urge to do any of those things had vanished, leaving her turned on and confused as hell.
Her body swayed slowly as desire swept over her in a thick, heady wave, dragging her into a whirlpool of endless possibilities. Her vamp was unlike anyone she’d ever known. He radiated sexual energy—raw and all-consuming—and his sights had set on Ariana. Her will was no match for the sensations overtaking her body.
Good god, this wasn’t like her . . . and she’d be damned if she didn’t like this new Ariana better.
She didn’t even know a thing about him. Other than the fact that he could teleport and heat her core hotter than a damned volcano, he was a stranger. A stranger with a marble slate for a chest, strong, muscular arms, and a tongue that could whip like a snake, but still . . . a stranger. Was he a newly transitioned elder she hadn’t picked up on? An ordinary vamp? Why would he come back to the black market?
“Who are you?” she asked as her middle gave the first pre-projection wobble.
“My name’s Dante.”
Dante . . .
She said the name to herself over and over again as a delicious stirring warmed her chest.
“I didn’t think I’d see you again.” He pulled back, only a bit, but Ariana felt a draft of cold slither between them. “At least not back here . . . like this.”
Ariana picked up the subtle undertone simmering beneath his words: hope. He’d wanted her to return . . . to see her again. Had he been thinking of her, too?
“What do you want from me?” As a hollow ache spread through her center, Ariana laid her head back on his chest. His natural scent, musky and strong, saturated the air and settled on her skin. It coaxed away the last of the worry from her bones.
Damn it, this was crazy. She was crazy. For allowing Dante to press against her. For allowing his body to heat hers to such an uncomfortable level.
“Holy shit,” he breathed, leaning down to nuzzle into her hair. “You’re softer than I could’ve ever imagined.”
“What do you want . . .” . . . from me? She let the words linger on her lips. Why couldn’t she finish the sentence? Why did she care what he wanted at all? She didn’t know him from Vlad. “What do you . . .”
She was free to run. To turn around and knee him in the pressure cooker. He’d released her. Then why didn’t she want to go anywhere?
As if every moment had slowed to a delicate crawl, Dante spun her around and pulled her against him.
She faced a steel wall of a chest. Looked up into glowing, gold eyes. Shadows flittered over the angles of his face—chiseled jaw, sharp cheekbones, impossibly full lips. He was more heart-stopping than she remembered.
Ariana couldn’t explain it, but with one drink of the gold swirling in his eyes, she knew there was more to Dante than could be answered by asking a single question. He was mysterious in the most intriguing way, with depths and layers a lifetime couldn’t unearth.
Dante leaned down and paused, eyeing the curves and angles of her face with radiant awe.
Sucking in a short breath, Ariana waited for his lips to come down on hers. Though his jaw pulsed hard and fast and his lips had a habit of straining white, Ariana knew they’d soften for her.
Dante was a puzzle—both hard and soft, primal yet controlled.
As his lips parted and Ariana’s blood stilled, the pounding sound of boots rained down the stairs. Dante severed their contact and spun Ariana behind him. She didn’t realize how much he’d warmed her body until a chilling draft swept beneath her robe.
“I think they caught onto my scent. We need to get you out of here,” he growled. “Juan Carlos won’t be far behind them. Damn it, I wasted too much time.” He checked the hall again, as if he really had lost something. “How long have you been here?”
She found it hard to recall anything before he’d swept her into his arms.
Reality knocked her feet from under her. She wasn’t really here at all. This
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