He reached out and pulled me to him, one hand on my waist and the other behind my neck. He tipped my head up and lowered his lips to mine. I closed my eyes and melted as my whole body was consumed in that kiss. I was nothing. I was everything. Chills ran over my skin, and fire burned inside me. His body pressed closer to mine, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. His lips were warmer and softer than anything I could have ever imagined, yet fierce and powerful at the same time. Mine responded hungrily, and I tightened my hold on him. His fingers slid down the back of my neck, tracing its shape, and every place they touched was electric.

But perhaps the best part of all was that I, Sydney Katherine Sage, guilty of constantly analyzing the world around me, well, I stopped thinking.

And it was glorious.

At least, it was until I started thinking again.

My mind and all its worries and considerations suddenly took over. I pulled away from Adrian, despite my body’s protests. I backed up from him, knowing my eyes were terrified and wide. “What… what are you doing?”

“I don’t know,” he said with a grin. He took a step toward me. “But I’m pretty sure you were doing it too.”

“No. No. Don’t get any closer! You can’t do that again. Do you understand? We can’t ever… we shouldn’t have… oh my God. No. Never again. That was wrong.” I put my fingers to my lips, as though I would wipe away what had just happened, but mostly I was reminded again of the sweetness and heat of his mouth against mine. I promptly dropped my hand.

“Wrong? I don’t know, Sage. Honestly, that was the most right thing that’s happened to me in a while.” Nonetheless, he kept his distance.

I shook my head frantically. “How can you say that? You know how it is! There’s no… well, you know. Humans and vampires can’t… no. There can’t be anything between them. Between us.”

“Well, there had to have been at one point,” he said, attempting a reasonable tone. “Or there wouldn’t be dhampirs today. Besides, what about the Keepers?”

“The Keepers?” I nearly laughed, but no part of this was funny. “The Keepers live in caves and wage campfire battles over possum stew. If you want to go live that life, you’re more than welcome to. If you want to live in the civilized world with the rest of us, then do not touch me again. And what about Rose? Aren’t you madly in love with her?”

Adrian looked way too calm for this situation. “Maybe I was once. But it’s been… what, nearly three months? And honestly, I haven’t thought much about her in a while. Yeah, I’m still hurt and feel kind of used, but… really, she’s not the one I’m always thinking about anymore. I don’t see her face when I go to sleep. I don’t wonder about—”