Page 68 of The Vampire's Seduction

“What… what happens once we’re bonded? Other than your soul returning, are there any other side effects?”

It didn’t surprise him she would want to know more before deciding. His Olivia. Ever the scientist. Her chosen profession, while disconcerting at first, had grown on him. Her intelligence and her dogged pursuit of the truth were part of her allure. And he would give her no less than the truth.

“Once we’re fully bonded, we can communicate telepathically like vampires. I’ll be able to hear your thoughts, as you will mine. We’ll know if the other person is happy or sad or in pain. We’ll know everything about the other person, every thought, every secret. There’s nothing we can hide from one another.”

“Nothing?” A tremble in her tone.

“Nothing,” he confirmed.

She bit her lips, uncertainty coming off in waves. His heart lurched when she pulled her hands out of his.

“You still do not believe me?” he asked, recalling her reaction when he’d revealed they were mates.

“Tell me something about yourself.” Her tone was calm and even, nothing like the emotional turmoil on her face.

“Why?”

“You said once we’re bonded, we can’t hide anything from each other. You know my favorite food and my favorite flower. You probably know my birthday too. But I only know you speak Ancient Greek and you had two siblings. Tell me one more thing.”

Marek raised a brow. “Would it be easier if I give you a background dossier on me?”

A scowl marred her pretty features. “No. You tell me. What will I learn about you once we’re bonded? What’s your deepest, darkest secret?”

Her serious tone stopped his glib reply. His deepest, darkest secret?

Tell her. Or are you too stupid to know it?came his father’s hated voice.

Agony lanced through him at the memories haunting him still. The words died in his throat.

When he didn’t respond, Olivia moved away from him. “If you can’t tell me, then I don’t think we’re ready for the mating bond.”

Marek’s eyes narrowed, hating to be cornered. “You still want a way out of this,” he said accusingly. “There is no way out.”

He thought she’d be angry. He wanted her fury. Wrathful. Anything was better than her sorrowful and solemn look. “It’s not that. I’m not ready.Weare not ready. I don’t want to learn everything about you through telepathy. I want us to have a normal relationship first. Even if the end is the same, that we complete the mating bond, I don’t want to jump into it without even knowing your favorite food!”

His lips quirked at the end of her impassioned speech. “Vampires can’t eat.”

“You know what I mean,” she snapped. “Fine! Your favorite music!”

“Classical.”

“I hate classical music. See? My point exactly!”

“You mean my preference for music determines whether I’m an ideal mate?” Marek cocked his head and grinned. “I’d think my bedroom skills would be a more suitable measurement. You had no complaints there.”

Red tinged her cheeks. “Sex doesn’t solve everything.”

“You clearly haven’t had the right kind of sex.”

Her eyes shot lasers at him. “My point is, I’d like for us to spend more time getting to know each other before completing the mating bond.”

Considering his inability to tell her about his shameful past, Marek had no good arguments. How would she view him if she found out? With hate? With disappointment? With disgust?

It wouldn’t hurt to have her enamored with him first.

He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her. “I will wait until you deem we’re ready. After all, I am immortal.”

“We’re done for today,” Marek said, slamming the grimoire shut.