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I lower my head. “Mates—vampires have mates, and you’re mine.”

“Mates?” she repeats back to me.

This time she adjusts herself so she’s sitting next to me on the couch, and I already miss her warmth. Looking in her eyes I attempt to decipher what she’s feeling but my girl is a difficult one to read. I’m sure her detective training gives her a stellar poker face, but I want to see her true face so bad right now.

“Mates,” I confirm.

“Huh.” She continues to stare into my eyes, and I’ve never felt more vulnerable than under her gaze in this moment. I start to squirm, terrified of her reaction. What if she doesn’t want to be mated to me? “Okay. What does that mean?”

“Uh, well.” I fumble for an explanation at the casual tone in which she asks. “Every vampire has a mate somewhere but not everybody finds them. The world is large and especially vampires find it hard to stay in one place for too long. It’s a rare thing, honestly, and even rarer for a vampire to have a humanmate.” I rub the back of my neck nervously. “Our souls call to each other. It’s one of the purest loves you can have.”

A heartbreaking expression crosses Celine’s face, and I want to hold her in my arms and crumple at the same time.

Will she reject me? For her to accept I’m a vampire but not want to be my mate would be crushing.

“So, we’re fated to be together?” She sinks back into the couch behind her, gazing off into nothing. “Forcedinto liking one another? Was any of this even real?” Her eyes begin to water and fuck I hate it.

“What? No!” My hair flops around as I shake my head vehemently.

I see where her thoughts are headed. Celine thinks the mate bond is the only reason I want to be with her. That a cosmic attraction is why I’m drawn to her and want to pursue a relationship. Despite her grunt of initial protest, I grab Celine and deposit her back in my lap. Easing us down so I’m flat on my back, and she’s perfectly on top of me, I cradle her face and hold her gaze. The unshed tears break my heart, and I kiss away the wrinkle in her brow.

“Listen to me, Celine Brennan. We may be fated mates but no magnetic pull dictates who or what I do. Yes, it may initially bring us together in a way it wouldn’t for others, but we still have free will. If I wasn’t insanely attracted to you both mentally and physically, I wouldn’t be here. You are the most stunning, intelligent, kind creature I’ve ever crossed paths with, and I worship the ground you walk on.” Her cheeks stain a pretty pink at my praise so I continue. “Pretty girl, you’re my everything. We haven’t known each other long considering the length of my life thus far, but up until now its paled in comparison to being with you. The mate bond doesn’t force us into doing anything. Okay?” I reiterate my point, and she nods. “Get it through that gorgeous skull of yours that I’m here for you because I want to be here.You can’t get rid of me.” Trying to break the serious moment because I don’t do well with them, I proceed to kiss every inch of her head and face until she giggles. “And it goes both ways, just so you know. You might be more attracted to me than usual because of the bond … and my insanely good looks.” I can’t help but smirk. “But it doesn’t force you to like me.”

She rests her head against my chest when I’m done, and I slide my palm up and down her back. Her smooth skin feels heavenly.

“I freaked out for a second there thinking it was all out of our control. For the first time in a long time, I have something for me that makes me happy. Someone wants to take care of me instead of the other way around and the thought of it being based on a forced bond hurt to think about.” Her small hands tighten against my pecs.

I grab them and press a kiss to each of her delicate fingers.

“Nah. You just have this vampire trying to get in your pants because he wants to.” I nuzzle my nose against hers. “Also, just have to say, I will bite you. One day. That’s a given. I’ve heard a mate’s flavor of blood is quite the aphrodisiac.” I lick her neck, and she giggles again. “Imagine both my teeth and my cock holding you captive.” She hums at the promise in my words. “It’ll be worth the wait.”

Her chest rises in quick succession at the visual I’m giving her.

“I didn’t want your first bite to be based on a half-truth. Plus, if I bite you as your mate, it’ll begin to solidify our bond and I’m not about to force you into anything without all the vampy facts on the table. See? I’m quite the gentleman.” Rubbing her arms up and down I relish in the feeling of her body on top of mine. “I want you to be sure of your decision.”

Sure of me,I don’t say.

Just then the oven beeps signaling dinner’s ready and I sigh. Our sexually charged moment has passed as much as I’d love to continue it. Fumbling around for our shirts I grab them off the floor and help pull hers on. Her hair is a beautifully, chaotic mess around her head once it pokes through.

“Go get dinner before it burns.” She nods toward the kitchen.

I flatten her tangled strands and place one last kiss to her forehead before I walk away to do just as she said.

I’ll always do whatever this woman tells me to do. She’s the only being on this earth that can do so.

“Oh, I have a gift for you!” I remember the thing I snagged from my contact while she was at work.

“For me?” Celine gracefully unfolds herself from the couch and walks over.

The natural sultry swing of her hips distracts me, and I stare dumbfounded before coming back to myself and willing my fangs to recede from the little bit where they poke out of my gums. The twist of her lips tells me she caught me watching.

Good. I want her to know on a daily basis how much she affects me.

I reach over and open one of the cabinets to pull out a small gift bag I stashed there.

“Close your eyes.” I tease and plant a kiss on each of her eyelids when she does. Depositing the bag in her palm I step back. “Open.”

Celine peeps open one eye like I might’ve handed her a bomb. She moves aside the tissue paper. Pulling out a smooth leather holder she unlatches the snap and slides out her gift.