Love

He did that throaty laugh again, but it took on an entirely new level of hot. With his lips pressed lightly to the side of her neck and his body just brushing hers, she could feel every deep vibration and it curled her toes in her beat-up old shoes. Her heart skipped a beat before trying to escape her chest, and she knew she forgot to breathe as she focused on the sound coming from him.

"Do you like that, love?"

He purred out the words. Literally. He purred. And it was even more alluring than his laugh. She had to focus on taking regular breaths. Did he really have to ask if she liked it? His breath was so warm on her ear, she still hadn't moved

"But I do have to ask. I want to hear you say it."

Wha--? She took a startled step back at his words. She knew she didn't say that out loud. He growled dangerously and reached to pull her back to him. She tried to run away but he was faster. He gripped her wrist and suddenly she was pressed against a hard chest, her hands caught between their bodies as he locked his long arms around her waist.

He closed his eyes and groaned almost like he was in pain. She just stared at him, still trying to wrap her mind around what she had just learned.

"You…" she had to take a deep breath. She tried again. "You…can read…my mind…"

Even to her ears she could hear the breathless shock.

"Yes," he clipped out. He didn't open his eyes, and he still looked like he was in pain.

At least he didn't try to deny it, so she wasn't totally insane.

They stood there for a few minutes, she still in shock, and he breathing raggedly with his eyes tightly closed. As she slowly came back to herself, she began to wonder if he was okay.

"Uh, are you all right?"

She was worried about an obviously non-human, mind-reading, bi-polar stalker? She had serious issues. But that was nothing new.

Some of the tension eased from his face as he smirked. He slowly opened his eyes and she realized that the formerly purple black had began to take on a dark red tinge. She gulped.

He smiled reassuringly, although with his sharp teeth and fading red eyes it wasn't quite as reassuring as it should have been.

"I'm…fine."