"Are you okay?" she whispered.

The fear in her voice snapped him out of his daze. Sorin shook his head and then clamped down on his control. His throat suddenly went dry when he met her wide brown eyes. "I-I'm fine. It's just been a while and..."

"I understand. I never thought I'd want to be with anyone after Tristan, but here I am."

"I bought some things. I wasn't sure if you needed them or not. I set them on the counter in the kitchen."

"Thanks. I'll look at them later. You don't happen to have a brush?"

"In my bedroom. I'll go get it."

She grabbed his wrist and stopped him. "Maybe you could help me with the tangles. If you don't mind."

A smile tugged on the corners of his lips despite how he tried to hide his nervousness. "I can oblige."

He led her into his bedroom and grabbed the brush on his dresser. In the past, he had always watched Tatiana brush her hair, but she always kept it short. Nicolette had hair that flowed down her back like melted chocolate. She scooted onto the bed and he stood behind her. He clasped the brush handle and heard the plastic groan from the force of his grip. Sorin tried to relax, took a section of her hair, and lightly pulled the brush through it. The wetness of the strands clung to his fingers and showered the bed with little droplets of water, but he didn't care. He pulled the brush through another few tendrils and his fingers brushed along her nape. The heat of her skin burned him.

"I won't break. You can pull harder." She turned and looked at him.

He nodded and worked on the side of her hair closest to her neck. From his vantage point, he saw the beautiful line of her shoulder and her collarbone that effortlessly moved into the swell of her right breast. The brush dropped from his fingers and hit the carpet. Sorin pushed the hair from her throat and placed a light kiss right under her ear.

"I hunger for you, Nicolette. I hunger for your body and your blood. You know what I am, but can you accept me truly?" His fangs broke through his gums, drawn out by the sweet promise of her blood.

Even though he had watched her for the past month, making sure she was protected, being so close to her had drummed up fantasies of slicing into her throat. It had driven his hunger to a maddening state so that he was feeding every other night just to keep it in check because he desired her so much. He trailed is finger over her jugular vein, feeling the pulsing warmth just beneath the smooth skin. Nicolette turned and met his gaze. In her eyes, he saw the fear of what she was relenting to, but also the excitement and the acceptance. Her skin was flushed with the anticipation of their joining and it only added to his exhilaration.

"I'm not afraid of you, Sorin." Nicolette placed a hand on his face and drew him to her lips. Her kiss was full of a hunger all its own as their mouths met and caressed one another. She bit his lip and tugged on it before letting him go. She took in a deep breath and then angled her head.

Sorin leaned closer and placed his lips on her throat, tasting her skin. The soap had a salty tang to it along with the bitter flavor of the cranberry. He draped his left arm over her left shoulder and slid his fingers over her collarbone. Sorin swiped his tongue over the column of her neck until he found the perfect place to bite. Her pulse throbbed against his lips. The warmth was there and it was all his for the taking. His teeth grew to their full length and with one quick bite, trying not to hurt her, he punctured her throat.

Nicolette's back arched when he bit her. Sorin held her to him, resting his palm over her heart. A passionate cry escaped her throat. Her blood rushed over his tongue and then down his throat. Her memories swam through his mind. They were too overwhelming for him to focus on. But her emotions were sharp. In them he sensed his beloved and Nicolette. There was also the sadness of her recent loss. He understood it had also affected her soul too. Her hands clutched his. The blood he took in was beyond anything he had ever tasted before. There was power in it and longing. The flavor of copper and the slight tang of something else he couldn't describe. It took everything he had to pull away from the fount so he could focus on the woman on the bed.

He swiped his tongue over the wounds and then unwound from Nicolette so he could see how she was doing. Sorin sat on the bed and looked at her. Her eyes were closed. Her chest rose and fell, drawing in several breaths. The wounds stood out on her pale throat. He touched her cheek.

"Are you okay?"

Nicolette opened her eyes. "I'm fine. That was amazing. Nothing that I've experienced before." She bit her lip and then started to undo her towel.