Something told him that her body understood his. Pitied his. âCreating a vampire is simple,â he answered instead. âUsually during the heat of passionââ
âI told you, nothing like that has happened.â
â Usually during passion, the sire drinks from his intended, although itâs not necessary. What is necessary is for the recipient to take in the sireâs blood. Itâs dangerous to allow someone who doesnât know what theyâre doing to drink from you, but again, thatâs why it happens during a climactic moment. The haze of sexual lust typically tempers blood lust.â
She went still. âWait a minute. A blood exchange? Is that what youâre saying?â
âItâs more than that.â
âBut thatâs the crux of what youâre saying, right?â
He thought it over. âIf you break it down to its most rudimentary, then I guess yes.â
The heat of her body moved away as she fell onto her back. He turned to watch her, his eyebrows furrowing. âJasmine?â
âIf we went any further, I would have insisted on condoms. Not just for my safety, but for yours as well.â Her eyes slipped closed. âIâve been worrying myself sick over communicable diseases.â
When heâd been mortal, those words might have sent chills over him. In his current life, nothing she might carry would affect him, so he dismissed the words. âIâm incapable of passing anything along to you. Even if I werenât, Iâm disease free. Always have been.â
âNot you. This.â She lifted her wrist. âHow much blood would have to be exchanged?â
Her question baffled him. âItâs not only the exchange.â
âHow much?â
His shoulders lifted and fell. âI donât know. A small amount would be sufficient, I guess. Iâve never thought about it.â
Jasmine studied the palm of her hand before turning it toward him. âWe brought in a John Doe into the clinic a few days ago. Shot and dumped right outside our doors. He was thrashing like a son of a bitch, and I needed a blood sample.â
He watched her face pale, as if the memory went beyond merely haunting her.
âIn eight years of nursing, Iâve never been stuck before. Iâm always so careful. I still donât know how it happened. One careless stupid slip of the syringe, and some strangerâs blood mingled with mine.â She turned, looked at him with sad eyes. âI guess we know now how Iâve been turned into a vampire.â
Chapter Seven
Her mind went in seven different directions at once. Corinâs erection lay trapped beneath the weight of her leg, a subtle reminder that heâd asked for nothing since coming into her life. She felt selfishâand a little aroused, truth be toldâbut this whole vampire thing toyed with her emotions.
âGods, thatâ¦I donât know what to say. Itâs not impossible, I suppose, but Iâve never heardâ¦â Corin blew out a breath. âThatâs a great theory for how the blood entered your system, but thereâs more to the process, Jasmine.â
âWhat else is there?â
âYour heart. It would have to stop beating at some point.â
âWhat?â
Corin sat up, shimmied away from her and propped himself against a pillow and the headboard. Jasmine found herself laying her head on his thigh as he talked. An unfamiliar gesture, but one that felt very right. âThis is what should have happened. During a sexual act, to heighten the type of lust the sire is looking for, a recipient would have consumed some of the sireâs blood.â
âIâm sorry, but I donât see myself getting so worked up that Iâd drink someoneâs blood.â
Corin shot her an amused glance. âYouâd be surprised.â Jasmine shuddered, and he laughed. âAnyway, afterward, even if she ingested a