“You brought me to a bookshop for our date?”
“I thought you could choose some new books while drinking coffee.” He frowned for a moment. “Or maybe not coffee, given the late hour. I believe they offer other hot beverages as well.” He took my elbow and stepped toward the door just as a pair of college students barged past.
The taller of the two shoved me into Rasmus. He didn’t even apologize.What an asshole.
Rasmus growled under his breath, but when I grabbed his wrist, he settled.
“We can’t afford to cause a scene,” I reminded him. “I’m sure they’re just in a rush or something.” Both had murky green auras, which didn’t bode well, but I wasn’t about to let a pair of humans ruin my date.
“You’re right, my darling. Let me buy you a beverage, and then you can browse the book selection.”
Thank the goddess I’d come with my level-headed vampire instead of my hot-headed incubus. Zane would have eviscerated the humans and caused a riot.
A bell jingled merrily as we stepped inside the bookshop, and I smiled happily, already spotting at least two books I’d been wanting to read for a while.
I decided on a chai tea latte with a slice of coffee cake, while Rasmus ordered a black coffee for appearance’s sake.
After finding a table tucked away in the corner, we sat and chatted while I stuffed my face full of cake. Then, once I couldn’t eat another bite, I wandered off to browse the books.
Stacks of romances and mass-market fiction paperbacks filled the shelves on the ground floor, but upstairs, I discovered all kinds of random nonfiction books, from self-help delights such asHow to Cure Your IBStoDeadly Herbs for the Discerning Witch.
I grabbed that last one in case it contained anything useful. Rasmus assured me he had plenty of cash and I was free to purchase any books I wanted.
The deeper into the reference rooms I wandered, the quieter it became. Faint chatter and music drifted up the narrow spiral staircase, but up here, it felt like a different world.
I ran my fingers down dusty spines and squinted at faded titles when I reached the occult section. Titles likeA History of Summoning SpellsandAn Academic Analysis of the Demon Uprising of 1698gave me pause.
Demon Uprising?I turned to ask Rasmus about it, but he’d vanished.
“Rasmus?” The uneven timber floor creaked under my feet as I passed through an archway into a turreted room with narrow shelves packed full of books. Rasmus stood reading a thin volume bound in rich red leather.
“Found something interesting?” I asked, peering around him. The light wasn’t great here, but I could make out the author’s name in gold script.
“You wrote this?”The Rise of the Dvorak Dynasty by Rasmus Dvorak.
“I did,” he agreed. “During the prohibition years, when the endless pursuit of blood and pleasure no longer appealed. I spent two years researching our family’s long and bloody history before publishing the manuscript via an agent.” He smiled. “It didn’t sell many copies, but I enjoyed the process.”
I snatched the book from his hands and added it to my pile. “I’d like to read it.”
“Darling,” he purred, pressing me back against a shelf. “If you want to know more about my family, you only have to ask.”
The muffled sounds from the coffee shop faded as I inhaled his rich scent. Sharp fangs grazed the soft skin below my ear, and then he licked the spot where he usually fed from me, sending a heated shudder through my body. The books in my hands tumbled to the floor with a thud.
“We should probably go,” I forced out, making no effort to move.
“Not yet,mea amica. I’m thirsty.”
“But this is a public place and we—” I didn’t get the chance to finish that sentence because my vampire claimed my mouth in a kiss so hot I lost the ability to form a coherent thought.
His hips locked me against the shelf. Dusty books wobbled as he rocked gently into me, rubbing me just so. I silently regretted not wearing a skirt, even though I rather liked my cool hipster jeans.
Rasmus’s cool fingers edged beneath my tee, finding my breasts with unerring accuracy. He rubbed my taut nipple through the laceof my bra, and I moaned. In a flash, Rasmus had blinked us across the small room to a table set under a leaded window.
He spun me around so I faced the glass and slipped his hand inside my jeans. The button and zipper opened so easily I wondered if magic was at play, but before I could ask, he dipped first one finger and then two inside me.
My low, tortured groan echoed around the small room when he punctured my neck with his fangs. A hot, pulsing wave of ecstasy shot through me like lightning. I spasmed around his fingers, the table the only thing holding me upright.
I wanted far more, but instead of fucking me, Rasmus spun me back around, grinning lasciviously as he licked his fingers clean.
