SINGLE WHITE VAMPIRE Page 0,95

her busy and excited until the condoms arrived.

Kate moaned with mingled desire and displeasure when Lucern's mouth slid from hers and he began licking and nibbling his way down her body. She had the brief thought that it was a shame he didn't have two mouths so she could continue to kiss him as he ravaged her flesh.

Catching the hand that had stopped hers from exploring, she drew it to her mouth. Grabbing one thick finger, Kate sucked it into her mouth and nipped. Lucern paused to pay special attention to her breasts.

Her body tingled everywhere, and Kate shifted restlessly beneath Luc, clutching his hand and gasping as his mouth dropped to her belly. The muscles in her stomach contracted and rippled under his onslaught; then they clenched as he moved lower still and urged her legs apart. Oh, this was She hoped he wouldn't bite her there.

The thought, silly as it was, forced a gasping laugh from her lips, but it died as quickly as it was born. What he was doing to her didn't leave breath or thought for such concerns, and moments later she didn't care if he did bite her so long as he didn't stop everything else.

Dear God, he would kill her with pleasure and she would be happy in the dying, she thought dazedly.

Then, losing the capacity to think as her body imploded, she cried out, arching her hips upward and tearing at the bedsheets. She shuddered out of control, grabbing Lucern's shoulders as he shifted. The only thing that would make this better was to have him inside her. She was sure of it. "Please, Lucern," she gasped.

"What is it, sweet?" he asked as he lay between her legs.

"I want you inside me. Put on the condom," she begged. When he stiffened and paused, she frowned. "Luc?"

"Er" Much to her dismay, he pulled away from her. "I, er"

"Didn't you get a condom?" she asked. "I thought"

"Yes, yes. I, er, I just forgot it in the other room," he assured her quickly. Pushing himself from the bed, he added, "I'll er just be a moment. Stay here."

Then he hurried out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

Chapter Sixteen

Lucern yanked the door open and peered out into the hall, hoping to see a bellhop sauntering up with condoms in hand. Of course, there was no such thing. The hall was completely empty. He slammed the door with frustration, then turned to peer around the suite. There should have been condoms in each room. Hotels should stock them like they did candy bars and booze. Really, Luc didn't know why no one had thought of it.

A small sigh and the rustle of sheets drew his gaze to the door to his room. His hearing was working exceptionally well at the moment. All his senses were buzzing. His entire body was jumping with excitement, and all of it, every aching inch of him, wanted to be with Kate. This was like some sort of hell. Some sort of

Lucern scowled toward his room and the soft, willing woman in his bed. He had known that this conference would be a hellish excursion. Little had he realized it would be full-body torture, though.

A snore from the other direction drew his attention. Chris Keyes's room. Sure, the guy was sleeping peacefully. He wasn't suffering the tortures of the damned and

Chris is a guy.

The thought interrupted Lucern's internal rant, and he gazed hard at the door. Kate's coworker might have a condom. His gaze shot to his own room. He didn't think that Kate would want Chris to know what they were getting up to, though; he was pretty sure she would be extremely displeased if he asked her friend for a condom.

Another sigh issued from his bedroom, followed by another rustle. He could just imagine Kate shifting restlessly on his bed, her nipples still erect, her face softened by desire and

He just wouldn't tell her where he got the condom, Lucern decided. Hurrying to Chris's door, he didn't knock or make any other sound that Kate might hear, simply opened it and slipped inside. He rushed to the bed where Chris lay sleeping. Grabbing the sleeping editor by the shoulders, he gave him a violent shake.

"Wake up," he hissed.

Chris came awake at once, his eyes blinking open with alarm. "What? What's happened?" he asked anxiously. "Is the hotel on fire?"

"No. I need a condom. Do you have one?"

Chris blinked stupidly at him. "What? A condom?" He started