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He kisses me again, harder this time, maybe even a little desperate. I make a noise of pleasure, of delighted surprise, and it’s gasoline on an already growing fire.

With a low groan, Noah’s hands find my neck, and he twines his fingers into my hair. Our mouths move in tandem as my heart soars.

Noah kisses with his entire body, pressing into me and enveloping me in the clean, lingering fragrance of soap and shampoo. His hair is cool between my fingers, and his muscles flex under my touch.

He draws my bottom lip between his, sucking gently, and my hands move to his back. His mouth strays to my jaw, and then my neck, as he trails kisses along my skin.

Near my pulse point, he presses a soft kiss, lingering. When I draw in a breath and hold it, he teases his mouth over my skin, dragging his bottom lip back and forth.

“Noah,” I breathe.

“Yes?” he teases.

Coherent words are out of reach, so I clamp my mouth shut. When his tongue flicks against my skin, I gasp, my nerves sparking and butterflies swarming in my stomach.

I don’t know if it’s the vampire in me, or just the fact that Noah is so tempting, but I want his teeth grazing my skin. I need it.

I dig my hands into his back and tilt my head up, exposing the vulnerable stretch of skin.

“We need to stop,” he grits out, his hands sliding down my arms. He intertwines our fingers, keeping me from touching him. Or maybe keeping himself from touching me.

I close my eyes, reveling in the closeness and the warmth of his breath as it feathers over my neck. “I never want you to stop kissing me.”

“Piper,” he says, sounding almost anguished as he brings his mouth back to mine. He kisses me, lips closed, so controlled. Then he pulls back enough to meet my eyes. “We need to talk.”

“You have to go back to Denver.” High on everything that is Noah, I nip his bottom lip. “But I don’t care. We’ll deal with it later.”

“Piper, no.” He says it forcefully this time. “We need to stopnow.”

It’s just like earlier—I bit him, and he recoiled.

Noah shifts to the side, moving me onto the bed, and angles away. He breathes hard as he shoves his hands through his hair, his back to me.

“I don’t know what keeps getting into me,” I say quietly, picking an nonexistent piece of lint off my shorts. “I don’t know why I keep nipping you. I’m like apuppy.”

He chokes out a laugh, shaking his head.

“But now I know you don’t like it.” I touch his arm. “I won’t do it again, I swear.”

He turns his head, angling back to look at me. “I never said I don’t like it.” Sighing heavily, turning back toward me, he runs his hands up and down my arms, his eyes never leaving mine. “I like it too much. But…it makes me want to nibble you, too.”

I draw my bottom lip between my teeth, not sure if I’m going to laugh or throw myself at him. But for now, I wrap my armsaround his neck and smile. “I don’t really see a problem with that.”

“I do.” He brings his hand to my face and strokes my jaw. His eyes search mine, and his frown deepens. “Piper, you’re not contagious. ButI am.”

I go still, my mind trying to wrap around that. And then…I understand.

Butno.He can’t be.Can he?

My eyes move to Noah’s arm, where he was shot just last night. The bandage is gone, and there’s no scar from the bullet wound. And his skin is warm…like skin should be. Not cold, not hot. The same temperature as mine—the same temperature as Ethan’s.

My stomach lurches.

“I’m sorry, Piper,” he says softly. “I didn’t know how to tell you.”

“You’re avampire?” I whisper, horrified.

His eyes meet mine, anguished. “I’m a vampire.”

To be continued…