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Authors: Jennifer Colgan
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she’d be compelled to take more until the change began.
He pulled his hand away and turned her in his
arms, then pushed her against the wall. “Don’t do that.” His breath
in her ear was ragged. “Don’t ever bite a vampire, do you
understand?”
She nodded but didn’t go still. She pushed
back against him and a small sound escaped her lips. In response he
held her tighter. “Erica, Erica.…” He wanted to hold her and
comfort her, but at the same time, if they’d been in private, he
wouldn’t have been able to control himself. He had to get her out
of here and get away from her before he did something she’d
regret.
“We’re leaving. Don’t make another
sound.”
Slowly he turned her to face him. The defiant
fire flickered in her eyes only for a moment, then dull fear
replaced it. Max straightened and swallowed hard. There was someone
behind him. A vampire.
* * * *
Erica held her breath as a shadow fell across
the alcove. She saw a man, broad shouldered and barrel-chested, in
a dark three-piece suit. She didn’t dare raise her eyes to his.
She sank back against the wall and tried to
quell her shivering as Max turned around.
“Everything all right, Maxwell?”
“Mr. Carlisle. Everything is fine.” He held
his hand out and Erica slipped her fingers into his. He brought her
into the light and into the scrutiny of the vampire who owned Vera
Nighe.
“Who is this sweet morsel? Maxwell, you’ve
been holding out on your friends at the club, haven’t you?”
“Her name is Ricki. She’s very new.”
“She looks it. No offense, but the lady is
shivering. What have you done to her, Max?” Carlisle laughed and
held his hand out to Erica. She glanced at Max who gave her leave
to step forward and allow the other man to kiss her hand.
As Carlisle brushed his cold lips over her
skin, he breathed in her scent and held it as one savors the smoke
from a fine cigar. Erica cringed and fought off a shudder of
disgust. Under other circumstances she might have found Benton
Carlisle handsome and perhaps charming, but the evil light in his
eyes left her terribly cold.
Vera hovered behind him. She wore a
sympathetic smile and briefly Erica wondered if she might find an
ally in this mysterious woman. If only she could find a way for
them to be alone together again.
“I was about to take Ricki home. She’s had
quite enough for one night.”
“Surely you have time to join us in the Round
Room for dessert.”
Max glanced at Erica and his look told her it
was an invitation he didn’t dare refuse. In a strange way, she was
glad. The longer they stayed inside Gregori’s the better her chance
of locating Elena.
“We’ll see you there.”
Carlisle nodded and gestured for Vera to
follow him toward the curving staircase that led past the fountain
to the club’s upper floor. With a quick glance over her shoulder,
his lovely companion sashayed after him.
Max hesitated just a moment and his hands
tightened on Erica’s waist. “This isn’t good. Benton Carlisle
shouldn’t have any interest in me.”
“What’s going to happen now?”
Max sucked in a breath and leveled a
stone-cold gaze at Erica that made her heart rise into her throat.
“You’ve been disobedient tonight. And I’m going to have to punish
you for that. I’d say if you want to get out of here in one piece,
you’re going to have to keep it up.”
* * * *
The Round Room was a universe apart from the
rarified atmosphere of Gregori’s first floor dining rooms. Here,
the walls were painted black, and like After Dark, a pulsating beat
rattled Erica’s bones when she stepped over the threshold.
Inside, a complex lighting system created
dizzying effects on the walls and the floor. Swirling spirals of
color, stark white strobe lights and prismatic arcs illuminated the
patrons who were oddly transformed from the elegant personas they
wore downstairs.
Everywhere Erica looked, there were vampires
feeding. Rather than tables
He pulled his hand away and turned her in his
arms, then pushed her against the wall. “Don’t do that.” His breath
in her ear was ragged. “Don’t ever bite a vampire, do you
understand?”
She nodded but didn’t go still. She pushed
back against him and a small sound escaped her lips. In response he
held her tighter. “Erica, Erica.…” He wanted to hold her and
comfort her, but at the same time, if they’d been in private, he
wouldn’t have been able to control himself. He had to get her out
of here and get away from her before he did something she’d
regret.
“We’re leaving. Don’t make another
sound.”
Slowly he turned her to face him. The defiant
fire flickered in her eyes only for a moment, then dull fear
replaced it. Max straightened and swallowed hard. There was someone
behind him. A vampire.
* * * *
Erica held her breath as a shadow fell across
the alcove. She saw a man, broad shouldered and barrel-chested, in
a dark three-piece suit. She didn’t dare raise her eyes to his.
She sank back against the wall and tried to
quell her shivering as Max turned around.
“Everything all right, Maxwell?”
“Mr. Carlisle. Everything is fine.” He held
his hand out and Erica slipped her fingers into his. He brought her
into the light and into the scrutiny of the vampire who owned Vera
Nighe.
“Who is this sweet morsel? Maxwell, you’ve
been holding out on your friends at the club, haven’t you?”
“Her name is Ricki. She’s very new.”
“She looks it. No offense, but the lady is
shivering. What have you done to her, Max?” Carlisle laughed and
held his hand out to Erica. She glanced at Max who gave her leave
to step forward and allow the other man to kiss her hand.
As Carlisle brushed his cold lips over her
skin, he breathed in her scent and held it as one savors the smoke
from a fine cigar. Erica cringed and fought off a shudder of
disgust. Under other circumstances she might have found Benton
Carlisle handsome and perhaps charming, but the evil light in his
eyes left her terribly cold.
Vera hovered behind him. She wore a
sympathetic smile and briefly Erica wondered if she might find an
ally in this mysterious woman. If only she could find a way for
them to be alone together again.
“I was about to take Ricki home. She’s had
quite enough for one night.”
“Surely you have time to join us in the Round
Room for dessert.”
Max glanced at Erica and his look told her it
was an invitation he didn’t dare refuse. In a strange way, she was
glad. The longer they stayed inside Gregori’s the better her chance
of locating Elena.
“We’ll see you there.”
Carlisle nodded and gestured for Vera to
follow him toward the curving staircase that led past the fountain
to the club’s upper floor. With a quick glance over her shoulder,
his lovely companion sashayed after him.
Max hesitated just a moment and his hands
tightened on Erica’s waist. “This isn’t good. Benton Carlisle
shouldn’t have any interest in me.”
“What’s going to happen now?”
Max sucked in a breath and leveled a
stone-cold gaze at Erica that made her heart rise into her throat.
“You’ve been disobedient tonight. And I’m going to have to punish
you for that. I’d say if you want to get out of here in one piece,
you’re going to have to keep it up.”
* * * *
The Round Room was a universe apart from the
rarified atmosphere of Gregori’s first floor dining rooms. Here,
the walls were painted black, and like After Dark, a pulsating beat
rattled Erica’s bones when she stepped over the threshold.
Inside, a complex lighting system created
dizzying effects on the walls and the floor. Swirling spirals of
color, stark white strobe lights and prismatic arcs illuminated the
patrons who were oddly transformed from the elegant personas they
wore downstairs.
Everywhere Erica looked, there were vampires
feeding. Rather than tables
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