“You smell so good,” he told her. “Come to dinner with me tonight, Devon.”
Something scraped her skin. A fang? But the sting was there and gone so fast she wasn’t completely sure she hadn’t imagined it, replaced by a brush of his lips so soft it made her shudder. “Am I the main course?” The second the words were out of her mouth, she wished she could take them back.
He chuckled, deep and low. “No. At least, not tonight. I like to get to know my victims a little before I feed on them.”
Devon frowned. Was he teasing her? “Then why are you holding me here like this?”
“You touched me and…I didn’t think.” He inhaled deeply, pulling her in tighter. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to scare you.”
He was hard. She could feel him against her. “You’re holding me against my will, Kohl.” Actually, what he was doing was pretty much the most exciting thing that had happened to her in a long time. But it was also the most dangerous. She needed to remember that. “You’re scaring me a little.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, he stilled against her. His arm immediately disappeared and the warmth of his body left her back.
She shivered again, this time from the cold.
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intention, Devon.” His voice was raw.
She turned around, drawn by the distress in his tone, but he took a step back and lowered his chin, staring hard at the floor between them so she couldn’t see his face. One arm crossed his body, his hand resting on the opposite shoulder.
Her eyes narrowed at the familiarity of the gesture. He was hiding. That’s why he’d pulled her up against him. So she wouldn’t see who he was. “I know what you are, Kohl. You don’t have to worry about that. You don’t have to hide.”
Eyes lit from within flashed up to her face, more fiery gold than brown now. He studied her for a few seconds, then dropped his arm. “I’m sorry I scared you,” he repeated, and she could see the tips of his fangs peeking out from beneath his upper lip. “I just…reacted, and then I panicked. And then I reacted to the panic. I forgot you were familiar with—” He made a circle with his finger, encompassing his face. “This.”
He was wrong. Though she knew they existed, and had read a lot about them from the reports that came in, she wasn’t used to seeing vampires up close and personal. It wasn’t part of her job description. She’d been more behind the scenes than in the field. Devon took the chance to study him, enticed by the way he ran the tip of his tongue over his exposed fangs, and for the briefest of instances, she wondered what it would feel like to be bit.
He sighed heavily, and looked off to the side, breaking the connection. Then he frowned, and when he turned back, his eyes were back to their normal brown. “Does this mean you won’t go to dinner with me?”
Devon laughed. She couldn’t help it. This entire conversation was ridiculous. “That all depends.”
One eyebrow lifted in silent question. “On?”
Her fear of him overridden by the raw lust still heating her blood, she said the first thing that came to her mind. “On whether or not you’re going to expect sex as a thank you.”
He stilled again. It was eerie the way he could do that. There wasn’t the slightest movement in his large body that she could see. Then he leaned in toward her. “Is there room to negotiate?”
A smile spread across her face. “There’s always room to negotiate, but no guarantees on the outcome.”
Kohl gave her a nod, seemingly satisfied with her answer. “I’ll pick you up just after dark.”
“I’ll be ready.”
Their eyes caught and held, and they grinned at each other until Kohl broke it off, glancing toward the hall. “I would walk you to your car, but, you know, I burn easily. Even on cloudy days such as this.”
“It’s okay. I can see myself out.” She turned to go, but he took her arm, staying her. Tingles ran all the way up to her shoulder. “What?” she asked.
Those warm brown eyes travelled over her face. “I do remember you, Devon. And I’m very glad you came back here today.”
His declaration, if that’s what it was, took her by surprise. She didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing.
“You’re parked out front?”
She nodded.
“I’ll let you out.”
He came toward her, placing his hand on the small of her back. His palm was warm, even through her hoodie. Devon allowed him to steer her in the right direction, a sense of déjà vu teasing the edges of her memory.
Did he touch her like this last night? Why didn’t she remember?
