and still she could not resist him. Shouldn't that tell her something?
"I forgive you. But Adrian, I don't know if I…."
He placed two fingers on her lips. "Hush. Don't ever worry I will hurt you. I care too deeply for you to let that happen."
"But you lost control, you as much as admitted it." Fear taunted her again.
"No. Never to the point I would harm you. Besides, if I wanted to take you by force, I would have done so by now."
She pondered the truth in his words. Still… "How can I know that? When you get angry…"
"Never angry. Frustrated perhaps, but not angry." The corners of his mouth lifted in a small rueful smile. "I show my emotions differently than you do. But I control my nature, it does not control me."
"I want to believe you, but I'm…afraid."
He drew her near and held her for several moments. "Let me show you. Put your trust in me. I want to make love to you, Kat. But I will stop if you tell me." He set her slightly away. His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb gently caressing her lower lip.
She pursed her mouth. If she wasn't so hungry for him, she might walk away. But she wanted him, with a startling fierceness. She'd imagined this moment for so long, and even if nothing ever came of it but this night, she would be a fool to let the chance slip away. She didn't want to resist him, or this all-consuming need to be with him.
His lips replaced his hand and she was lost in the whirlwind of desire that he stirred. Forgotten was her fear of moments ago. His kisses were gentle, coaxing, and when his tongue played upon her lips, she opened for him. Her knees buckled at the intimate caress, and his arms tightened, pressing her tightly against him.
When he drew away, they were both breathless. Adrian stared into her eyes, darkened by passion to the ebony of the night sky. This hunger he felt was unlike anything else he had ever known. He wanted her with a fierceness which threatened to consume him if he didn't give in to it. But it wasn't her blood, her life, he wanted. It was her body and her soul. And her heart. He drew his thumb across her lower lip. She trembled in his embrace. Knowing she was just as helpless against this consuming desire stoked his flames higher and higher. He had to have her, as if she were the very blood that gave him life.
He kissed her again, and she sighed and pressed against him. His fingers trailed along her neck, pausing ever so slightly at the pulse at the base. She jerked slightly away, but he held her still, soothing her wariness with soft kisses and caresses, until she was once more pliant in his arms. When his lips reached the spot where his hand lingered, she stiffened again.
"Adrian, stop."
He broke away and stepped back. She was magnificent, her dark hair hanging around her shoulders in wild disarray, her eyes filled with longing and passion, her lips swollen from his kisses. His groin tightened further, and he knew he could not wait much longer. But he had given his word.
"Do not be afraid."
"I…can't help it. I don't want you to…"
He shook his head. "I only want to make love to you. Nothing more."
He remained motionless, holding her gaze, sensing the moment her fear dissipated. But he held back, unwilling to frighten her again. Katerina wondered what he thought as he watched her. He said he wouldn't bite her, and she believed him. The longer he remained still, she began to wonder if he'd changed his mind. Didn't he want her as strongly as she wanted him? Why didn't he say something, anything? All she wanted was reassurance he found her attractive. She wanted him to take her back to his bed and love her until sunrise.
"As you wish."
"Stop doing that," she scolded, annoyed he had once more intruded on her thoughts.
"I'm sorry, old habits. Forgive me?"
He seemed to be asking her forgiveness a lot this evening. In return for his passion, she would forgive him
"I forgive you. But Adrian, I don't know if I…."
He placed two fingers on her lips. "Hush. Don't ever worry I will hurt you. I care too deeply for you to let that happen."
"But you lost control, you as much as admitted it." Fear taunted her again.
"No. Never to the point I would harm you. Besides, if I wanted to take you by force, I would have done so by now."
She pondered the truth in his words. Still… "How can I know that? When you get angry…"
"Never angry. Frustrated perhaps, but not angry." The corners of his mouth lifted in a small rueful smile. "I show my emotions differently than you do. But I control my nature, it does not control me."
"I want to believe you, but I'm…afraid."
He drew her near and held her for several moments. "Let me show you. Put your trust in me. I want to make love to you, Kat. But I will stop if you tell me." He set her slightly away. His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb gently caressing her lower lip.
She pursed her mouth. If she wasn't so hungry for him, she might walk away. But she wanted him, with a startling fierceness. She'd imagined this moment for so long, and even if nothing ever came of it but this night, she would be a fool to let the chance slip away. She didn't want to resist him, or this all-consuming need to be with him.
His lips replaced his hand and she was lost in the whirlwind of desire that he stirred. Forgotten was her fear of moments ago. His kisses were gentle, coaxing, and when his tongue played upon her lips, she opened for him. Her knees buckled at the intimate caress, and his arms tightened, pressing her tightly against him.
When he drew away, they were both breathless. Adrian stared into her eyes, darkened by passion to the ebony of the night sky. This hunger he felt was unlike anything else he had ever known. He wanted her with a fierceness which threatened to consume him if he didn't give in to it. But it wasn't her blood, her life, he wanted. It was her body and her soul. And her heart. He drew his thumb across her lower lip. She trembled in his embrace. Knowing she was just as helpless against this consuming desire stoked his flames higher and higher. He had to have her, as if she were the very blood that gave him life.
He kissed her again, and she sighed and pressed against him. His fingers trailed along her neck, pausing ever so slightly at the pulse at the base. She jerked slightly away, but he held her still, soothing her wariness with soft kisses and caresses, until she was once more pliant in his arms. When his lips reached the spot where his hand lingered, she stiffened again.
"Adrian, stop."
He broke away and stepped back. She was magnificent, her dark hair hanging around her shoulders in wild disarray, her eyes filled with longing and passion, her lips swollen from his kisses. His groin tightened further, and he knew he could not wait much longer. But he had given his word.
"Do not be afraid."
"I…can't help it. I don't want you to…"
He shook his head. "I only want to make love to you. Nothing more."
He remained motionless, holding her gaze, sensing the moment her fear dissipated. But he held back, unwilling to frighten her again. Katerina wondered what he thought as he watched her. He said he wouldn't bite her, and she believed him. The longer he remained still, she began to wonder if he'd changed his mind. Didn't he want her as strongly as she wanted him? Why didn't he say something, anything? All she wanted was reassurance he found her attractive. She wanted him to take her back to his bed and love her until sunrise.
"As you wish."
"Stop doing that," she scolded, annoyed he had once more intruded on her thoughts.
"I'm sorry, old habits. Forgive me?"
He seemed to be asking her forgiveness a lot this evening. In return for his passion, she would forgive him
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