“Why?”

She frowned, trying to think how she could explain. “I have no idea what my life would be without him. Without all this. I can’t even imagine. This is reality now. My dad became a vampire through no fault of his own. I was drawn into it by virtue of being your child. And no.” She held up a hand. “I won’t allow you to apologize. It’s not your fault either.”

“I still feel guilty.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, get over it. Life happens. You were taken. I was targeted. I met Gio. We fell in love. We have a family. I wouldn’t have said this even a year ago, but… all this happened for a reason. God, fate, destiny. Somehow, it was meant. Our lives are so intertwined, I can’t even imagine it any other way at this point. And I want it.”

She leaned forward and grasped her father’s cool hand in her own. “Do you understand? I know there are sacrifices. I know there are limitations. I still want it. I’m tired of always being the one that needs protecting.”

Stephen looked at her for a long moment. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Tenzin told me exactly what you’d say. She says you’ll be an extraordinary vampire. Greater than me, no doubt.”

Beatrice smiled and shook her head, still patting sweat from her face. “I have no illusions. I know I’m still going to be the slow one.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.” He chuckled and flicked his wrist, and she felt a cool spray of water at her back. “There, that better?”

She closed her eyes and grinned. “Much. Thanks.”

“Controlling water does come in handy occasionally.”

“You’re really powerful now, aren’t you? From exchanging blood with Tenzin?” She saw him glance away and squirm in discomfort. “I’m not asking about… anything, really. It’s none of my business, I know. I just… I’m happy that you’re stronger now.”

“I am,” he said quietly. “I’m very strong. Tenzin has been… well, she’s—”

“Back.” Beatrice turned when the door opened and Tenzin strode in. “And you need to practice your flips, lazy De Novo.”

She wrinkled her forehead and turned back to her father.

“Don’t look at me,” Stephen said with a smile. “You said you didn’t want to be protected.”

Beatrice stuck her tongue out at him, but Stephen only laughed.

“You really… I have to…” Giovanni cut her off by sinking into their kiss. They were tangled in bed, and he was distracting her again. He moved over her, his iron arms boxing her in as he kissed down her body.

“Beatrice,” he whispered before muttering something unintelligible in rough Italian.

“I really need to learn that language.” She sighed as her eyes rolled back.

“Hmm.” He lifted his mouth and gave her a wicked smile. “I’ll just switch to another language you don’t know then.”

“I’ll catch up with you eventually.”

“You don’t need to catch up.” He moved up her body so he could whisper in her ear. “Just stay. Stay with me. Stay here.”

“I can’t… oh”—she arched her back in pleasure—“stay here forever.”

“Yes, you can.”

Giovanni set about proving why staying in bed with him really was the best plan, but he was interrupted by a loud knock at the door.

He looked up with a snarl and sped naked to the door in the sitting room. She heard it open.

“Go away,” she heard him say before he slammed it shut.

Beatrice sat up in the bed, covering herself with the sheet. He walked back in the room and dove into the bed.

“Who was that?”

“No one,” he said before he pulled the sheet away.

“Giovanni!”

He rolled his eyes and lay back on the bed, pulling her on top of him and running his hands through her hair. “That was your fencing teacher.”

“Baojia?”

“Yes.”

“You slammed the door in Baojia’s face?”

“Yes.” He obviously didn’t consider this rude or unusual as he began investigating the freckles that dotted her cleavage. “He’s probably standing out in the hall now if you want to tell him something,” he said before his mouth returned to her skin.

She rolled off of him. He only sat up and tried to pull her into his lap.

“Sorry, Baojia,” she called loudly, knowing he would be able to hear. “Sorry my… Giovanni is a rude vampire.”

“Fine.” Beatrice heard his muffled reply from the hall as she hid her face in her hands. “I’ll be in the practice room when you escape his clutches.”

Giovanni gave a satisfied laugh, but she slapped at his shoulder and pulled away, standing to walk to the bathroom so she could take a shower.

“What?” he called out, still laughing.

“You can’t keep me occupied every single hour that Lorenzo is awake. I have things I need to be doing.”

“Yes,” he said as he lay back on the bed, stretching his legs. “I can think of several right now, in fact.”

She shook her head and shut the door, only to hear it open as she stepped in the shower.

“I really need to go practice, love.” She felt him run the ginger-scented soap over her back.

“Consider this a warm-up,” he said as he ducked under the water.