After we said goodbye to Lukas, Erica, and Jayce, Ben wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him as we walked towards the tube station.

"You really don't need to walk me home," I said.

"I know," he replied. "But I want to make sure you get home safely."

I rolled my eyes. At that moment, I felt giddy. But a part of me knew even then that eventually that was going to start to bug me.

As we neared the underground, a lady sitting under a pile of blankets stood up, walking over to us.

"Could you spare some change, love?" she slurred at me.

"I'm sorry, I don't have anything." I turned to look to Ben for help, but he was seething at her.

He dragged me in front of him, moving me around until I was on the other side of him and began ushering me forward.

"Ben," I started, feeling the hostility in his touch.

"What?"

"Surely you have some spare cash."

We stopped walking and he glanced at me. "She was drunk, Olivia. She probably spent all of her money on alcohol which is how she ended up there."

I took a step away from him, squirming out of his grip.

"What?" he asked, a little peeved.

"That's cruel."

"What is?"

"Your attitude. She can't help if she was born into unfortunate circumstances and could only cope through alcohol. You're loaded with money. Spare her ten pounds."

He rolled his eyes at me. My heart began to sink as I stared at the man I found so warm previously, now tinged with unfamiliarity. It began to dawn on me that I really didn't know Ben too well yet.

But then he heaved a sigh and stepped forward, grabbing both of my hands in his. "Would you feel better if I did?"

I nodded.

"You know it will only help her this once, right? It won't fix her life."

"I know. But at least she will have a meal."

He stepped forward, placing a kiss on my cheek, before saying, "Wait here." He hurried back down the footpath towards the lady.

As I waited where he left me, a group of drunken men stumbled out of the nearby pub, slurring and yowling as they walked past me. However, two of the men at the edge of the group came to a stop as their eyes made contact with me.

The shorter one looked me up and down before his eyes settled on my skirt.

My hands instinctively shot down, pulling the hem as far down as I could.

"You look lost, love. Can we help 'ya?" he asked, a sly smirk on his face.

"No thank you. I'm just waiting for my boyfriend," I said.

The other chortled. "Is that an Australian accent?"

I shrugged. "What of it?"

"I always wanted to fuck an Aussie." His raked over me, searing through me in a way that made me feel gross in my own skin.

"You're drunk. Please leave me alone."

But then he took a step closer, his hand grabbing me by the wrist. "You should come with us. We will be more fun than your boyfriend who isn't even here by the way!"

I tried to yank my hand from his grip to no avail. "No thank you," I hissed.

"Oh come now, love. Play nice," the shorter sneered.

"Let me go," I said more forcefully.

But he still didn't budge despite my continued attempts to pull and twist my arm out of his grip.

So I resorted to the final measure I had.

Taking a deep breath, I brought my knee up as hard as I could between the man's legs. He released me in an instant.

But as I turned to run away, his friend reached out to grab me, hands slipping as I wiggled free. Nonetheless, his grip was strong enough to cause me to stumble, tripping over an upturned paver, falling onto my hands and knees.

Palms sweaty, stomach churning, I waited for their hands to clasp at me once more. But it never came. And then suddenly Ben's face was only centimetres from mine, eyes frantic.

"Are you okay, Olivia?" he asked, hands caressing my face as his eyes searched me.

I felt my bottom lip quiver and I turned to look away.

"Hey, I'm here now." He wrapped his arms around me and guided me to my feet, pulling me against his chest. "I'm here. I'm so sorry I left your side." His hand stroked my hair.

"Where did they go?" I asked between deep breaths. I wasn't crying. I couldn't cry. I just felt numb and shaky. My knees and hands began to sting as more time passed.

"Lukas took care of them."

I pulled back. "Lukas?"

"You were still in his hearing distance. And I was preoccupied talking to the lady that I didn't hear... Olivia, I am so sorry."

I shook my head, wrapping my arms around him. "You're not responsible for my safety."

"Yes I am."

"This could have happened even if you weren't here."

"But—"

"Shut up and just hug me, Ben."

He held me closer for a while, then finally pulled back, eyes going over me. "Where are you hurt?" He obviously sensed it through the touch.

I showed him my hands then pointed to my knees.

"Oh, Olivia, honey..."

My stomach flipped as his term of endearment that slipped from his mouth. A blush creeping over my face.

My reaction roused a grin from him and he rested his head against mine. "Like that one... honey?"

I nodded, biting my lip.

He gave me a peck, then pulled away, keeping his arm around my waist as he helped me stumble to the edge of the street. Ben stuck an arm out, calling a black cab to the side, then helped me in.

· · ───── ∘☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

Back at my apartment, Ben picked me up and carried me up the stairs so that I didn't have to walk—despite all my protests that I was capable of doing so. I had only grazed my skin.

He settled me on my bed once inside and then went looking through my house for a spare cloth. Wetting it with warm water, he came back by my side, wiping it over my hands before turning to look at my knees.

His eyes came back up to mine. "I need you to take your stockings off so that I can make sure all the dirt is gone."

Nodding, I stumbled to my feet.

He turned around, giving me privacy, as I shimmied my stockings down, wincing as the fabric rubbed against my knees. Once they were off, I sat back down on the bed and told him he could turn around.

He went straight back to dabbing my wounds.

"Is this not uncomfortable for you?" I whispered.

Glancing up, his eyebrows furrowed before turning back to my knees. "Uncomfortable? Why?"

"Because of the blood."

He grinned. "Worried I'm hungry?"

I nodded. "You didn't take your pills for a while either."

"I took enough this morning."

"So it doesn't bother you?"

"Bother? Never. But if you're asking whether your blood is making my mouth water..." He flickered a devilish smile at me before looking away once more.

My eyes winced as he began to dab my left knee.

"This one went a little deep," he whispered. "It will scar."

"I suppose it is what it is," I mumbled. Work tomorrow was going to suck...

He pulled the cloth away from my knees, lips pursed.

"What's wrong?" I asked, seeing him deep in thought.

Looking back up at me, he asked, "Do you trust me?"

Nodding, I said, "Of course. Why?"

"I... I can heal these wounds for you, if you'd like," he whispered, eyes never breaking mine.

"Heal?" I cocked my head to the side as the meaning of his words began to sink it. "How?" I squeaked.

"I don't have to..."

"How?" I asked again, more confidently.

"Vampire saliva can heal skin..."

"You want to... lick my wounds?"

His cheeks tinted pink. "It's too weird, isn't it?"

I shook my head. "Do it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Do it. If it's too weird then I'll just tell you to stop."

Then, ever so slowly, Ben moved his mouth to my knee, lightly kissing it before running his tongue over the blood. The moment his saliva made contact, I had instant relief from the pain, as though he was numbing me. After a few licks, I watched as my skin closed up as if never damaged.

"What the heck!" I exclaimed.

He grinned, licking away some of my blood that had remained on his lips. "Want me to do more?"

I nodded. But as he pressed his tongue to my other knee, I couldn't help but ask, "How do I taste?"

Eyes locked with me, he mumbled against my skin, "What I imagine chocolate tastes like for you. Sweet..." Lick. "Delectable." Another lick. "Best I've ever tasted."

Finished with my knee, he grabbed my hand, bringing it to his mouth.

And I know... it is a really weird, unrelatable scenario. So I probably seem strange for even thinking this but... there was something so intimate about him tasting my blood and feeling his joy in feeding from me that made me feel closer to him than I ever had before. Perhaps it was the way their vampirism worked. I didn't know... But I certainly knew as he licked my hands, eyes locked with mine, that eventually I would want him to drink from me... properly.

Like all women in vampire romance stories seem to end up wanting.