Dark Fates (A Paranormal Anthology)(85)

Then his lips brushed hers, and her world exploded with sensation and color. The instant burn heating her blood had her groaning aloud, and she grasped his face between her hands, suddenly ravenous for him. Eager for a better taste of his tempting flavor, she licked at the seam of his mouth. He froze, his heart surging, and the rush of testosterone that poured off of him made her squirm. Yes, this is what she wanted. A man in his prime, a man who was strong enough to stand up to her. She loved his honesty and found the touch of apprehension in his gaze to be a bit funny. She was his forbidden fruit, and she was going to tempt him like he wouldn’t believe.

Licking his lips lightly, she loosened her hold on his face and moved closer until her erect nipples scraped against his chest.

His voice held a definite teasing tone as he said, “Little girl, what are you doing?”

Anger snapped through her, and she jerked back so he could see her. His breath stopped as she smiled, revealing just the barest hint of fang before she stopped. For some reason men loved that hint of danger, but her cowboy appeared unimpressed. Amused even. What the hell?

Disconcerted by his easy acceptance of her fangs, she reached up and cupped his chin. “My name is Lisabetta.”

“Lisabetta,” he murmured in a deep, delicious voice. “You, Lisabetta, are nothing but trouble wrapped up in the most beautiful package.”

A startled laugh escaped her, and he grinned, drawn into her, feeling her emotions. That lovely connection between souls began to form, and she smiled up at him. There was something so familiar about him. Comforting. Arousing. In a way her reaction to him reminded her of the way she was instinctively drawn to Sargon. Though they were very different physically, there was a core of power to each man that was timeless. The arrogance of being used to being in charge, used to ruling, filled them both.

Trying to maintain control of the situation and her runaway hormones, she said, “And your name is?”

“Tyler.” He nodded at her with a small smile. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“I like you, Tyler.” She gave him a considering look then smiled. “I would love to spend the evening with you, but first, you need to know who and what I am. Stupid, I know, because I’ll just erase your memory, but I try to be honest whenever possible. Makes life easier.”

The look he gave her wasn’t the shocked expression she was used to. Instead, he looked…eager. “What is it?”

“Tyler, right now I’m nude except for my heels. Go ahead, take a peek.”

His eyes widened, and his gaze darted down. Sucking in a deep breath, he licked his lips. “Nice little bit of magic you have there. If you look like that nude, I can’t wait to rub my lips against that soft * hair of yours. Bet you taste like incense and honey, your arousal thick on my tongue like syrup.”

Her pulse rate picked up, and she bit her lower lip, almost breaking the skin and drawing his gaze to her mouth. It vaguely disturbed her that, for once, she didn’t have the upper hand with a human, but she also really liked how bold he was. And his mouth. A very vivid mental image of biting down on his firm lower lip and tasting him set fire to her body. Her clit began to throb, and she shifted just the slightest bit. Another vampire would have felt her arousal, but she hoped this human didn’t notice her need.

Trying to regain the upper hand again, she looked at him through her long lashes and said, “I’m glamouring you, Tyler. I’m making you see something that isn’t there. That’s my particular gift. I know, kind of odd for a vampire, but at least I got something cool. My friend Molly received the gift of talking to insects. Talk about random, right?”

“Vampire, huh?” He reached out and traced his thumb over her lips while he cupped her chin. “All I see is a stunningly beautiful woman with eyes like the night sky.”

“Fangs,” she whispered against his thumb, wanting to suck it into her mouth.

His lips quirked. “Fangs?”

She flashed hers and wanted to growl when he didn’t look the least bit startled. He wasn’t reacting at all like a normal human would and a tingle of suspicion race down her spine. Leaning closer, she took a subtle inhalation of his scent and found only his and hers. In fact, in a puzzling way, he smelled delicious. Like his blood was the perfect mixture made just to tempt her taste buds. “I want you to come home with me, Tyler. I want to touch you, pleasure you, make you orgasm until you pass out, but only for one night, and you will not remember it. If that is too much, I understand.”

To her shock tears filled her eyes, and he made a little hushing noise. “No, baby, no tears. You’re too beautiful for such sorrow. Let’s just take it one moment at a time. Give yourself permission to enjoy me.”

He leaned forward and gently kissed her tears away, his warm lips pressing to her skin. She moaned softly at the caress of his mouth and rubbed her face against him like a cat seeking a petting. The soft brush of his shirt over her skin was torture, and her body ached to have him inside of her. He’d feel so good, so strong and filling. Something to ground herself to, some connection to help her survive the darkness. She needed his light but would settle for his body.

“I don’t want to talk about the past, only the now. And in the now I want you.”

“Tell you what, Lisabetta. Why don’t you come to my place? I swear I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do, but I’d like to talk to you in a more intimate setting.”