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“Thank you.” His voice, like his smile, was designed to seduce.
He took the drink, the brief touch of his fingers hot and somehow needy. She resisted the urge to wipe her hand and raised her glass, taking a sip. The sweet liquid only succeeded in further agitating her stomach. “Do you come here often?” she said.
“Yes. And I haven’t seen you here before.”
His gaze slid casually down her body, then rose to meet hers again. The desire so evident in his eyes made her throat go dry. Heat surged between them, caressing her skin with its intensity. Yet while she reacted physically, it left her numb deep inside. Which was odd, given how susceptible she was to Ethan the minute he came within arm’s reach.
“No,” she murmured. “I’m just passing through.”
Something surged in his eyes. Relief. Perhaps even triumph. He swallowed the last of his champagne, then placed the glass on the nearby table. “Shall we dance?”
She hesitated briefly, but knew she had no choice. She had to let him think his aura was doing its job, that she was indeed struck with desire for him. She downed her drink in a gulp that left her head buzzing and placed her glass beside his. He pressed a hand against her back as he guided her down to the dance floor, his fingers caressing her spine, sending chills skating across her skin. The music swirled around them, its beat heavy, languid. The floor was crowded with sweating, needy people, and she could almost smell their lust. He pulled her close, his body hard and smelling faintly of pine and death. His touch slid down to caress her rear. Had it been Ethan, she would have ached. With this wolf, the only true sensation she had was fear.
She lifted her gaze to his again. “Doesn’t your girlfriend mind you dancing this … intimately … with others?”
Tension flowed briefly through his limbs, and the hand holding her side dug deep. Pain slithered through her, and she bit down on a yelp.
He raised a pale eyebrow, his gaze all cold heat. “Girlfriend?”
She nodded. “I saw you come in and was disappointed to see you weren’t alone.”
His grip relaxed a little. “Ah, you mean Ming. She’s my employer.”
“But not your lover?”
“Our arrangement does sometimes include sex.” He gave her a half-smile that made her stomach flip-flop—and not in a good way. “Does that worry you?”
“That very much depends on just what sort of business you’re both in.”
“You could say my part in our venture is taking care of the young.”
His touch slipped from her rear to her thigh and moved under her skirt, caressing bare skin. The tremor that ran through her had nothing to do with desire. She fought the flash of kinetic energy and raised an eyebrow. “Charity work?”
“No. Not unless you consider self-interest a charity.” His other hand slid under her breast. She couldn’t help trembling again, and he chuckled softly. “Is this what you want?”
He caught a nipple between his thumb and finger and squeezed hard. Her moan was one of pain rather than ecstasy, but he didn’t seem to care. He brushed a kiss across her cheek, his breath hot and foul as it fanned her skin. His mouth moved down to hers, but at the last moment
she turned away, pressing the slightest kiss to his neck instead. Even that brief contact had her stomach squirming in distaste.
The waves of his aura were blasting her with heated desire. Her nipples hardened in response, and her breathing became more rapid. Yet they were both outward signs of a response she didn’t feel inside.
She swallowed to ease the dryness in her throat and said, “Have you lived around these parts long?”
He shrugged and cupped her breast, kneading it hard through the gauzy material of her shirt. “Not at all. Only a few weeks, in fact. I actually tend to move between Springfield and here.”
Energy prickled across her fingertips. She clenched her hand behind him, fighting the desire to smack him across the room. “Is it your work that makes you divide your time between the two?”
“Yes. Although we’re only here until her kids are old enough—” He stopped, suspicion darkening his expression.
Fear stirred. She ran a hand down his body and pressed her palm against the hardness so visible under his jeans. “Perhaps we should do something about this before we continue our chat.”
His suspicion fled, replaced by avid hunger. “We could go somewhere more secluded,” he whispered into her neck. “And dance a little more intimately.”
She shivered. There was no way in hell she was going to be caught alone outside with this man. She didn’t like the edge of violence so evident in his aura—and besides, there was the soul-sucker to consider. She might be able to cope with one mad creature, but two was pushing her limits.
“It’s too cold outside,” she murmured, running a finger back up his chest and undoing the top button of his shirt. “But I noticed earlier that the ladies’ room has a lock.”
Amused anticipation gleamed in his eyes. His hand slid up her thigh and settled on her rear, but his touch was so hot it felt as if he were branding her.
