I smiled at Gregor and gave Abel’s hand a squeeze.

He squeezed mine back even as he looked to the vampire. “How about I get started now?”

“Capital idea,” Gregor murmured, his lips twitching as he pushed back his seat.

Everyone was on the move then, including Abel and me. But when I got to my feet, I tugged his hand.

When his gaze caught mine, I said, “I wanna watch your awesomeness in action.”

He gave me a grin that lit his eyes, the grin beginning to turn the blue one brown. “You got it, pussycat.”

That was when I gave him a smile.

* * * * *

“You’re done,” Abel stated, then looked at me and said softly, “Next, Lilah.”

I nodded to him as I switched off the video camera on its tripod, which was pointed at a woman who was sitting in the lone chair in the room. She got up and started walking to the door. I opened it for her but stuck my torso out before she got to it and looked to Caleb, who was waiting in the hall.

“It’s not her. Next,” I told him.

He jerked up his chin and I got out of the woman’s way.

I closed the door after her and looked to Abel. “You okay?”

“Been at this three hours, lost count of how many people been in that chair, and we’ve got nothing,” he answered, looking and sounding frustrated.

I moved to him and put a hand on his chest. “This is a lot of work, baby,” I noted. “Does it drain you to do it?”

“Outside of bein’ hungry, I’m good,” he answered.

“Maybe we can take five minutes for you to draw from me.”

His distracted eyes focused sharply on me and he stated, “You are not a meal, Lilah.”

“I know, but—”

“We do that, every time we do that, you get somethin’ out of it, same as me. It never becomes me takin’ what I need from you. It’s always something for the both of us.”

God, I loved my werewolf vampire.

Still, I leaned in closer and said quietly, “I love that you want that, honey, but just so you know, I always will get something from it even if it’s just knowing I’m giving something to you. But just saying, the more you take from me, the more goodness I get from your superpowered saliva.”

His intensity cleared and he lifted a hand to cup my jaw. Then he dipped his head and took my mouth in a light, sweet kiss.

When he lifted his head, he murmured, “Couple more. Then we’ll take a twenty-minute break so I can get what I need and give you all you need.”

That way worked for me so I smiled, got up on my toes, and gave him my own light, sweet kiss.

When I was pulling away, a knock came at the door.