turning his back on Vinny.
Vinny stood on the front stoop, arms crossed. “What? You think I’m nuts? You two will never make it.”
Lucien raised his hand and the door slammed shut.
“Real nice!” Vinny hollered from the other side.
“Ohh ... telekinesis!” I said, impressed.
“I have all kinds of things I’d like to show you,” Lucien said, moving in to seal the deal.
I hated to think Vinny might be right, but, “We might actually have to go.”
“Damn.”
I nuzzled him. “Yeah.”
Lucien’s amusement faded, replaced by something primal. “One more kiss.” He took me with such force it was a wonder I held on. I was aware of every touch, every caress of his mouth as my senses came vibrantly alive. The hot glide of his tongue sent heat washing through me. It was all I could do not to climb the man as he deepened the kiss even more.
He groaned as I cupped his butt and pressed him tighter against me.
Lucien wanted me. He wasn’t afraid to admit it—or slam the door on Vinny. That part had actually been kind of fun.
But could I really have an affair with him?
I hated weres who paired with vampires. Well, maybe not Tia. But I couldn’t stand the type. I didn’t want to be the kind of woman who needed a man, much less a vampire.
Heck, I didn’t even need my pack. I was fine on my own.
Wasn’t I?
I arrived at Nina’s house with a satisfied Vinny and a frustrated Lucien. I knew how the vampire felt. My body was screaming for five minutes, okay four—okay, one minute alone with him.
Maybe after the party, I reasoned, trying to get a choke hold on my raging libido. As it stood, Tia had worked hard in order to secure us an invite. She’d probably agreed to paint Nina’s toes for the next year. It burned me to see how the Predators treated her.
Vinny watched us walk in the door, promising to “arrive” shortly after.
Nina lived in a modern-style home with lots of clean lines. The front room was done in black and white, with zebra and gazelle fur accents. Charming. Low pillows and flowing fabric accents gave a nod to the Arabian Nights theme.
A stoic vampire with bowl-cut hair and a long black salt-and-pepper beard greeted us.
“Samuel.” Lucien nodded to him, holding my hand. His thumb caressed the soft skin below my wrist. “This is my wife, Mitzy.”
“The women are in the living room,” he said to Lucien, as if I wasn’t there.
Fair enough. It was Lucien’s job to question the vampires. At the moment, I didn’t envy him. Samuel seemed like a cold fish.
Strange that Nina would ally herself with an unusually grim vampire. Then again, my job here wasn’t to question lifestyle choices, just potential murderers.
My shoes were already digging into the sides of my feet. It would be nice to take a load off.
A mouthwatering scent filtered in from the kitchen.
I found the wives perched on Nina’s impossibly white couches and chairs. Tia in white. Francine staring daggers at me in red. And an Indian woman in a gorgeous blue dress who literally growled. Bliss.
The coffee table in front of us was covered with plates of caviar and crackers, pine nut puffs, and all kinds of tiny appetizers that looked like they each took about an hour to make.
“Help yourself.” Nina, who wore a black dress at least two sizes smaller than mine, waved a hand toward the display, as if daring me.
None of the wives had so much as touched a plate.
“I’ll wait until dinner,” I said, my stomach protesting. Now that my body wasn’t pulsing after Lucien, I remembered that I hadn’t eaten lunch. “You have a fantastic home.” I took a seat, ignoring the way my dress shifted sideways.
“You want a tour?” Bliss asked, wasting no time.
Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. She knew.
“Sure,” I said, “why not?”
Let’s get it over with. She could try to tear me apart, but I was all wolf.
I stood. I gave myself decent odds, especially if Lucien jumped in.
Tia cast a worried glance my way. I could see the indecision eating at her.
“Mitzy—” The were rushed after me as I was about to leave the room with the tiger. Once she made it to me, she scrambled for what came next. “You have a smidge of something on your dress.” She scrubbed with bare fingers at the area next to my back zipper. “I’m scared,” she whispered in a rush.
Me too.
“Thanks for saving my hide this