Steal the Day (Thieves #2)(71)

And my * was the greediest bit of all. Warm and wet. It didn’t matter that Dev was out there somewhere. In that moment, with Danny’s magic riding me, I just wanted him. An image played through my head. Daniel’s fangs. Dev’s hands. Together.

I was caught, trapped in those eyes and perfectly content to be there. My arms tightened around him, my heart thudding when his fangs penetrated. Bite doesn’t cover it. It was penetration, his body in mine, my blood in his. The orgasm bloomed across me, rolling in wave after wave of joy and pleasure until I simply let it be and gave over to him entirely.

I don’t remember when my robe came open, but when Daniel was through, it was hanging off me.

I probably looked extremely wanton, laying there in his lap, my naked body relaxed from a surfeit of pleasure. He’d pulled me close so my nipples rubbed against his chest.

“You okay, Z?” He moved me on the bed because I couldn’t quite move my limbs yet.

Nodding, I looked up at him. I knew what he wanted. He wanted to nick a vein and hold me to him as I sucked, his blood an exchange, strengthening the bond between vampire and companion. He wanted that exchange and the sex that inevitably followed, but Daniel merely laid me down and brushed the hair from my face. He was not enough of a gentleman to close my robe. He stared for a moment as he licked his fangs, getting every last drop. For just a second, he forgot to hide himself from me. He was a gorgeous beast.

“God, you’re beautiful, Zoey.” He shook his head and laughed. “I took off my shirt in case I spilled. I should have taken off my freaking pants. I have to change.”

But he stood there, looking at me as I giggled like a drunken schoolgirl because it wasn’t blood he’d spilled. His face cleared and his fangs disappeared. He sat on the bed, a rueful smile on his face. “Thanks for coming with me tonight. I want you to know I’ll keep you safe.”

I reached out, my limbs beginning to come back to life. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

He reached for my hand, and we sat there for the longest time.





“This is what the inside of Dev’s head looks like.” Daniel said an hour later as we stared at the scene in front of us with no small amount of shock and awe.

This particular club was called Descent. It was everything a Las Vegas club should be—decadent, rich, plush, and more than a little vulgar. Ether was a nightclub. Descent was something slightly different. It was a strip club, which I would have appreciated knowing in advance. There was one large stage complete with a shiny pole that even now a lovely woman was contorting herself around. No one can work a stripper pole like a shapeshifter. There were two smaller stages with dancers and patrons sitting around watching.

The room was full of vampires. By the looks of it, there were roughly two hundred in the club. It was a good portion of the vampire population. These were the movers and shakers, the old ones. Daniel was the youngest vampire in the room by hundreds of years. If it hadn’t been for his unique talents, he would never have been invited to these proceedings. He would have been a fledgling and beneath most vampires’ notice. They all noticed Daniel Donovan as we walked into the room. Every head turned, and I saw fear and suspicion in their eyes.

“Wow, you know how to make an entrance,” I said under my breath.

“They’re all afraid of me,” Daniel explained. “They know that if they step out of line, I’m the one the Council would send. I’m the one vampire they never want on their doorstep because if I’m there, I’ve come for one reason only. I’m their executioner.”

“See, The Executioner would work,” I pointed out. “It’s kind of humdrum, but it’s better than the Nex thingie.”

Daniel’s lips turned up in a half smile. He put his arm around my waist, his hand settling on my hip. He was staring down the room. I suddenly realized there were maybe thirty women in the room who could possibly be companions. Thirty scrumptious snacks and two hundred hungry vampires.

“They know you’re mine. You’ll be safe. These are well-trained vampires. If one of them steps out of line, well, they know I can take care of it. Zoey, if one of them even looks at you the wrong way, you let me know.” He was staring at my neck, and I knew he was looking at the mark he’d left. I couldn’t help but think about it, too.

A deep voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Daniel, it’s good to see you.”

I looked over to see it was the man Daniel had pointed out earlier. Niko, the Greek Council member, shook Daniel’s hand. He was shorter than my husband but looked strong, his hair a tawny blonde and his eyes almost golden.

He turned toward me, zeroing in on my neck before meeting my eyes. “Mrs. Donovan, I presume.”

I did not merit a handshake but received a polite half bow, a gesture from another era.

Daniel’s hand tangled in mine as though he wanted to be able to pull me back at any moment. “This is my wife, Zoey Donovan. Zoey, please meet Niko Rallis, honored member of our Council.”

I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to curtsy or something. Daniel had never had me presented to society, so I was ignorant. It didn’t seem to bother Niko, who took my hand and flipped it over to lay a very short kiss on my wrist. Marcus had done the same thing once, and now I figured it was the vampire equivalent of kissing a lady’s hand.

“She is stunning.” He looked at me but his words were for Daniel. I felt like a piece of art. I was there to be admired, but no one would take me seriously. “No wonder you chose to keep her to yourself until your reputation was secure. You would have fought many a duel over rights to one such as this. I might have been willing to give up my Lauren for her. I don’t suppose you would consider a trade?”