I just sank to my knees before her and put my hands around hers. She didn’t move. “If I could take it all back, I would. I have never ever felt like I do about you for anyone else before. When I was alive or now I’m dead. You’re special and I—”

“Don’t say it,” she said, fear widening her eyes. “Please don’t say it because every man who’s ever said that has died. Every man I’ve ever loved has been killed by that maniac. Don’t you ever say it.” Her hand snaked from under mine and rested on my face, her thumb gently stroking my cheek.

“I won’t say it then, aloud at least, but I do, Janine. I really do.”

I promise you I don’t often watch those sloppy romances, where everything happens in slow mo and there’s kissing and sighing to be done. But the next moment that Janine and I shared was just like one of those scenes. Our mouths edged ever closer, our gazes were fixed on each other and it felt like forever before our lips actually touched. I read so much on her face as we moved nearer, more than I’d ever thought I’d know. I was amazed at the frank emotions written in her eyes and the intensity of the kiss when our lips finally met. It really blew me away.

Lust exploded in my stomach as it did every time she touched me, but the throbbing of my heart seemed to drown out the animal need of my body. I wanted to fuck her, yes, I’m a man, but something made me hold back.

“Janine,” I gasped, “I think I’d better go now. I don’t want to sully what’s just happened with just sex… I know your view of sex is a bit skewed, like mine I guess. We vamps use it as a pre-dinner aperitif. I don’t want sex with you to be about anything but love and desire. I don’t want you to ever doubt my motives again.”

“Kyle, I really appreciate the gesture and you’re the first man to be so gentlemanly with me in a very, very, very long time, but I need you. I need you to make love to me like you did back at the club. I want to feel real pleasure in the arms of another. I want to know I’m not alone, that someone lov…” She hesitated, then changed her vocabulary. “Cares for me.”

“Well, who am I to question the desires of a beautiful lady?” I purred with a gentle smile on my lips.

“You really believe I’m beautiful, don’t you?”

“Of course. You really are.”

The kiss that followed was passionate, raw and intense. We kissed as our clothes fell away. Yes, hands moved the material, but I don’t really remember anything about that. I just remember that kiss and then our naked bodies being pressed together as she lay on her sofa.