“I know. I should have realized that. You’re always very considerate of my feelings, and I usually forget to notice. I appreciate it, Aleksei. I truly do.” There, that was nice. Polite even. High road. Nosebleed.
Immediately, his face softened and he pulled her close, hugging her in the shelter of his arms. “I am four hundred years old, piccola. In that time I have been with a virgin or two, even if it was before I was turned. It was always very important that the setting, the time, the mood, all be just right for the moment. I simply wanted to give you something which no one else thought to do.”
Allowing herself a moment of honest vulnerability, she responded, “I know. I always wished that the first time could have been different. I just never admitted it to myself before.”
Smiling and stroking her hair, Aleksei whispered, almost to himself, “And we reach another milestone in the growth and development of Gillian Key.”
“I heard that.”
“I love you.” He chuckled, reaching down to pat her bottom affectionately.
“I know,” she muttered against his chest, gritting her teeth. She was now a virgin with a guaranteed date for Aleksei’s Vampire version of prom night. This was just simply fucking fascinating.
Key to Redemption Page 32
