“Your blood?”

“Yes.”

Her tongue lapped at the punctures in his skin, licking the blood before the wounds closed.

“Like smoke. Spicy. Rich.”

He smiled. “Like your favorite foods.”

She cocked her head, smiling at him. “Yeah, I guess so. That’s convenient.” She grinned, then leaned down to taste again. “You’re like… my own hot sauce.”

He burst into laughter. “That’s what I get for marrying a Texan.”

Giovanni pulled her up to kiss her lips and taste his blood on her tongue. It was startlingly arousing.

“And I think I discovered why the food here is so bland.”

“Yes,” he brushed a hand through her hair. “When they cook for vampires, it’s very mild. Your taste buds will be heightened for quite some time. I think it was ten years before I tasted any food that didn’t seem too strong. Like everything else, you will adapt.”

“Gio?”

“Hmm?” His lips moved along her neck, nipping and testing the soft skin.

“What do I taste like? Is it different now?”

“The same,” he breathed out, “except perhaps a little stronger, sweeter.”

Giovanni had always loved the flavor of her blood and had worried about taking too much for that reason alone when she was human. Now, it wasn’t an issue. What they took from each other couldn’t harm them when they were exchanging blood. He could already feel his energy swirling inside his mate, heightening their connection and their pleasure.

Beatrice slid down and nibbled across his waist before she sank her teeth in the other side of his waist, her fang marks mirror images in his perfect, sculpted body.

He pulled her up to meet his mouth again, as his fingers fluttered along the crease of her thigh.

“I’m keeping you locked in our room for the next several nights. Just in case you had any plans, cancel them. No working. No training. You’re mine.”

“Oh?” she gasped as he rolled her onto her back. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Yes. I’ll have them deliver some blood to us. That’s all we need.”

Her fingers traced the arch of his brow. “I just need you.”

Giovanni pressed his hips into hers, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. They kissed leisurely for what could have been minutes or hours. Time had lost all meaning to him.

“I want to stay with you forever,” he whispered, looking into her eyes. “I want the world to go away.”

Beatrice lifted a hand to his cheek, stroking it and igniting another surge of desire. “I do, too.” She closed her eyes and arched up. “Love me now.”

“I will love you always.”

It was a quiet knock on the door some days later that finally roused them out of their safe cocoon. Tenzin stood in the hall with a solemn look on her face. Giovanni wrapped himself in a sheet and stood silent in the doorway, listening, but still refusing to speak to her.

“I have a message from the Elders.”

He cocked an eyebrow.

“Lan is on the way home.”

His heart dropped in his chest, and he finally spoke.

“How long?”

“Two weeks.”

Giovanni nodded and shut the door. He walked back to the bedroom, wrapping Beatrice in his arms as she drifted in her daytime rest.

Chapter Sixteen

Penglai Mountain, China

November 2010

“I need to talk to you about something.”

Beatrice looked up from the bowl of noodles. She was eating a light meal after rising for the evening. “What’s up?”

She had discovered she was better able to eat some mild foods and was more comfortable with a little in her stomach. Between that and all the blood she had been drinking, both his own and human, Giovanni was satisfied Beatrice was as strong as she could be. Her control was impressive, her amnis was surprisingly powerful, but she was still young. He only hoped she could avoid any sort of serious physical confrontation for some time, though her intense training with Tenzin and Baojia seemed to be paying off.

“Tenzin came to the door as you were falling asleep this morning. Elder Lan will be back in two weeks.”

She didn’t look frightened, only resigned. “I guess we have two more weeks of what I’m considering our honeymoon, then.”

Giovanni laughed. “This is our honeymoon?”

She shrugged. “Well, we did spend time in Cochamó, but that just feels like home. And with the move and everything, we didn’t really get to take one after we came back. Then we came here and I started training so much… so, yeah.”

“I would like to point out that if you had let me tell anyone we were married, they might have been more understanding and allowed us some time away.”

“You did tell a few ‘someones’ we were married.” She rolled her eyes. “Apparently when I was unconscious. I haven’t heard the end of it.”

Giovanni only laughed and came to sit next to her on the chaise. He pulled her feet into his lap. “I want to take you to Italy when all this is over. I’d like to take you there for a long trip. Maybe that can be our real honeymoon.”

“Can’t be too long. Ben’s going to forget about us one of these days. We are the worst fake aunt and uncle in history.”

“I very much doubt that he’ll forget us. He’ll be fine. Maybe…” He cocked his head. “Maybe if we go, we could take him with us.”