Dark Obsession (Vampire Royals of New York #3) - Sarah Piper Page 0,18

fierce, formidable woman who’d no more sit on the sidelines than he would.

It was something he was learning, however reluctantly, to live with. To love, even, no matter how infuriated—and terrified—it made him.

“How are you holding up, vampire?” Charlotte asked, her face cast in the blueish light of the laptop screen.

Dorian didn’t know how to respond.

The truth was… He wasn’t holding up at all.

“If you’re nervous and distracted,” she said, glancing over at him, “it could—”

“No, I… I’m good. Carry on.”

“Okay. Stay here and don’t touch anything. I’m going to do a quick sweep of the bedroom, then we need to dig into these computer files. Be right back.”

Though she was in the room directly adjacent to the office, and he was a vampire with superior senses, Dorian heard nothing—not so much as a footstep or creaking floorboard. He marveled at Charlotte’s skill, wondering just how many times she’d done this before, in how many homes and brownstones and penthouses and office buildings—all the places where people were supposed to feel safe and secure.

Dorian closed his eyes to clear his thoughts, reminding himself they weren’t there to rob the home of some unsuspecting family. They were there—in the home of a fucking demon—to find information that would save Sasha’s life.

When he opened his eyes again, Charlotte was back, standing right in front of him.

Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, her copper eyes luminescent in the darkness. They glowed with a feverish intensity that made Dorian’s heart beat hard and fast in his chest.

“You’re dangerous, little prowler,” he whispered. “And so… fucking… beautiful.”

Instinctively his hands found her hips, the heat of her skin seeping through her leggings and his leather gloves. She slid her hands over his shoulders and leaned in close, allowing him this brief embrace.

She always felt so incredible.

Damn. They were so good together in every way.

With her breasts firm against his chest and her lips close to his ear, she whispered, “I’m just getting started, Mr. Redthorne.”

Dorian was so turned on, he couldn’t even think straight. He’d never been able to keep a clear head with regard to Charlotte, but the intensity of their present circumstances only seemed to magnify his need, his cock suddenly throbbing. He pictured her on her knees. Imagined fisting that ponytail with his gloved hand as he slid into her hot, wet mouth…

Fuck.

With a firm grip on her hips, Dorian backed Charlotte against the wall. It was reckless and stupid and they did not have time for this, but he didn’t care. Nothing made sense anymore. All that mattered now was her luscious lips, her warmth, the silky feel of her hair against his cheek as he pressed his mouth to her neck and licked her soft, creamy skin.

“What… what are you doing? Dorian, you… Holy shit, that’s…” Charlotte’s words slid into a soft moan as his teeth grazed her earlobe.

Dorian kissed his way along her jaw, slowly moving to her soft, satiny lips. She parted them easily, and he slid his tongue into her mouth, teasing her with soft strokes, grateful her wounds had healed so quickly. When she let out a sigh of abject pleasure, Dorian grabbed her ass and lifted her up, pushing her hard against the wall as her legs wrapped tight around his hips.

Fucking hell, he wanted to take her. Hard and fast, right there against the wall.

She wanted it just as badly—he could sense it. The scent of her desire, the warmth of her body, the yearning in her eyes… All of it called to him with a deep, carnal invitation he couldn’t refuse.

He kissed her again, drinking in the taste of her. But somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew this was a terrible idea.

He pulled back and met her gaze—dark and dreamy.

“What… What are we doing?” she whispered, slowly blinking away the haze.

It seemed they’d both come to the same inconvenient realization.

No matter how desperately they wanted to tear each other’s clothes off, they couldn’t. Not here. Not now.

Get a grip, Redthorne. For fuck’s sake, your cock’s going to get you both killed.

“I… I’m so sorry, love.” He set her down, forcing himself to take a step back. “Heat of the moment. Won’t happen again.”

“No, it’s… Me too. I shouldn’t have… Let’s just…” She reached up and tightened her ponytail, blowing out a long breath. “Right. Back to work, then.”

Charlotte retrieved a small external hard drive and a cable from her satchel and connected it to the laptop. With a