Dark Slayer

She was silent, contemplating his question, turning it over and over in her mind. She just felt ridiculous feeling about him the way that she did. Why couldn't she let herself go in the way that he did?

«I don't think I know how to be a woman.» She didn't know how else to say it.

Razvan turned on his side and propped himself up on his elbow. «Ivory, you are my woman. You do not have to be like any other. I do not want any other. There is no comparison. Be who you are. Make no apologies, certainly not to me.» A small smile curved his mouth and he leaned forward to brush kisses over her mouth. «I love the way you are, that little reluctance you have to tell me I am the greatest man in all the world.»

His soft laughter stroked over her skin. He sounded so boyish, carefree even, less inhibited for the first time in his life.

He managed to climb to his feet and lifted her, cradling her in his arms as if she were as light as a child. «You have worn me out, warrior woman.»

Ivory couldn't help laughing. «If you were truly the greatest man in all the world, you would not be worn out. You would be ready to service my every need.»

His eyebrow shot up. «I believe that is a challenge.» He fastened his mouth to hers as he took her through to the next room where the water spilled out of the rock wall into the smooth basin. «I am more than up for servicing your every need.» He whispered the words against her mouth, his tongue flicking over her lips, savoring her taste.

«Really? I am not quite as certain.» She used her haughtiest tone.

He dropped her into the water. She came up sputtering to find him standing there, hands on his hips, the water lapping at his thighs.

«That was so mean.»

«You deserved it.»

«Maybe I did,» she agreed, laughing.

He was teaching her how to have fun. To play. To take each moment they had together and live it well. In the spirit of learning, she sent up a plume of water with deadly aim. The water shot over his face and splashed down his chest.

«I thought you might need a little cooling off.»

His eyebrow rose. Amusement lit his eyes. «I think you just declared war.»

She stuck out her chin. «I think I did.»

The water fight was fast and furious. Water geysered nearly to the ceiling and splashed against the wall. Twice he launched himself at her, bringing her down like a crocodile might its prey, rolling her under the water before she could wiggle away from him and surface to attack again.

She threw herself at him, arms circling his neck, and body slammed him, taking them both under and when they came up, they rested on the side of the warm pool and let the bubbles fizz against their skin.

She rubbed her arms and glanced upward as if she might be able to see the sky. «I can always tell when the sun is about to rise. My skin prickles and becomes uncomfortable. Most Carpathians can stay out in the early morning hours but I cannot.»

«Not at all?»

She rested one hip against the smooth basin and wrung out her hair. «My skin is so fair, all the years spent in the ground away from even moonlight while I was healing, and I get burned. More like a light sunburn, I guess, but I blister fairly easily.» She smiled at him as a memory came to her. «Once, I found a bottle of sunblock a hiker had dropped. I tried it.»

He tucked her hair behind her ear. «I take it that didn't go very well.»

«Not really, no.»

«Have you tried staying up longer while you are here, underground?»

She rubbed her arms again, shivering a little. «Sometimes when I get working on experimenting with new chemicals to hold the vampire in place, I do not feel the sensation for a while, but most of the time, I am so uneasy, I just go to ground.»

«Your formula to coat your weapons is brilliant.»

She sent him a quick, pleased smile, a little shy when he gave her compliments. «I am still working on it. It needs to last a little longer before their blood eats through it. The more time I give myself, by preventing them from shifting, the more of an edge I have.»

«We have,» he corrected.

She nodded. «We have,» she agreed.

«Is your skin hurting now?» Razvan asked, clearly prepared to carry her back to their bedchamber.

«Not really. It is close to dawn though. Very close.»

She liked being with him. She hadn't thought she would. She had been alone for so long she thought it would be uncomfortable to share her space with him, but she enjoyed his sense of humor. He was an intelligent man, quick-witted yet he lacked an ego, which might have made it difficult for someone like her to be with a partner. He was peaceful, and she often found herself wanting to just stand beside him, to feel the way his serenity radiated from him to surround and hold her. Truthfully, she found him sexy and rather intoxicating.

Razvan smiled at her. «I am reading your mind.»

She tossed her head. «Do not read too much into whatever I was thinking.»