She held him away from her for a moment, devouring him with famished eyes. He truly was a beautiful man, she thought. All of that hot skin and tight musculature. She ran her hands over him, touching him everywhere while he waited patiently for her to get her fill. That would be impossible, she decided. She didn’t think she could ever get enough of him. She finally relaxed her arms and let him come down to her. She arched her back and pressed her front all along his, her sensitive nipples rubbing through the coarse hair of his chest. She drew his mouth to her neck and he obediently kissed her there.

She realized he had successfully undone her jeans when his hand slipped into the fabric and cupped her mound beneath her underwear. His fingertips teased her, toyed with her, slid through the ready wetness he had inspired in her. She moaned as his other hand embraced her breast once more and he tugged on her nipple in time to his fingers finding her clit and circling it slowly. Her legs were on either side of his hips, so she was spread open for him, and he was taking full advantage. She was breathless within minutes, her whole world spinning off its axis. Then he worked a finger inside of her and she exploded into a hair-trigger orgasm.

Never had she come so fast in her life. She’d had a pretty decent sex life in her history, but never had she been so hot or so sensitive.

“Oh yes,” he growled into her ear, “that’s what I like to hear.”

She realized then that she had shouted out his name. She was dizzy in the aftermath, so she was limp and compliant as he pulled free of her long enough to strip her clothes the remainder of the way off her body. As soon as he was back above her, her fingers went to work on his belt and the front closures of his pants.

Suddenly she went still and her eyes flew up to meet his. Two flags of color appeared on her cheeks.

“Do vampires get…sick?”

“Not in the same way humans do. Why do you ask?”

“I know it’s a little too late to ask but…do you get things like AIDS? We had unprotected sex earlier and I…I don’t usually do that. In fact, I don’t ever do that. I don’t even know where my head was at.”

“Hey. We were both a little desperate,” he said soothingly. “We don’t get AIDS or any other venereal diseases. What we should be worried about is pregnancy.”

“I’m on the pill,” she said. “I take it to manage my cramps. They are pretty aggressive.”

He chuckled. “Well, then, we should be good. But if it will make you feel better, I can wear a condom. I have some inside.”

“No. I’m fine. We’re fine.” She slid her hand into his pants and fondled him assertively. He caught his breath and the way he looked at her was positively scorching. “Take off your pants. I didn’t get to see you earlier. I want to see you.”

He pulled away from her and obediently kicked off his shoes and stripped out of the remainder of his clothes. He came back to her slowly, letting her look her fill even as he did the same to her.

“My god, you’re beautiful.”

They said it in unison and they both laughed.

“I didn’t think men were supposed to be beautiful,” he said with amusement.

“You don’t subscribe to that,” she said with confidence.

“No. I find men and women to be quite beautiful. I have lived a long time, experienced many pleasures. I’ve seen beauty some can only dream of and some appreciate to this day. This is a varied world we live in and it should be enjoyed on every level.”

“Have you traveled a lot?” she asked as her hands roamed his skin and then sank below his waist once more.

“I’ve been almost everywhere on this planet that’s worth going to…and some places that are not.” His voice caught as she circled her fingers around him and stroked him slowly. “Are we really talking about this now?”

“I find you fascinating. The idea of someone being alive for centuries, it’s astounding.”

“Then we are equals,” he said. “Because I find you fascinating and astounding.”

“Me? What could I have that you haven’t seen a hundred times already? A thousand times.”

“You are as unique as a fingerprint. There has never been anyone like you and there will never be anyone like you. Each individual is precious and extraordinary. There are no two people alike. There are no two things alike. Even things that look the same have minute imperfections or differences that make them unique.”

“But those are small imperfections…hardly discernible to the naked eye.”

“Your differences are far more evident, it is true. For instance, I have never seen eyes like yours. The way they hover between blue and hazel. It’s extraordinary.”

“You sure know how to turn a girl’s head,” she said with a smile.

“Shall I tell you what part of me you’re turning?” he asked wickedly as he bent forward and took her mouth with his. She chuckled against his lips.

“It’s comforting to know there are some universal things between the males of the species.”

“We are not so different,” he said, raining small kisses on and around her lips between each word. “We all appreciate women in our special way.”

“Not all men appreciate women,” she corrected with a little frown. “I have seen that. Some men despise women and then take it out on them.”

He pulled back and met her troubled eyes.

“I’m sorry. I did not mean to be glib. That was an erroneous statement. Clearly.”

“No. I appreciate what you were trying to say. Forgive me. My job creeps in at the damnedest times.”

He stroked a finger down the side of her face as he met her eyes. “It’s a part of you. Just another piece of you to appreciate. Don’t regret it.”

“I don’t. It’s just…sometimes I wish I could have the luxury of being naive.”

“No. You are too practical for that. You want to be aware of the world around you.”

“And how do you know this?”

“By the way you question me so thoroughly about my species. Now that you know about us you want to know everything. Knowledge is power and you know it.”

“True. But you are right. We shouldn’t talk about this now. I simply want to touch you. To drink you in. To feast on you.”

He chuckled. “I was going to say the very same thing. Funny how alike we think.”