Single White Vampire (Argeneau #3)(81)

"Hmm." Lucern ran a hand up her arm, smiling when she shivered.

Kate tried not to look ready to leap on him. The man had just to touch her and she wanted him. Dear God, her legs were shaking. Clearing her throat, she shifted away and sank onto the upholstered bench in front of the dressing table. Turning to face the mirror, she set her purse down, took out her lipstick and quickly applied a fresh coat. Her eyes darted to the man standing behind her when he placed his hands on her shoulders.

Luc didn't say anything, just caught her gaze in the mirror. Kate's mouth went dry. She swallowed at the sight of the silver fire sparking out of his eyes. She recognized that look. He had nearly burned her alive with it this morning. Luc wanted her.

His hands slid off her shoulders, and Kate's gaze shifted to follow his hands as they dropped down to cover her breasts. The dress had no back, which meant she'd had to forgo a bra. There was nothing between his hands and her breasts except for black silk.

"Lucern—"

"Shhh." He placed one knee on the bench by her hip, then nudged her head to the side. Urging back her hair, he placed a kiss on her neck.

Kate leaned back into him and watched in the mirror. A sigh slipped from her lips as he ran his thumbs over her erect nipples. Then he removed one hand and raised it to catch her chin and turn her head. He kissed her. Kate moaned, opening to him, arching into his caress, her hands sliding up his arms toward his shoulders.

She was taken by surprise when he suddenly lifted her to her feet. "What?"

"Come," was all he said. Then he was leaving the room and pulling her behind him. Kate thought he was taking her back to the party, but he led her onto the curtained stage. He quickly crossed it. Kate tried to follow quietly, knowing all that stood between them and the ballroom full of people was the stage's closed curtain, but her high-heeled shoes went click-click-click as she walked. Luc led her down the stairs on the opposite side and out a door.

"Where are we going?" Kate hissed, glancing nervously back down the hall at the doors to the ballroom.

Luc stopped at the elevators and pushed the button. "You look tired," he said. "You worked too hard today. You need rest."

Kate spoke sharply. "Luc, we have to—Ohh," she cried as the elevator doors opened and he tugged her inside.

"Luc," she repeated. He pushed the button for their floor, but Kate slipped between him and the panel and hit the open button. "We have to—" She nearly swallowed her tongue when he pressed close against her back and slid his hands up to cup her breasts. She let go of the elevator button to grab his hands. "Lucern!"

He ground his lower body against her buttocks, and she closed her eyes as she felt his hardness. The elevator's doors closed, and the car started to rise. "A nap does sound good," she breathed. Then she shook her head. "No, we have to…"

She swallowed her words again as he bent to catch her legs just above the knees. His hands skimmed up over her skin, sliding under her skirt as he straightened.

Kate groaned and widened her stance. He cupped her between the legs with both hands and pressed her back against him.

"You want me."

"I want you," Kate echoed. Then she blinked her eyes. "Hey!"

Struggling out of his hold, she whirled to scowl at him. "Don't pull that mind-control crap on me."

"Don't you want me?"

Kate merely scowled harder. He knew she wanted him. He couldn't have slipped inside her mind if she didn't. Still, that didn't matter. She was finding it difficult enough to fight her desires and do what was expected of her—having him take control of her mind was not helping. And he had slipped in so easily!

The elevator stopped, the doors opened, and Lucern grabbed her hand and pulled her out.

Kate tried to dig her feet in as he dragged her up the hall. "Lucern. One more hour at the ball. One hour. Then we can go visit the blood bank and take care of your little problem. We can't—Okay, half an hour," she argued desperately as he stopped at their door and used his key card. "Half an hour more at the ball!"

He tugged her inside, pushed the door closed, then walked to the couch.

"Or maybe we could make a quick trip to the blood bank now, then go back to the ball," Kate pleaded. Luc dropped to sit on the couch, still holding her hand. "We can take care of your need for blood, then go back—"

"Kate," Lucern interrupted.

"What?" she asked warily.

"I do not need blood." He tugged her off balance and into his lap. "All I need is you."

Kate didn't get a chance to respond; Lucern prevented it by sealing her lips with his. She kept her mouth closed at first, ignoring the temptation to kiss him back as she struggled to retain control. But his lips weren't the only thing moving on her—one of his arms was around her back, the fingers having slipped through the side of her dress to caress the ticklish skin under her arm and along side her breast. The other was working busily at the ties of her gown at her shoulder.

Kate moaned deep in her throat, but managed to keep her lips shut as first one shoulder tie was pulled free, then the other. The material pooled around her waist, and Lucern gave up trying to kiss her and bent his head to her breasts.

"Damn," Kate breathed as he suckled one nipple, then the other. "Screw the ball."