Page 154 of Vampires of Eden

What the fuck?

“Danny.”

He flips around, startled. The length of his plait whips over his shoulder from the abrupt movement.

My heart is stuffed in my chest as I walk down the steps. “That’sit? After everything—last night and this morning—you just leave? No hug or kiss or anything? Not even a handshake? What the hell?” He said he wanted me. That he loved me. But only in private? When no one else is around to see us? He told me secret sex wasn’t what he wanted. Was that a lie?

Wide-eyed, Daniel looks back at the chauffeur, who immediately turns his back and walks toward the opposite side of the van. Whistling. Out of sight. Daniel’s gaze shifts and lands on Raphael.

“You should answer him,” he says from behind me. I can hear the casual shrug in his voice.

Daniel closes the distance to stand in front of me and places his duffle bag on the ground. In a fluid motion, he stands, wraps his arms around my shoulders and leans into my mouth.

He kisses me, cautiously. Testing, at first. Like a silent question.How deeply do you want this to go?I part my lips in response and close my eyes, then playfully nip his bottom lip as I wrap my arms around his waist and meld his narrow frame into my body.

Daniel tilts his head in understanding and exhales as he licks into me. His arms snake more tightly around my shoulders and I feel him lift to his toes so that he can have even better access to my mouth.

The kiss is languid but passionate. Resolute as the afternoon sunlight warms and surrounds us like a halo. My eyes ignite from the taste and feel of him and my nature dances in my belly. I don’t let it flare out, but it stirs and twists up my spine, invigorated and pleased.

Daniel pulls up first. His nose brushes mine as he whispers. “I’m so sorry. Old habits die hard?”

“You’re not a secret. You don’t need to act like that—ever.Pleasedon’t.”

“How do they know about us? Did you tell them? Can they smell me?”

“It’s a long story,” I repeat, then jut my chin forward to kiss him once more. “If we can’t get this thing right between us, it’ll never work, you know? If the inside isn’t solid, the outside factors will eat us alive.”

“I know—I’m sorry. When do I get to hear this eminent story?”

“Soon. Shoot me a message when you’re back at the vineyard so I know you arrived safely?”

He nods, hugging me tightly and running the fingers of one hand into the back of my hair. He’s always destroying my hair. “When will you come to me again? When will I see you?”

“Hm… now that Father’s back early, I’m not sure. Inevitably, he’ll find things for me to do?—”

“I’ll make space in his schedule. Don’t worry.”

Danny lifts from the hug and I turn my head to the side to see Raphael smiling confidently. He offers a thumbs up in reassurance.

Daniel nods again. “Alright… okay. Is today going to knock me back down to ‘mean’ status? Because I… honestly I was just terrified that?—”

Since I’m on a roll now, I take his mouth again and squeeze him, letting my palm trace up his spine. Daniel makes a soft little sound of pleasure, sighing and further demolishing my hair with his hand as he kisses me back, hard.

“Alright, gentlemen, that’s enough,” Raphael chides from behind. “You’re putting on a show—don’t make me go get the hose.”

Reluctantly, I set Daniel free from my embrace. But as he picks up his bag, I hold his hand and walk him to the driver’s side of the van.

“Soon?” he says, turning to me as the valet holds the door open for him.

“Very soon.”

He leans, touching our lips once more, then again before finally climbing into the van. I walk back to the steps to stand beside Raphael. We both watch until Daniel’s van disappears around a bend and into the trees.

“Fickle creature you’ve chosen,” Raphael observes in the quiet.

That’s fair. My fickle raven king. “He has his reasons.”

“He’s come here at the drop of a hat to see about you, twice. But then he acts like he wants nothing to do with you. Should I be worried Lexie? I felt good about this in the beginning. Now, I’m concerned.”