“Omigod,” I said through clenched teeth. My fingers were digging hard into the muscles of his arms. “Yes, again!” He was as deep inside me as he could get without an operation, and he glowed above me, his white skin shining in the darkness of the room. He said something in a language I didn’t recognize; after a long moment, he repeated it. And then he began to move quicker and quicker until I thought I would be pounded into pieces, but I kept up. I kept up, until I saw his fangs glisten as he bent over me. When he bit my shoulder, I left my body for a minute. I’d never felt anything so good. I didn’t have enough breath to scream or even speak. My arms were around Eric’s back, and I felt him shudder all over as he had his own good minute.

I was so shaken I couldn’t have talked if my life had depended on it. We lay in silence, exhausted. I didn’t mind his weight on me. I felt safe.

He licked the bite mark in a lazy way, and I smiled into the darkness. I stroked his back as if I were soothing an animal. I felt better than I’d felt in months. It had been a while since I’d had sex, and this was like . . . gourmet sex. Even now I felt little jolts of pleasure ripple out from the epicenter of the orgasm.

“Will this change the blood bond?” I asked. I was careful not to sound like I was accusing him of something. But of course, I was.

“Felipe wanted you. The stronger our bond, the less chance there is he can maneuver you away.”

I flinched. “I can’t do that.”

“You won’t need to,” Eric said, his voice flowing over me like a feather quilt. “We are pledged with the knife. We are bonded. He can’t take you from me.”

I could only be grateful I didn’t have to go to Las Vegas. I didn’t want to leave home. I couldn’t imagine how it would feel to be surrounded by so much greed; well, yes, I could. It would be awful. Eric’s big, cool hand cupped my breast, and he stroked with his long thumb.

“Bite me,” Eric said, and he meant it literally.

“Why? You said you already gave me some.”

“Because it makes me feel good,” he said, and moved on top of me again. “Just . . . for that.”

“You can’t be . . .” But he was ready again.

“Would you like to be on top?” Eric asked.