Single White Vampire (Argeneau #3)(79)

"I suppose I should be grateful that you haven't discovered sports yet. Men can be impossible when they're sports freaks," she commented.

Lucern tore his gaze away from the TV and snorted. "Sports. I saw what you people call sports. Sheesh. If you want sports, you should watch a joust. Now, that was a sport. Matches won, lives lost, blood shed." His gaze dropped to the bag she held. "Is that for me?"

"Yes." Kate handed it over. She started to turn away, but gasped in surprise when he caught her hand and tugged her off balance. She landed in his lap with an ungraceful plop. Before she had quite recovered, his mouth covered hers and he subjected her to a thorough kiss.

"Oh," she sighed when it was over. Her mind was awhirl. Somehow her arms had crept around Luc's neck, and she was plastered to his chest like a wet cloth.

"Hello," the vampire growled. His hand slid up the inside of her leg, pausing to run over a bite mark he had left on her upper thigh.

Kate stiffened and wiggled as a thick ache started between her legs.

"Does it hurt?" he asked quietly, rubbing his fingers over the mark.

"No." She reached down to try to stop him, but the straight skirt of her business suit was pulled tight over her legs. She couldn't hamper him.

He began to nibble at her ear, and his fingers slid further up her leg.

"Luc," Kate protested, dismayed at how breathy she sounded. She tried for a firmer tone. "I have to get ready."

Lucern grunted and slipped a finger under the elastic of her panties. "You feel ready to me."

"Oh." She arched slightly into his caress. Her body was eager to recreate a little of the magic from that morning. Her mind, however, was lecturing her. The ball. Lucern was the star attraction. And Chris was just on the other side of the door. This last thought, more than any other, made her scramble out of Luc's lap and away from his touch.

"I have to dress," she blurted. Rushing into her room, Kate slammed the door on any comment he might have made, then leaned back against it, her hand to her chest. She was panting as if she had run a race, her legs trembling, her flesh tingling. And she was fighting her own instincts. She would have much rather taken him by the hand and dragged him to bed. In fact, she was hard-pressed not to do so right that moment. But duty called.

Duty. She sighed. She still had not told Lucern that he was the focal point of tonight's ball. He was feeling lusty now, but he wouldn't be once he learned what she'd gotten him into.

Forcing herself not to think of that, she pushed herself away from the door. She had to get ready. She had brought a long black gown of her own from home. She donned the slim sheath of black silk, then used makeup to give her skin the fine white sheen of bone china before adding a blood-red lipstick. That done, she released her hair from its bun and brushed it out until it fell around her shoulders in soft waves.

Deciding she was as done as she was going to get, Kate grabbed the two pairs of vampire teeth she had brought from New York and hurried out of her room.

Lucern was standing in the living room, dressed and ready to go. Kate felt a gusty sigh slip from her lips at the sight. The man looked absolutely fabulous in the tuxedo and cape she had brought. He was every woman's fantasy. She really wished she wasn't about to anger him with the news she had to impart.

"You look ravishing," Lucern said solemnly.

Kate forced a smile and walked forward, holding out one set of teeth.

Lucern glanced down with distaste at the cheap plastic vampire teeth, then stiffened. His gaze shot back to her face. "Please say you jest."

Kate bit her lip to stifle the laugh that was suddenly eager to burst from her; Luc looked so horrified at the very thought of wearing the tacky teeth.

"Everyone will be wearing them," she informed him. "It's a vampire ball."

"I have my own teeth," he said with great dignity.

"Yes, I know. But no one will expect that. Please, just put them on. Please, Lucern?" She touched his arm.

His gaze settled on her lips in a way she found most distracting; then he sighed heavily with exasperation. "Oh, very well."

He snatched one of the pairs of teeth from her palm and popped them into his mouth. Then he proceeded to move them about, making faces and shifting his jaw in an effort to make them more comfortable. "Vees ore asrocious."

Kate blinked at his slurred words. Deciding it would be best not to encourage his whining, she shrugged and popped the second set of teeth into her own mouth, then understood exactly what he meant. They were atrocious. They were damned uncomfortable. They were so bad, she almost considered leaving both pairs behind.

Chris sauntered into the room in his own tuxedo and cape. "You two look great," he said.

He smiled at them both, revealing a pair of realistic-looking vampire teeth.

Lucern immediately scowled. "Ou ee? 'Is eeth ook eal. An a amn ight ore omorta-ul."

Kate was trying to translate his attempted words when Chris winced. "Man, Kate," he said. "Where did you get your teeth? Sheesh. Those are so out-of-date it isn't funny."

Kate glared at her friend's betrayal. Deciding to ignore both men, she headed for the door, saying, "Let's go, I don't want to be late." At least, she tried to say that. It came out more like " 'et's o ah own an oo ee ate." Sighing as Chris burst out laughing, she dragged the door open and led the way out.