A Vampire for Christmas(10)

I’m familiar with their corporate logo.” He pointed to a picture. “It’s on this banner.”

Still, that was very perceptive. “It was the first time I worked with them.” She chewed on her lower lip, wondering whether to leave it at that. But she had to know what was bothering him. “Why?”

He hesitated as if he were considering his words carefully. “Let’s just say that I’ve heard about some less than positive things they may or may not have been involved in.”

Talk about a qualifying statement. He sounded like someone who didn’t want to commit one way or another. Aware that their knees were now touching, she didn’t want to move for fear she’d only draw attention to the fact that she’d noticed. “They seemed fine to me. Very supportive of my ideas. They paid well and they paid on time. I’d gladly do more work for them.”

He grabbed her hands, startling her, his expression ice-cold. “Promise me you won’t work with them again.”

Um…” It was the biggest check she’d received all year. How could she say no if the job came up again? “I don’t understand. Why does it matter?”

Because…I don’t trust them and…” He stared at her mouth. Her lips felt hot, almost swollen, under his gaze. Sparks of excitement shot down her spine. Was he going to kiss her? Her breathing grew shallow and she saw just the tip of his tongue before he spoke again, though this time it was more of a whisper. “And you matter to me.” He leaned in close and captured her mouth with his, stealing whatever it was she was going to say.



SHE WAS MUCH TOO VULNERABLE. He couldn’t believe she’d done work for Xtark. Guardians had become suspicious that it was a front for Darkblood activities and were planning an investigation. No matter how much they paid her, it wasn’t a place for a human—particularly not a beautiful woman like Charlotte.

Her lips were soft, her breath minty from the gum she’d chewed earlier. She leaned into him and he pushed his tongue inside before he could think about where that action would lead them. With a tiny moan that made him ache, she wrapped her arms around his neck, opened her mouth to his.

He leaned into her, pushing her back onto the sofa, and slid a hand roughly up her shirt. His residual anger about Xtark morphed into a driving need to care for and protect Charlotte.

Did she still wear the bras with the closure in the front?

He reached up, caressed the soft flesh spilling out the top of the lacy cup. Yes, she did. His fingers easily unfastened the clasp and her breasts sprang free.

Oh, my God,” she whispered against his lips, as his thumb brushed over her nipple. Her fingernails scraped across his scalp, grabbing a handful of his hair possessively. “Yes.”

That was all the invitation he needed. With one hand, he unfastened his jeans, eager to feel her from the inside for the first time in almost a year.

Although he’d slept with other women since they’d been apart, it had been mindless, meaningless sex, meant only to keep his aggressive tendencies in check. Most vampires were very sexually active because of this, Trace included. But with Charlotte, things had always been different. Sex with her hadn’t been to simply satisfy a need. Sure, that was how it started, but they had connected on so many other levels, as well.

The bed,” she mumbled against his lips. It was a command.

Not one to ignore an order like that, he pulled her from the sofa and led her down the hallway. He didn’t bother to ask directions; he knew the way.

By the time they reached the bed, his erection was straining painfully behind his zipper. Without a word, he pulled off her boots and tossed them behind him. When he reached under her skirt to pull off her tights, she gasped, her eyes widening.

Had he somehow read her wrong? Was this too much? Had he gone too far? Too fast? He hesitated, his fingers curled under the waistband of the tights, not moving. After all, he was a stranger to her and he was acting as if he’d done this with her before. Which he had. Only she didn’t know it. “You don’t want this?”

A laugh bubbled from her lips. “Um, quite the opposite. It’s just that I don’t normally do this sort of thing with men I’ve just met.”

Relieved, he flashed her a smile. The last thing he wanted to do was freak her out in any way.

Without looking, he opened her nightstand drawer, found the condoms she kept there—he resisted the urge to count how many in the box were gone from the last time he was here or see if it was a new box entirely—and he quickly sheathed himself. Although a vampire couldn’t get a human woman pregnant, he needed to keep up the illusion that he was human. A twinge of guilt nagged at him, but he shrugged it away.