Blood dripped onto his tie, reminding her of the Ten of Knives card. Black roses on white silk. Ruby-red blood.
Betrayal, betrayal, betrayal.
Gabriel’s, some secret plan he was keeping from her?
Her own, yet to be committed?
Vita mutatur, non tollitur….
Jaci closed her eyes, that white-hot guilt coming back to bite her. An hour ago, she’d been so convinced she’d figured it all out—how to bind Viansa, how to save her father, all of it. But now, looking at the vampire prince with his red eyes and his sexy mouth, the echo of his laughter still lingering, the warmth of his touch… Jaci wasn’t so sure.
Could she really do it? Could she trap him in a state of perpetual un-death and carve out his heart?
Life is changed, not taken away…
Gabriel’s lips were close to her skin, warm and soft and full, and suddenly she wanted nothing more than tofeelthem. To feel his tongue lapping up the blood, to watch those red vampire eyes, to experience the euphoria of a vampire bite she actually wanted rather than one that was forced on her.
Blood and vengeance. A severed heart.
Death. Resurrection.
Blood on the sheets. Betrayal.
Blood and ice.
Magic and fire.
Jaci’s heart pounded furiously. There was no way to hide her desire; she knew the vampire could sense it. Smell it.
Gabriel’s breath was ragged, almost pained, as if he were trying to hold back the force of a tsunami with nothing but his bare hands.
“It’s okay,” she whispered, her voice trembling. Fear? Desire? Hope? Shame? All of them collided in her heart, spinning and swirling, leaving her dizzy.
Touch me,she whispered in her mind.Taste me.
As if he could read her thoughts, Gabriel opened his mouth, a glint of fang shining in the dim light.
She pressed her flesh against his lips.
His tongue slid against her skin, and then…
“Don’tdo that again.” He backed away from her so fast, she nearly toppled off the desk.
“I… I didn’t…” Frustration tangled her words. “I was only—”
A sudden rush of cold air erased her words, and then she was on her feet again, immobilized against the wall by his muscled body, her wrists trapped above her head in one impossibly large hand.
She sucked in a breath, trying to reorient herself after the unexpected blur. “Gabriel. I thought—”
“No, you didn’t think.” Gabriel slid a hand around her hip, clutching her tight. His tone dripped with menace. “Because if youhadthought—for even a single minute—you would’ve talked yourself out of whatever game you’re playing here.”
Fresh blood trickled down her arm.
The sight of it made him shudder.
“It’s not a game,” she said. “I was trying to—”
“Be clear about something, as I’m only going to say this one more time.” He leaned in close, lips tickling her jaw as he brought his mouth to her ear. His dick was hard, pressing against her lower belly, hot and eager despite the coldness in his touch. In his voice. “Iownyou, witch. If I want something from you, I’ll bloody well take it.”
