But she was clearly out of gas, and at least her car appeared back into view soon enough. When they came up to it, Jo hesitated and glanced over her shoulder. Then she looked at what was ahead of them, the vacated classroom buildings and the dorms.

As her eyes roamed the campus, his stayed by her and tried to be patient. He really just wanted her to get some rest. The change was so brutal on the body, and she needed to be strong.

“It’s like I’m blind even though my eyes are working,” she murmured.

“You’re searching for answers.”

“I just don’t know the questions I’m trying to ask.”

“How about we go back to your place.”

“I want to take a look around for a little longer.”

Jo started to walk away from him, and he was well familiar with that vacant striving she was motivated by. It wasn’t going to release its grip on her until she got what she was actually looking for—the transition. Which would transform her from something that was mostly human with a little vampire in her, to mostly vampire with almost no human remaining.

There would be no peace until that happened and he would take on this miserable prodromal period for her if he could.

“Just a little longer,” she said. “I promise.”

“It’s okay.”

As they continued on, Syn’s eyes panned left to right to left, measuring the windows in the brick buildings. Checking rooflines. Assessing what was coming at them and what had been left behind. Even though he would have preferred to take her back to her home, he followed her readily into one of the buildings. He wasn’t going to force her to leave if she didn’t want to.

Prepared to protect her if he had to, Syn trailed her as she went up a set of creaking stairs, and then wandered along corridors that were strewn with fallen plaster from the ceiling and leaf debris that had blown in from broken windows. Given the number of doors they passed, he guessed they were in a dorm, and the skeletal bed frames and wilted, stained mattresses seemed to confirm his assumption.

“I wonder if this was where her room was,” Jo said.

“Your mother’s?”

“Yes.”

“Do you not know where she stayed?”

“I barely know more about her than her birthday and her wedding anniversary.”

Jo kept on going, the sound of her boots crunching over the plaster bits loud in the silence of the building. When she came to the end of the hall, the cold breeze drifting in through the busted panes of glass lifted her hair.

And that was when her scent changed.

The arousal was a surprise.

“You’re right,” she said remotely. “We should go.”

As she turned toward him, she ducked her head and dropped her eyes. Putting her hands in the pockets of her coat, she seemed to retract into herself as she went to go by him.

Syn caught her arm. “I know what you want.”

Her eyes were shocked as they met his. “I don’t—I mean, I just think we should go home. You’re right. I am exhausted.”

Syn stepped in closer. “That’s not all you’re thinking about.”

“But—”

“And I know what you’re going to say.” He shook his head. “Use me. Let me give you what you want. I don’t care about myself.”

Jo shook her head and backed away from him. “That’s not fair—”

Syn’s body took over, moving into her, pushing her against the corridor’s wall. As her breasts came up against his chest, she gasped.

He didn’t wait for more commentary. He wasn’t interested in talking. Her scent told him everything he needed to know.

Dropping his mouth to hers, he took from her what she hesitated to give him because she didn’t want to use him for a one-sided pleasure session. But like he gave a fuck? He had been taken in the past by females he didn’t care about—and he had bonded with Jo. Plus she wanted him. Bad. So as she groaned in submission, he took advantage of the parting of her lips, licking inside of her, penetrating her with his tongue. Meanwhile, his hands made quick work of her coat’s buttons and then burrowed in to find her waist, stroking down to her hips and onto her backside.

He deliberately brought her lower body into contact with the erection that strained at the front of his hips—

Jo pushed against his shoulders and he reluctantly eased back. The high flush on her cheeks was what he wanted. This pausing thing was not.

“I don’t want to do anything if it ends with you in pain.”

Syn shook his head. “Don’t think about me. Just let me pleasure you, Jo. I can make it all go away. The whirlwind in your head. The anxiety in your chest. Even if it’s only for an orgasm or two, I can give you something else.”

“But what are you left with afterward?”

“The satisfaction of the satisfaction I gave you.” Syn moved a hand up to just below one of her breasts. “Don’t you want what I can give you?”

He cupped her through her clothes, his thumb finding her nipple even though there were layers between them. And as he stroked the tip, her eyes closed and her head fell back.

“That’s right,” he growled. “Just let yourself go. I’ll take care of everything.”

She murmured something, maybe it was about fairness, maybe it was about guilt, he didn’t know and didn’t care. And he wasn’t going to give her any more chances to think.

With his other hand, he pulled her ass in as he rolled his pelvis so that his arousal rubbed on her. Releasing her breast, he quickly drew the zipper of her fleece down and then he lifted her loose T-shirt up. Her bra had a front clasp and he released it.

Bending to her flesh, he nestled his way in through her clothes, his mouth seeking… finding.

As he sucked on what he sought, she gasped and grabbed the nape of his neck, urging him closer to the pillow of her breast. He more than obliged. And it wasn’t enough.

He was damn well going to fix that.

She was wearing sweatpants. Which was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Putting his hand between her legs, he rubbed her sex through the soft folds as he nursed at her. Licked at her. Nibbled her.

As he worked her, she was panting, gripping any piece of him she could get ahold of, saying his name.

Syn let her nipple pop out of his mouth. Then he spun her around so she faced away from him. Grabbing onto her hips, he yanked her feet back and bent her over.

“Put your palms on the wall.”

She complied, but seemed to do it blindly, fumbling before she found the brace.

Syn ripped her sweatpants down. And took her panties south with them.

Even in the dim light, her sex glistened, swollen and pink between the pale curves of her buttocks.

It was a glorious sight.

Syn was so glad they’d stayed a little longer.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Yes, I need help.”

Of course she did, Butch thought. And he should not have asked Mel that question.

Keeping the curses to himself, he backed over to where she was standing by the slowly filling tub. He turned around only when he had to, and as he unfastened the bustier, he looked solely at the claw hooks of the garment. He didn’t touch her creamy skin and he was not aroused—and God, he hoped she didn’t make a move on him. As beautiful as she was, he wasn’t tempted in the slightest, and he really didn’t want to have to humiliate her by shutting her down.