58. Brandon

58

brANDON

" I t's not a phobia," Brandon protested. "It's a perfectly logical objection to having a foreign entity take over my mind. But if William convinces me that it's safe..." He smiled. "I will be thrilled to create a sexy fantasy with you. The possibilities are virtually limitless."

Just thinking of some of those possibilities was making him uncomfortably hard, and he had to shift to make room for his growing erection.

Morelle regarded him from under lowered lashes. "What if what I want is a little...unconventional?"

Dear merciful Fates, what did his lustful vixen have in mind?

"Like what?"

She scrolled back up to an earlier question. "Well, there's this option about role-playing supernatural creatures. Vampires, dragons, and other mythical creatures. Given what I can do, I thought it might be interesting to explore that dynamic in a controlled environment. It would help me accept it and maybe be a little less apprehensive about using it."

That was a little disappointing. He didn't want to go on an adventure to explore Morelle's paranormal abilities. He wanted to explore her sexual fantasies. But this wasn't about him. He'd resolved to talk to William even before coming into the room and helping her with the questionnaire.

She was his mate, and she deserved his maximum effort, not just what neatly fit inside his comfort zone.

"Go on."

"Maybe I could be a vampire queen, and you could be..." She faltered. "This is really silly."

"Your willing thrall?" he suggested. "Surrendering my energy to you willingly and letting you feed off my essence?"

"Yes." She sounded breathy. "Exactly that."

"We could craft a custom adventure together." He rubbed his hand over her arm. "Design exactly how we want it to play out. The setting, the scenario, every detail."

That was what he had done for decades. It would be a walk in the park for him to design the perfect experience for his mate, the love of his life.

Morelle's fingers closed over his knee. "I'd want it to be somewhere exciting and foreboding. A dark temple or a palace...but not like the ones back home. More luxurious, with beautifully crafted furniture and gorgeous outfits."

"Naturally." Brandon's thumb traced patterns on her arm. "As a vampire queen, you'd need something suitably regal."

She closed her eyes. "A deep red velvet gown. Floor-length but with a high slit, so my leg was showing. And you…"

"Let me guess—shirtless and at your mercy?"

It was amazing that she was imagining things she'd never seen. Was it possible the themes were universal and part of some galaxy-spanning genetic memory?

"Maybe a cape if it's cold," she said.

"It's our fantasy." He kissed her temple. "We can make it exactly what we want, including the temperature in the palace."

She returned to the questionnaire. "There's a whole section about preferred atmosphere and setting details. We can specify everything from the lighting to the background music, but I will leave those details to you. I wouldn't know where to start." She leaned against him, bringing the laptop with her. "We could also switch roles partway through. You could become the vampire king who captures me..."

That was more up his alley. "We could design two different scenarios and link them together. Experience both sides of the dynamic. "

"You seem excited about this idea." She studied his face.

"I find the mutual trust enticing, the shared exploration."

Morelle leaned and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for being willing to try it with me."

Her innocence, combined with her curiosity and fearlessness, was incredibly arousing, but more than that, her eagerness to take this journey with him made his heart swell.

He'd been so stubborn about this, letting his fears override what could be an incredible opportunity to deepen their connection. Watching her work through the questionnaire and seeing her excitement about crafting shared experiences made him question his stance.

"We could incorporate actual blood drinking, but in the virtual world, it would be safe, symbolic rather than literal."

She was half Kra-ell, but she didn't have fangs and had no desire to drink blood, and yet the thought of experiencing her bite sent zings of desire through him.

Morelle's eyes widened. "You want me to bite you?"

"Yes." He traced his fingers along her neck where he usually bit her. "It would be interesting to experience it from the other side. We talked about it. Switching roles? I don't think I could go all the way to experience lovemaking as a female, but I can definitely see myself being bitten by you. In fact, it's incredibly arousing."

"I think so, too," she whispered, her hand sneaking under his shirt to caress his bare chest.

He snorted. "If just talking about it arouses us, imagine what will happen inside the adventure. We might set the machines on fire."

Her eyes widened. "Is that one of the risks?"

Brandon laughed. "I was speaking figuratively, but when we talk to William tomorrow, I'll ask him about the safety features. I want to understand exactly how the program protects users' minds. Now that I can see the appeal, I'm motivated to explore the virtual world with you."

They had a chance to experience things that might never be possible in reality, to explore aspects of their relationship in a controlled environment where they could push boundaries safely.

Morelle turned to face him fully. "I'm proud of you. It's not easy to get over irrational fears."

"My fears are perfectly rational, but let's leave it at that." He brought her hand to his lips. "Still, you are correct about fears holding me back from something that could be amazing. Relationships are about growing together and trying new things for each other." He lifted her and pulled her onto his lap. "Here is an idea. We could practice some elements in reality first. Get a feel for what we might want to explore virtually. "

She looked at him with hooded eyes. "What do you have in mind?"

Instead of answering, he leaned in to kiss her.

Brandon marveled at how quickly his perspective had shifted. From being adamantly opposed to checking out the virtual world, he was now eagerly helping design their first adventure.

That was one of the many things he loved about Morelle. She challenged him to grow, to push past his comfort zone, and to discover new aspects of himself.

Their relationship wasn't just about compromise. It was about mutual evolution and becoming better versions of themselves together.

The whole was greater than the sum of its parts.