The book of modern poetry in my lap holds little interest for me. Maybe it's the overthought lines of purple prose and the overall emo feel that makes me want to grow my hair out and weep in a dark corner that turns me off. Or perhaps it's the woman across the library who makes me have little interest in anything but her.

Cordelia sits atop a long mahogany table, her legs crossed and hands resting on her thighs. Her eyelashes flutter against the tops of her cheeks as Lorelai directs her through several mental exercises meant to strengthen her mental walls. I'm not sure if it is working, but the soft hum of my best friend's voice is enough to lull me to sleep.

"Lorelai is a remarkable creature, isn't she?"

I glance at the petite fairy in the high-backed leather chair beside me, her lavender curls framing her round cheeks as she leans back on her translucent wings. Of course she thinks I'm fixated on Lorelai; she hasn't left the siren's side since they first hooked up. Cordelia may have labeled me as a class three stalker, but Jolene is a stage five clinger.

"She is," I murmur and turn my attention back to my book.

It shouldn't bother me the way it does that Jolene thinks I'm staring at Lorelai. I'm not blind to my best friend's beauty, but a part of me hates that anyone would think I'd prefer her over Cordelia.

"Build it up brick by brick, patching every possible crack, and then fortify it. Cover your shield in metal or thick concrete. Make it so tall that no one could climb it. Can you see it, Cora?" Lorelai asks, placing firm hands on Cordelia's shoulders to keep her grounded.

"Yes," Cordelia whispers, sounding almost shocked that she's succeeding at the exercise. I'm not surprised at all; my gir—my fake girlfriend is as clever as she is beautiful. "I see it!" This time her voice is louder, her claim full of self-confidence and bravado. "Lorelai, I did it!"

"Now the trick is to build that wall before you go to sleep and hold it erect through the night."

"She has no problems keeping things erect through the night."

The room goes silent, and I realize that my wayward thoughts just flowed out of my mouth.

Cordelia cracks an eye open and smiles at me. "I like to think of it as one of my many gifts."

She winks at me before closing her eyes again. The smile that's broken out over her face is wide and proud, and it takes everything in me to not get to my feet and sweep her into my arms. No doubt, she is satisfied not only with her ability to put up her shields but at her witty comebacks.

I pin Jolene with a pointed glance and say, "It's hard for me to notice anything else besides Cordelia; she is quite remarkable herself."

The fairy hums and leans back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest.

"If we are all done with the dick innuendos, I'm trying to teach a lesson here." Lorelai pretends to be put off by our remarks, but I don't miss the tiny glimmer of approval she flashes me.

Cordelia exhales and her body trembles as she continues to hold up the wall. "How am I supposed to keep this up when I'm asleep?"

"Just like any strength training, you have to keep doing it until you get the results you want. Up and down throughout the day until it's second nature to you."

I can't imagine how hard it is for her to take this all in. One day she was a normal human, and today, she is a Dreamwalker, trying to master her power. She isn't like a vampire who was made and then forced to adapt or a fairy who always understood she could fly. Cordelia has spent over two decades disconnected from a vital part of her being. She is handling all this with more grace than I ever could.

Just another reason why, even though I am loath to admit it, I'm falling for her. Even though it is the worst idea in the history of ideas, and it will lead to nothing but complete and utter ruin in the end...I cannot help myself.

After being with her the other night, and watching her completely open herself to me, there is no way I could deny it if she came out and asked me. Even if I lied, she'd be able to tell. Anyone would be able to. And now that I'm starting to get an inkling of what's going on around here, that's a bigger problem than I can even begin to wrap my head around.

"Okay, we'll practice more tomorrow. Try to build that wall tonight, Cora. Got me?" Cordelia nods, looking a bit overwhelmed. "Okay, let's go, Jo. I'm hungry," Lorelai is saying, and I realize I must've been lost in my thoughts longer for minutes rather than seconds.

"Me too," Jolene says with a suggestive wiggle of her brows, and I give Lorelai a thumbs up when no one is looking. She rolls her eyes at me, and they disappear out of the library.

Cordelia giggles and steps up next to me. "Well, I guess they're getting along. The plan is working. Lorelai is off your back and has found a match. Guess you don't have any more use for me, eh?" she says, pretending to back away and step toward the door.

I grab her hand and pull her into my lap. "You are very wrong."

She rests her head on my shoulder and stares up at the stained-glass dome in the center of the room. The way her face lit up when we walked into the library earlier proved her disappointment that she was here to train and not explore the two levels of floor to ceiling bookshelves. It would be a shame to leave without basking in the amber glow of the stone fireplace and admire the leather binding of all the books.

"Are you really feeling comfortable with what you learned today?" I ask against her ear as my arms slip around her waist.

She turns her face toward mine so her forehead is resting on my temple. "I mean, yeah, as long as I'm awake. I'm really afraid I won't be able to do it while I'm asleep. How the hell am I supposed to keep that up while I'm dead to the world? It was hard enough while I was awake!"

"Like Lore said...practice. I'll continue to keep watch over you until you get the hang of it. It is part of my stalker duties after all."

She smiles and shoves my shoulder playfully. "And you do such a good job. I told you; you're well on your way to level four. You'll be there before you know it; you just have to have a look in my underwear drawer next."

"I like the idea of removing your underwear better."

She lifts her hips in offering, and I chuckle. It's tempting if I knew no one was in the shadows watching. But I can't move past the thought that my brother is lurking around every corner, waiting for that moment when I'm not paying attention and he can sink his teeth into her. And the more I show my growing attraction toward her, the more likely he is to attack.

"It's the middle of the day, and I'm not taking a chance that someone else gets to see all the parts of you that I have."

She turns to face me, tucking her legs on either side of my waist as she raises an eyebrow. "Oh? A jealous vampire, are we? Another stereotype you're living up to."

"Hungry, horny, jealous vampire, it sounds like you found yourself quite the catch."

Her eyes light up and the fire behind them is almost too much for me to resist. "Hungry? Is that the same as...thirsty?"

I shift under her, my cock waking up to the excitement in her tone. "You know your kinks run on the dangerous side. What's so wrong with being handcuffed to the bed and receiving a few good swats to the ass?"

And of course, like the vixen she is, she rubs her ass against my rapidly growing erection. "Did I say there was anything wrong with it? I did say I was a brat, didn't I, herra?"

"An insatiable brat. Again, a lethal combination. Is it Latvian?"

Her eyebrows tick together. "Huh?"

"The language you've been speaking to me. Is it Latvian?"

Cordelia giggles and shakes her head before playfully tapping the tip of my nose. "Nope. Nice try though."

She continues to wiggle on my lap, and my head falls back against the chair. I have every intention of stopping it before it goes too far, intending to be a gentleman. But fuck. I grip her hips and grind into her. The reasonable part of me speaks up, saying, "It's going to be very embarrassing walking back to your room with a mess in my pants."

She runs her tongue across her teeth and moves forward so I'm not grinding on her ass but against her pussy instead, the crotch of her leggings damp against my jeans. Her eyes go back in her head before she brings her face back down to mine and whispers against my lips, "I've already got a mess in mine. It's only fair, don't you think, verndari minn?"

I glance back at the closed double doors. "Fuck it," I hiss. She squeals and wraps her body around me as I stand. My mouth captures hers as I walk us to the table she was sitting on with Lorelai. "You want to play, dolce tentazione, I will play."

"I do want to play. I want to play as often and as hard as you will let me," she says, her gaze glued to mine.

A smile pulls at my lips as wicked thoughts race through my head. "Hard it will be," I say with a rasp. I flip her over, pressing her front to the hard surface.

Her fingernails dig into the tabletop as she stares back at me with wide, lust-filled eyes. How can I possibly say no to that?

I release my belt buckle and grip each side of her leggings. My mouth waters at the mere thought of what lies beneath and the pleasure I will receive from it. My biceps flex as I prepare to yank her pants to her knees.

"The library is a place of escape and academia, not a playground for carnal desires."

Cordelia's head whips around and I fumble with my belt. She waves from her place bent over the table and flashes a bright smile. "Hi Clayton. We were just admiring the fine craftmanship of this table. It looks to be early 1900s and from England."

The old steward doesn't so much as blink at her ridiculous assessment. "Mid-1800s and from France," he corrects her in monotone.

She stands up and knocks her fist twice on the shiny surface. "Ah, yes, I see it now."

I roll my eyes as I fix my belt and turn around.

"Keep your fuckery to areas that do not contain priceless heirlooms," he says before leaving us alone in the library.

She looks over her shoulder at me just as I'm turning back to face her and we both burst into peals of laughter.

"Esti o amenintare," I mumble under my breath, still laughing as I pick her up without warning and throwing her over my shoulder.

"Hey!" she squeals. "Where are you taking me!?"

"Back to my room where I can ravish you without the risk of that ghoul walking in and seeing your perfectly round ass in the air."

"Oh." She pauses and then adds in a flawless impression of Clayton, "Carry on then, chap. Carry on."