Page 36 of The Donor’s Dilemma

It was only then that it struck him. The scent that was slowly driving him mad.

He looked down, watching the blood move through her veins and taking a deep draw of the lust-kissed air. It whispered to him. To the primal creature that begged him to pin her to his desk, spread her legs and find out just how hot her blood could run.

“Ungentlemanly,” Verity sang, as if reading his mind. His eyes snapped to hers, and that fucking smirk, and he swallowed the low rumble building in his chest.

“Sorry,” he muttered. “Hungry.”

Wasting no more time, he raised her flesh to his mouth.

“Best get to it then,” she said, eyes on the window.

It took every ounce of his self-restraint not to snarl when his teeth touched her skin. His complete concentration to stay quiet and still, as her soft flesh gave way and the first drop of Verity touched his tongue. And all the strength Phoenar could give him to stay in his seat when a stifled whimper escaped her lips and the perfume of her arousal intensified.

Humans getting turned on during donation was nothing new. In fact, it was the reason places like SubRosa thrived. The intimacy. The burst of pain. The danger. Some humans loved it.

Verity loved it, and Theo loved that Verity loved it.

Her sweet taste filled his mouth as he started to drink, counting the seconds of each slow pull. Ignoring the way her thighs tensed and moved. How easy it would be to slip his hand up her skirt, give her something to move against.

She cleared her throat and Theo pushed down another growl. Ungentlemanly indeed.

He distracted himself by thinking about work, about the Ostara festival the town was planning. About the spring budget and all of the projects that weren’t going to make the cut. The people he’d have to disappoint. About Harris, and his constant pestering and demands about falling donor numbers. The reports showed recruitment remained steady, so why Harris was in such a panic Theo couldn’t fathom. To call it over reacting was an understatement.

The moment his hunger dulled Theo pulled back and sealed the wound, licking only slightly longer than necessary.

“Sooo…” Verity pulled down her sleeve and offered a pink cheeked smile. “Am I supposed to hang around here for a while. Make everyone think we’re… copulating.”

“Copulating?” He snorted, taking a swig of whiskey, the smoky flavours mingling with the remnants of Verity.

“You know what I mean,” she snapped, swatting his knee and standing, putting distance between them.

“It would help, just long enough to be inappropriate.”

“Will anyone even notice?”

“Someone always notices,” he told her. Fresh gossip kept some nosy vampires’ lives interesting. It wouldn’t surprise him if a councillor on the other side of the building already knew he’d dismissed Stella when his donor arrived.

Wandering around his desk, Verity poked at the mess of books and files, watching him. That wicked look crossed her face, and the woman had the audacity to sit in his chair. She set a commanding figure in the padded leather seat, so large it could easily swallow a man twice her size.

“Suits you. Wanna swap jobs?”

Verity laughed. “Yeah, sure. I’ll sit here, looking all important and sexy, and when I get hungry, I’ll come bite you.”

Sexy? Biting? Blushing was not something Theo was accustomed to, but his cheeks heated, nonetheless.

“Sounds perfect,” he laughed.

“What do you even do all night?”

“Well, Madam Mayor, have you ever planned a festival?”

Chapter Eleven

Heels clicking on the cobblestones, Verity rushed up to the cafe, bursting into find Cora sitting at the counter, head in her hands. A moment later her friend was in her arms, shaking with sobs.

“Toby dumped me,” was all the text said and the only thing Verity could think about was those damn photos on her phone. The ones she had been too busy to show her friend. Too wrapped up in her own problems to save her from this.

“I’m so sorry,” she said.