Page 45 of Don't Bite the Botanist
“How the fuck do you run so fast?”
I’m a vampire.
The words were on the tip of her tongue. She’d planned to wait until the end of the day, but maybe this was the perfect time to tell him. It was becoming more difficult to endure his anti-vampire comments without feeling like they were a smack in the face.
She should just confess to him what she was so they could start the healing process. And the trailhead was as good a place as any. They were secluded, so he couldn’t exactly escape. He said runs always put him in an upbeat mood, and exhaustion aside, he’d been all smiles on the trail. Plus, she wasn’t entirely sure how long she could last when the urge to throw him up against one of those giant tree and fuck his brains out kept getting stronger the more time she spent around him.
I’m a vampire.
She just needed to open her mouth and say those three words. Those three life-altering words. Once she spoke them, everything would change, but maybe, just maybe, it would be for the best. Three words to tell him the truth, and then she could deal with the fallout, however bad it was.
Just three little words.
“I’m a vampire,” Tressa said.
Ethan laughed and pushed off the car. “Good one. That would explain a lot. But there’s only one problem with that…”
Tressa bit her lip. “Um, what’s that?”
Ethan stared at her for a second, then stepped closer, his breathing heavy but no longer uncontrolled. He brushed a lock of hair off her forehead and grinned. “You’re way too sweet to be a monster.”
He leaned in, and Tressa went still.
Was he finally going to kiss her?
Wait, should she let him? And if she did, could she bring herself to stop before things went too far? She wanted to say yes, but at the same time, a resoundingnoechoed in her brain.
On the other hand, shehadtold him the truth, so technically she was no longer deceiving him. Was it really her fault if he didn’t believe her?
His lips brushed against hers, and sparks of lightning exploded under her skin, making her entire body tingle in the best way. She wanted to sink into his embrace and never leave. If he was willing, then who was she to push him away? Everything she wanted was right there in her arms.
Only he didn’treallyknow the truth, and she couldn’t deny that he’d been very clear about how important consent was for him when it came to sex. So, as much as she yearned to say ‘fuck it’ and take what she wanted, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Not to her mate.
Breaking the kiss, she took a step back.
Dang,she thought.Apparently he isn’t the only one with willpower.Though she wasn’t entirely sure that was a good thing considering the nearly painful throbbing between her legs.
“I’m sorry,” Ethan said, running a hand through his sweaty hair. “I shouldn’t have done that. I just… I forgot for a second. About everything.”
“No,” Tressa said, placing a hand on his arm. “I wanted you to. I still want you to. You have no idea howmuchI want you to. But when you kiss me, I want all of you to be with all of me. I want you to see me completely.”
Ethan fiddled with the drawstring on his running shorts, refusing to meet her eyes. “You’re right. I know I’ve been preoccupied with training to kill the vamp, and you deserve more than half my attention.”
She stifled a groan. He thought it was about him? The only thing about her mate that was so typically male was his ego. Not that she could blame him. He had no idea the monumental secret she was hiding.
“It’s not that, Ethan. I can’t fault you for wanting to get revenge for your friend. Or hell, revenge for yourself after what she did to you.”
Tressa tried not to look, but she couldn’t help it. Her eyes landed on the nasty scar at the base of his neck. It would always be there. That reminder of what one of her kind had done to him.
Ethan’s hand went to the scar and lingered on it for a moment. “Yeah, but still. It’s not fair to you. None of this is fair to you. I’ve taken over your life with my vendetta, and I don’t even know what’s going to happen after—”
“Stop,” Tressa interjected. “Let’s worry about later when it gets here.”
Not the healthiest response, but Tressa wasn’t ready to risk losing Ethan’s presence just yet. Her idea of telling him the truth when he was rocking a post run high was gone, but surely her next destination would perk his mood back up.
“Hey,” she said, her lips curling up in a smile. “How do you feel about ice cream?”
“You know, I was pleasantly surprised by your choice of running trail, but I can’t say I’m optimistic about this decision.”
