LITMIR.BIZ

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sighed. “Doesn’t matter. If I’d thought she was harming you—”

      “You’d have fought to defend me, huh?”

      “Do you doubt it?” He was serious now, his eyes darkening, taking on a look of intense emotion. She got the feeling he was lying but decided to believe. He moved closer, cupped her cheek in one hand and bent toward her. He was going to kiss her. And she wanted him to, but she knew damn well she was going to lose her focus the minute his mouth touched hers. So she spoke just before it did, while his eyes were closed and his breath was fanning her face.

      “What do you really want from me, Edge?”

      It caught him off guard. His eyes popped open, and they held the expression of a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. But he caught himself fast, banished the guilty look and replaced it with a lecherous one. “I thought we’d start with the kissing. From there, I have all sorts of ideas.”

      Her stomach knotted a little at the suggestion of sex, even though he hadn’t actually said it. He didn’t have to say it. He practically oozed it. “Beyond that, I mean,” she managed, her words emerging hoarsely from a throat that had gone tight. “Why did you fling yourself in front of my car last night? Why are you pretending to be interested in me now?”

      He blinked at her as if in confusion. “Do you cast a reflection, Alby?”

      Frowning, she nodded. “Yes. Why?”

      “Just wondering if you’ve ever seen yourself in a mirror.”

      She rolled her eyes, told herself not to let his smooth, slow words make her lose track of her mission here, and gently extricated herself from his full body embrace.

      “If you have, why would you accuse me of pretending to want you?”

      “You’ve only known me for twenty-four hours, Edge, and half of those you were resting.”

      “I wanted you in the first ten seconds,” he said. Then he shrugged. “Being female and half mortal, I suppose you’re one of those who believes it’s necessary to get to know a person before indulging in an exchange of mutual ecstasy.”

      “Well, yeah. Especially with someone who’s being less than honest about his motives.”

      “I’m being perfectly honest, Alby. I’m not declaring eternal love, and I’ll tell you up-front that I never will. Hell, I’m not even sure I like you much at this point. This—” he ran a finger along her cheek until she shivered “—is purely physical.” He ran his hand slowly down her neck, to her shoulder, from her shoulder down her back, following the curve of her spine. His fingertips left a tingling wave of sensation in their wake. His hand kept sliding lower, until she stepped away from his touch. “I don’t believe in self-denial,” he said softly.

      “Then I’ll do the denying.”

      “Hell.” He heaved a sigh and flung himself onto one of the pews, sitting heavily. “So why are you here, Alby? If you didn’t come to let me ravish you, what are you doing here?”

      She bit her lip. “I already told you, I want to know why you’re interested in me. What were you doing on that road?”

      “Walking to Salem.”

      “Why?”

      “Because my car died. I told you that.”

      “And why did you throw yourself in front of my car and pretend I hit you?”

      He pursed his lips, lowered his gaze to the floor, sighed. “All right. All right, you’re too smart for me. I did do that. I thought it was my best shot at getting a ride.” He licked his lips and searched her eyes. “I had no idea who you were, though. Not until after the fact. And I’ve got no reason to try to fool you now. I already got the ride I was after.”

      “Not the only ride you’re after,” she muttered.

      “Well, that goes without saying.” His smile was one of pure mischief, and it turned her on like nothing she’d ever seen. “The only question now is, how am I going to get you to change your mind?”

      She averted her face, felt the blood heating her cheeks.

      “How long are you staying in Salem Harbor, Alby?”

      She shrugged. “It really depends. There’s a … a man who might be able to help me save Willem. If I can find out where he is, I’ll leave immediately.”

      He nodded slowly. “Then we’ll have to make the most of our time together, won’t we?”

      She felt her brows rise, turned to him in surprise.

      “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten our conversation in the car? I promised I would help you figure out who and what you are.” He shrugged. “It’ll give me a chance to charm you out of your clothes, while I’m at it.”

      “Right.” She sighed. “So how do you plan to do that?”

      “Charm you out of your clothes?”

      “Help me figure out what I am.” If she were honest, she would admit she was more interested in the other. She was half afraid he could do it. Half hoping he could.

      “You come back here tomorrow night, and I’ll show you.”

      She licked her lips, nerves jumping. “Don’t expect anything in return, Edge.”

      “Oh, I don’t expect—I demand something in return.”

      She lifted her brows. “Do you?”

      “Mmm-hmm.”

      “What?”

      “This.” He rose from the pew, walked slowly toward her, holding her eyes with his. She didn’t move away, didn’t even think about it. He pressed his palms to hers, at her sides, pressed his body to hers, rubbing, and she didn’t pull back. No, she stood firm when he pressed himself against her, even, maybe, pressed back a little. He tipped his head to one side, she tipped hers to the other, and he lowered his mouth slowly, slowly closer to hers. Just before his lips touched her, he whispered, “Of course, I won’t collect until I’ve delivered on my promise.”

      He started to lift his head away. And Amber heard herself saying, “The hell you won’t.” She tugged her hands from his and pressed them instead to the back of his head, pulling him to her, kissing his mouth. She felt his lips trying to pull into a smile as she kissed them; then they trembled and parted, and his arms slid around her waist and pulled her even closer. He pushed her mouth wider, digging inside with his tongue and feeding from her like a man starved to death. She heard a moan, wasn’t sure if it was his or hers, and felt as if her very blood were blazing—molten lava crawling beneath her skin.

      Finally, when the shaking was so intense she could barely stand and her mind was spinning, he lifted his head away and whispered, “God, Alby, I could eat you alive.”

      The words, combined with the blazing hunger in his eyes, sent a jolt of fear through her. She’d never been bitten by a vampire before. She had no idea what it would be like, but she knew he could easily lose control and drain her to the point of death.

      His hand pushed her hair from her face. “No, Alby. That’s not what I meant.” He shrugged. “Though that would be good, too. I’ll do both before I’ve finished with you.”

      She swore under her breath at the rush of desire his words shot through her. “I have … I have to go.”

      “But you’ll come … here … tomorrow night,” he told her. Then he smiled slowly, devilishly. “I promise.”

      Blinking, Amber turned and went to the window, leaped out, landing hard on the ground, and then ran all the way back to the house.

      Edge had, the way he saw it, two options. He could screw the woman’s brains out and wait for her and her friends to get a line on Frank Stiles,

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