Lynsay Sands - The Reluctant Vampire

Perhaps it was just the excitement of what he was doing, combined with the Sweet Ecstasy. Because there was no way Drina was his life mate. He’d just lost one, and if there was one thing he’d learned, life wasn’t kind enough to throw him another so soon.

I am eating again, though, Harper thought, his mouth tightening. But he’d already explained that away to himself satisfactorily. . along with his eager libido. Both were just a result of his appetites being reawakened by Jenny, his true life mate. They simply hadn’t died with her death, they’d just been superseded by grief and depression for a while, but now he was getting out again and feeling better, and they were making their presence known once more. And Drina was a beautiful, sexy woman. Any man would desire her if he had the least interest in sex at all.

Oddly enough, while that explanation had sounded reasonable earlier in the day, it wasn’t sounding as reasonable to him at the moment. Especially since he’d never experienced this kind of passion with Jenny.

His mind immediately tried to shy away from that thought, but Harper forced it back. He hadn’t felt this depth of passion for her. He’d felt some, but she’d always kept him at arm’s length, never letting him even kiss her. So it had remained a seed, never blossoming like his desire for Drina had the moment his mouth had closed on hers.

The Sweet Ecstasy, he decided. That was the only thing that made sense. Only it could create a passion so overwhelming it surpassed what he’d experienced with his life mate.

Still, the excitement he’d felt when he’d touched Drina bothered him. He needed to test it, Harper decided. He needed to touch her without her touching him in return to confuse the matter. And he needed to do it somewhere normal and boring, where there was no chance that the situation and possibility of getting caught might inflame his passions.

His apartment, of course. There was nothing more pedestrian than an apartment or home. Certainly it was more pedestrian than a public booth or alley. Once they got to his place, he would calmly and methodically caress her and prove to himself that he wasn’t experiencing her pleasure. He would even avoid kissing her to ensure he wasn’t excited, he decided. At least, he would until he had reassured himself that he hadn’t been experiencing the shared pleasure that immortal couples raved on about.

It would be hard, Harper acknowledged with an inner grimace. He had two Sweet Ecstasies roiling through his blood, which wasn’t likely to make it easy. But he would prevail.

“Is this your building?”

Harper’s eyes refocused at Drina’s question, and he saw that the car was easing to a stop in front of his apartment building. Taking a breath, he nodded, and then opened the door before the driver could get out. He welcomed the frigid blast of air that hit him as he slid out of the vehicle, pulling Drina behind him. The arctic air would help to cool his ardor further, Harper assured himself, and didn’t rush to the building after closing the door to the car but moved through the swirling snow at a sedate pace.

Drina returned the smile the guard at the door gave them as they entered. Her gaze moved curiously over the large, luxurious lobby as Harper led her to the last of four elevators. She wasn’t surprised at the swank to the place. The man had arranged for a helicopter to pick them up for the evening. She’d already known he had money. Not that it mattered to her. She was no slouch in that area either. Her time as a privateer and some sensible-as well as a few lucky-investments since had ensured she would never need to worry about money.

The elevator was silent and fast, and it seemed like they’d barely entered before it was sliding to a halt at the top. Harper led her out into a hall, still holding her hand, and she glanced around, and then came to a stop as she realized they weren’t in a hall, but a foyer.

Harper turned, an eyebrow rising in question.

“I take it the whole floor is yours?” she asked wryly.

“Yes.” He smiled faintly. “That’s my private elevator.”

“Right,” Drina said with amusement. “And yet you stay at Casey Cottage with only a room to call your own?”

“It’s a nice room,” he said with a shrug, and added solemnly, “and all the wealth in the world isn’t as comforting as friends in times of need.” Harper then grinned, and said, “Besides, the rent for the room is cheap.”

Drina chuckled and pulled her hand free of his to remove her coat. The apartment was toasty warm, too warm for the coat. Harper quickly shrugged out of his own coat and moved to the closet to grab two hangers. He hung up his own, and then took hers, set it on the hanger, and hung it up as well. He closed the door and turned toward her, only to pause.

Drina’s eyebrows rose, and then she followed his attention to see that when she’d removed her coat, she’d tugged her gown off one shoulder, and it now hung down her arm, leaving a good portion of one red and black bra cup exposed. She almost tugged it back into place, but then just didn’t. Why bother? She didn’t plan to wear it long, she decided, and turned her gaze back to Harper, not at all surprised to see the silver coming back to life in his eyes. They had been almost pure green by the time they’d gotten into the elevator, all the earlier passion apparently washed out by the passing moments of the ride here, or perhaps the cold as they’d walked to the building. Now they were beginning to glow silver again, and it made relief course through her. He’d been so silent in the car, she’d worried-

Her thoughts scattered, and she held her breath as Harper suddenly closed the space between them. She expected him to take her into his arms and kiss her. At least it’s what she was hoping for, but instead he moved behind her. Drina started to turn, but he caught her shoulders and turned her himself, but so that her back was fully to him again.

“Look.”

Drina peered where he was pointing to see them reflected in the mirrored surface of the sliding closet doors: a tall, fair-haired man in a charcoal suit, and a shorter, dark-haired and olive-skinned woman in a black dress. The moment she was looking where he wanted, Harper’s hands slipped from her shoulders and she felt them at her back, and then her dress loosened as he slid the zipper down.

Drina swallowed, fighting the urge to turn to him again. He obviously didn’t want her to. She didn’t know why, but was willing to play along. . for now, she decided.

His gaze met hers in the mirror again, and then his hands appeared, one at her shoulder and the other catching the already fallen arm of her dress and tugging both down until the dress dropped away to pool around her feet. It left her in the red and black lingerie and the thigh-high boots, and Drina had to admit she looked damned good. Hot even. A little like a dominatrix maybe, but still hot. She would have to thank Stephanie, she decided. That thought scattered when Harper skimmed his fingers lightly up her arms, raising goose bumps and making her shiver. She gave up her quiescence then and tried to turn, but Harper slid one arm around her waist, holding her in place.

“Watch,” he whispered by her ear, his breath bringing on another shiver.

Drina returned her attention dutifully to the mirror and forced herself to stay still. The moment she did, he began to move, his eyes burning as he withdrew his arm until his hand was flat on her stomach. He then raised it to slide over one breast as his other hand appeared to cover the other. Holding her that way, he pulled her back against his chest, his fingers beginning to knead and squeeze her through the flimsy material of her bra as he lowered his head to press a kiss to her neck.