Luther allowed his fist to unfurl and the tips of his fingers to touch Katie’s cheek. Her skin was soft and smooth. Warm. Her heat suffused his hand and penetrated the pads of his fingers. Tempted by the tantalizing sensation, he caressed her face with slow, tiny strokes. Katie appeared to suck harder now, pulling more blood from his vein.

Oh God, it felt as if she was sucking his cock, as if her tender lips wrapped around his swollen shaft, taking him deep into her gorgeous mouth.

He took his eyes off the road, looking down at her face. Her eyes were closed again, but she was conscious. She was holding onto his wrist with one hand now. The other lay on her breast, restless, moving.

He knew what was happening to her. While his blood was healing her wound from the inside, the side effects were kicking in. Her body was awakening with sexual desire, with the need to be touched, the need to find release.

The scent of her arousal now mixed with the aroma of her blood and his, creating a combination that became harder and harder to resist with every second that passed. He couldn’t let this happen. It was bad enough that he wanted her, that feeling her drink from him aroused him, but he couldn’t let her get into the same state he was in.

“It’s enough,” he ground out and pulled his wrist from her mouth.

She moaned in protest, but he brought his wrist to his lips and licked the incisions. His saliva closed the holes instantly as if they’d never existed.

“Rest now, we’ll be there soon.” And he hoped that by the time they reached the safe place he was heading for, Katie’s wound would be healed and the arousal that came with the consumption of vampire blood subsided.

At least then he’d only have to deal with his own arousal.

23

The gentle rocking of the truck sent her in and out of consciousness, until it finally stopped. No more humming of the engine, no more vibrations beneath her back. No more pretending that the continuous shifting of her hips was a result of the car’s movement, when she knew what it really was: a sign of the sexual desire brought on by drinking Luther’s blood.

She’d been around vampires long enough to know the signs, but nobody had warned her that the effect of vampire blood would be so intense, or that it would last as long as it did.

Katie felt Luther’s thigh muscles flex underneath her nape. Even after he’d fed her from his wrist, he’d kept his right arm across her torso, holding her. Whether to make sure she didn’t slip from the bench or for whatever other reason, she didn’t know. Nor had she cared. It felt good to feel connected to him, to feel his strength, his protection.

She was aware of him in a way she hadn’t known was possible. Every fiber of her body seemed to reach for him, yearning for an even deeper connection, a melding of body and soul. And though she knew it was wrong to give into the desire, she couldn’t find the strength to resist.

Luther’s blood coupled with the memories of their passionate kiss from the night before conjured up images in her mind’s eye that she didn’t want to suppress. What would it be like if she pulled his hand to her breasts so he could take away the ache that she felt there?

Katie lifted her hand from her stomach, reaching for his, but before she could touch him, he was sliding out from beneath her and placing her head gently onto the bench.

“We’re here,” he announced and opened the driver’s side door.

Katie opened her eyes and looked up, but the light on the truck’s ceiling blinded her for an instant. A moment later, the passenger door was opened.

She sat up, slowly, her gaze focused on her midsection where her open shirt was bloodstained. Adrenaline coursed through her and sent her heartbeat into the stratosphere.

She lifted her eyes from the wound and stared at Luther, who stood in the open door. “Oh my God, how badly was I injured?”

“Badly enough.” Luther’s serious expression said more than his short reply. “Come, I’ll take you inside.” He reached for her.

Instinctively, she shrank back. If he touched her now, how would she be able to stop herself from throwing herself at him like a sex-crazed groupie? “I’m fine. I can walk.”

“Not until I’ve checked out your wound.” The words were said with a finality that didn’t allow for any protest.

Luther scooped her out of the truck much more gently than she’d expected a vampire of his size and reputation to be capable of. When she was outside and he kicked the car door shut, she peered into the darkness.

“Where are we?”

He carried her toward a dark building. “At a friend’s place.” The added I hope was mumbled under his breath.