“Tyrian, I’m so sorry,” she said, tears blanketing her eyes. “But that was such a long time ago. You won’t be alone because I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here with you.” He pulled a pair of black cargos over his legs.

“Even if I...” he paused, shaking his head sadly. Chloe had had it. Her heart was

threatening to break, her emotions were living on a wire, and she didn’t know if she was about to break down or throw something.

“I mean what is wrong with me? What is so terrible about me that you can’t even try to talk to me? To be with me when what I feel towards you is more...powerful than anything I’ve ever felt before.” He was quiet for so long that she found herself fighting back tears. Shaking her head, she turned to leave. As her hand touched the metal doorknob, he spoke.

“There is nothing wrong with you, Chloe. That is the problem, in fact,” he said in an odd voice. Chloe turned to him, shocked to her core. Looking down he said, “I’ve spent the past thousand years alone and since I’ve met you, you have done nothing but consume my thoughts.

Everywhere I go, whether I’m overseeing my men or strategizing to kill your demon, you are always there.”

“You’re in mine, too,” Chloe said hoarsely. He shook his head slowly.

“The path we are headed in is dangerous. I’ve been there before. I was naive then, so young. I learned the hard way what happens when you let your emotions take over. When you allow someone you care about to stay with you. To let yourself feel.”

“Wouldn’t it be worth a shot? Worth the time together?” She had to blink back tears to keep them from falling.

“Is the pain worth the pleasure? I can’t honestly answer that, Chloe. Don’t ever think, for even a moment, that I do not like you.” He tossed back his head and laughed, his hand rubbing over the back of his neck. “Look, already, at what I’ve succumbed to. I cannot resist you. I’m talking about feelings. My heart races every time you’re near me and I experience emotions I haven’t felt in ages, if at all. Your scent follows me and when it finally leaves me, I walk into the same room with you and it bombards me all over again. I miss it when it’s gone. I crave it when I’m around it. It makes me feel so old. Then I look at you and see how young you are.”

“I won’t always be young,” Chloe whispered. The corner of his mouth kicked up in a

rueful smile.

“But I’ll always be ancient in comparison. I’ll always be the jaded man. You don’t want that. I could never bring you the kind of happiness you need, that you deserve. I know that with certainty.”

“Yes, you could. I feel it. I know it, Tyrian. Fate has put us together. Why don’t we give it a shot and see what happens?” Her heart was tight. Even as he shook his head, she rushed on.

“There is no stopping the feelings I already have for you. I can’t make them go away. I wouldn’t even begin to know how to. I know that when I’m not with you, I want you. That when we’re together, they are some of the happiest moments I’ve ever experienced.”

Anger slashed over his features. “Impossible. What sort of miserable life did you lead before that the moments spend fighting with me are good?”

“I’ve led a good life, Tyrian. A happy one, as a matter of fact. Sure I wish we had more conversations, that we knew each other better, but even the fights we have don’t feel like fights to me. I feel like I’m fighting to get you to open up. Not fighting because we hate each other. I’m fighting for you,” she said the last raggedly, her voice lower than a whisper.

His eyes flashed to hers for long, endless moments. Her breath froze in her throat, heart skipping a beat.

He stood slowly. He stalked towards her like a predator, eyes feral and bright. When he reached her, he cupped her face in his big hands, and slammed his mouth down on hers. He took her mouth again and again, kissing each of the corners, then each lip in return. His tongue feasted inside her mouth, licked her lips, biting and tugging, claiming. He was claiming her. When he finally lifted his mouth from hers, he pressed his forehead against hers.

“You have no idea what happens when you let someone in, Chloe. How much it

hurts...when they’re gone.”

Chloe swallowed back the tears and hugged his waist fiercely to her. “I would rather know and experience it than never at all. You said that all there was between us was sex. Well, I think you’re wrong.” His arms surrounded her, pulled her close to the heat of his body.

“What you ask of me...,” he said raggedly.

Chloe held him tighter. “I know. But please let’s at least try it. I care for you so much already.” She was laying her heart out on the chopping block. All it would take was one hard whack and she’d be done for, would never be able to put the pieces back together.

His hand turned to cup the back of her head, fingers twisting in her hair. His lips scorched a path up her jaw to her lips where he kissed her with such devastating force that she didn’t know where she began and he ended. The room spun and her mind blanked from all thoughts but of him, his taste, his scent. His tongue slid past her lips and took her, drowning her in his masculine taste until she was swimming in him, pressed against him so tightly air couldn’t pass between them.

However much time passed, she didn’t know, but when he finally lifted his lips from hers, her lips tingled close to numbness. His eyes were hazy, half-lidded and her body pulsed in response. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed.

Her heart soared. He’d made his choice. The vampire commander, Tyrian en Kulev, was hers.

Tyrian lay his succubus onto his bed. The sight thrilled him more than it should. But seeing her spread out in that sexy black dress, eyes burning with desire, Tyrian felt lost, hopeless.

He was in her small hands now. It was complete stupidity, went against everything he’d striven for in all these long, tireless years. Yet he could no sooner deny her request, deny his own needs, than he could hurt her.

He was mad. Yet as he looked down at her long hair spread wildly around her like a halo, her body warm and welcoming, eyes accepting, there wasn’t any other place he’d rather be. She wanted him. Even knowing what he did and who he was. She wanted him with a fierce passion that rocked him on his feet, and for the first time in centuries, made him feel fear.

“I think you’re the most impressive man, I’ve ever met,” she said. Tyrian’s heart felt heavy and bigger than usual in his chest. She did that. From the first moment he saw her.

“More impressive than Telal Demuzi? The infamous demon.” She laughed, the sound

almost making him smile.

“Way more. He doesn’t have the aura around him like you do.” He picked up her ankle and started rubbing muscles in gentle circles. She moaned and the sound sent his cock flying to break out of his pants. Her eyes closed and a sensual smile played over her lips. He liked that.

Too much. But he didn’t stop. He moved to the other ankle and knocked off her ridiculously sexy heel so he could rub the arch of her foot.

Suddenly, she started laughing a great belly laugh. He stopped rubbing and glared at her.

“What?” She wiped a tear away, breathing hard.

“I just remembered how you told me that you’re not the husband type. The kind of man who’d rub his woman’s feet.” She broke into another peel of laughter. He dropped her foot.

Quickly she sat up, trying hard to stifle her laughter. “No please, don’t be mad. I’m not actually laughing at you. I just think it’s funny how things change sometimes.”

Tyrian started away from her. He knew this had been a bad idea, but her legs snaked around his and pulled him against the bed. He fell forward and would have slammed into her if he hadn’t braced his arms on either side of her head. She smiled up at him. None of this could be good for him. But, he liked it when she smiled, made him feel good, like he’d done that.