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I swallow hard, my chin dipping against his finger, the only place of contact between us. What is it about this man and his demand for distance? I don’t run, though, and he continues.
“I cannot promise to not hurt you. But it is not something I wish to do.” Again, his eyes and voice assure me of his honesty. Then his mouth lifts in a smirk. “At least, not non-consensually.”
I flush as my thoughts go to the healing bruise on the inside of my thigh, the one he gave me that sent me careening into the hardest orgasm I’ve ever had. My cheeks burn, as does my sex, slicking at the reminder of the pleasure he offers. Tonight I would have consented to that and more, letting this vampire show me a part of myself I’ve never explored. Stepping back, I fight back the arousal stirring inside and tilt my head at him.
“Technically, you didn’t ask last time,” I counter, my voice wobbling enough that I blame it on the tremors still shuddering through me.
His brow rises. “You liked it, didn’t you?”
Crossing my arms, I roll my eyes, letting irritation beat back the arousal. “That’s not the point.”
He steps forward, following me as I retreat, until he’s pinned me against another kitchen counter. Gritting my teeth, I stand as defiantly as I can with him looming over me, his expression pure sex.
“Oh? Would you like me to kiss it better?” He grips the butcher block counter on either side of me, yet again caging me. He tilts his head down until he’s looking at me through his eyelashes, strands of his blond hair falling across his brow. Desire crushes any irritation, no matter how I grasp at it. “Because I’m more than happy to.”
My mind fills with thoughts of Lan’s head between my legs, his lips and fangs kissing along my thighs, his hands gripping me tight. He’d kiss the bruise he left me, taunting me by being so close to where I ache yet denying me. He’d look at me with those wicked lips, going no further until I broke down and begged him to use those lips on me, to make me come as hard as he had with his fingers.
Or beg him to sink his fangs into my thigh and drink his fill.
A chirp from the intercom stops me from reaching for him, and Lan glides back from me, letting me stumble over to the small speaker set in one of the kitchen walls. It’s after eleven, so the only people who’d be buzzing me are my personal security team.
I clear my throat and press the button down. “Yes?”
The response is immediate, and I recognize Kevin’s voice as it comes through. He’s closer to my age and, while he’s always been professional, I get the idea that if I showed any interest, he’d return it happily. I’ve used that buried attraction to my advantage before, even if I feel guilty after.
“There’s been activity with the service elevator. Is everything OK up there?”
I blanche. I should have expected the security team to monitor the service elevator but I had hoped it’d be too minor of an access to my apartment. At least I put together that they don’t have access to the cameras inside else they’d know all about my use of it. Lan is still a predator, waiting to see what the next move of its prey is.
I press the button for the intercom again, letting out a girly laugh and keep my voice sweet. “Oh, thanks for checking on me, Kevin. It was the housekeeping. I decided to have ice cream and wine and ended up knocking over the entire bottle on my rug. The staff just sent up another set of towels for me to grab from the elevator since I found more that I’d missed the first time. I told them no one needed to bother coming up again.”
The intercom is silent, the moment stretching out for eternity and cranking up my nerves. I’m frozen, staring at the stainless-steel rectangle and the circle of speaker holes in the top half of it. When Kevin speaks again, I practically jump out of my skin.
A warm chuckle comes through first, and I sag with relief, catching myself with a palm against the wall.
“Sounds like a fun night, Ms. Foster,” Kevin replies, his amusement coming through despite the transmission clarity. “I’ll let you go now that I know everything is okay. Remember, if you need anything, I’m just a press of a button away.”
“Thanks, Kevin,” I say, exhaustion flooding into my voice. “I’m probably just going to turn in now. Have a good night.”
Fortunately, he doesn’t reply and I push off the wall, turning towards Lan. He hasn’t moved, but he’s relaxed. I can’t exactly explain how I can tell, since there’s no outward sign. It’s a gut instinct though.
We’re no more than twenty feet apart but it’s as if we’re in a standoff. Maybe not necessarily against each other, or maybe against each other and whatever it is building between us. For the first time tonight, I’m able to take him in.
He’s wearing a similar outfit to every other time I’ve seen him, but he’s left the suit jacket behind tonight. A wrinkle free white button-down, one forearm’s sleeve half stained with blackish blood, is under a black vest, with the first few buttons undone and giving me a glimpse of smooth pale skin. It’s tucked into black slacks he wears with a matching belt. I can’t see his shoes from here, which a part of me appreciates, but I can guess he’s wearing similar oxfords that he’s worn each time before.
Standing in my kitchen, Lan looks like he fits here. With the white subway tile walls, warm butcher board counters, and storm-cloud gray cabinets and modern steel appliances, it’s not just because he matches the color scheme. He looks like society refined, a man who thrives and exudes money and class.
Yet he just killed someone for assaulting me and told me himself he isn’t a good man.
It’s no wonder he fits in so well in Newgate.
I was honest when I told Kevin I was considering turning in. After the last hour, I just want to go to sleep. My nerves were already crazy before I even left to meet Lan and now they’re completely fried. Too tired to keep up pretenses, I wrangle my hands, looking away from him towards my living room, trying to figure out how to tell him I won’t be fun company tonight.
“Why don’t you go shower, Little Bird?”
My gaze darts back to Landon, surprised and somewhat relieved that he seems to understand. Then again, vampires can smell emotions and the last thing I am right now is turned on. He moves towards me, an easy pace that is nonthreatening, his usual smirk has been replaced with something softer. When he’s before me, I sway towards him. I want to melt into him, to let him take control if it means I don’t have to. He raises an arm, the one not stained with blood and his hand hovers at my side, guiding me to turn without touching.
“Show me to your bathroom.” Landon’s voice is soft, but there’s still enough of a command that I relent. He keeps his hand at my lower back as we move through the dining room and cross my three-bedroom apartment.
