She was stunning, even if she was a leech.
Tall and athletically slender, she was a mixture of races that combined into an exotic beauty.
Glossy black hair that spoke of the Far East was contained in a tight braid that hung down her back. The Asian influence was echoed in the shape of her eyes, although they were a dark shade of blue that revealed a European heritage. Her skin was as pale as alabaster and so perfectly smooth that he ached to brush his fingers over it.
From head to toe. And back again.
Add in the black spandex that clung to her slender curves and the sawed-off shotgun that he’d been smart enough to take off her long before they’d stepped through the portal, and she was a custom-made fantasy.
Hunter.
Lethal beauty.
Yep, there wasn’t a man alive (or maybe even dead) who wouldn’t give his right nut to get between those long slender legs.
But Ariyal hadn’t been able to completely forget that shocking awareness that had jolted to life during his brief incarceration at the hands of this female.
Hell, her merest touch had made him go up in flames.
And it pissed him off.
Unlike most of his brethren, he didn’t allow his passions to rule his life.
He ruled his passions.
A grim reminder that didn’t do a damned thing to stop the heat that scorched through his blood as her indigo gaze skimmed over his lean body, which he’d left bare except for a loose pair of dojo pants.
Bloody hell.
His gut tightened and his c*ck hardened. From a mere glance.
What the hell would happen if he spread her across the nearby bed and ...
The vampire stiffened, no doubt sensing his explosive desire. Then, with a visible effort, she narrowed those magnificent eyes and wrapped herself in a frigid composure.
“You.” The word was coated in ice.
“ Me.”
She stood proudly, acting as if she didn’t notice she was currently chained to the wall.
“Why did you kidnap me?”
He shrugged, not about to admit the truth.
He didn’t have a goddamned clue why he’d grabbed hold of her as he escaped through the portal that had brought them from the frozen caves of Siberia to this hidden island. He only knew his reaction to the female was dark and primal and dangerously possessive.
“You held me captive,” he instead drawled. “Fair is fair.”
“As if a Sylvermyst would know the meaning of fair.”
His smile held no apology. “Haven’t you heard the old saying that ‘all’s fair in love and war’?” He allowed his gaze to lower to the enticing curve of her br**sts, lust jolting through him at her revealing shiver. “We could no doubt add a few more activities to the list.”
“Release me.”
“What’s wrong, poppet? Are you afraid I intend to have my evil way with you?” He deliberately paused. “Or hopeful?”
“You at least got the evil part right.”