Chapter Sixty-two

Bram’s hand went to her cheek. “Don’t ask me to feed from you again.” He smiled, rubbing her ear and neck.

“It made you feel better though, didn’t it?” She asked her body seemed to relax. Though she didn’t drop the blankets covering her.

He nodded, this time, he looked away from her. “It did. But I nearly didn’t stop. Not from the one thing you asked me to make sure I didn’t do, and I nearly took too much. I worried all night long that I didn’t stop in time.”

“You didn’t sleep?” That got him to look back up at her, but he was frowning. “You feel this way, though we didn’t do the one thing I said not too, right? And clearly I’m fine.” Was she really arguing with him now? Did she have no self-preservation?

“I almost didn’t stop.” His eyes were cold as he looked at her. “And I stayed awake all night because I was afraid I took too much from you. Izabella, I don’t think you realize—”

“What I realize,” She spoke over him, “Is that you did exactly what you said you would do. It may have been hard, and it may have been close, but you didn’t hurt me, Bram.” Her hand reached out, touching his arm. “Give yourself credit where it is due.”

No. He didn’t want her telling him he did well last night. He knew better. Something like this wouldn’t have happened with someone else. “I won’t put your life on the line like that again.” He said coldly. “I can’t. Feeding isn’t something that I can live without. I could have gone another century like that and been fine. I’ve lived for over a thousand years, Izabella. What I don’t think I could have lived with was hurting you any more than I did.”

“But you didn’t.” She argued. Her arms kept slipping down, distracting him. “There may have been a little pain, but knowing you feel better—”

“Isn’t worth your life.” He covered her mouth.

Izabella pushed his hand away, pulling it into her lap. Which wasn’t less distracting. “You are acting like it would matter. How many people have come to that peaceful end with you?” He couldn’t bring himself to smile or be happy about such a foolish comment.

Bram did something he’d only done once before. Pulling her to his chest, he hugged her close. “I didn’t care about any of them. Hear me now, I would be far worse off if I lost you. I would hate myself for the rest of my numbered days if anything happened to you. Especially if it was because of me. For Devon’s sake, never ask me to feed off you again. He would hate me for an eternity.”

Izabella wrapped her arms around his waist, and he shivered as she started to run her nails over his back. “So, you do care.”

“Of course I do.” Her comment made his heart drop. Had she thought otherwise? Had he given her a reason to? “I have for days. You came into my life like a hurricane, and no matter what destruction you brought, I welcomed it. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on Devon that he was to be my son. My heir to everything. I knew from the moment I was able to drag you out of my apartment, despite bleeding in my kitchen, that this was more than I had ever hoped for. I cannot hurt you.” When those amazing eyes of hers looked up at him, he couldn’t stop himself from seizing her lips with his own. He was a fool. He should kick her out of the house. Give her what she needed to be comfortable for the rest of her life. Hadn’t she done enough already? Making someone like him feel alive was *NOT* and easy task. He’d lived longer than most of the elders. Far beyond any ancients. Even with Tyler, he’d never felt this kind of pull before.

As his lips parted from hers, it was hard not to realize that the banket was now piled in their laps, and she was panting in his mouth. “Bram?”

“Yeah?”

“It would be safer if we had sex, wouldn’t it?” Reeling away from her, Bram left the bed. He was telling her not to ask this of him, and here she was, arguing about what he was telling her. It was a disaster. He immediately went to his closet to grab clothes. He couldn’t do that. He didn’t want to take away her dreams. Yet, her plea wasn’t falling on deaf ears. It was hard, because it’s what he wanted too. Just… for other reasons.

What he wasn’t expecting was her to follow, naked as a newborn babe, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I would do it for you. I know you can’t have a wedding in a church. I know you’re not human. But I would give myself to you if it meant you would be happy and comfortable. Even if it is just a short while. I know the time I have isn’t like what you have left. Yet, here I stand, offering all I have.”

He’d heard it before. Many women in time had offered him their all. Many had met the end of their day for it. He didn’t want that for her. Not that. “Are you just looking for a reason to give up your soul to the devil?” He looked at her, hard and fierce, trying to make her realize exactly what she was asking of him.

“No. Not the devil. Just you.” When those serine and joyful eyes looked up at him, he couldn’t help but be captivated.

“Then you’re more of a fool than I thought.” He grumbled. Pulling away as he put his own clothes on. “There are children waiting in the living room. They’re starting to argue. I need to go out and figure out what is happening with them.” He said, and this finally seemed to bring her to her senses.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking of the children.” What an odd statement for her to make. Wasn’t that that the reason she was here in the first place?

***

Looking at the closet, and what Bram was trying to do, suddenly caught up with her. Was she a complete idiot? He wanted her to care for the children. That’s what he had hired her for. Stepping away, she felt like he’d pushed her under a rug. That wall of his was too hard to break. Letting him go, she stepped away. “I know I should know this, but, did I bring any clothes into the room?” Completely ashamed of being naked in front of him, her face burned as red as the accents in his room.

“Yeah. You brough red underwear and your ‘bite me’ shirt.” This made him smile at her. She looked away, feeling embarrassed. Was she trying to test him with every move? “I’m not going to lie, what you came out of the bathroom wearing only that—” was all she heard. Izabella rushed to the bathroom, and there sat her shirt from the previous day and bicycle shorts. She changed, putting on the bite me shirt and the shorts. His eyes narrowed as she came into the room. The “bite me” shirt still all he could see.

“Sorry, let me go make sure the kiddos are good. I wasn’t thinking.” As she scampered out of the room, Bram stared at the closed door without any idea what he should do.

“I’m so sorry. Has everyone eaten?” She asked, joining the kids in the living room. Everyone seemed happy. Except Devon.

“They said you were their mom.” Devon looked up at her with those impossible to refuse blue eyes, weren’t those the same eyes Bram had caught her with in the first place? “I want you to be my mom too.” He pouted.

Izabella couldn’t help but giggle. “I’m sorry everyone, but I’m not the mom. I’m the nanny. That’ll just have to do.”