Page 96 of Love Bleeds

He forced his eyes closed as if that would make the temptation go away. He didn't need Luke's blood. He could live without it. He could... He could almost taste it on his tongue.

Luke said his name again. He was still so close. Didn't he understand that he had to move away? Because Crimson didn't know how much longer he could keep himself from launching himself at him.

"Please," he heard himself say. He wasn't sure what he meant by that.Please go away,orPlease let me bite you.It could have been either one. The two opposing desires warred with each other inside of him, rendering him incapable to say anything else.

When Crimson failed to elaborate on his plea, Luke interpreted it his own way. He moved to climb onto the bed with Crimson.

Crimson's breath caught in his throat. He wouldn't be able to hold himself back once Luke was within reach. There was no way. Not as starved as he was.

There were reasons why he should, he knew that, but it was getting harder and harder to recall them. His hunger was too loud for him to hear the voice of reason.

At the last minute, though, before Crimson could reach out to grab him, someone pulled Luke back from the bed.

Crimson sagged.

He'd been so close to getting a meal. It wasn't fair. He glared at Talon, who was holding Luke, and he glared at Aldrich, who was standing by the door as if he didn't want to move too far from the exit in case he needed to make a quick getaway.

Luke was glaring too, at Talon, hurling angry words at him. Something about blood. Something about something being cruel and inhuman.

If Talon said anything in his defense, Crimson didn't hear it. All his attention was focused on Luke. Because he loved Luke.

And because Luke was the only one in the room with hot blood in his veins.

Luke spun in Talon's grip and ripped his arm out of the vampire's hold. Which made no sense because Talon should have been able to hold him easily. But a lot of things didn't make sense to Crimson, so he didn't worry about it too much.

Luke was so pretty when he glowed like that. Like a super-hero in one of those Japanese anime shows.

But there were tears on his cheeks too. Angry tears. Crimson wanted to wipe them away. He moved to the edge of the bed. As close as he could get to Luke.

Luke moved toward him, embraced him. He was so warm and alive, for a second, it was all Crimson could do just to hold him, his whole system in shock.

"Bite me," Luke said. "You have to."

Crimson opened his mouth, to bite Luke or to say something, he wasn't sure. The choice was taken from him when Luke tightened his arms around him and tilted his head to expose his neck.

It would have taken a vampire far stronger than Crimson to resist that kind of temptation. His fangs already descended, he pierced the skin over the line of Luke's artery. Luke made a soft noise, something between a sigh and a gasp, and then he relaxed.

Blood flowed into Crimson's mouth. Flavor exploded on his tongue. And when he closed his eyes?

Shooting stars.