Vail could feel Victoria’s muscles tense as he traced his hand across her soft skin. He enjoyed the subtle motion though. The unfamiliarity in her reaction just reminded him that she wasn’t used to being touched in such a way and that he was the only one who’d had her in an intimate setting such as this. He liked having her all to himself, to hold and caress as he pleased and to bite when he so chose. Right now, every part of her was his, and the progress of the night was at his leisure. He would take his time, desiring to make the most of their meeting since it was unclear when he would be able to see her again.

As Lady Crest rested her arm against his waist, Vail leaned into her even more, hovering close to her neck to take in her aroused pheromones like a drug. It was strange, but he was beginning to feel unsure whether he liked the feeding or the prelude better. Her blood satisfied his thirst, but her touch toyed with a different kind of lust he’d never felt for a human before. Everything about her was intoxicating. As he caressed her lithe body, he offhandedly wondered what Peter would say if he discovered the real content of his meetings with the Crest Heiress. He knew his father would just think him reckless for getting so close to a human. The head of the family could never find out how deep his attraction to her truly ran.

Hearing Victoria challenge him to speak his mind once again, a smile played on Lord Hygrace’s lips. He should have learned to expect her boldness by now, but she still managed to surprise him whenever she asked such questions to see into his thoughts. “I do,” he admitted honestly, turning his head slightly to see her face. As he spoke, he trailed his fingers up to her supple chest, where he could feel the heat of her blood beneath her snow white skin. The warmth was enticing to him.

Shifting on the bed, he leaned down to run his tongue over the left side of her bust. Though he was priming her skin to feed, he took his time even with this. Everything he did with her was thrilling, so he intended to enjoy every second of it without rushing.

Victoria hadn’t flinched much the last two times he had bitten her, so this time Vail didn’t bother restraining her arms when he finally sank his fangs into her flesh, drawing a flow from the inner edge of her bosom. A shiver ran through his body as he drank her sweet blood with the fervor of an addict, and he held her tightly by the hips. There was something exhilarating about preying on her in this intimate setting. He preferred it to the usual way he satisfied his thirst: forceful and quick.

He swept his tongue across the fresh punctures in her skin until the trickle slowed, and he’d had his fill. When the feed was over, he pulled away from her to sit upright on the bed, exhaling contentedly. Despite the risks they were facing by continuing to meet, he was always reminded of why he believed it was worth the danger every time he tasted her blood again. He was even beginning to find the idea of returning to other victims after her death displeasing. It was a pity that her mortal life was destined to end someday.