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But for Rosamund, meeting Declan is so much more than exploring his home library, as she knows his secret. His deepest one. The one she knows he treasures above all others. She knows that he... is her favorite author.
And as a vampire who hoarded books like the dragons of myth hoarded their wealth... it was a major inconvenience.
What could she possibly do that would have the blend of leather and grass and vanilla and tobacco all clinging to her like a second skin? He had to know... And he had to see if the freckles which trailed across her throat were also on the inside of her thighs.
She was thoroughly wrapped up in whatever book she was holding, and he found that, for the first time in a very long time, he was more interested in the person holding the book than the book itself.
He was entrapped, lured in by her expressive eyes and sultry lips and enchanting bookish aura, and he... he was willing to walk directly into it, if only to learn a little more.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” “A beautiful woman with a love for old books which rivals my own? Why wouldn’t I be looking at you?”
“I’m Declan, and I have a love for older books and manuscripts. I enjoy finding old and worn treasures which haven’t been touched in years and restoring them to life. And, I happen to enjoy reading the pages within, although I will admit I have not read every book within my collection, because, as you mentioned, collecting books and reading books are two separate hobbies. And, while I will admit that I first entered this shop in search of treasures from a recent estate sale, I find the company in front of me much more interesting than anything on these shelves.”
“And what is the oldest book in your personal collection?” he asked, leaning forward slightly. He was asking, for real. He was asking because he was interested. He was… Was it getting hot? Why was she flustered? Was he next going to ask how many bookshelves she had and how full they were? This was... Was she turned on by this? Wait, of course, she was. She was a bookworm. A book hoarder. A book dragon. A library troll. She was a bibliophile.
He wanted this man dead, never again to look at another woman again. To never look at her again. Rosamund.
He wanted her body under his and over his and he wanted her in his library, among his books, in front of the fireplace, and in his bed. He wanted her wearing his shirts, with the front pulled tight to accommodate her breasts. Wanted to tuck her hair behind her ear, to touch her cheek.
He wanted her as his companion. Wanted her by his side for all the days ahead. Wanted her as she was, right in this moment, preserved for all time.
She felt like freaking Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and the child in her, the one who knew every word to every song from the animated film, leapt for joy. The woman in her was pressing her thighs together, trying to remind herself that showing off his library was not a form of foreplay... ... Okay, no, there was no point in lying to herself. This was definitely foreplay.
“A book can take you somewhere,” Rosamund said suddenly, her head tilted to the side. “A bookshelf can take you anywhere. A library can take you everywhere.”
Vampires were real. A vampire. He was a vampire. A monster of old lore. And she was unbelievably horny because of it.
“Never before have I craved a creature as much as I crave you,” Declan murmured, his voice lower in tone. When he looked up at her, his eyes had gone black, only to then return brown. He was fighting the monster within him, if she had to guess. “Not just your blood, nor your body, but also your mind. Your passion. I crave you exactly like this, and would never wish you to change.”
“My attraction to you is limitless. I crave you intellectually, yes, but also carnally. I would know your body, every soft dip, every sound you make, every desire you hold, ever...”
“Oh, yes. My jaw will be quite the throne for you. I long to feel your thighs on either side of my head, gripping me. You will always be welcome to sit on it.”
“You forget, my dear, that I am dead. I don’t breathe. You can sit on my face for hours, without pause, cumming on my tongue over and over again until you cannot move. And even then, I’ll still devour you.”
He wanted nothing in between them. Wanted only her, for all eternity.
