His breath against her neck was warm, already relaxing her before the real drugs could kick in. But getting there...

"Wait," she murmured, "I'm not sure..."

"Chickening out, Reina?" He laughed. "Don't worry, I figured you would. Though it wasn't very nice of you to tease me like that."

"How is it teasing if you know?" She felt breathless even though nothing happened.

"For a second there I thought I was wrong," he said, moving away from her, or trying to until she caught his arm.

"No, don't go anywhere."

"You confuse me," he said, "if you want me to stay so close I can only resist for so long."

"I think you can resist," she said.

"What makes you so sure? You told me you wanted to try this, I came expecting I would. Haven't had anything to eat all day thanks to you."

"You've resisted many times before. Plus you don't need to eat every day, I know that, too."

"Maybe I didn't eat yesterday either," he said.

"You're not acting all crazy, so I doubt you're starving."

"Fine, fine. But if you want all this affection I'm going to need something in return." He grinned at her, the points on his teeth so visible it made Reina look away for a moment. She wanted it - she wanted to actually give him permission for such a thing, but, she was still scared of it for some reason. He clearly wasn't going to drain all her life away. And it felt good. So why was it that she was so scared of it? Was it because she knew everyone else would disapprove of such a thing? Did it make her an addict, no better than the girls Jack would find on the street? She hoped she meant more than that to him. She had to, otherwise he wouldn't have hesitated earlier. Maybe it was the fact that she wasn't the only one he wanted, that he could easily go somewhere else, that she wasn't needed and giving herself to him did indeed make her a horrible person.

"I'm not sure about it..." she admitted. "Does it make me a terrible person to just let you do this?"

"Of course not, not to me anyway." He ended that with another one of his smiles. She couldn't take him seriously.

I shouldn't take him seriously. He just wants my blood, right? He'd say anything to get that.

"But it looks terrible to the rest of the world?"

He shrugged. "Maybe to some of your friends. But who cares? They wouldn't even know."

"But I would know... and feel guilty about not saying anything or keeping it a secret."

"Do you tell the world everything you do in private? I'm sure there are other things you don't announce to everyone."

"I announce a lot to everyone," she said, "this being one of those things I don't think would be right to keep a secret."

"So you're not going to go through with this, then? Because you're afraid you'll be looked down on? Close your eyes and maybe you can pretend you're not really getting bit, then?" He suggested, inching his way a little closer again. They were just sitting down on a couch in some hotel of his, something that seemed too casual for what was happening. It seemed more like the place to carry on a conversation, not get blood taken by a vampire. Then again, where was the right place for that?

"I don't know if I can pretend that..." she said. Jack didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her and pull her in tight

It's all part of his act. She tried reminding herself but, at the same time, she couldn't help but like being held by him.

"See? You just have to relax," he said, his voice soft and losing its usual joking edge. It sounded so real and passionate. She listened to his advice, playing along with his act, falling for the bait too easily. She let herself relax into his embrace and enjoy the way it felt to have his hands on her back and in her hair, making sure she was securely locked in. She let out a long breath before she put her arms around him as well and did as he instructed by closing her eyes. His scent was one she knew well by now, this certainly wasn't the first time he tricked her and she knew it wouldn't be the last, but at least this time she had given him permission before. That made it better knowing she had wanted this all along, that he wasn't just getting his way.

"This is your last chance to back out," he said, his face nearing her neck again.

"Don't remind me of what's happening," she said, keeping her eyes closed, trying to keep her mind focused on everything but his mouth nearing her skin. He didn't hesitate after she spoke, though. It was her signal that she wanted him to proceed and he wasn't giving her the option to back out this time. His teeth only graced her skin for an instant before he dug them into her neck. She moaned and tightened her hold on him, both of them twisted around so they were facing each other now, molded together as though it was meant to be like that.

And who wouldn't be addicted to this? All her earlier thoughts were gone - in this moment it felt like Jack loved her and as though they were inseparable. In this moment she didn't feel his teeth in her but instead felt a calm rush through her, a calm that felt so wonderful she never wanted it to end. Nothing mattered anymore, there was no guilt. There was no worry. There was just the two of them.