But are you ready for what would happen next, she asked herself.
“You can finish that thought,” he said in a husky way.
“Hmm?”
“Finish your thought about what you think of what I am. Because you’re totally free to share any opinion when you’re looking at me like that.”
“How am I looking at you.” Her voice lowered, and not because there was anybody around to hear her. “Tell me.”
“Like you want to kiss me.”
Erika opened her mouth. Closed it.
He put both his hands up. “And honestly, even if you’re just curious, that’s okay with me.”
Erika frowned. “As if I’d use you as some kind of experiment?”
“It’s all right.” His lids lowered. “Because if you try me, only to see if I’m the same as a man, it gives me a chance to prove to you I’m better than anything you’ve ever had.”
“You’re pretty confident.”
“Not at all. Facts.”
As her body heated up, she could have sworn he purred in the back of his throat—and she became very aware, as she stood so close to him, that this… electric moment… was where things had been heading all along. Probably from the first time she set eyes on him.
“Do you believe in fate,” she murmured.
“Kiss me right now and I’d say yes, absolutely, I do.”
Erika waited for some kind of self-protective instinct to steer her into such neutral conversational territory as: So how long have you been possessed by a demon? How many times have you fought a shadow? Are all of your buddies, including the one with the tats on the temple and the goatee, vampires as well?
Any plans for the summer?
Yankees vs. Mets?
But nope. Her warning system stayed silent.
So she did the only thing she could think of.
She leaned down and took his face into her hands. As he tilted his head even farther back, the way he acquiesced to her touch made her feel even more in control. And wow, that cologne of his… it was as if he’d just put more on.
Right before her lips brushed his, he sighed. Like he had been waiting for this for as long as she had.
“Me, too,” she whispered.
And then there was the first contact, her mouth pressing into his, the sizzle of pure lust going all the way through her body as that purring sound rose from him once again.
Turning her head to the side, she gently explored what he so willingly offered. And what do you know, he was right.
He was one hell of a kisser.
When she finally eased back, his eyes glittered up at her. “So what do you think?”
“I think…” She brushed his hair away from his forehead. “It’s a good start.”
“My turn?”
She had to smile a little. “Like I was doing that wrong?”
Balthazar sat forward, his hands going to her hips. “Oh, no. You’re perfect.”
“But you can do better?” She raised an eyebrow. “Fine. Show me what you got, vampire—”
He was up and out of that chair in the blink of an eye. And the next thing she knew, she was in his arms and being bent backward—so that the only thing keeping her off the floor was his strong arms. As she gasped and grabbed on to his bare shoulders, she was aware of the power in his body—and how much smooth skin and hard muscle there was on him. Staring up into his heated eyes, she’d never been so turned on in her life. And it wasn’t about some Dracula myth, either. It was about him. This man—male, whatever. It was about… Balthazar.
“Now I’m going to show you the way a vampire kisses a female he wants.”
The mouth that claimed hers was not gentle. It was demanding and a little rough, and when his tongue entered her, she gave up any pretense of trying to hold herself up. She gave in fully to the sexual wave, letting herself go.
And he was right.
He was the best she’d ever had. Her whole body came alive, her breasts tingling, her sex aching, her legs going straight to jelly. God… she just wanted more. No, she needed more.
When he finally lifted his head, they were both breathing hard—and he seemed surprised. Like he’d thought it would be good, but he hadn’t thought it would be that good.
“Your scent is beautiful,” he growled.
“I’m not wearing perfume.”
“You are.” His eyes went down her body. “The very best kind. The kind that’s going to make it impossible for me to sleep during the day. It’s your arousal. I can scent how much you want what I can give you.”
Erika was panting—and didn’t bother to hide it. Especially as his words sunk in. Wait, what? He wasn’t going further with this?
“Or maybe…” She slid one of her hands up to the nape of his neck. “Maybe we can do something more about this?”
The smile on his face was dark. Erotic. As hungry as she felt.