One Immortal - Tia Louise Page 0,4

my dress over my shoulders.

He retrieves the thin navy sweater and turns it right side out before slipping it over his head, leaving his dark hair in messy waves. He’s hypnotic.

Looking down at me with that intense gaze, he smiles. “How long will you be in the city?”

“Until Sunday.” My voice is soft, and he steps closer.

“I’ll be tied up with meetings during the day, but tomorrow I’ll be at Mr. B’s at seven. I hope you might stop in.”

Mr. B’s Bistro is across the street from my hotel. It’s known for having some of the best cuisine in the city. It also has a nice bar. But that’s not what Derek wants. Like me, he’s hungry for more.

He places a large hand on the wall beside my face, and his enormous bicep is right at my cheek. A thick vein draws my attention. “I’d like to see you again.”

I’m walking a treacherous line, so close to giving in to my cravings. One minor slip could be the end.

“I love Mr. B’s,” I say, and a small smile lifts the corner of his mouth.

I want to thread my fingers in that glossy dark hair again. I want to taste his mouth one more time. I want that sensual beard roughing my skin. I want more of everything about this moment we just shared, but I know how potentially deadly that would be.

“Shall I escort you to your room?” he asks.

I shake my head no, and walk away from him the half-block to Royal Street. He’s still in the alley, leaning against the brick wall, watching me. The streetlight is behind him, and he looks like every fantasy I never knew to have.

“Goodnight,” is all I say.

“Goodnight, sweet Melissa,” his deep voice touches me through the darkness, and I’m overwhelmed by despair. It drops like a heavy cloak over my shoulders.

My life is over.

He starts to move, and I hasten away, up the block until I’m far from him. A few more steps and I push through the revolving door of the Hotel Monteleone.

I might have escaped my fate tonight, but my grip on control is rapidly failing.

2

Craving

Derek

Reckless. My alarm buzzes me to consciousness, and it’s my first thought. Last night was dangerous and unprofessional. Not only did I blow off my mission, I hooked up with a total stranger—alone, with no one knowing where I was.

In this city, in my line of work, it could’ve been the last mistake I ever made. And shit if I’m not lying here with a hard-on craving her body all over again.

Turning to the side, an ache pinches my lower back. As much as I work out, I can’t believe I could possibly be sore anywhere, yet when I move again in my king-sized bed, I realize it’s an ache that would only come from holding another person against the ancient brick wall of Pirate’s Alley and fucking her brains out.

Jesus. I sit up fast, marveling again at my behavior. Scrolling back through the night, it’s almost as if I were hypnotized by her sapphire eyes.

I shake that shit away. It’s a fucking cop-out, or worse—it’s the product of working too long in the paranormal field. I’m no amateur. What happened last night was simple math. I saw an extremely beautiful, intensely sad woman sitting alone in a bar, and nothing could have kept me from going to her. We had immediate chemistry, and we acted on it.

Her little moans and breathy cries echo in my ears, and I exhale a growl, remembering how hard I came. Rubbing my large hands over my face, I try to grab the reins.

I need to remind myself who’s in control here. Melissa is a strong, sexy woman. Of course, I responded that way to fucking her. I haven’t been with anyone since Alison died six years ago. I haven’t wanted to. At first, it had seemed like an insult to her memory, but after a while I was too obsessed with my work to deal with starting a relationship or the needs of another person.

Until last night.

Yes, our intensity was off the charts. It was enhanced by my awakened desire. Like flipping a light switch, Melissa revived a need in me long dormant, and damn, if she didn’t seem to need it as much as I did. Add to that the push-pull of knowing what we were doing was dangerous and illegal… That’s all it was. Nothing more.

Throwing the blankets aside, I walk naked to the bathroom