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His heart gave another aching tug. She didn’t expect to live long. He’d been a soldier a long time ago. He remembered the nights carousing and drinking, not knowing when it might be his last. Pain lanced through him at the thought of her death.

No, he couldn’t care. Her life was hers to live.

Even so, his touch was gentle when he tugged a stray strand of hair behind her ears. The emerald earrings she wore matched the green specks in her eyes. “You can have a raise.”

It was the least he could do.

She smiled as if he’d given her the moon. “Really?”

He nodded. Money was nothing compared to her unadulterated happiness. He couldn’t stop himself then. Leaning down, he kissed her like he’d dreamed of since that first day. She yielded to him sweetly and tugged him down until he was above her, his arms braced beside her head.

His body tightened, every muscle, every cell coming alive. He kissed and nipped at her lips until her mouth opened. She was so warm, so giving. Julian lost himself in the kiss. Her moan reverberated to the place where his soul should be. The scent of her desire, of their arousal, intoxicated him until he was drunk with it.

She shifted until his hardness was cradled against her core. A groan rumbled up his chest when she lifted her hips to rub against him.Want her, take her,his vampire demanded. Julian dug his hands into the bed. It was that or tearing her clothes off.

Her tongue dueled against his, changing the tenor of the kiss, burning away the chains he’d wrapped around the vampire. Her hands traced up his stomach, leaving a trail of fire wherever she touched. His fangs ached to slide down and take what she offered. A fever raged through him. A thirst only she could quench.

No. Julian jerked away even though he could’ve stayed there and kissed her forever. This wasn’t what he came for.

He didn’t need a mate. He didn’t need her.

“What’s wrong?” She leaned up with her elbows behind her. A single button had popped open on her shirt, giving Julian a view of the purple-laced bra beneath.

He gritted his teeth against his body’s wild needs. The dark circles under her eyes calmed the turbulence. He would not take advantage of her. Yes, that was it. She wouldn’t welcome a vampire to her bed if she were fully awake.

“Go to sleep. You’ve had a long day.”

He left without giving her any chance to change his mind.

Chapter Ten

“Leah!”

Leah turned to see Lucy jogging toward her and greeted the other woman with a smile. She’d been looking forward to a shower and maybe a proper dinner. The last two days had been brutal, with emergencies popping up left and right. Lucy had been an invaluable help and positivity in the storm, and Leah would make time for whatever she needed.

“Hi, what’s up?”

Lucy stopped, her breathing winded. The younger woman must have chased her all the way from the office. “Clement stopped by after you left. Mr. Blackmore wants to see you.”

“Now?”

“No, in an hour. In his office.”

“Clement couldn’t find me?”

“He had something else to do, so I volunteered.” Lucy waved away Leah’s frustration with the vampire. “Do you know what Mr. Blackmore wants?”

“No idea.”

Blackmore hadn’t shown up again after leaving her in a puddle of need from just one kiss. She’d tried in her spare time to find him, but he’d always been “busy” or “away”.The coward.

Dmitri hadn’t let up about seducing Blackmore, as though she needed more motivation. Every day that passed meant she was closer to losing her and the girls’ freedom, but she couldn’t ignore the demands of her Vegas job either and risk getting fired.

In fact, since she didn’t have to work late tonight, she planned on spending the evening devising a plan to seduce Blackmore.

“I wonder why he wants to see you. He usually stays away from humans. I haven’t met him.” Lucy shivered. “He scares the shit out of me.”

Leah chuckled. “I thought you liked vampires.”