stop,” she said with a half-hearted sigh.
“You want it. Just let yourself feel.”
The words so similar to her dream seemed to smack her across the face. Anna scrambled out of his lap. “I can’t do this with you.”
“Why the hell not? You know I’m not going to hurt you.”
She hoped he wouldn’t hurt her. A part of her believed he wouldn’t. He’d gone to a lot of trouble so far to keep her alive. But there were no guarantees. She might not be a religious person, but that didn’t mean years of childhood indoctrination hadn’t made their mark. Demon equaled bad. She was fairly certain even nonspiritual people could agree on that point.
“It’s not just that,” she hedged.
“Then what is it?”
“I don’t do casual sex, okay? I can’t sleep with someone I don’t love. I’m not wired that way. I know you probably think that’s foolish and naïve and old-fashioned, that I’m some kind of prude . . . ”
He laughed, interrupting her speech. “I don’t think you’re a prude.”
The soft way he was looking at her almost had her running back into his arms, but the consequences of a little pleasure with him were too serious.
“I can’t get involved with you because I wouldn’t be able to share you. You have to feed every day, but you couldn’t feed from me every day. That equals sharing, and I can’t do that.”
He sighed. “As much as I can appreciate your feelings on this matter, my ability to behave in a somewhat civilized manner hinges on my getting fed regularly. If I don’t feed I could lose control later. I don’t want to do that. Cain means it. He won’t come back until I’ve fed.”
“He wants you to use the mind powers on me,” she said, realization dawning.
“Yes. It would appear I’ve been in the presence of humans too long. According to him, I’m too empathetic now. He wants me to be the demon he knew before all this.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re different. I can’t just seduce you the way I can others without the mind tricks. You’re stubborn and not exactly what one would call a slut. He knows you wouldn’t give in before I lost control and enthralled you. And by that time I wouldn’t be able to stop.”
She felt trapped and resentful for the trapping. One way or the other it seemed some demon would have her. She thought about staying in her father’s big empty house for awhile, but she was afraid Cain would find her and that the bond might not be strong enough to stop him. Besides, the scar would scream at her and never let her sleep if she and Luc weren’t under the same roof.
“Luc, I can’t let you . . . ”
His eyes were pleading. “Please don’t do this, Anna. I really don’t want to hurt you. Just give in.”
The next words left her mouth before she could stop them. “I’ll bring your meals until Cain comes back.”
Now she knew how to shut Luc up. Just say something completely ridiculous. He didn’t speak for a full minute, making her offer sound more insane and just plain sinister the longer it sat there without a response.
“I’m sorry, what? I must not have heard you right.”
“I said I’ll bring you women.” That really did sound bad when she said it out loud . . . yet again.
“Why?” He hadn’t moved from the chair since Anna had jumped off his lap.
She paced. Now that she’d said it––twice––it sounded even worse. “Well, what are my options here? You’ve tied me to you. I could try to get it undone, but then I’m bait for Cain and his groupies of doom. I could just stay away from you, but we both know Cain will return, and he’ll bring me right back because you’re feeling all possessive. Especially if you’re starved by then. Even if I wanted to, I can’t sleep with you because I told you I can’t share. It would hurt too much.”
“You could just burn the house down.”
Anna gave him a withering look. “And then you’re free to feed anyway. At least this way I know you aren’t killing
“You want it. Just let yourself feel.”
The words so similar to her dream seemed to smack her across the face. Anna scrambled out of his lap. “I can’t do this with you.”
“Why the hell not? You know I’m not going to hurt you.”
She hoped he wouldn’t hurt her. A part of her believed he wouldn’t. He’d gone to a lot of trouble so far to keep her alive. But there were no guarantees. She might not be a religious person, but that didn’t mean years of childhood indoctrination hadn’t made their mark. Demon equaled bad. She was fairly certain even nonspiritual people could agree on that point.
“It’s not just that,” she hedged.
“Then what is it?”
“I don’t do casual sex, okay? I can’t sleep with someone I don’t love. I’m not wired that way. I know you probably think that’s foolish and naïve and old-fashioned, that I’m some kind of prude . . . ”
He laughed, interrupting her speech. “I don’t think you’re a prude.”
The soft way he was looking at her almost had her running back into his arms, but the consequences of a little pleasure with him were too serious.
“I can’t get involved with you because I wouldn’t be able to share you. You have to feed every day, but you couldn’t feed from me every day. That equals sharing, and I can’t do that.”
He sighed. “As much as I can appreciate your feelings on this matter, my ability to behave in a somewhat civilized manner hinges on my getting fed regularly. If I don’t feed I could lose control later. I don’t want to do that. Cain means it. He won’t come back until I’ve fed.”
“He wants you to use the mind powers on me,” she said, realization dawning.
“Yes. It would appear I’ve been in the presence of humans too long. According to him, I’m too empathetic now. He wants me to be the demon he knew before all this.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re different. I can’t just seduce you the way I can others without the mind tricks. You’re stubborn and not exactly what one would call a slut. He knows you wouldn’t give in before I lost control and enthralled you. And by that time I wouldn’t be able to stop.”
She felt trapped and resentful for the trapping. One way or the other it seemed some demon would have her. She thought about staying in her father’s big empty house for awhile, but she was afraid Cain would find her and that the bond might not be strong enough to stop him. Besides, the scar would scream at her and never let her sleep if she and Luc weren’t under the same roof.
“Luc, I can’t let you . . . ”
His eyes were pleading. “Please don’t do this, Anna. I really don’t want to hurt you. Just give in.”
The next words left her mouth before she could stop them. “I’ll bring your meals until Cain comes back.”
Now she knew how to shut Luc up. Just say something completely ridiculous. He didn’t speak for a full minute, making her offer sound more insane and just plain sinister the longer it sat there without a response.
“I’m sorry, what? I must not have heard you right.”
“I said I’ll bring you women.” That really did sound bad when she said it out loud . . . yet again.
“Why?” He hadn’t moved from the chair since Anna had jumped off his lap.
She paced. Now that she’d said it––twice––it sounded even worse. “Well, what are my options here? You’ve tied me to you. I could try to get it undone, but then I’m bait for Cain and his groupies of doom. I could just stay away from you, but we both know Cain will return, and he’ll bring me right back because you’re feeling all possessive. Especially if you’re starved by then. Even if I wanted to, I can’t sleep with you because I told you I can’t share. It would hurt too much.”
“You could just burn the house down.”
Anna gave him a withering look. “And then you’re free to feed anyway. At least this way I know you aren’t killing
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