Page 19 of Bewitched By a Vampire

He turned on his heel to face her and she bit back a gasp when his hard body pressed against hers. A shiver traipsed down her spine and she forgot what she had wanted to say as she looked up at him, into eyes that held so much heat and need that it stole her breath.

Night slipped his hand into her hair and twisted it around his fingers, his grip fierce and commanding, thrilling her as much as the way he dragged her closer still. She pressed her free hand to his chest, regretting it when the feel of his hard muscles sent another, sharper thrill through her that had her knees weakening and her control fraying.

Her pulse quickened as her eyes darted between his, half of her wanting him to go through with that desire she could read in his eyes and the rest fearing the fall out of it.

She had a mission to complete.

Falling for this vampire wasn’t part of the plan.

He lowered his head, tilting it to one side at the same time, and his breath caressed her lips, sensitising them and flooding her with sweet anticipation, until she was spinning and losing control, aching for him to do it.

Just kiss her already.

His mouth neared hers.

Panic lanced her, images of what would happen if she let him kiss her running through her mind at a quickening pace, culminating in a terrible ending for both of them, and for Bastian too. She couldn’t do this.

As glorious as his kiss might be, it wasn’t worth the risk.

“Help me,” she whispered and regretted it when he growled and reared back, looking as if she had struck him with those words.

Looking betrayed.

She hated that thought she could see in his eyes.

She hadn’t been playing him.

She had wanted that kiss as much as he did, but there was too much at stake.

She seized the lapels of his jacket in both hands, unwilling to let him go and sure she could get through to him. He liked her. He wanted her. She didn’t want to use it against him, but she needed help.

“Please? I have to get away from here. There’s a house in the nearest village. My friend.” She adjusted her grip on his jacket. “I just need to go there for a while. I just need a moment away from this place. I need a moment to breathe. You can take me there if you want to keep an eye on me. I swear I’ll return with you.”

Rather than doing what she wanted, he turned his profile to her and his expression grew calm and then cold, as if he was methodically shutting down all the feelings that had been in his touch and his eyes a moment ago.

Killing them.

And it was her fault.

She had hurt him. She could see that now. She had hurt him and he was going to make her pay for it.

“What you need to do is unhand me,” he said, his tone as calm and cold as his expression.

His crimson gaze slid towards her, dark splotches around his thin elliptical pupils. They spread as she stared up into his eyes, discolouring his irises. What was wrong with him? Was this bloodlust? She had never witnessed it first-hand, but then she had never been this close to a vampire.

His huge fangs flashed from between his lips as he snarled, “I said, unhand me.”

Lilian gasped and released him, stumbling back a few steps to place some distance between them as her magic shot to the fore, coming to protect her, and she almost lost control of it.

Darkness crossed his eyes, making him look like a wild beast, some vicious and bloodthirsty creature that would devour her given the chance.

And then he turned away from her and went to the door.

“Do not leave this room again, unless you want to learn what I do to those who disobey me.” He pulled the door closed behind him, his words little more than a snarl. “And never touch me again.”

He said that like he meant it, like this attraction she felt was one-sided.

When he had been the one to almost kiss her.