The beat shifts to low and sensual. It pulses through our bodies like a shared rhythm. We move together, drawn in tight. His dark brown eyes lock onto mine, the hunger there smoldering and unashamed.
His hands skim down my sides, slow and deliberate, stopping at my hips. He pulls me closer, bodies aligned, breath mingling. Every touch lights a fuse beneath my skin. I can't think. Can't breathe.
This hasn't happened before.
I've hunted fledgling vamps, sure, but never an old one like him. This reaction isn't influence. I'm immune to vampire mind tricks. So what the hell is this?
I need to move to stage two. Fast.
I curl my arms around his neck, my body pressing into his. I lean in, lips brushing his ear. "Want to go somewhere… more private?"
I pull back, parting my lips just enough, eyes locked on his. The message is clear.
His gaze drops, first to my mouth, then my neck. Something wicked flares behind his eyes, and a ferocious grin spreads across his lips. Without a word, he takes my hand and leads me through the crowd.
The hunt is on.
He leads me into an empty room, some forgotten storage space stacked with tangled Christmas lights, busted speakers, and dusty crates of empty glass bottles. The second the door shuts, the air shifts.
He grabs me without warning and lifts me onto a ledge with such effortless strength that I gasp, my fingers fisting into the open collar of his black shirt. He steps between my knees, and all I can see and sense is him.
A slow grin spreads across his lips as his grip eases. "You wanted private, sunshine. Now we're private."
Not for long, I think. Darlene and Johnny will know where I went. One press on the ring, and they'll be here in seconds.
I wrap my arms around his neck and tilt my head with a teasing smirk. "Nice place. You bring all the girls here?"
He chuckles low in his throat, the sound dripping with sin. His hand drags along my side, then brushes the bare line of my neck. Knuckles graze my cheek, hot and unhurried, and I feel the burn trail through my whole body.
"Do you really want an answer?" he murmurs.
He steps closer, pressing into the space between us. His scent envelops me—spice, scotch, and something darker, something that smells like temptation itself.
His fingers slide into my hair, firm but slow, pulling me toward him.
I should stop him. But I don't.
Our lips meet and it's pure fire. His mouth claims mine, and somehow, my body knows this rhythm. My lips part, our tongues tangle, and I melt into him. Every nerve sparks. Every thought dies.
It feels too good, and it's very,verywrong.
His other hand roams my back, drawing me tighter, deepening the kiss until nothing exists but heat and hunger.
The world disappears. No nature's scream. No mission. Just him and this moment.
When we finally pull apart, I'm breathless. His eyes are black fire, devouring me.
"Look at me," he says, his fingers gripping my chin, forcing my gaze to his. I can't look away. His pupils are endless, a void I could fall into.
"You're not going to scream for help, sunshine," he purrs. "You're going to enjoy this. I'll just have a little taste."
I go still, feigning submission, letting him think his influence has taken hold. His gaze rakes over me, hungry, sure, but there's something else beneath it—a raw emotion I can't understand.
He leans in again, brushing his lips against mine, whispering like it's a confession meant to vanish in the dark. "I haven't wanted someone this much in a long, long time…"
He tilts my head gently, exposing my throat. I let him.
He breathes me in, mouth trailing soft, tender kisses from my jaw to my shoulder. Each touch sends tingles down my spine.
