Page 27 of Bitten By Desire (Crooked Point #1)

Monday

I couldn’t sleep. I just stared at the ceiling, counting the seconds until morning. How was it possible that I believed my own account and Bennett’s, and I still wasn’t scared of Theo? I should have been terrified. I should have booked the first flight out of Crooked Point.

Instead I was staring at the ceiling. Thinking about how gentle Theo’s touch was. How intoxicating.

My phone buzzed.

I grabbed it and saw a text from Theo staring back at me. I immediately sat up and read his words: “Did you enjoy searching my whole house?”

My heart started racing. He knew? How did he know? I quickly texted back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Do you really think I didn’t know that you and your friends were here?”

Honestly that was exactly what I thought. And I had no idea how to respond to that. Did he have security cameras? Or was he just able to tell? Maybe that was a vampire thing…

My phone buzzed again. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

I looked down at his sweatshirt that I still had on. I didn’t know why I was wearing it. But I felt…safe in it. Comforted somehow. I took a deep breath and cringed. No , I knew why I was still wearing it. Because it smelled like him. God, what was wrong with me?

I stared at his last text. It didn’t seem like there was any reason to deny it. He knew. He probably even knew what I’d taken. “Yes. I found what I was looking for.”

“Then I’m sure Bennett filled your head with lies all afternoon. If you want the truth, I’m waiting outside.”

It felt like my heart was pounding against my ribcage. He was outside Zoey’s house? I climbed off my bed and pushed the curtains to the side. Theo was standing in her front yard staring up at my window.

He looked back down at his phone and texted: “Or I’ll come in.”

I let the curtains fall back in place. I couldn’t let him come in and hurt Zoey. We had a whole plan for tomorrow. A safe plan. Why was he here right now? I debated texting Bennett, but it was the middle of the night. Surely Theo would just leave.

But when I peered out the window again, he was still standing there.

He smiled from the lawn as my phone buzzed again. “You have one minute before I come in, Emma.”

Shit. One minute? That didn’t leave me time to do anything.

All I knew was that I couldn’t let him in.

I tied up my sneakers and was just about to run out of the room when I remembered the golden pen.

I grabbed it and stuffed it into the front pocket of the sweatshirt.

I didn’t bother to tiptoe. I was kind of hoping Zoey would wake up and call Bennett for help.

Theo was still standing in the middle of the lawn when I closed the door behind me. He looked even more perfect in the moonlight. And I wondered if it was because this was the time of night he was supposed to be most alluring.

For a second we just stared at each other. It was impossible to look away. And not just because his features were even more striking in the dead of night. But because he’d ditched the colored contact lenses. His eyes were golden again.

The wind blew, sending leaves fluttering to the ground. I folded my arms across my chest. “Can’t this wait until morning?” It probably couldn’t. I hadn’t had time to check my phone, but tomorrow might be sunny. Maybe there wouldn’t be a cloud in the sky. And Theo would be locked in his house.

“No. It can’t.” His eyes scanned down my body. “That looks better on you than it did on me.”

Probably because I hadn’t had time to put on any pants. I was wearing his baggy sweatshirt and nothing else. But then his words finally registered in my head. “So you admit it? This is your sweatshirt?”

“Come with me.” He turned and started walking around the side of Zoey’s house.

“Would you just answer my question?” I said to his back.

But he didn’t reply. He disappeared around the corner.

I knew it was a terrible idea, but I followed him anyway. I slid my hand into my pocket and wrapped it around the gold pen. If he got anywhere near me, I’d burn him.

Theo was sitting on a bench in the darkest corner of the backyard. I doubted it was visible from Zoey’s bedroom window. And I really wished he’d just chosen to sit on the patio furniture instead .

I sat down next to him, leaving plenty of distance. “Answer my question.”

“You found the sweatshirt in my house.” His eyes met mine.

That was very loosely admitting it. For just a second I stared at the golden hue instead of replying. “You stopped wearing colored contacts.”

He didn’t respond.

“You’re Callum Walsh.”

He lowered his eyebrows as he stared at me. That same devastating stare as in his portrait. “Is that all that Bennett told you?”

I shook my head.

“Tell me what he said.”

I felt like saying the words out loud would surely sign my death certificate. I gripped the pen tighter in my hand.

“You want to see if an old relic will burn my skin, Emma?”

How did he know I had it? I held it even tighter.

“Why? What did he tell you?”

“Bennett didn’t have to tell me. I already knew. You…you’re a…” my voice broke.

“Say it.”

My bottom lip started to tremble.

He closed the distance between us and lightly traced his thumb along my lower lip.

His cold touch made me tremble even more. But not because I was scared. Because I liked it.

“I’m what, Emma?”

“You’re a vampire.”

His golden eyes bore into mine. “If that’s what you believe, why aren’t you running? ”

“Because you said you wouldn’t hurt me.” I believed him. I had no idea why. He’d hurt me ten years ago when he pretended I was lost in his mansion and walked away. He hurt me when he disappeared. He hurt me when he lied about being Callum Walsh. But he’d never physically hurt me.

“If I was a vampire, would I really be able to control myself?” His fingers slid across my jaw and down the side of my neck.

I swallowed hard. That was my only fear. What if he couldn’t control himself? But he wasn’t staring at me like he wanted to suck my blood. He was staring at me like he wanted to kiss me.

“Do you really think I’m a monster, Emma?”

I…I wasn’t even sure anymore.

“Does the thought of me sucking on your neck turn you on?”

Yes. I’d been dreaming of it ever since he did it the first time. There was something wrong with me.

“Is that it? You wrapped me into one of your fantasies?” He grabbed my wrist and tugged, pulling me onto his lap.

I didn’t hesitate to straddle him. My heart started racing as I stared down at him in the moonlight. Was that what was happening? Was it all in my head?

“You like when pain is mixed with pleasure.” His fingers tightened on my hip. “I’m not a monster.” He leaned forward, tracing his lips against my neck. “But I can definitely give you what you like.”

God, yes. I remembered when he’d told me sex should feel like drowning.

Until you’re touched just right. And suddenly you’re flying.

I’d only ever felt that with him. I couldn’t compare him to anyone.

I could never get over that night ten years ago.

And I needed it again. I needed him again.

I couldn’t even imagine pushing him away. I just needed to feel alive again.

His teeth lightly grazed my neck. “Is this what you dream about?” He kept one hand tight on my waist and slipped the other in my hair, tugging. “My lips on your neck and my hand in your hair? You like being completely exposed to me?”

I whimpered.

“And what happens next, Emma? In your wildest dreams?”

This felt like one of my dreams. He’d haunted me for years. Just like this. I grabbed his hand from my waist. His sweatshirt had ridden up my thighs. He looked down at his hand in mine as I pressed his fingers against the front of my panties.

“Are you always this wet for me in your dreams?” He slipped his fingers beneath the fabric.

I moaned and he pulled my hair harder, tilting my head back.

“You want me to bite you so hard that I draw blood?” He slowly traced my wetness with his finger as he sucked on my neck. Hard.

God.

“You want me to be desperate for the taste of you? So desperate I can’t control myself?”

“Mmm.” I grinded shamelessly against his hand. I needed him inside of me.

He kissed up the inside of my jaw. And then his hands fell from my pussy and my hair.

Why was he stopping? I tilted my gaze back down to his golden one. He’d barely touched me and I was already so close. Just like how I used to wake up from my dreams panting.

He put his hands on the top of my thighs. “Baby, I don’t need a taste.” He slid his hands higher. Stopping right where I needed him. “I’ve been addicted to you for ten fucking years.” He ripped my panties.

Holy shit.

“Unzip my pants,” he said calmy. Like he hadn’t just done the sexiest thing ever. And said everything I’d been dying to hear for ten years.

My fingers fumbled with the button and zipper on his jeans. His hands stayed splayed on my thighs as I pushed his pants down his hips.

“Now be a good girl, Emma.” His thumb lightly brushed across my clit before dropping to his length. He gave it a few slow strokes. “And put your pussy where it belongs.” He pressed his tip against my wetness. “On my cock.”

My body acted on its own accord. I slid down. I shivered and he groaned. I’d forgotten how cold his cock was. So fucking perfect.

His mouth fell to my neck again. “The dirty thoughts I’ve had about you over the years, Emma. Almost as dirty as yours.” He sucked on the side of my neck and groaned.

I buried my fingers in his hair, keeping him in place as I rode him. I wanted him to mark me again. I wanted him to own me. Just like he had in my dreams.

“I dreamed of you with your hands tied,” he whispered against my skin.

I slid up and down his shaft faster. Feeling every inch of him stretching me. Owning me .

He kissed where he’d been sucking. “A blindfold over your eyes. Completely at my mercy.”

I wanted to experience what it would feel like to be worshipped by him without my sight.

“What happens next in your fantasies, Emma?”

God, I loved the way he said my name.

“Don’t be embarrassed. I already know what you’re into. Tell me what you want.” He bit down on my neck again.

“Harder.”

He groaned. “Dirty girl.” He started guiding my hips, setting the pace. “You want to cry out in pain. You want me to bite you so hard that you feel the air leave your lungs. You want your hips bruised with my fingertips. You want to taste your blood on my lips when you kiss me.”

“Callum!” I moaned as I pulsed around his cock. He kept thrusting into me.

“Fuck,” he groaned.

It was better than my dreams. More intense. More everything. My heart kept racing as I stared into his golden eyes.

For a few seconds we just stared at each other as we caught out breaths.

I reached out and touched the side of his face. I didn’t know what to say. He’d dreamed about me for ten years too. I had so many questions. Why had he changed his name? Why had he left if he cared about me too?

For some reason I wanted to cry. It was really him. I wasn’t crazy. “Callum,” I said.

He turned his head and kissed the inside of my wrist. “I’m not a monster, Emma.” He slid his hand into the front pocket of the sweatshirt and pulled out the golden pen.

He opened up his palm. His skin wasn’t singed. Not even a little red. Nothing happened at all. The pen just shone in the moonlight.

He closed his fist around the pen. “But we have a lot to talk about.”