Great statues of ancient gods, monarchs, and mythical creatures such as a scale model of the sphinx lined the main hall. Usually she found their presence comforting, but now she felt as if their eyes were boring into her.
The museum was quiet, like always. The only sound to be heard was the clicking of her heels on the polished, black marble floor.
Turning to enter the Medieval display room, she paused in the doorway, studying the hall. Light shone through the glass-vaulted
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ceilings and cast shadows across the faces of the statues. And there was no one behind her.
Shrugging off a shiver, Kerstyn mumbled a curse and turned back to the room easily spotting the doorway. Slipping past the slender metal columns supporting the red velvet rope, she entered the empty space. Immediately, her unease was forgotten as she was swept away by her imagination. She did not know exactly what kind of historical pieces with which she would be working, but she wanted the space to flow fluidly.
Her scream lodged in her throat as an arm slipped about her waist, pulling her hard against a tall, solid, male body.
“Do not be frightened.”
“Dimitri,” she gasped, her heart pounding in her ears, “Crap, don’t do that to me.”
“I apologize.”
As her heart slowed and her fear ebbed, she relaxed against him.
“Were you following me?”
He nuzzled her neck, taking in a deep breath, filling his senses with her intoxicating rosy scent and the sweet lure of her rushing blood.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you say anything when you came in the room?” Gripping her hips, he twirled her about until her breasts were flat against his chest and his hard shaft was pressed against her belly.
Excitement ignited her blood as danger spiked her pulse.
Dimitri’s eyes were white glowing orbs void of all natural color. His fangs elongated and Kerstyn shivered.
“I came here to meet with a friend, but I was distracted by your scent.”
“You could pick out my scent from everyone else in the casino?”
“If I were standing on the edge of the city, I would know exactly where you were.”
His statement both shocked and thrilled her.
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“I could sense your fear as you realized you were being watched and it,” he took in another breath and slowly let her scent escape his lungs, “excited me.”
“Your predatory instinct…”
Kerstyn’s words ended on a sigh of pleasure as Dimitri’s lips descended upon hers. The kiss was hard, rough, demanding, and she loved it. Her body went liquid, hot with desire. Wrapping her arms about his neck, she surrendered to him.
Dimitri deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring her warmth.
One hand still gripped her hip as the other slowly moved up the length of her side to cup her breast.
He trailed his lips down her throat as his fingers worked the buttons of her blouse. With a rough tug, he exposed her shoulders and the creamy swells of the top of her breasts. He nipped at her collarbone, leaving flames of white-hot pleasure behind as he moved further down her chest. He slowly began to bend her back, allowing him better access to her soft mounds.
The first velvet caress of his tongue over the tops of her breasts brought a sigh from her lips and the first scrape of his fangs made her legs go weak.
His finger hooked under her bra strap, drawing it down her arm, revealing one hardened pink nipple. He drew her into the moist heat of his mouth. Her fingers tangled in his golden hair as she pressed him to her, urging him to continue.
Dimitri increased the pressure as he suckled her, drawing gasp after gasp from Kerstyn’s lips. Her mounting need pleased the demon within him, but the beast craved more.
He was behind her now, pressing her against the wall. Daring excitement drew shivers across her flesh and she reached over her head to grab his hair, arching her back. He wrapped one arm around her, the other palm claiming a breast. Her hips flush against his. God, she wanted to feel his naked skin against hers as he slid into her, filling her.
All he had to do was unzip her skirt, let it fall about her ankles, and undo his pants.
“Not yet,” he whispered, reading her thoughts, his voice deep and hard.
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Her sigh of irritation brought a smile to his lips before he began to nuzzle her neck. He nipped at her nape, rained kisses on her shoulders, and all the while, his hand massaged her breasts.
Kerstyn was lost within her sea of pleasure. Her body burned for him, for release. Her breath came hard as her heart thundered. She wanted him to take her here, to claim her, to mark her.
Dimitri’s lust consumed him and threatened to carry him over the edge. The beast wanted her, needed her, in every way. The combination of her racing pulse and pleasurable sighs was the sweetest sound he had ever heard. He could almost taste her blood, her very life.
God, how he wanted it, just one tiny droplet. All he had to do was sink his fangs into the tender column of her throat.
Remember
, the beast whispered.
Hunger. Remember. Blood, so
rich, so sweet, so satisfying. One taste,
it urged.
His hunger raging, his body burning with need, Dimitri grazed her skin. An unearthly growl filled the room and rumbled the walls.
“Yes,” Kerstyn whispered.
He lowered his head and stepped forward. He captured her hands and flattened her palms against the wall.
“Keep them there,” he ordered, his voice sensuous and menacing.
His fingers smoothly ran up her arms. One hand tunneled through her hair, the other slid down her torso to fill the space between her hips. He tugged on her hair, tilting her head to the side and exposing her pulse where it danced teasingly just below her flesh.
Kerstyn’s breath caught as he scraped her throat, his teeth sending blissful waves vibrating throughout her body, adding to the heat between her thighs. She was ready for him. She was ready for him to sink his teeth deep within her and she was ready for him to slide his cock into her. Her core ached to feel him.
Her thoughts fed his need. He bent his head, his breath caressing her skin, setting off tiny, pleasurable sparks in her blood. The scent of woman and pure arousal filled his senses. He had to taste her.
His fangs grew even longer as he lightly dragged them over her pulse, their sharp points drawing twin thin lines of blood.
His entire body shuddered as his lungs filled with the intoxicating aroma of fresh blood, spiced with lust. The vampire roared as it surfaced. It wanted to tear, to feed, to claim. His muscles clenched
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with hunger as he pulled back. His gaze locked on the small line of beaded blood that ran down her neck. His mouth went dry as he watched the ruby droplets form. He swallowed hard, a growl rumbled low in his throat.
Mine
, the beast snarled.
Mine!
Dimitri sprang forward, his body slamming into her, flattening her against the wall as he pulled her head further to the side.
The sharp spike of her pulse thrilled the demon.
The mist-light scent of fear sliced through the haze of his hunger and need. Raging alarms screamed at him as he lowered his head to her throat, his lips brushing her flesh.
With a vicious roar, he shoved himself back and he stumbled.
The vampire within him screeched in rage as his craving for her blood twisted his gut and need slammed into him hard and painful.
Kerstyn fought for air, her body an inferno of sexual need.
Every muscle ached for release. She turned, needing the wall for support, and slid to the floor. Without Dimitri’s support, she could not stand. Every limb was weak and shaking from desire.
Straightening her bra, she used the open edges of her blouse to fan her heated flesh. Taking in gulps of cool air, she tried to bring herself back under control, blushing as she thought of their first sexual encounter in the museum.
One of these days, we need to finish it,
she thought.
“Clear your mind.”
The harsh, deep voice did not belong to Dimitri. She glanced about the vacant room and peered out the doorway. It was just the two of them. The museum was closed.
Dimitri stood, his back to her, his hands covering his face. A thick aura of malice began to settle over him like a cloak and Kerstyn’s fuzzy, lustful thoughts vanished.
Something was wrong.
Dread circled within her heart, turning her blazing blood to ice.
She felt as if she’d been thrown into a snowstorm. Her breath caught and her heart stopped as he slowly turned to face her.
All the color had drained from his face and left him pale as death. His eyes burned an unholy white. His hungry fangs glistened like sharp daggers in the dim light of the room. Death and power radiated
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from him and she could have sworn the temperature plummeted nearly fifteen degrees.
“No sudden movements,” he warned.
Cautiously, Kerstyn came back up to her feet. Dimitri’s gaze glowed brighter as his lips curled back over his teeth like a wolf.
“Go.”
“What hap―”
“Go!” he snarled.
She nodded and slowly turned, clutching her shirt closed.
“Do not run,” he warned, “I will chase you if you run.” Kerstyn walked across the room as calmly as she could. Her instincts told her to flee and scream, but she was in the presence of the world’s most dangerous predator and his instinct was to chase and kill.
Dimitri’s entire body shook uncontrollably as the beast howled and fought for release. It wanted him to go after her, pin her beneath him, and ruthlessly drink her blood while surging into her hot, silken core.
His hunger was so strong, his thirst so consuming that he feared he would not be able to resist again. He had pulled himself back from the brink of madness.
He had waited thousands upon thousands of years for her, for his mate. Had he waited too long to claim her? The vampire within him had been nearly impossible to control and he could not risk it surfacing again. As he was now, he was a danger to both of them.
He was running out of time. Ven would be here soon and death would come on swift wings to steal Kerstyn from him. Time had never been his enemy, but now it held the greatest threat. He had to bind her to him. If she refused him, he would take hold of her mind and do what was needed, giving her no choice. He could not lose her.
Shaking, Dimitri ran his hands through his hair, smoothing it back. He closed his eyes and took one deep breath, his lungs filling with the remaining tangled traces of sex, blood, and fear. With hard-won control, he slowly exhaled and allowed the calming sensation of cool air to wash over him. Clearing his mind, he shut down his senses.
When he opened his eyes again, they shimmered diamond blue and youthful color flooded his cheeks. His vision was black and white, plain. The air soft and void of all smell, his body cold as steel.
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He had a meeting to interrupt.
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“Don’t play stupid with me, Gabriel. You know damn well why I’m here.”
“Your anniversary. How is Victoria?”
Dorian rolled his eyes. “The plan was to celebrate my anniversary.”
“I don’t understand. What has changed?”
Dorian’s string of curses burned Gabriel’s ears and he had to bite his lip to resist laughing.
“This isn’t a game,” Dorian snapped. “The other vampire chieftains have asked me to investigate the strange occurrences of the last few weeks.”
Gabriel leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest.
“Investigate?” he chuckled, “I hate to say this to you, Dorian, but what happens in my territory is my business, no one else’s. Also, you and the other chieftains hold no jurisdiction here. This country belongs to the shape-shifters and outcast vamps like me.”
“You can’t expect us to ignore the rumors of Dimitri’s return or the fact that Ven’s holdings were attacked last night.” Gabriel shrugged. “You may ask me as many questions as you want. However, I will decide which I will answer.”
“Fair enough.” Dorian pinched his brow and let out a heavy sigh when his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He did not have to check the caller I.D. to know it was Ven. The vampire had been calling him almost every fifteen minutes since he landed in Las Vegas.
“Why haven’t you answered Ven’s calls today?”
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“I think the answer is quite obvious. The vamp is insufferable.
Next question,” Gabriel asked.
“Ven believes you have started the rumors of Dimitri’s return to intimidate him. He fears that you want to steal his territory and, after the attack, he’s convinced.”
“You know I would never do such a ridiculous thing as spread lies to frighten my enemy. As for his territory, if I wanted it, I would take it.”
Dorian waved his hand in dismissal. “I really don’t care if you want to make a power play. Ven is no friend or ally of mine. You know more than anyone how much I crave for the curse to claim him.”
“I don’t want Chicago. It’s too cold.”
“Then why would you attack him?”
“I never said I was the one who attacked Ven,” Gabriel countered.
“I’m no fool. This raid has your name written all over it.” Gabriel leaned forward, resting his elbow on the glass desk. “I will neither deny that I have intimate knowledge of the raid nor will I admit I personally participated in it.”
“There is no one else in this realm who has the courage and strength to strike Ven. It had to be you.”