“Fuck!” Boaz sucked in a breath, his heart slamming hard against his ribs as he clutched the bottle to his chest. “Don’t you know how to knock like a normal person?”
“No,” Alexander replied simply, his eyes narrowing as he studied him.
Fuck.
Without thinking, he lunged for the bed, grabbing the paper bag and shoving everything back inside. He dropped to his knees and pushed it under the bed, hiding it out of sight before turning back around.
“Let’s just get this over with,” he said forcefully.
A faint smile tugged at the vampire’s lips. “Hello to you too.”
“Do you want to eat or not?” Boaz asked curtly.
He unbuttoned his shirt with stiff fingers and pulled the fabric aside, hissing softly as the cool air inside the cabin washed over his bare skin. The chill only made him more aware of himself—of his hammering heart, of the steady rise and fall of his chest.
Alexander didn’t answer. He just stared.
The silence stretched between them, turning the small cabin suffocating.
Then he stepped closer. The tension coiled tighter.
“Yes,” Alexander said at last. “I want to eat. I’m starving.”
His fangs grazed the side of Boaz’s neck, not piercing—just tracing the skin there. Boaz jerked.
Don’t fucking get hard.
He squeezed his eyes shut, teeth grinding together, willing it to be over. But Alexander took his time. Breathing him in, hovering too close.
When Alexander’s lips brushed his skin and his fangs finally pressed in, a jolt shot through Boaz, and he grew hard in second.
He shut his mind off. Well, he tried to and failed. He could feel everything and hear everything.
Alexander let out a low moan against his skin, as though he hadn’t tasted blood in weeks. Each pull of his mouth sent a rush through Boaz’s veins. His pulse thundered in his ears. His entire body throbbed.
“Are you done yet?” Boaz forced out and grabbed Alexander’s shoulders. He paused as if he wasn’t sure what to do next. Push him way or pull him close. Before he could decide, Alexander had already pulled back. And he didn’t look happy.
“You were fine with this before,” Alexander said, slipping his hands into his pockets. “So, what’s changed?”
Boaz didn’t answer.
Alexander tilted his head slightly, studying him. “We can go back, you know. To how it was before. When I compelled you. Idon’t want to do this either. And it feels a hell of a lot worse when you act like I’m carrying some kind of plague.”
“No,” he said quickly. “We’re not going back.”
“Are you sure?”
Boaz nodded. Going back wasn’t an option. It was worse. He didn’t have control of himself when he was under Alexander’s compulsion. All he felt was need. And Alexander knew exactly how to pull it out of him. It was a miracle he’d lasted this long without completely losing control and jumping the vampire.
“I’m sure,” he said.
“Okay,” Alexander replied after a beat, his expression unreadable. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Boaz gave a small nod.
“Oh, wait,” he added suddenly as he remembered his conversation with Manlius. “Manlius was looking for you. He said Brett needs more blood. You should go see him.”
“Okay,” Alexander said, then disappeared.