The Reluctant Vampire Page 0,38

apparently he was s ll eager to go home, she thought with amusement, as Harper quickly filled in the p amount and signed the bo om. Not that she blamed him.

A cold blast of wind slapped at them as they stepped out of the restaurant, and Drina huddled into her coat, grateful she'd bought the long, heavier one today and wasn't s ll wearing the lighter coat she'd worn to fly to Canada.

"The car should be along soon, but maybe we should stay close to the building for cover," Harper said, urging her back toward the wall beside the door.

"It's snowing," Drina murmured, eyeing the flakes whirling wildly around them with a frown.

"Yeah, here I'll block the wind." Harper turned to face her and stepped up close, offering his body as a shield.

"Thank you," Drina murmured, fighting the urge to sway toward him.

"Where's your new scarf?" he asked with a frown. "Did you leave it in the restaurant?"

"No," she said, slipping her hands out of her pockets to catch the lapels of his leather coat and hold him in place when he started to pull away as if to rush back into the restaurant to fetch it for her. "I'm afraid I forgot it."

"And your hat and gloves too," he muttered, covering her hands with his gloved ones. Drina smiled wryly. "I'm not used to needing them. Spain never gets this cold."

"No," he said, and then fell silent, his eyes seeming frozen on her lips.

Drina s lled, nearly holding her breath. She was sure he wanted to kiss her. When a moment passed without his doing so, she used her hold on his lapels to draw him nearer, whispering, "It's cold."

"Yes," he growled. He released her hands and let his drop to slide around her back, pulling her closer still. "Does this help?"

"A li le." She sighed, squeezing even closer. She could hear his heart pounding, a quick ta oo, and slid one hand from his lapel to glide it up to touch his face and then onto his ear. Caressing the cooling skin gently, she whispered, "You're cold too." Then she leaned up on her ptoes and blew her hot breath against his ear before whispering into it, "Does this help?"

Harper mu ered something she didn't quite catch, and then he turned his head and claimed her lips. Drina immediately slid her hands into his hair and let her mouth dri open, invi ng him in . . . and all hell broke loose. It was as if she'd torn away chains that had bound and gagged him. She found herself suddenly pressed hard against the wall behind her by both his hips and his hands at her shoulders, and then he was undoing her coat, his hands almost tearing at the bu ons in his eagerness to reach what was inside. And all the while his mouth devoured hers, his tongue invading and exploring. Drina responded in kind, digging the nails of one hand into his scalp while the other dropped around to clasp his behind and urge him on as he ground his hips against her. They both gasped with relief when he managed to get the last bu on of her coat undone and jerked the lapels apart. When his hands immediately moved to cover her breasts, she moaned and arched into the touch. They froze when the door opened beside them. Harper tore his mouth from hers, and they both turned to stare blankly at the waiter, who had frozen halfway out the door. The mortal's eyes were wide and his expression amazed as he peered through the glass door at them. Their waiter.

"Oh," Harper mu ered, and then, seeming to realize he was s ll clutching her breasts, released them at once and stepped back from her, only to step closer again when the wind caught her open lapels and began to whip them about. "Here."

He quickly pulled the sides closed, then glanced around almost desperately. Relief rushed across his face when he spo ed the car at the curb, and he caught Drina's arm and urged her quickly toward it, muttering, "Have a good night," over his shoulder.

Chapter Seven

Drina nearly fell into the car when Harper opened the door. She quickly scrambled across the seat, her eyes flashing to the driver and then ski ering away as she wondered how long he'd been there and what he'd seen. Then Harper was inside, and they were pulling away. A glance out the rear