"I love this bed." I threw back my arms and looked up. Gilt cherubs flew along the edge of a wooden canopy lined with more white satin. A fancy coffin lid. "That thing's not going to close on me is it?"
"Not unless I press this button." He reached for the headboard.
I sat up. "You wouldn't—"
Damian laughed and kicked off his shoes. "Just kidding. Relax. Lie back." He settled on the bed beside me and we lay there shoulder to shoulder. "Cool, isn't it?"
The bed, yes. And the man? Not cool. Hot. Candlelight flickered over his Roman nose and strong chin, shadowed by a slight beard. Masculine. Powerful. Very sexy.
I rolled onto my side and propped my head on my hand, giving him a good view of cleavage if he'd just check it out. He checked and grinned. And reached for the tab again. The sound of that old metal zipper riding down my body was a total turn on. Should I stop him? He looked up, his eyes gleaming, daring me to stop him as he inched the zipper lower. A dare? I reached for his shirt and unbuttoned it just as slowly as he was unzipping me. He had a beautiful chest, smooth, muscular. He breathed deeply as I skimmed my hands over him, stopping just short of his waist band and the bulge below it. I knew a point of no return when I saw it.
If I did this it would be just sex. A release. Some of that instant gratification we were both supposed to be into. Because I didn't know Damian well enough to make it into anything more.
"Quit thinking." Damian sat up and brushed my hair back from my forehead, reminding me that I was a windblown wreck. A horny windblown wreck.
"I can't." My mind was racing. Did Damian share his sister's appreciation of a curvy woman? I felt cool air on my breasts above my lacy low cut double D push-up bra. Damian's warm hand brushed down my body to my new thong panties. Flo had dared me to wear them after she'd brought home seven pairs in seven different pretty colors and thrown them on my bed. I loved them. They made me feel free and very sexy. And they were skimpy enough to distract from my tummy. I sucked it in anyway.
"You are very sexy. And I love voluptuous women. No skinny sticks for me." He brushed his fingers over the swells of my breasts. "I like… curves." He pushed open the jumpsuit. "Beautiful."
"Wait a minute." I wracked my brain. I'd had reasons why this wasn't a good idea. But his look of frank appreciation made them fly right out of my head. Maybe there was something to be said for an ancient male. Skinny used to be a sign of poverty. To look at me, you'd think I'd been a bloody millionaire.
I sighed as he ran his hands over me, murmuring compliments. I couldn't read his mind, but men tend to block everybody at first. I didn't really expect that kind of intimacy so soon. Wait. This was soon. I should slow things down. Our first date. Date? Who was I kidding? I'd called him.
"Relax, Gloriana. Don't make this too complicated. We'll have fun. Nothing more." Nothing more. Fine. I wasn't ready for more. And I was a with-it happening twenty-first century kind of vamp. A woman who took her pleasure where she found it. Full speed ahead then.
"No need to rush, Gloriana." Damian leaned down to skim his tongue along the edge of my bra. "I love your breasts. Let me see all of them."
He found the front clasp of my bra and popped it open. My own vamp magic. Centuries old boobs still perky in my twentyfour-year-old body. The real deal and definitely one of my "on" buttons, if you know what I mean. Damian growled and leaned down to kiss one nipple, sucking it into his mouth and then lightly dragging his fangs back and forth across it. Pleasure jolted through me. There's nothing like sex with a mind reader. I could draw him a mental road map to my personal nirvana. Hmm. Which should it be? The scenic route or a more direct—
"Oh. My. God." I dug my fingers into his thick hair and held on. Damian blew on my damp nipple, then moved to the other one. Oh, yes. Good move. Perfect move. Uh huh. Now do the fang thing again. If I could just catch my breath, I'd tell Damian what an incredible lover he was.
A phone rang. Phantom of the Opera. My phone. In my pocket. I pulled it out and threw it across the room.
"Mmm. Good choice." Damian didn't even bother to look up.
"Damian." His clever mouth abandoned my breasts to explore my stomach. His tongue dipped into my navel. Why bother holding my tummy in when he obviously loved it? He'd discovered my almost-panties and plucked the elastic with his fangs. I shivered. Another point of no return. Was I ready for this?
"I'll make you ready." Damian sat up and shrugged off his shirt, then pulled me close until my breasts pressed against his chest. My bones were melting. Then he kissed me and his kiss was just as delicious as I remembered. No, better. The friction of his chest against mine, the press of his arousal between my legs. I moved against him. Better and better. Damian stripped off my jumpsuit and tossed it aside.
"Answer me, Gloriana."
No! Not now.
"Beautiful." Damian stroked my stomach, then hooked his fingers on either side of my thong and eased it down, kissing a path down one leg. I lifted my foot, quivering when his tongue lightly traced my arch. I'm not ticklish, thank God, but if he wanted to work his way up…
He grinned and nipped at my toes. "On my way, cara."
"Answer me or I will come to you."
"Stop it! Leave me the hell alone."
Damian sat up, my hot pink thong dangling from his wrist.
"What? Have you changed your mind?"
"Where are you?"
"I'm not answering. Go. Away." I couldn't believe Blade would pursue me like this. Damian threw the thong across the room. "Son of a bitch! I hear him. What is he? Your keeper?" He looked around as if he expected Blade to materialize at the foot of the bed. Which was a possibility. Blade had a built-in homing device that could zap him right to my side no matter where I was. Damian was no more furious than I was.
"He thinks he's my keeper. But he definitely is not." But he was a real mood killer. "Get out of my head. Right now, Jerry. I'm safe. That's all you need to know."
"Gloriana has a new protector now, Blade."
Thank God Blade was in my head and could only hear my voice. All I needed was two possessive vamps duking it out over yours truly. But where did Damian get off declaring himself my protector? This had started as a quickie. No strings.
"If you show up here, Jerry. We're through. No more Valdez. Nada. Read my mind. I mean it." I gave Damian a blistering look as I climbed out of bed to retrieve my bra and panties. "I don't need a protector, Damian. I can protect myself." I stepped into my jumpsuit, zipped it up and waited. Probed my mind. Blade was gone. When I picked up my phone I could see that he'd left a message. Later. Maybe never.
"That was a first." Damian lay back on the satin sheets. He must have been an outdoor man in his mortal life, because he had a natural tan. "I'm not adverse to a little menage à trois, but I prefer another woman in bed with me, not a hairy Scot."
"You would." I was up to here with men, no matter how gorgeous and sexy they were. I ignored my still sizzling body parts. What had I been thinking? No question what was on Damian's mind. He was obviously still very aroused.
"Take me back to the shop."
"What did I do?" Damian rolled out of bed, picked up his shirt and stepped into his Italian loafers.
"It's not you, it's me." I shook my head. "Cancel that. Yes, it's you. That whole protector thing." I felt his hand on my back and ignored it. I was not falling under his spell again. Not until I had my own issues resolved. Which might be never. His hand moved lower and I whirled around and shoved him away.
Of course he wasn't about to just give up. He was a man, wasn't he? And he'd almost scored a minute ago.
"I misspoke, Gloriana. I meant partner, not protector." He captured my hand and pressed it to his chest. "Come back to bed. We'll do whatever you want."
Whatever I want? Hoo boy. Before you could say Casanova Freaking Sabatini, he had my zipper down and his hands on my breasts. He stared at me, willing me…
"Bastard!" I ripped his hands off of me and jumped back. "Don't you dare try the vamp whammy on me."
"You wanted me, Gloriana. I didn't need a 'whammy' as you call it." He stepped closer. "You still want me." I would not back away. "Forget it, Damian. That ship has sailed." Not tempted. Not tempted.
"Don't let Blade do this to you, cara. To us." He pulled me into his arms and nuzzled my neck. "I can smell your desire. For me, not that Scottish son of a bitch."
And I could smell Damian's desire. But it was the scent of my blood getting him steamed up.
"You want to feed? Are you insane? Tonight is a no go, Damian."
"You're sure?" Damian held me tight and slid his fangs into my neck. He sipped me like I was a fine wine. His thought, not mine. He was in my head. Like Blade had been.
I shoved and he released me, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. His grin was unrepentant. I slapped him with all my strength and actually rocked him back on his heels.
"Beast!"
"Aren't we all? Come back to bed, give me five minutes and I'll show you how a beast makes love. There's a lot to be said for letting our animals out of their cages." Damian rubbed his cheek, dark with his late night stubble.
"You think I should trade a Scottish son of a bitch for an Italian one? I don't think so. And I am not a beast." Except for wanting to pound him until he cried for his mommy. He stepped back, out of reach. Good move.
"That's some right arm you've got. Calm down, Glory."
I flipped open my phone. "I'm calling a cab."
"Cabs don't like to come here. Especially not this late." He bared his fangs, still stained with my blood. "Vampires, you know."
"Not cute, Damian." I stomped out of the room and down the stairs. The marble felt cold on my bare feet. I'd need my sandals if I was going to walk home.