"Ready, oh-so-willing, and as able as humanly possible," I answered, pulling him down so I could taste his delicious mouth again.

"Salus invenitur," he whispered into my mouth. I sucked his lower lip, sliding my legs around his hips, cushioning his weight and glorying in the sensation of his bare flesh on mine.

"Oh, yes," I cooed, my back arching as he sucked a hard, aching nipple into his mouth, his tongue swirling around it with velvety heat. I'd never felt any pain so exquisite as that, and almost cried out with joy as he guided himself into my body. My mind shut down at the sensation of him parting my waiting flesh, of the feel of his chest against mine, of his mouth on my shoulders, licking the spot where my neck joined my shoulder.

"Portia, I have to…I have to…" Theo groaned as his body stroked into mine, a sudden white hot pain flaring outward from the spot he was kissing. I was flooded with emotions and sensations that didn't make any sense, but were so profound in nature that I just accepted them.

Theo reared back, his eyes shocked, his lips crimson with blood. "Per imperium, what have I done?"

As he spoke, long canine teeth flashed white against the blood.

"I don't know, and right now, I don't give a damn! Just don't stop!"

"This isn't right. I can't…not like this…" His eyes closed, pain written on his face, so intense that it spilled out onto me. "You'll hate me."

I tried to pull him down so I could kiss him, but he resisted. "I don't hate you, Theo. For Pete's sake, I'm damned close to falling in love with you! Don't stop or you'll kill me!"

"You don't understand," he said, turning his head away. "You don't understand what I am now, what Bael has made me."

Vampire. The word echoed in my mind. I ignored it.

"I know that you need me." I turned his face so that I could look into his beautiful black eyes. "I know that there's something I can give you which will ease the pain inside. And I know that we are meant to be together, Theo."

Regret, sorrow, and sadness swamped me as he started to pull away, but I wouldn't let him. I wrapped my arms around him, yanking him back down onto me, kissing him with a passion so deep I was left shaking.

Theo resisted, hard and unyielding…until my tongue invaded his mouth. The taste of my blood was in our mouths, and at it, Theo went wild. He pulled my hips up, pounding into me with a force that knocked pillows from the bed. His mouth was hot on my flesh, pain sharp and hot fading quickly into a sensation so intense, I could swear I felt the pleasure it gave him. I closed my mind to the knowledge of what he was doing, and gave in to the tension that wound tighter and tighter within me.

Theo exploded into an orgasm that pushed me over the edge, his body racking with the need to pour life into me, at the same time he took it. I gave him everything I had, gave him my pleasure, gave him my warmth, filled the empty dark spots where his soul used to be, and accepted from him pleasure that lifted me from the mortal plane and sent me flying.

I was vaguely aware of Theo's weight lifting off me as I floated down, but a great, languid sense of peace and well-being washed over me, leaving me unable to move despite the desire to comfort what I could feel was a profound sense of unease in Theo.

"Portia!"

"Mmm." I stretched a little, relishing the sensation of having been well-loved.

"Portia, you're bleeding."

"Not possible. My period isn't due for another week or so."

"Your neck is bleeding. Where I…where I bit you." Theo's breath was warm on my face as he leaned over me.

"It'll be all right," I said, growing increasingly drowsy. My eyelids felt like they weighed a thousand pounds each, impossible to keep open.

The bed lurched. I didn't bother to open my eyes when I heard the door open, followed by the sound of bare feet padding down the hallway. I just lay there and relived the wonderful memories of our lovemaking.

Theo returned with a cloth that he pressed to my neck. "You must make an effort to stay awake, Portia. I think I took too much of your blood."

"You're not hungry anymore," I said slowly, each word seeming to take an inordinate amount of energy to speak. I decided it wasn't worth the energy to try to talk more. I gave you great pleasure. I liked giving you pleasure.

"Wake up, Portia!"

My body lightened and floated upward, drifting around as if I was a mote of light. I drifted higher, no more substantial than a thought. You gave me pleasure, too. More than I'd ever had before. You are a very good lover.

Sweetling, you must fight this. The bleeding won't stop, and you've lost too much already. You have to help me, Portia.

I really think I'm falling for you, Theo. Which is very unlike me, but there it is.

A stinging slap on my right cheek suddenly brought me back to earth. I opened my eyes, shocked that Theo would strike me.

And that's when I realized two things: Theo and I had been speaking into each other's minds, and the word he spoke earlier was an important one.

"Vampire? You're a vampire? You can't be a vampire! You're a nephilim!"

"Don't move," he said, pushing me back onto the bed. "Put your hand here and press down hard."

"Oh, sweet sensibility. I'm bleeding? I'm hemorrhaging? Call the paramedics!"

"It's going to be a bit difficult explaining to the authorities why you're missing so much blood," he said, grabbing the phone off the tiny nightstand.

"You're calling someone? While I'm lying here bleeding to death? Oh my stars, you bit me! You drank my blood! And…and…good gravy, I enjoyed it! It was so…what have you done to me?"

The last few words came out as a wail of self-pity that made me flinch even as I spoke them.

"Calm down, Portia. Panic will make your blood pressure go up," he said, sitting beside me on the bed. He punched a few numbers on the phone, holding it between his shoulder and ear as he edged up the towel I pressed to my neck. "I'm calling someone I met a few years ago. A Dark One."

"A dark what? Not another demon lord! Is it still bleeding?"

"Yes," he replied as I goggled at him. "Not yes, I'm calling a demon lord, but yes, it's still bleeding. Dark Ones are vampires. Or they have been called such—they aren't as evil as legend has painted them. Hello? Christian Dante? I doubt you'll remember me, but we met in 1879 in Paris. My name is Theo North…that's right. Only I don't seem to be a nephilim any longer. Or perhaps I am, but I've—it's a long story. Can I meet with you?"

"I feel woozy. I think I'm going to pass out. Oh my god, I had sex with a vampire! I'm falling in love with a vampire! I fed a vampire!"

Theo covered up the bottom part of the phone. "I'll give you fifty pounds if you don't say 'vampire' again."

"VAMPIRE!" I screamed, snatching a pillow off the floor and hitting him with it. "You drank my blood!"

"You liked it," he said to me, before listening at the phone again, giving whoever was on the other end the name and direction of the pub.

I bit back an oath. He was right, damn him. I did enjoy it. I enjoyed it so much, I suddenly wanted to do it again.

"One more thing, Christian, my…er…she's bleeding. It doesn't seem to be stopping."

"I'm going to die. I'm going to bleed to death because you're a blood-crazed fiend. A sexy, seductive, completely gorgeous blood-crazed fiend." I whacked him again with the pillow. "If I die, I'm never going to forgive you!"

"Hush!" Theo commanded, frowning as he listened into the phone. "You're kidding. All right, I'll try that. Thank you."

"How dare you tell me to hush when I'm having an emotional breakdown," I said, as indignant as someone can be who is lying naked on a bed, next to an also-naked man who was so incredibly fabulous that, despite his blood-drinking frenzy, it made me want to wrestle him to the floor and have my wanton way with him.