Dark Curse Page 0,98

forgotten if he ever had.

A small groan escaped his throat and he fought harder, urging the demon to settle down, to be patient and wait-that Lara was worth waiting for. And in the end, what he really wanted was for Lara to give herself to him. To want him. To make the commitment on her own because she had genuine feeling for him. His teeth receded and that hazy red disappeared from his sight as the music faded away.

Lara stood swaying, her body tight against his. He could hear her heart beating the exact same rhythm as his. He lifted his head slowly, reluctant to allow her out of his arms. "You need to eat something." It was mundane-true-but so far from what he wanted to do he could barely get the words past the need clogging his throat.

She nodded, but stood there, so close to him her soft body was imprinted on his hard one. She tilted her face to look up at him. Her eyes were shy, but glowed with an inner light that made him intensely aware of his sexuality. Her skin was luminous, her eyes bright, her body like warm silk beneath his roving fingers.

"Lara?"

She lifted her hand to his face, her touch gentle, tender even. "I want to remember this moment always. I don't have many wonderful memories, but dancing with you is an incredibly beautiful experience and I want to savor this night."

Merged with her, he could see the truth. She wanted to hug their time to her, hold on to it to take out later and replay, moment by moment, no matter what happened in the future. Her response brought a surge of hot blood that nearly destroyed his hard-won control, but along with it, his heart responded, a painful ache of longing to be loved by this woman.

His hand slid down to the small of her back to guide her to the dining room. He cleared his throat. "I hope we make many such memories together. I will enjoy every one."

"Before anything else, I need to check on Terry and say hello to Gerald," Lara said.

Nicolas felt the instinctive animalistic reaction swirling in his gut at the idea of Lara in a small room with her two mail friends. He nodded his head, forcing a smile. "Why not use the house phone to call them first? Make certain they are up to visitors?"

The hard knots in his belly relaxed when Gerald told her he's just gotten Terry to sleep and was going to bed. After reassurances all was well, Lara promised she'd come by earlier the next evening to see them.

Nicolas unashamedly used his influence to secure a table in the darkest, most secluded corner of the room. A single candle lit the table with a soft glow and he dimmed that as well as blurring their images to prevent anyone from interrupting their time together. He held the chair for Lara to slip into and then took the one closest to her, blocking her body from any prying eyes that might manage to slip through his thin shield.

Lara felt cocooned in Nicolas's heat, caught in a sexual web that seemed to only increase, even as he casually summoned the waitress.

"What looks good to you?" He ran the pads of his fingers up and down her bare arm in a slow caress, almost as if he didn't realize he was doing it.

Just the deep timbre of his voice sent a heat wave through her body and, in combination with his touch, she swore flames licked at her skin.

Lara cleared her throat. "Something light." She wanted to leave, to be alone with him. She wanted desperately to explore the sensation of fingers trailing up and down her arm, all over her body, in her body. Desire rose so fast and sharp she felt the walls of her feminine sheath clench with slick, hot heat. "I'm not really very hungry."

He murmured something to the waitress she didn't catch, didn't care. She could only look at him, the pure lust etched deep into his too-handsome face, the dark hunger in the depths of his eyes. Knowing it was there for her, that his entire focus was on her, added to the building excitement. Her nipples pushed

against the fabric of her dress, rubbing with each subtle movement.

Nicolas leaned toward her, and sent a stream of warm air bathing her breasts right through her dress. She felt the lick of his tongue curling around her nipple. Gasping,