Page 49 of Vampire's Cupcake
"I'm serious.I don't want to see you hurt.And if you were to get hurt, all hell would break loose.I don't know what the idiots on the board are thinking."
"They think they can rule Last Hope."
Eli huffed, but fear was evident in his eyes."I don't know what to do, Thano."
It wasn't his job to do anything.Thano moved closer still and rested his cheek against Eli's chest.He smelled nice.Soapy and clean and like Eli.Closing his eyes, Thano listened to the beat of his heart.
"What are we doing?"
"Standing."
Eli nuzzled his hair."I meant, why are you in my arms?"He hugged him tighter, and Thano almost groaned.
"I don't know.I see you, and I want to be in your arms.It's weird but nice."
"Weird?"
Thano shrugged."I'm a vampire.I'm the leader of The Moonlight Ranch.People don't touch me."
Eli stiffened, which wasn't what he wanted."Vampires don't..."
"Bond?Sure they do."
"Bond?"
Thano tilted his head and looked up, but he mostly saw beard.Eli bent his head until they had eye contact.
"Like shifters mate, only we have a blood bond."
Eli scrunched his nose."And it's like...marriage?"
Thano rolled his eyes."No, not like marriage.Humans don't take marriage seriously.When a vampire bonds with someone, it's for life.Not like humans who say they'll be together till they die and then fornicate with other people the next week."
Eli snorted a laugh.
"What?"
"Nothing.Nothing."
Thano was pretty sure it was something because Eli's eyes were sparkling with amusement."You realize it's illegal here, right?"
"Fornication?"
This time Eli laughed for real."No, they're in favor of that, but only as long as it's between a man and a woman."
Thano scrunched his nose.He'd done it a few times, mostly out of curiosity.He'd been convinced it had to be mind-blowing since humans were willing to ruin their lives for it, or at least their marriages and sometimes their jobs, but no.But then, one time he'd gone into an alley to feed, and there had been two men.It had changed everything.He liked females, respected females, but he didn't want to touch them unless he was feeding.
Thano reached for Eli and pulled him down so he could touch his lips to his.Eli made a surprised sound but held Thano tighter.He slid his tongue over the seam of Thano's mouth, then pushed in.Thano let him, and a small sound left him as the kiss deepened.
Eli's big hands roamed over Thano's back, down to his ass, and Thano wanted to crawl inside him.His body was afire, and he wanted to rub himself on Eli, which had to be weird, right?He slid his hands over his shoulders, down his arms, only to then rest them on his hips.Eli's cock grew hard against Thano's abdomen, and another sound left him without permission.
When he slipped his fingers under the hem of Eli's shirt and up his sides, Eli groaned and broke free of the kiss."This is dangerous."
Was he afraid of him?"I won't bite you if you don't want me to."He wanted to.Badly.He wanted to fasten his lips to Eli's throat and carefully sink his fangs into his flesh.He wanted his blood on his tongue.
"What?"Eli leaned back so fast, he banged the back of his head against the door jamb.
Thano stared at him."You didn't mean biting?"
