the real need she wanted to express, please love me.
    Her thoughts humbled him more than he could ever recall anything doing before. He pulled back slightly and looked down into tear-filled eyes and knew that she would be his. How could he hurt this lovely creature before him? She deserved so much more than the existence he would offer her, but he wasn't unselfish enough to allow her to walk away. What he could offer though, was more patience than he had showed this evening, he was determined to make this wonderful for her. “You are exhausted and it’s close to dawn,” he smiled warmly needing her to understand he wasn't abandoning her, “Sunday night?”
    Two nights away, she thought to herself, and another chance. She couldn't believe he was wasn't walking away. She nodded and smiled back at him self-consciously.
    He cupped her face in his hands and drew her eyes to his. "You did nothing wrong, little one," he wasn't going to allow her to think he was giving her anything. She was the one that gifted him with her presence and he wanted her to have no second thoughts.
    Nibbling on her lower lip, she couldn't accept his theory. Had it been any other woman tonight, she had little doubt where the night would have ended.
    He longed to tell her there was no other woman he wanted, but that would reveal more secrets than he had time to explain before sunrise. Shaking his head he lowered his lips and placed a quick kiss to her forehead before stepping back.
    She pulled a strand of her long hair behind her ear as his hands fell away, not sure what to do with her hands since they wanted to hold on to him. As much as she hated ending tonight this way, her body was tired and she had to fight back a yawn. Between the long night at the club and all the excitement with him she was emotionally and physically drained.
    He chuckled softly as she fought against her own sleepiness. "Let's get you home so you can rest, little one. He led her back to the car in silence, the moonlight lighting their path. Helping her into the car, he noticed her struggling to keep her eyes opened and smiled in the darkness as he drove. He didn't deserve her, he couldn't stop thinking as she finally succumbed to sleep, but there was nothing that was going to keep them apart. Selfish or not, she was his.
    Pulling up the car in front of her apartments, he allowed himself to watch her resting for a few minutes. She looked so innocent as she slept, and he couldn't help but feel like a monster for wanting her this way. He wasn't strong enough to let her go, so all he could do was make sure that he showed her more pleasure than her heart could withstand. His decision made, he got out and moved over to her side of the car opening the door. Lifting her sleeping form into his arms he carried her silently upstairs to her room. Balancing her, he managed to pull the keys off the small chain on her belt and open the door without waking her.
    Feeling her start to wake he sent the suggestion into her mind to sleep. Finding her bed easily, he laid her down and slowly slid off her shoes. He considered removing her uniform, but the thought of seeing her lovely flesh bared before his eyes would make leaving her almost impossible. Pulling a blanket from the foot of the bed he covered her, then placed a small kiss on her cheek before leaving.
    As he made it back to his car he realized there was only an hour before sunrise. The desire to feed was undeniable any longer and he made his way to his favorite hunting ground. The little club he sought out had a dark history in the city and the people that visited during the off season were usually those that enjoyed pain. It took only moments of waiting before a spiked hair younger woman walked out on her own and he quickly took over her mind and pulled her into the alley beside the bar.
    As her neck