HerVampireLover by Anastasia Maltezos

enough wealth to go to school. I went to night school, so it took me quite a long time to complete my studies. I have four degrees. Engineering, a BA in Computer Science, a PhD in History, and an MBA—”
    She snapped around and gaped at him. “You went to University four times?”
    He shrugged casually. “When you realize you will live forever, you view life very differently. Those thirty years I spent in Universities is nothing compared to the four hundred years I’ve already lived.”
    “I see your point.”
    “After I completed my studies I went back to work. I invested in stocks and bonds, owned a nightclub at the turn of the century and later, in the fifties, I opened a drive-in. I took a break in the eighties and nineties, and a couple of years ago I opened a nightclub.”
    She whistled in awe. “Tobias, you’re a fascinating man.”
    “Thank you. You’re a fascinating woman.”
    “Hardly. What have I done compared to your long list of accomplishments?”
    The wind wrestled with her hair and he tucked a loose tendril behind her ear. “Well, let’s see. From what I know so far, you made your dream of becoming a writer come true. You’re a best selling novelist. That’s a big accomplishment, Cat. It’s brought you security, wealth, freedom.”
    A memory dimmed any appreciation she would have felt at what he said. “I…I gave my grandmother a copy of my first book, thinking she would be proud of me, but she gave it back to me without even reading it.”
    “You never made amends with her?”
    “No. She always hated me because I looked a lot like my mother and I was a constant reminder to her that her son died senselessly. My mom and dad died in a car accident. Mom was driving and my grandmother always blamed her for their deaths.”
    “I’m sorry, Cat.”
    “Don’t be. It took me a long time to realize I couldn’t change how my grandmother felt. I couldn’t make her love me.”
    There was a long silence and she wondered if he heard her. She turned her head to look up at him and noted his dark, brooding expression. “So all the people you’ve ever loved,” he began, “left you or rejected you in some way. Your parents, your grandmother, the man who broke your heart. It’s no wonder you’re afraid to love me.”
    Cat didn’t know what to say. She tore her gaze away from his and stared out into the city’s skyline. She felt his hand on her cheek as he turned her face back to his.
    “Don’t be afraid to love me, Cat.” He lowered his head.
    The moment their lips met, she melted and twisted her body around to face him, bringing her arms around his shoulders. She sighed against his mouth and he slipped his hands around her waist and lifted her so she ended up straddling him. She could tell he was aroused and she moaned, feeling a stab of longing in her belly.
    He deepened his kiss, groaning as she kissed him back passionately. His hand moved between them and he found her breast, caressing it. He groaned again, but this time he dragged his mouth away and gave her a dark, heated look.
    “Somehow I feel making love here would be defacing a national monument.” He looked up. “It’s going to be dawn soon. We should get going.” She avoided his gaze, embarrassed by the sudden passion she’d displayed. “Cat,” he said. “I want to take you home to make love to you in bed, not on the arm of the Statue of Liberty.”
    Her embarrassment fled and excitement replaced it. He brushed his lips quickly over hers and grabbed her around her waist. She gasped once she realized they were going to sail through the air again. Her arms went around his waist and she clung to him for dear life.
    By the time they arrived back at his place, she was breathless. She was also breathless for another reason. Tobias kissed her soundly before he led her into the bedroom. Before she could catch her breath, their clothes were on the floor, and he proceeded to make love to her with a passion that made her cry