Of hoping, of fighting, of time without end. Pressing lightly, he parted her lips, getting a glimpse of how it would be to have his mouth on hers, to take her breath as his. To eliminate the physical barriers as well as the mental ones. "Of waiting for my something good."

"Something good?"

He nodded, eyeing the free expanse on the big king bed. There was more than enough room for him there. With her. "When my brothers and I were younger and times were hard, we'd start fantasizing about good things, like a pot of stew that never emptied, or a blanket that kept you warm on the coldest night. It soon evolved into a game where we'd list our something good for that week. And whoever found theirs had to buy the others a round."

"I bet you were good at it."

He shook his head. "I got drunk a lot."

"You were that bad at getting what you wanted?"

"Nah, I was just that bad at wishing."

Her gaze softened slightly. "What did you wish for?"

"A simple thing." A woman to love him as he was, with all his strange ways of thinking and his love of tinkering.

Her fingers trembled against his pulse. "And what was that?"

"It's not important."

"Slade ..."

He loved how she said his name, soft with a husky undertone that caressed his senses with the delicacy of a touch. "What?"

"Back in your day, how often did you do without?"

"Not that much. We grew up fast."

She licked her lips. Her hand dropped to his shoulder. "I was asking about you."

Pulling her into his arms, he wrapped a mental wall around the lingering shame she harbored, burying it beneath all the light he could furnish from his own dark soul. "I know, but there are better things to talk about."

"Like what?"

"Like how much I'd like to kiss you right now."

Her lips plumped. Her scent spiced. His c.o.c.k throbbed. And his soul yearned.

"We have test results to study." She sighed.

He eased his chest to hers. "I'm too tired."

Of many things beyond the pressure the afternoon put on his alertness, Jane was beginning to suspect. She tried to imagine what it would be like to face forever. To outlive all you knew. To say good-bye over and over. To not love because the pain would be too much to bear when they aged and died. To want but never have. To have everything but nothing at all.

"Did you at least store the samples?"

He sighed and rubbed his thumb over her lips. "Of course. I even started a few of the longer tests."

"Good."

"Which means, we've got time to kill."

"So you took care of everything?"

"Yup."

Twisting against him, moving with him when he took a harsh breath, Jane smiled. She did like how Slade responded to her. "You do know how to turn a woman on."

"Oh?"

Scooting over in the bed, she made a place for him. "'Oh'? After nearly two centuries the only response you have to a woman propositioning you is 'oh'?"

Sliding into position beside her, he smiled that smile that made her pulse skip. "Only when they knock me off my feet."

His big body filled the s.p.a.ce she'd created, inviting hers to tumble against his. She could have resisted. Maybe she should have, but unlike that time in her life when she'd made s.e.x self-punishment, she wasn't going to wake up tomorrow with regrets piling on top of shame. So she let herself fall, coming to rest against Slade. His arm immediately came around her, tucking her in. No, this wasn't going to be like that.

Linking her hands behind Slade's neck, Jane savored the hard curve of muscle tickling her palms. "Is that a way of saying you don't mind being propositioned by a nerdy professor?"

His torso shifted along hers, gliding with an ease that should've been belied by his weight. It was fascinating. It was erotic. Even more so when he pinned her with a leg across her hips and smiled that bad-boy grin that sent her heart to pitter pattering. "That's my way of saying you've got too many clothes on."

Sliding her thighs between his, she hummed in her throat. "Maybe you can remedy that."

The narrowing of his eyes made her glad she wasn't a shy virgin out for her first journey into love. Tonight was going to be powerful. Hot. Everything she'd ever dreamed of and never found. Slade was the type of man to test a woman's limits. It was the scientist in him. He couldn't help it. And the scientist in her couldn't wait. The woman was already softening to receive him.

"A challenge?"

"Absolutely."

Catching her hand in his, he pressed them into the mattress above her shoulders. "You should know no Johnson has ever resisted a challenge."

"I don't see how that works out to be a loss for me."

The corner of his mouth twitched up. "Good."

She waited for the shame, but it didn't come. She wasn't punishing herself with Slade. Slade was a gift.

His grin softened to a sensual smile. "I like being your gift."

He'd read her mind. She didn't care. Sparks of excitement gathered in little bundles of sensation that wrapped around her senses, bathing her in of wash of antic.i.p.ation that verged on unbearable. She shivered under the onslaught and kissed his chest through the parting of his shirt. The warmth of his skin was a small balm to her overheated senses. The caress of his energy stole her breath.

"How do you do that?" she groaned.

"Do what?"

She probably shouldn't tell him, but what was the point of being reckless if she didn't go all the way? "Make me feel as if I can't take my next breath if you're not part of it."

"Son of a b.i.t.c.h."

The curse was harsh. Reverent. Hungry. A warning of the onslaught to come. She opened her mouth and her senses. Inviting him in. Nothing in his kiss was reverent. It was a primal claiming. Mouth to mouth. Tongue to tongue. Soul to soul. And she went eagerly, relishing the way Slade plundered her mouth, demanding everything. And everything he demanded, she gave. Willingly with everything inside of her. This was right. So right. Her man. The skirt of the nightgown twisted around her legs, trapping her when she wanted to be free.

It was her turn to swear. His turn to chuckle. In the next second, there was the sound of material tearing before cool air washed over her sensitive skin. Then her leg was free. She stretched it out, shivering as the roughness of his jeans delicately abraded her sensitive inner thigh. She smiled and caught Slade's hand, bringing it to her lips, not flinching at the sight of his talons.

"I do like the way you get to the heart of the problem."

He stilled. "I don't believe in wasting time."

She knew why he tensed. Holding his gaze, she bit the softer flesh at the base of his index finger. He was worried she feared his vampire side. "This is part of you, too."

His gaze darkened as she set to work on his shirt b.u.t.tons. "I wish ..."

"What?"

He shook his head. "I wish I'd met you before."

Before he'd become vampire. She pushed the shirt off his shoulders. "I'll make you a deal. You don't apologize for who you are and I won't apologize for who I am."

"You serious?"

"Yup."

"s.h.i.t." His hand curled around hers. His talons touched her skin but did not pierce. He was always so careful with her. "You're reckless."

"You like it."

"I do, and I promise ..."

She shook her head, and put her fingers over his lips. She wasn't a foolish woman. She knew this couldn't last. She didn't want to be converted even if she could be. But she could make memories. "The only promise I want to hear is the one in which you tell me how good you're going to make me feel tonight."

Another laugh and a smile that kicked his mouth up at the corner. His fangs nipped her fingertips. His talons skimmed up the inside of her arm. "Honey, I'm going to spend all night lingering over you. I'm going to make you scream. And make you beg. And when you don't think you can stand it anymore, I'm going to give you everything you ever dreamed of."

"Oh yes!" She wanted that. Her nerves were already leaping, and between her legs, those little flickers of sensation were multiplying, encompa.s.sing everything until she ached for the touch of his hand on her shoulder, the brush of his lips on her breast, the tap of his tongue on her c.l.i.t.

Closing her eyes, Jane projected the longing toward Slade. His breath sucked in. His body tightened, and for an emotion-packed moment, she thought she could actually hear his pulse leap. As experiments went, this one was by far the most stimulating. To be so connected to a lover that your excitement was his ... She shifted on the bed and held the mental image. It was- Perfect.

"Yes."

The mattress dipped as Slade changed positions. His lips brushed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Fire shot to her core. Taking advantage of her shift, he slid down her body, skin caressing skin as he nibbled his way down her torso. Her breath caught and her pulse stopped a second before catching the rhythm of his. She closed her eyes, letting the sensation pour over her, his emotions pour over her. Hot. Demanding. Possessive.

His. She was his.

She pulled away from the thought.

No. She didn't want that. Didn't want forever.

Yes. Feel me. Feel how perfect.

Suddenly, she didn't have any choice. He was there in her mind, there in her senses, tempting her pleasure, feeding her hunger. "Oh G.o.d, I want you."

"Good."

Kissing the inside of her thigh, he lingered on that plump spot near the top she'd always thought so ugly. And made it beautiful. d.a.m.n him. He was always making things beautiful for her. His fangs tested the flesh. She should be pushing him away. Instead she was pulling him closer. "Don't fight me, Jane. Not tonight."

Emotion stroked over her. Strong. Masculine. Needing. He didn't fight fair. She could have resisted seduction. Fought enthrallment, but what could she do with need? The man needed her. So much. Physically, mentally. He needed to be with her. The way she needed to be with him. This wasn't her trying to make something of nothing. This wasn't her fooling herself. This was real. And she was helpless as he before it. With a moan, she gave in.

"No. No fighting tonight." She drew up her leg, making it easier for him to explore further. Wanting him to find whatever limits she held and push her past them. "But please, could you focus somewhere else."

He chuckled. "I like this spot. It's soft and sweet and begs a nibble."

What could she say to that? That she didn't want his attention? That would be a lie. His kisses bathed her skin in fire, and she couldn't wait to burn. "You're beautiful, honey. All of you."

She wasn't, but he made her feel beautiful, and such a feeling needed to be nurtured, explored.

She'd never felt beautiful before.

"Now, that's a shame." He touched the sensitive spot with his tongue.

She slid her fingers through his hair, not caring that he was reading her mind. The strands were cool, his lips hot. She held him to her, not wanting the feeling to go away. Not wanting him to go away.

"Slade."

The edge of his teeth grazed her skin. Her breath suspended in her lungs. Was he going to bite her? Was she afraid he would or wouldn't?

"Shall I continue?"

He had to be feeling that she did. "You know the answer."

With a soft kiss he released her from the tension. "With you, I'm not taking anything for granted."

"Then yes."

"Good." His tongue flicked over the crease between her hip and thigh. Hot. So hot. Jane grabbed his head, pulling his mouth to her as she growled, "Just don't make me regret this."

Chuckling, he kissed the pad of her p.u.s.s.y, teasing her with a b.u.t.terfly touch of his tongue. Every nerve ending in the vicinity turned to liquid fire. "You don't need to worry, honey. I'll keep you safe. No matter what."

He had to, because she couldn't keep herself safe. Not tonight with his breath on her skin, misting over her c.l.i.t, her hope. His hands slid up her torso, cupping her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. b.r.e.a.s.t.s she'd always felt were too small but now felt perfect in the way they fit in his hands. Just right in the way they responded to the stroke of his fingers. Jane shifted on the bed as heat engulfed her. Fire. Everywhere was fire. She was burning from the inside out, but it was the most blissful heat filled with a need that blended with his energy, threading through pa.s.sion and desire, finding his pa.s.sion, dragging it toward her. So good. His energy felt so good.

Slade stroked his tongue through the folds of her p.u.s.s.y, not rushing but lingering, savoring. As connected as they were there was no way she could miss how much he enjoyed her taste, her pleasure.

"Sweet."

Yes, it was sweet and hot. So very, very hot. Hotter than she'd ever dreamed. A wildfire out of control. Wrapping her fingers tighter in his hair, Jane pulled Slade close, and when his tongue swirled across her oversensitized c.l.i.t, pushing him away, not knowing if she could stand this. Not knowing if she wanted to.

"Oh my G.o.d, Slade."

"Burn for me."

She couldn't do anything else. Pulling him closer, she pressed up into his mouth, into the pleasure, into the burn. The likes of which she'd never known before. She'd had other lovers, but always with them she'd held a piece of herself back, and she wanted to hold herself back here, but her will was nothing against the pleasure he lavished on her. Slade drove her forward with the lash of his tongue, the pinch of his fingers. Sweet pain bit into her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, quickly melting into a pleasure that pulsed outward, building as his tongue swirled around her c.l.i.t, settling into an ache. Her p.u.s.s.y flowered with need, softened, invited ...