wanted to test him, to tease him and see how far she could go.
She wanted him to lose control with her and if only she knew how
close he was to doing just that--and how he would ravage her if his
desire took flight unchecked--she’d probably climb out the bathroom
window and catch a cab home.
Maybe that’s what she had done.
When a raven-haired beauty strolled out of
the bathroom, a new worry assailed him. Had the two women spoken?
Max vaguely recognized the woman--her name was Veronica--or Vera,
something with a V. She belonged to one of Gregori Nachevik’s upper
echelon, one that had stayed behind to keep tabs on Jake Beaumont
when the new vampire king assumed power. She was about as powerful
as a human got in the vampire world. Her influence probably
surpassed even that of the king’s concubine, whom Max had heard was
also human.
It made a strange sort of sense. A powerful
male vampire would be wise to avoid a liaison with a vampiress.
She’d be more apt to stake him while he slept and assume his power.
A human ‘mate’ or even a privileged feeder was a much wiser choice
to keep a man’s secrets and to warm his bed--considering that
humans actually had warmth.
Where was Erica?
When she came out, he’d give her exactly what
she wanted. He’d upbraid her, gently but with a promise of more to
come, and he’d detail how he was going to punish her for
insubordinance. He could tell her things that would bring that sexy
blush back to her cheeks and make her tremble under his touch. He
licked his lips at the thought.
Did she know how much power she had over him?
He’d known her less than twenty-four hours and yet she was burned
into his psyche deeper than any of the women who had shared his bed
and fed his hunger for decades back in London.
He was one breath short of barreling into the
ladies’ room when she appeared. Her hazel eyes were wide and her
honey-toned skin had gone deathly white.
He crossed over to her and grabbed her elbow
more to hold her up than to admonish her. “Are you all right? What
happened in there?”
“Elena--I heard her voice through the vents.
She’s trapped here.”
“What? You heard her?”
“She begged me to help her. Max, she’s here.
We have to find her.”
Max held her frightened gaze and a warning
tingle went off at the back of his neck. Whatever she heard, she
believed it was her sister, but the whole thing seemed so
outrageous. Was it possible that Elena Talbot had been taken
prisoner by a vampire mate and was actually being held against her
will at Gregori’s? It made no sense.
He tugged Erica behind the pillar where the
echoing gurgle of the fountain would drown out their
conversation.
“Erica, do you realize what you’re saying? If
Elena is here, there’s no way we can get her out. I’m going to have
to get back-up.”
“What kind of back-up?”
“I’ll call my partner and some of my
colleagues. We may have to get permission from the king to search
the place.”
“Just do it, Max. I have to save her. I know
she’s here. I know it was her voice.”
He didn’t dare tell her that he found it too
incredible to believe. He looked up at the ornately painted ceiling
above them. There were private dining rooms upstairs, and probably
a few special rooms below the main floor as well for guests with
unusual tastes. A vampire might hold a feeder in one of those
rooms--a feeder who had made agreements she wasn’t prepared to
keep.
“The only thing we can do right now is
leave,” he said, softening his grip on her arm.
“No! We have to--”
He clamped his hand over her mouth and pushed
her farther into the corner behind the fountain. “Shh!” He hissed
in her ear. “We cannot cause any kind of scene.”
She struggled against him and he felt her
teeth on his palm. If she broke his skin and drew blood, she’d feel
it instantly. The deadly desire to drink was overwhelming when it
hit. If she drew even the smallest amount of his blood into her
mouth
She wanted him to lose control with her and if only she knew how
close he was to doing just that--and how he would ravage her if his
desire took flight unchecked--she’d probably climb out the bathroom
window and catch a cab home.
Maybe that’s what she had done.
When a raven-haired beauty strolled out of
the bathroom, a new worry assailed him. Had the two women spoken?
Max vaguely recognized the woman--her name was Veronica--or Vera,
something with a V. She belonged to one of Gregori Nachevik’s upper
echelon, one that had stayed behind to keep tabs on Jake Beaumont
when the new vampire king assumed power. She was about as powerful
as a human got in the vampire world. Her influence probably
surpassed even that of the king’s concubine, whom Max had heard was
also human.
It made a strange sort of sense. A powerful
male vampire would be wise to avoid a liaison with a vampiress.
She’d be more apt to stake him while he slept and assume his power.
A human ‘mate’ or even a privileged feeder was a much wiser choice
to keep a man’s secrets and to warm his bed--considering that
humans actually had warmth.
Where was Erica?
When she came out, he’d give her exactly what
she wanted. He’d upbraid her, gently but with a promise of more to
come, and he’d detail how he was going to punish her for
insubordinance. He could tell her things that would bring that sexy
blush back to her cheeks and make her tremble under his touch. He
licked his lips at the thought.
Did she know how much power she had over him?
He’d known her less than twenty-four hours and yet she was burned
into his psyche deeper than any of the women who had shared his bed
and fed his hunger for decades back in London.
He was one breath short of barreling into the
ladies’ room when she appeared. Her hazel eyes were wide and her
honey-toned skin had gone deathly white.
He crossed over to her and grabbed her elbow
more to hold her up than to admonish her. “Are you all right? What
happened in there?”
“Elena--I heard her voice through the vents.
She’s trapped here.”
“What? You heard her?”
“She begged me to help her. Max, she’s here.
We have to find her.”
Max held her frightened gaze and a warning
tingle went off at the back of his neck. Whatever she heard, she
believed it was her sister, but the whole thing seemed so
outrageous. Was it possible that Elena Talbot had been taken
prisoner by a vampire mate and was actually being held against her
will at Gregori’s? It made no sense.
He tugged Erica behind the pillar where the
echoing gurgle of the fountain would drown out their
conversation.
“Erica, do you realize what you’re saying? If
Elena is here, there’s no way we can get her out. I’m going to have
to get back-up.”
“What kind of back-up?”
“I’ll call my partner and some of my
colleagues. We may have to get permission from the king to search
the place.”
“Just do it, Max. I have to save her. I know
she’s here. I know it was her voice.”
He didn’t dare tell her that he found it too
incredible to believe. He looked up at the ornately painted ceiling
above them. There were private dining rooms upstairs, and probably
a few special rooms below the main floor as well for guests with
unusual tastes. A vampire might hold a feeder in one of those
rooms--a feeder who had made agreements she wasn’t prepared to
keep.
“The only thing we can do right now is
leave,” he said, softening his grip on her arm.
“No! We have to--”
He clamped his hand over her mouth and pushed
her farther into the corner behind the fountain. “Shh!” He hissed
in her ear. “We cannot cause any kind of scene.”
She struggled against him and he felt her
teeth on his palm. If she broke his skin and drew blood, she’d feel
it instantly. The deadly desire to drink was overwhelming when it
hit. If she drew even the smallest amount of his blood into her
mouth
Similar Books
