Night Fall: Truly, Madly... Deadly Part 21

The poor Professor had enjoyed her lesson a little too much.

Satisfied he'd planted a seed of sensual curiosity, he dropped his gaze to her wrist and the blood dotting her pale skin. He licked her until the small wounds closed, and then he laid her hand on the table. "Do you see now?" he asked softly, feeling not the least ashamed he'd used his persuasive "powers" to excite her.

She drew a long shaky breath. "I see that my research needs to be expanded. I should make a point to appeal to the Sanguinarians for input. Of course," she said, looking at her wrist under the lamplight and frowning, "I should probably make sure my teta.n.u.s is up to date, first."

Joe stared at her, wondering what it was going to take to prove he was a vampire. Morphing wasn't an option-it tended to kill his victim's s.e.xual interest. "Jesus, you still don't get it."

Surprise at his outburst caused her face to pale. "What's to get? Other than you think you're a vampire?"

Joe stood, and then leaned over the table, crowding the professor into the corner of the booth. "Lady, you wouldn't know a vampire if he bit you in the a.s.s!"

"I beg your pardon," she said, a frown drawing her eyebrows together.

"You don't know a d.a.m.n thing about vampires. h.e.l.l, you can't even tell when one's fed off you!"

"Now look here, I've studied all the texts, from every country with vampire traditions-China to Transylvania." She folded her arms over her chest. "I've also read quite a bit about blood-drinking behavioral disorders and blood fetishists."

"Tell me you didn't feel it, too." His gaze fell to her tweed-covered chest. "Did your studies tell you that a vampire's bloodl.u.s.t is linked to s.e.xual l.u.s.t?"

"Th-there is an erotic allure to vampirism," she said, reaching to tuck a strand of hair into her bun. "After all, blood is the source of life and pa.s.sion-which is what I'm a.s.suming you're experiencing now. The clinical term is haematodipsia-a s.e.xual thirst for blood."

"You're babbling," Joe said, leaning close enough now that he could look into the cleavage at the top of her beige blouse and draw in her heated scent. "Tell me, why your pulse is elevated and you're perspiring?"

Her hand fluttered on her chest, and she closed the collar of her shirt. "There's no doubt a term. I just can't think-"

"Well, I'm not talking about s.e.xual disorders. I'm talking about l.u.s.t that grows in proportion to the amount of blood shared by a host."

She blinked. "That happens?"

"You don't know a lot of things, do you?" He drew back and glowered. "You don't know how fast a vampire can drain a human dry. And do you have any clue how dangerous this is." He raised the survey and crushed it into a ball, unaccountably angry with her. "You could have drawn a bloodthirsty b.a.s.t.a.r.d with a nasty sense of humor. Someone who wouldn't have a qualm about taking your head off to get at your blood."

Her small pointed chin lifted. "I took precautions against being accosted by unhinged characters," she said, glaring pointedly at him. "I'm in a public place with people around me."

"Do you know a vampire's strength and speed is many times that of a man? You wouldn't stand a chance against one."

"I'll concede that-if-you were a vampire," she said her voice rising, "I might indeed be in trouble."

He leaned closer, his hands clutching the table and the top of the bench seat. "Don't you want to know for sure, Professor?"

"Short of you taking a bite out of my neck-yes! But biting me with capped teeth won't prove a thing. h.e.l.l, I have a mirror here somewhere-" she dug into her purse again, "we'll just check your reflection."

Joe shook his head. The woman watched way too much Buffy. "If I'm telling you the truth, will you take me home? Feed me?"

Her breath hitched, and she licked her lips. "If you're telling the truth, shouldn't I be afraid of you?"

"Lady, you haven't a thing to fear from me. I need you."

"To feed from?"

"No. To make me human."

For more Night Fall Series stories, watch for these t.i.tles:.

Silent is the Knight.

Sm{B}itten.

Knight in Transition.

Wolf in Plain Sight.

The Knight Edition.

Night Fall on Dark Mountain.

A Knight Living Dangerously.