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The door swung open without warning, revealing the leather-clad vampire he’d been teasing. Jaw dropping before he could stop it, Riaz openly admired her shapely legs and the way the black leather clung to each delectable curve.
At least this time, he was aware his eyes had gone orange.
As the wolf looked his fill, Riaz’s couldn’t help but play out the scenario where he’d wrap Cortana up in his arms, toss her over his shoulder, and haul her back into the bedroom to have his wicked way with her. Every kiss would be smoldering, every bite a sultry reminder of the predator within, every—
“Why has your wolf risen to the surface?”
Spoken as if to an inebriated fool, her question tore him away for his delicious daydream. “My wolf has an insatiable appetite for beauty, and Pet, you’ve just filled me up.”
“You’re ridiculous.” Cortana’s blank expression, apparently too well-schooled to betray any emotion, made his shoulders slump.
“No,” he replied seriously before his humor got the best of him. “I’m Riaz.”
The vampire fisted her hands on her hips but said nothing, challenging him with a dominant stare all of her own. While his wolf delighted in her ferocity, the beast was alpha to the core and the open defiance she showed rubbed his fur the wrong way.
Animal instincts screaming to demonstrate his dominance, the human side of Riaz knew it wouldn’t end well. Instead of snarling and gnashing his teeth together, he leaned forward while he maintained eye contact, aligning their faces so that he could peer directly into those beautiful brown eyes.
Riaz couldn’t help the raspiness that deepened his voice. “As much as I appreciate your fire, Pet, this is my den, and my wolf is a dominant alpha by nature. If you continue to glare at me unrepentantly, he will demand to respond to the perceived dominance challenge.”
One blink, two.
And then, the little vampire did what he didn’t expect: she took his advice. Averting her eyes, she willfully took a step back and loosened her stance. His wolf had already started to settle when she opened her mouth to speak, and he beat her to the punch.
“Let’s go, Countess Dracula! The night’s a wastin’!”
Propping his elbow, he was positively giddy when her fingers tentatively curled around his bicep. She wasn’t holding a grudge, and his wolf was on cloud nine.
They didn’t exchange another word as he whisked her off down the corridor, making a beeline for the garage where the pack’s vehicles resided. As any good wolf, Riaz much preferred four feet to wheels, but he couldn’t very well tell Cortana that she had to jog into town.
Comfortable in the jeans and dark T-shirt he’d donned just before they entered the den, grabbed his leather jacket from a hook just inside the garage. Slinging it over his shoulders, he strode toward their vehicle, Cortana in tow.
He knew the exact moment when she realized what they were taking.
Chapter Seven
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“What’s wrong, Pet?”
Everything. “A motorcycle? Real inconspicuous, wolf.”
A broad smile that somehow managed to show all Riaz’s perfectly white teeth was her response before he handed her a sleek black helmet. “I gotta get my kicks somewhere, Fangs. Besides, stealth is overrated.”
Feet still cemented to the ground, Cortana could only stare at the machine. Admittedly, the motorcycle was a beautiful work of art and power. Sleek black lines, trimmed in a flashy silver, defined each curve of the bike that was clearly well cared for. Not a single speck of dust or dirt marred the finish, the rolled metal polished to perfection with an obsessive touch.
While she’d been gaping, Riaz had carried on, gracefully swinging his leg over the seat in a move that left her panting. It was all too clear that the dangerous predator before her knew his way around a bike.
“What? Too scared to put your life in my very capable paws?”
Eyes narrowing as she steeled herself for what was to come, she gripped the helmet tight and sauntered over to him. “Hardly, Fido. You don’t scare me.”
Laughter danced behind his eyes, the russet brown lighting up with a whisp of flame. “Then jump on and I’ll give you a ride.”
Stiffening before she could help it, Cortana glanced at the passenger seat behind him. Unfortunately, the restraint she’d promised herself would suffer a hit for this: she’d couldn’t avoid physical contact with the man on the motorcycle.
With any luck, Riaz wouldn’t hear the grinding of her teeth through the helmet.
Hoping against hope that her move was as smooth as his, Cortana kicked a leg over the leather seat. She settled lightly on the seat, stiff and uncomfortable, before leaning forward to coil her arms around Riaz’s waist. In the next second, the woodsy scent of cedar invaded her senses, engulfing her in his delicious aroma.
