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M y lips collide with Teddy’s.

They’re soft, gentle, consuming.

It’s not often my lovers treat me so delicately. I’m a big woman and most people feel that gives them the right to be rough. Don’t get me wrong, I love it rough. But sometimes I want to be held like I’m about to break. As if I’m not a cold-blooded killer who’s drained the life out of hundreds of people.

I don’t need to kill to survive. I did it because I was forced to. I was compelled by my sire who convinced me it was fun… exhilarating… addictive. I let the power overtake me until I no longer needed to be compelled. Feeling someone’s life fade, hearing their last heartbeat as I drained their blood, made me feel like a god. It’s what I believed. It’s what I was tricked to believe.

I was no god. I was a monster.

It’s what Henry made me to be.

Controlling myself around humans hasn’t been an issue for centuries. Yet that feral need to devour Teddy ignites within my body and climbs up my throat. He presses his hard cock against my soft stomach, and I moan into his greedy mouth.

His blood is intoxicating.

It’s only a taste, whatever stained his lips from his nosebleed, but it leaves me panting for more. I’ve drunk the blood of many humans over my lifetime, and no one has ever made my body feel so… heated.

I need to stop before I kill him.

I press my palm on his chest and gently push. He pulls away, breathing heavily, and the blush on his face deepens.

I cover my mouth with my hand, hiding my fangs—which refuse to stay sheathed—and his blood now smeared on my lips and chin.

“I’m sorry. Was that... Did I...”

“You did nothing wrong. I just... need to slow down or I might just eat you up,” I say jokingly.

I’m not joking .

Teddy smiles, combing his fingers through his blond locks. “You’re right. I was seconds from tossing you onto the couch and—”

I hold my finger over his lips because if I let him finish that sentence, I’ll take my chances and let him have his way with me.

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” I say, turning away before he can focus on my black eyes. They darken when I’m aroused, and I don’t want to scare him away just yet.

I lead him down a long hallway to a guest bathroom and grab a towel from the storage closet.

“I’ll find you a change of clothes,” I say and set the towel on the counter.

I step out, waving my hand at the bathroom, and he goes inside, closing the door but leaving it open a crack.

I head to a spare bedroom where I keep a closet full of clothes—most are mine that I love, but no longer wear. But I also keep a few outfits on my shelves for situations like this where I bring a human into my home and, for whatever reason, they need a change of clothes.

Though, I’ve never been in this specific situation where I hit a man with a door and cause his nose to bleed all down the front of his body.

I find a pair of jeans that I hope are his size and a T-shirt. It’s a Milli Vanilli concert shirt from 1990, a year after the infamous lip-syncing incident revealed they weren’t actually singing their own songs.

It was a bummer, but the songs are still fire.

I’ll say I found the shirt at a thrift store in Brooklyn, but I actually bought it at their live show in Philly. I wore it once or twice, then stored it away.

I knock on the door and Teddy immediately opens it. Shirtless.

My eyes take in his body. He’s a beefy man with stocky arms, tree trunk thighs, and a stomach that’s not defined by abs.

“Millie,” he whispers, witnessing me checking him out.

I hold out the clothes to him.

“I wasn’t sure if you needed jeans so…”

He takes the pile. “Thank you. Do you want—”

“Something to drink?” I ask, interrupting whatever he was about to say. If it was to ask me to join him in the bathroom, I would have jumped on the opportunity.

Why am I acting like this? I’m all but drooling over this man. Certainly, Ana’s blood wasn’t that potent.

“Um, sure. I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

“I don’t think you’d like—never mind. I’ll grab you a beer.”

“Beer is good. I’ll be out in a second,” Teddy says .

I leave before I can ravish the man in the bathroom and head to the kitchen.

I don’t need a kitchen. The cabinets are bare of food and cookware. I have a fridge, but it’s full of artificial blood manufactured by scientists employed by WOVE, the World Organization of Vampire Elites. It’s not sustainable, but it helps satiate the cravings in case of emergencies where I can’t find a blood donor in time. I’m also old enough that I don’t need to feed as often.

Vampires outnumber blood donors. Only a few hundred humans have signed up to willingly let us feed from them. That’s compared to around 2,000 vampires living across all five boroughs of New York City—at least the ones who’ve registered with WOVE, which is required, but not every vamp follows the rules.

While vampires can’t eat human food, we do consume alcoholic beverages: hard liquors, wine, beer. It may not get us wasted, but many of us enjoy the taste and it doesn’t make us sick like food. For some vamps, like me, it reminds me of my humanity. Of a time before I was undead, and I’d enjoy a glass of red at dinner or some whiskey that my husband picked up during a trip to London.

It’s been a few months since I’ve entertained a human, but I still have some beer stocked in my fridge and bottles of liquor on my bar cart. I grab Teddy a craft beer—he seems like the type to enjoy a local brew—and I twist the top off, then pour myself a glass of wine.

“I can’t believe you have this Milli Vanilli shirt,” Teddy says, returning to the living room.

I hand him his drink. “A thrift shop score.”

The shirt barely fits him. The fabric clings to his chest and stomach, and I avert my eyes because Ana’s blood has me wanting to jump his bones with every glance.

I didn’t look away fast enough because he definitely caught me checking him out again. He smiles, ear to ear, which makes my stomach twist with… butterflies?

Well, that hasn’t happened in… ever? Not that I can remember, at least.

Teddy takes a swig of his drink and strolls into the living room to begin exploring my penthouse. He walks around slowly, taking in the eclectic decor. The paintings I’ve collected over the years are originals, some handed over to me by the artists themselves like Rembrandt, Delacroix, and Manet. I also have pieces from Van Gogh and Monet, acquired after their deaths since I had already moved to New York City when their work became successful and neither artist traveled to the U.S.

The one Picasso piece I own I bought in the fifties from an anonymous seller. I always suspected it was Pablo himself. He was banned from visiting the U.S. for being part of the French communist party, but rumors swirled for years that he secretly visited the U.S. many times, including New York City.

“Holy shit. Are these real?”

“They are.”

Teddy’s eyes greedily take in the paintings, admiring their beauty for several minutes, not letting a single brush stroke go unseen.

He moves on to the sculptures adorning my bookcases, inspecting each one as if they hold all the secrets of the world. My book collection entrances him next. He traces a finger over the spines, reading every single title.

“Are these first editions?”

“Some, yes.”

“Wow,” he whispers. “You really are rich.”

I don’t correct him. I have accumulated a fortune in my five hundred years of living; however, many of those first edition books were bought for pennies when the authors were just starting out.

“No way,” he gasps when coming upon my vinyl record collection. “I knew you were a music fan.”

He sets his beer down on a table behind him and sifts through the stacks, every so often pulling a rare album out to marvel over.

“Of course you have this one.” He holds up a Girl You Know It’s True LP by Milli Vanilli. I smile, but roll my eyes, surprised that I’m finding a human amusing.

Thankfully, he didn’t see my smile. I can’t have him thinking I enjoy his company.

Why not?

I shake the thought and join him at the bookcase.

Teddy whistles and holds another record up. “This AC/DC LP has to be worth $10,000.”

“Mmm, more like $5,000,” I say, stopping short of telling him I bought it on release day for a couple dollars.

“ If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It) is such a badass song.”

“It might be my anthem.”

Teddy laughs. Again, I’m not joking.

“Oh!”

This man’s energetic energy is so… potent . I’ve never felt such an explosion of life in another person. He’s like a hyper puppy.

My little golden retriever.

He pulls out my copy of The Best of Teddy Pendergrass and walks over to the player.

“Can I?”

“Be my guest. ”

He sets it up, placing the needle in the spot to play Turn Off the Lights.

He holds out his hand.

“Dance with me.”

The words are more of an order than a request and my body obeys.

I place my hand in his, and he flinches, which I know is from my cold touch, but he doesn’t question me about it and swings me around in a twirl. His arm snakes around my back and he tugs me against his body. Teddy Pendergrass starts singing and my Teddy belts out the words along with him.

My Teddy.

I don’t even know why that thought crossed my mind.

We slow dance to the smooth notes of the song, and I melt at the fact that he’s treating me so sweetly and delicately again.

Teddy’s lips ghost across the skin of my neck, his breath warm. It smells like cinnamon toothpaste, and it mixes with the heady scent of his cologne. Nothing expensive, but there’s a woody, somewhat fruity undertone. Grapefruit, maybe, and the forest after a fresh rain.

My cheeks would be blushing if I had a heartbeat to move blood throughout my body .

“You smell amazing,” Teddy whispers and places a gentle kiss on my neck. He inhales deeply. “Like peaches and something floral.”

Love Spell by Victoria’s Secret . It’s one of my favorite perfumes. Designer fragrances never appealed to me.

Teddy’s palm smooths up and down my back before sliding lower to my ass.

“Tell me to stop and I will,” he nearly growls. When I don’t say a word, he continues, grabbing a handful and squeezing.

I moan.

“Why do I feel so drawn to you?” Teddy asks, and I pop my eyes open.

Yeah, why are we so addicted to each other after just meeting? I have drunk and drugged blood running through my veins. What’s Teddy’s excuse?

The song ends, and I step back out of Teddy’s embrace.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Teddy asks, trying to reach for me. I dodge his hand and further the distance between us. He frowns.

“I think we need to set some boundaries.”

He opens his mouth, then closes it.

“I just mean that I’m not looking for a commitment. ”

He rakes his hand through his hair, something I’ve noticed he does a lot. “Yes, right, of course. I can’t do commitment either.”

A strange way of saying that, but I’m glad we’re on the same page.

“Then tonight will be about fucking,” I continue.

“Yes. Just sex.”

“Good.”

He stands there, hands on his hips, staring at me as if waiting for me to make a move. But for some reason, my body wants to be dominated by this man. I want him to make the move. When he realizes this, his entire demeanor changes. His bright and sunny smile is still there, but his eyes have darkened.

“Tell me, Millie. What would you like me to do to you?”

He walks toward me, a fire igniting in his green eyes.

“You seem like the type of woman who likes to take control.”

“I am.”

“Hmm.”

Once he’s standing in front of me, he grabs my hair at the nape and tugs back hard enough to make me whimper.

“But you’re letting me take control now. Why?”

“I’m curious. ”

He’s a burnt cinnamon roll. I just know it. Ooey and gooey and full of sweetness but with charred edges. This sunshine man likes a little darkness. Maybe it’s how he demanded my name outside the bar. How he insisted I dance with him just now, not even asking. And now as he wraps his long, thick fingers around my throat, squeezing not-so-gently.

My nipples pebble and cunt pulses because I’ve somehow become the prey.

“Was I right? About giving you control?”

“Yes. I need it, especially in the bedroom.” He licks my neck. “Will you submit to me tonight?”

He sucks on the same part of my skin he just licked, and my fangs drop down against my will. This man is making it impossible to keep them sheathed, something I’ve been struggling with all night.

“Will you get on your knees for me? Comply with my orders?” His free hand skates down my body to the hem of my dress, which only reaches mid-thigh. “Will you let me fuck you until you’re begging to come?” His fingertips push aside my panties and tease my entrance. “Is that something you want, Millie? Tell me yes and I’ll continue.”

“Yes,” I say, breathless.

He thrusts a finger into me, causing me to scream out a moan .

Fuck! When did I become submissive? That’s twice now tonight. First with Ana, now Teddy. I’m the one with the paddles and handcuffs in my closet. I love tying my lovers to the bed so I can do as I please with them.

But this man went from day to night in a matter of minutes, and I’m eager to see just how dark he can go.

He fucks me with his fingers, bringing me to the cusp of orgasm before stopping and removing them. My fangs slide out again . This time it’s because he’s edging me, which equally pisses me off and turns me on.

He walks away before noticing and sits on my couch, arms spread over the back like a fucking boss.

“Undress and crawl to me,” he orders.

I kick off my heels first, then unzip my dress. Slowly, I peel the fabric off my body.

“So,” I begin, a smirk tugging at my lips. “This side of you...”

“Did I say you could talk?”

This fucking brat.

Once the dress is in a puddle on the ground, I remove my bra and panties. Teddy sucks in a sharp breath only he’d be able to hear if it wasn’t for my enhanced hearing—one of the side effects of vampirism.

“Tell me,” I say and drop to my hands and knees .

He purses his lips, considering not saying anything, but I refuse to move unless he speaks. He narrows his eyes, letting me know I’ll be punished for my disobedience.

I look forward to it.

“I grew up in a loving home, but my parents were very strict. They didn’t allow me to watch TV or play video games. All I had was music.”

Okay, that makes sense why he loves music so much.

I begin crawling towards him slowly, so I can hear the rest of the story.

“They controlled everything I did, down to the friends I was allowed to have. I couldn’t date. I didn’t even lose my virginity until college.”

He watches my every move, his breathing becoming labored and his heartbeat erratic.

Music to my ears.

“Fucking one person wasn’t enough. I needed more, almost like I had to prove myself… to prove I was normal after the way I was raised. I became addicted to sex. I mean, not to a point that I needed help, but I fucked a lot. Women. Men. I love giving pleasure to my partners, but in my own way. A way that I can control.”

He sounds like me. I spent too many years being controlled by Henry. Then, when I became free of him, I wanted to live my life on my terms, and that included exploring my sexuality.

I reach Teddy on the couch, placing my hands on his meaty thighs. I rub them up and down.

“Then tell me what to do, Theodore.”