“You back with me, sweetheart?”

Humming in acknowledgment of the question, Aiden Rolston pried open his eyelids. He turned his head and smiled over his shoulder at Garrett Morrison. His body pinged deliciously with aftershocks.

Gods, I love this vampire.

Just as quickly, Aiden forced himself to remember another key fact.

I’m not his beloved.

But I’ll damn sure enjoy him for as long as I can.

Garrett’s answering smile was full of love that caused an answering flutter in Aiden’s chest.

“I’m here,” Aiden whispered, not wanting to break the moment.

Rubbing his palm down Aiden’s torso with his right hand, Garrett nuzzled his neck with soft lips. “Good. Love seeing you blissed-out with pleasure.” His left arm was trapped under Aiden’s body, and the vampire used it to clutch him to his torso. “Your body feels so perfect against mine.”

Aiden hummed as he flexed his chute muscles. “And the fact that you like to keep your semi-hard dick in me for several minutes has nothing to do with it?”

“You love it, too,” Garrett countered with a roll of his hips, making his still swollen length massage Aiden’s inner walls. After a nip to Aiden’s shoulder and another slow rut, Garrett rumbled, “Admit it.”

“Oh, gods, I do,” Aiden replied huskily. When Garrett rubbed his hand over his plump belly and down to his groin to tease his shaved flesh, he groaned. “St-Stop,” he whined, shivering in his lover’s hold. “I-I have to work.”

As a donor in the Rutherford coven located on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Aiden worked part-time on the coven grounds, same as all the others. He pulled his weight in exchange for food, lodging, a decent wage, and the privilege of offering his blood to any vampire he wished. Of course, for almost the last three years, Aiden had only shared himself with Garrett.

“I know, sweetheart,” Garrett replied, stilling his movements. “I didn’t mean to tease.”

When Garrett cupped his jaw and urged him to turn his head, Aiden did so. He accepted a slow, thorough kiss while feeling the vampire ease his dick out of his ass. When Garrett broke away, he rolled Aiden to his back and leaned over him while threading his fingers through Aiden’s hair.

“Have dinner with me this evening after you’re done,” Garrett murmured, his voice soft and intimate. “I have the evening shift at the guardhouse tonight. I start at eight, but I want to see you again first.” His brown eyes sparkled with renewed hunger as he stared at him. “Carino’s at five?”

Aiden nodded eagerly. “Yeah.”

After pecking another kiss to Aiden’s lips, Garrett grinned. “Good.” He slid off the bed. “Come on.” Holding out his hand, Garrett gave Aiden’s reclining form an appreciative once-over. “If you don’t get out of my bed right now”—he wiggled his fingers—“you’re going to be late.”

As much as Aiden would love another round on Garrett’s thick rod, he knew he didn’t have time. He groaned as he took the vampire’s hand and pushed from the bed. Once on his own feet, Aiden released Garrett and took a step backward, lifting his hands to warn the bigger man away.

“No, I’ll clean myself up,” Aiden declared when Garrett took a step toward him. “If you help, I’ll still be late.”

Garrett rested his hands on his hips and growled softly. “Fine. I know you’re right.”

For a few seconds, Aiden couldn’t help but stop and stare. Naked, his feet braced apart and his hands on his hips, Garrett was a thing of masculine perfection. His lean and toned runner’s build sported plenty of muscle definition in all the right places. Not one scar marred his sun-bronzed skin. Aiden loved burying his fingers in Garrett’s dark brown hair, which fell to his shoulder blades in thick waves. It framed his aristocratic features to perfection.

Then Aiden’s gaze slipped to Garrett’s dick. Even half-soft, the appendage sported plenty of length and girth. Aiden knew from nearly three years of experience that once hard, his erection reached just over nine inches and stretched him almost to the point of pain.

But, gods, it’s so worth it.

Plus, Garrett was a kind and considerate lover. He always made certain Aiden’s body was ready—even when they were pressed for time and had to settle for a quickie. His vampire always sent him away with his body buzzing from pleasure.

Not my vampire.

At the thought, as always, a pang of regret surged through him.

“Aiden?”

Blinking upon hearing his name, Aiden snapped his attention back to Garrett’s face. He spotted the worry in the vampire’s expression and forced a bright smile. “Sorry. You fried my brain.” Aiden took a step backward. “See you at Carino’s.”

“No,” Garrett countered, shaking his head. “I’ll be at your room at four-forty-five, and I’ll drive us to Carino’s.”

“Oh!” Aiden couldn’t help the surprise he felt at Garrett’s pronouncement. “O-Okay.”

Garrett nodded, then winked. “Now get out of here.”

Aiden grinned for real that time as he grabbed his clothes and yanked them on. It sounded an awful lot like a date.

While Aiden had shared his body and blood only with Garrett for almost three years, they didn’t discuss what they were doing. Almost four years ago, he’d transferred to the Rutherford coven after a vampire in his old coven had gotten too rough with him. As restitution, Aiden had asked the vampire master to find him a new home.

For the first year, Aiden had been with a number of different vampires, Garrett included. That had slowly changed. While some of the other donors thought he was a fool for getting attached to a vampire that wasn’t his beloved, Aiden couldn’t change what was in his heart.

Aiden passed a few people in the halls. Second Dale smiled and winked at him. He’d been with the vampire a few times that first year, but the second didn’t bother approaching him anymore.