"I don't really think he's going to go for that, Cora," Lorelai says as she polishes my last fingernail with the bright red polish I'd picked out from her collection.

I roll my eyes. "I'd like to know what other options we have. Where else are we going to find a human to volunteer to drain an unspecified amount of their blood to revert a vampire they don't even know back to his human form?"

Lorelai considers this. "These are questions I don't have answers to. But I can tell you with certainty that he will hate this idea."

She releases my hand and I blow cool air on the nails to help dry them. "Well, he's going to have to get over it. Because it's happening."

Lorelai just laughs and says, "I'll leave you alone for that one. I don't want to be around when that bomb explodes."

"Just leave it to me."

Later that night, I'm in our room wearing a red silk nightgown, much shorter than the one he had me in that night in the dungeon, that perfectly matches my new manicure, with a matching bra and thong underneath.

Am I dressing up to try to distract him. Yeah. Is it a cheap move? Also yeah. But I am working hard over here. I have to convince him that this is a good idea.

When he comes in the door a few minutes later, I just smile at him from my spot on the bed, where I'm leaning against the headboard with my legs stretched out, one crossed over the other.

"Hi Elias, how was your day?"

He glances at me from the corner of his eyes, and I can tell that he knows I'm up to something. Pulling his shirt off, he says, "It was busy. I helped Andres with a territory dispute." He throws his shirt in the laundry basket and turns back to face me. He leans on the doorframe to the bathroom and unbuckles his belt. "You look like you kept busy today concocting a plan to seduce me. Are we fucking first or are you going to tell me what's running through that pretty head of yours?"

I cock my head to the side and get to my feet, making my way across the room to where he stands. Running my fingernail down the center of his chest, I say, "Well, I guess that kind of depends on you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," I say, pushing his hands out of my way when I reach his waist, unbuttoning and unzipping his pants for him, sliding my hand right into his boxers and gripping his already hardening cock. "Well, you're already hard, so that's a point for fucking first. But then I'm afraid I'll be too blissed out to talk to you about what's on my mind, so there's a point for the other side." I slide my hand out of his pants and the waistband snaps against his abs. "What's a girl to do?"

He stares at my mouth, and I can almost see the thoughts turning inside his mind. He confirms my suspicions, saying, "This is not an option you want to hand over to me. I'd vote for your mouth being busy doing something other than talking right now."

I smirk and immediately drop to my knees, thankful for the plush carpet on the floor. I yank down his pants, bringing his underwear down with them, and his cock springs free, fully erect.

"Your vote is all that matters, sir," I say, gripping him at the base and closing my lips over the tip, paying special attention to the piercing that gives me so much pleasure before sliding my mouth all the way down, savoring the way each barbell feels against my lips as I take him to the back of my throat.

He grips the hair on the back of my head. "Fuck, Cordelia. Your mouth is the most sinful thing I've ever experienced."

I wrap my fingers around him and my hand and mouth work together. It is unbelievably sexy watching him lose himself. I love how the muscles in his arms flex as he holds on to me, and how the cords in his neck strain against his skin. He is like a god and I'm happy to fall on my knees and worship him.

He pulls my hair hard, and when I groan around him, he takes the opportunity to push a little further down my throat, just enough to make me gag. But I keep going, knowing he loves the sound of me choking on him.

"Fuck yes, you're taking me so well, dolce tentazione. Taking every inch of my cock like the dirty girl I know you are. Aren't you?"

"Uh-huh," I moan, the sound vibrating against his cock, bringing another deep groan from within his chest.

Elias's free hand grips the top of the doorframe and from the pulsating in his cock I know he is close. His hips thrust forward as his eyes close. Warm streams of him coat my tongue as he hisses a slew of curse words. I take every drop, swallowing it down and loving the taste of him. His body relaxes and his fingers run through my hair.

"You are such a vixen. I'm on the verge of collapsing to the floor."

I slide my lips from his cock, kissing the tip, right on his piercing. His sharp intake of air makes me grin. "Come on, herra, come lie down," I coo, leading him to bed and climbing in next to him.

When we're settled, he pulls me against him and pushes my hair out of my face. "What was that for? Not that I'm not grateful because believe me; I am. It was just very spontaneous."

"Well, I wanted to show you how sexy I think you are. That's always on my mind. So there's that...isn't that enough?"

He smiles and squeezes my hip. "Yes, but I know you wanted to talk to me. So what is it?"

"Fine, you know me too well." I take a deep breath. "I have an idea for who we can get to be the donor for Cane's little...transformation."

His brows dip. "Who?"

I hold up a hand in a sheepish wave. "Me?"

He sits straight up. "Absolutely not. Have you lost your mind, Cordelia? We don't even know how much blood this can take. The aftereffects could be detrimental to you. No."

I sit up too and look right at him, not backing down. "I'd like to hear who your ideas are then. Who do you plan to have as the donor?"

"I don't know. I can find someone. Money is not an object, and I can make it worth their while."

"Who? Someone with a death wish? That money isn't going to do anyone any good if they die. And don't even make me get into the moral issues with asking someone who is in a place where they no longer want to live."

He paces the room, pulling at the hair on the top of his head. "Is that what this is for you? Because it is not only Cane's life on the line."

"Elias. I'm not going to die. I'm not fully human. I've been reading about it, and I really think being half Dreamwalker is going to make this easier. I think I will have a better chance of survival and getting it done in a timelier fashion than a regular ol' human."

He stops wearing a path into the rug, and his eyes connect with mine. "The word I don't like there is chance. I don't want to take a chance with you. I want a future with you."

I crawl to the end of the bed and get on my knees in front of him so we are eye to eye. "Elias, please. There is a very small chance that I would die. And..." This idea comes to me out of nowhere, and as much as I know he'll hate it too, it would at least keep me with him. "Couldn't you...if it looked like things were going to go badly...couldn't you turn me?"

"Fuck, Cordelia." His pacing begins again. "I could but...you would no longer be a human or a dreamwalker." Stopping, he looks at me with a sad smile. "I love you the way you are. But I'd love you no matter what."

"So is that a yes?" I ask, taking both of his hands in mine and rubbing my thumbs across his skin. "Just let me make this one step easier so we can get this done faster and move on with this future we want together."

He sighs and nods. "It is a very reluctant yes."

I grin and place my hands on his cheeks. "It's going to work out. I promise. You'll see."

"I trust you with my life, Cordelia. But you will not convince me to be 100% all right with risking yours. I just ask if I can find a better way that you be open to it. Agreed?"

I stick out my pinky for the most solemn promise I can make. "I pinky promise I will be open to it."

He hooks his pinky with mine and brings the back of my hand to his lips. "All right then."

"Okay, let's get to planning."

He pounces on me and I yelp, giggling as he pins me against the mattress.

"Not just yet, belle rêveur. You owe me an orgasm."

Who can argue with that?"