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I know he can sense the way my heart beats for him, just like I can sense his. My pulse thrums through my veins, making me almost dizzy.

When the need to have his mouth on mine is all-consuming, I turn to face him, my knees falling to either side of his thighs.

He slides his hands under my hair, cupping the back of my neck with his warm, large palms, and angles me forward. “Kisses only, all right?”

“Am I our chaperone?” I ask, incredulous.

“No.” He meets my eyes. “I’m reminding myself.”

And then he kisses me.

My skin flames as we get to know each other through touch. There’s no hesitation this time, no rush. We have all the time in the world. The house is dark and quiet, and the night is ours.

My stomach tightens as Noah deepens the kiss, coaxing my lips to part.

But just as I comply, he pulls back abruptly.

“Noah?” I whisper.

“Give me a minute.” His muscles are tense, like iron against me.

As he turns his head away, I realize what the problem is. I lean forward, pressing a kiss to the side of his jaw. “Your fangs don’t bother me.”

He lets out a strained groan as I trail my lips down his throat. Pausing at his pulse point, I kiss him softly. “Have you ever bitten anyone?”

“No,” he grits out.

“Me either.”

“You don’t have fangs,” he chuckles darkly.

“Do you wish I did?” I whisper, flicking my tongue over his skin, temporarily losing my mind. Then I come to my senses and pull back, laughing softly. “Never mind. Don’t answer that.”

Noah tilts my chin up, meeting my eyes in the dark, “I like you exactly as you are.”

“And if I had fangs…would you like me less?”

“I cannot imagineanythingthat would make me like you less.”

Suddenly emotional, I wrap my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He returns the embrace, tucking his chin against my shoulder. He’s warm and solid, and I don’t know that I’ve ever felt as safe as I do at this moment, surrounded by Noah. Right now, I’m his, and he’s mine.

But what about tomorrow?

“Are you all right?” he asks softly.

“No.”

He pulls back, moving his hands to my arms and rubbing them reassuringly. “Did we move too fast?”

Noah is a big, strong hunter, capable of taking down rogue vampires and shrugging off bullet wounds. But his hands are gentle right now; his words are soft. It’s killing me.

“No, it’s not that,” I answer. “I just don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t,” he promises.

“I love that you’re the kind of man who wants to honor my father’s wishes—truly, Noah. But it’s not right for him to interfere in our lives like this.”

“We need to give him time. Eventually, he’s going to come to terms with your diagnosis. We threw a lot at your parents tonight. There’s an adjustment period, and it’s different for everyone.”