“You...bought me a dress?” She looked over at him but he was staring hard at the wood floor, as if he was trying to decipher what kind of wood it was.

“Yeah,” he said gruffly. “There’s more underneath it.” Vera closed her mouth and gently laid the dress over her lap. The material of the dress, judging by the look of it—was expensive. It felt like satin at her fingertips, and she was pretty damn sure it was a wedding gown.

Even though he’d said there was more in the box, it was still a surprise to find a pair of matching opal colored high heels. She read the label and bit her lip from giggling like a, well, girl. They were her favorite brand. Strappy, pretty, and with a little point at the end.

“I know you like your shoes.” She stared at him like she’d never seen him before.

“How do you know that?”

“Vera you don’t have to tell me everything for me to figure it out. You’re always wearing nice expensive-looking shoes, and damn near a different pair for each day.” The man truly was after her heart. “Do you like it?”

“I...I love it.” And you.

“See the reason why I wanted to give that to you is because,” he slid to the ground in front of her on both knees and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small black box. He held the box up like an offering and Vera quickly shoved the cardboard box away.

“I, um, I wanted to know if you’d marry...me.” He flipped the box open with his thumb and a sparkling diamond ring with a gold band winked up at her. The warm liquid that had been swimming in her eyes was trying to get out, but no way was she going to blur this image with tears.

When she could only stare, a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. He took the ring out and gently picked up her hand. His touch warmed her, felt so perfect. He settled the thin band around her fingernail and held it there.

“I know you lykaens have a different tradition, and I may be an undead, half-dead, whatever you want to call it vampire thing, but I’m still a human at heart. And in the world where I grew up in, when there’s a brilliant woman you love more than anything, you marry her. So Vera Kategan, will you marry me? Before you answer,” he said quickly when she opened her mouth, “know that I am not a perfect son of a bitch, but I promise to love you and no other until the end of my days. And I promise to never, ever lay a hand on you in anger. I am not my father. I won’t have a single drop of alcohol, ever. I vow it.”

A frown tugged at Vera’s lips as she struggled not to cry.

“Ah baby, don’t cry. You don’t have to marry me if you don’t want to, but that doesn’t mean I’ll leave you alone, because I can’t. I can’t live without you, baby. The past four weeks were harder on me than the years I spent in the military, drinking away my father’s memory, my fucking problems. I was mad for a while, that you made me feel worse than that. But I went and saw my mom. Yeah, I did. She made me realize how stupid I was.

Go figure she could do that. She wants to meet you, said she’ll make you your favorite pie.” He swallowed hard. “Just say yes, say you still love me and we can work through anything. I’m prepared to fight for you for as long as it takes because I love you so damned much.”

Vera slid to her knees in front of him, her finger catching on the ring. It slid perfectly up her finger.

She wrapped her arms around him, slanted her mouth across his, and showed him without words her answer.

Groans filled the air as bodies strained to get closer; lips tasted and learned each other. Vera pulled his tongue into her mouth and sucked on it. With a growl, he pulled back, breathing hard.

“Tell me that was one helluva yes, baby.”

Vera laughed and hugged him hard. “That’s a yes, lumara.” He laughed with her, the sound rich, music to add to her symphony.

“Thank God,” he said so seriously that she broke into a fit of laughter, raining kisses along his hard jaw and neck. “Baby, I have a question for you.”

“Mmmm,” she said curiously, as her mouth teased his ear.

“Tell me you’re naked under that robe.” Vera pulled back and looked down at herself. So much had happened in the last few hours, she’d completely forgotten she was wearing the white terry cloth robe from when she got out of the shower. Licking her lips, she gave him a coy stare and said, “What are you going to do about it if I am?”

Her body was already on liquid fire for him. His eyes left hers to trail over the thick robe. His eyes darkened, hot and wild, as if he could see her clearly through the material.

When he spoke, his voice was a hoarse croak, “I need you, and I can’t go easy. If you can’t take it, then I want you to get up and leave the room right now, because otherwise I’m going to be on you and in you in under a minute.”

“But your hurt.”

He shook his head and lifted his shirt showing her a cut that already looked like it’d healed a week. “Dmetri told me that not all vampires can heal fast, but he can, and since I have his blood now I can too.”

Shivering, Vera untied the rope around her waist and shrugged out of the robe. It hissed and slithered down to the floor around her.

“Last chance,” he warned. His gaze scorched over her naked body. His eyes widened, nostrils flared, and then his mouth was on hers, his tongue thrusting in her mouth, owning her, possessing her.

Hot, rough hands searched over her body—not with gentle romantic sweeps but with urgent, eager grasps. Plumping her ass cheeks, rubbing her back, pinching her nipples, and squeezing her breasts until finally she let her head fall back.

His mouth replaced his hands and licked her nipples deep, flicking and sucking them until an answering pleasure throbbed from between her legs. She was wet as if she’d been having foreplay for hours, not mere seconds. Being so long without him had her starved.

“Jacks.” Her voice was laden with arousal.

“Can’t wait anymore.” She watched languidly as he ripped open his pants, spread her knees wide, and thrust at her entrance. He slid in like he was made to.

He didn’t stop. His thrusts were that of a starved man. A man hungry for his mate. His hips slapped against hers as his thrusts pushed her against the couch, her ass bouncing off of it.

With them both on their knees, he wasn’t hitting her as deep as she wanted it, but he was moving so fast through her wet pussy—pushing her towards something beautiful and earth shattering.

His hands cupped her bottom and spread her cheeks wide, reminding her of the delicious time he’d taken her in that special way. His mouth came down on hers and nothing could stop the bubbling pleasure that burst forth from her. She turned her head away and screamed as an intense, hard orgasm ripped through her trembling body.

Before she could float back down to earth, he was right there with her, thrusting jerkily then exploding in hot surges inside her.

“Vera, baby.” His voice held wonder in it.

He wrapped her in his arms and fell back to the floor with her. Vera didn’t know how long they lay like that, but their bodies turned cold, their breathing returned to normal. She tried to think of a time when she’d enjoyed something as much as she did this, but for the life of her, she couldn’t.

He held her, his fingers tracing small patterns on her back. Vera had a sudden, wicked thought and propped herself up on an elbow to look down at him.

“Baby?” He seemed to have a hard time opening his eyes, but finally he did and looked at her with a cocked eyebrow. “Are you hungry?”

All at once, his soft cock hardened against her thigh like a steel pipe. His eyes darkened and his lips parted. Jackpot.

“I shouldn’t. I don’t want to hurt you.” She could hear the regret in his voice so she kissed him wetly on the mouth for it.

“But I’d love to feed you,” she whispered huskily and rolled her hips so his cock rested at the entrance to her pussy.