Page 13 of Take Her to the Grave

His smile is deadly. "I’ve watched you long enough, learning who you are inside and out. I will know when you’re ready, and until then..." He rises with without effort. "Until then, I’ll wait for you to find the closure you need. To sort through everything you’ve learned and the unknown to come."

I stand as well, drawn to his movements. "And tonight? What happens tonight?"

"Tonight?" He pulls me close, one hand tangling in my hair while the other traces the line of my throat. "Tonight, I give you a taste of what's to come. Just enough to fuel your growing desire for me. Just enough to make youhungerfor more."

His head dips to my neck, soft lips brushing over my pulse while one of his hands wraps around my lower back, sliding down until it cups my ass tightly. I feel the sharp scrape of fangs, not breaking skin but promising what's to come. My whole body trembles with anticipation while goosebumps pimple across my body. The heat between my legs is immediate, making my bottom lip quiver as I try to hold in a moan. He evensmellsinhuman. His scent is too divine to be real. I inhale him, letting my eyes flutter closed while he brings his free hand to my jaw, tilting it to expose my neck to him even more. I’m spreadfor him, unsteady on my feet while I wait for him to bite me.

"Sweet dreams, little ghost," he whispers against my ear, sending chills down my spine. "Write well."

Then I'm alone in my office again, gasping and trembling, my neck tingling where his fangs had rested. I reach to touch it, inspecting my fingers for blood immediately, but there is none. He didn’t break the skin. Only the lingering chill in the air and the taste of power on my tongue prove I hadn't imagined it all.

Breathless, I turn to my computer, fingers already moving across the keyboard. The words pour out of me – twisted and feral. Not fiction anymore, but prophecy.

A promise of what's to come.

Chapter Six

DESCENT

"Elena? Elena, are you even listening to me?"

My editor's voice snaps me back to reality. Sarah has been talking for at least five minutes, but I zoned out and didn't hear a word. My mind keeps drifting to last night's encounter in Torrin's library, to the feel of his fangs against my throat...

"Sorry," I say, forcing myself to focus on the phone call. "I was just thinking about the new manuscript."

"That's what I'm trying to talk to you about," Sarah says, exasperation clear in her tone. "The pages you sent yesterday... Elena, they're brilliant, but they're nothing like your usual work. The darkness, the eroticism, the psychological tension – it's like you're channeling something completely new."

If you only knew, I think, touching the spot on my neck that still tingles from Torrin's touch.

"I'm trying something different," I tell her. "Exploring new territory."

"Well, whatever you're doing, keep doing it. This is the best writing I've ever seen from you. It's like you've tapped into something... primal.Real." She pauses. "Though we might need to tone down some of the bloodplay elements for the trad market."

I barely suppress a hysterical laugh. If Sarah thinks the sanitized version I sent her is too dark, what would she make of the real pages sitting on my hard drive? The ones I now write for Torrin's eyes only, dripping with truth and darkness and hunger?

"I'll think about it," I say noncommittally. "Listen, can we pick this up later? I'm in the middle of a scene."

After making my excuses, I hang up and lean back in my office chair. The sun is setting outside my window, painting the sky in shades of tangerine and lavender. My body hums with awareness, knowing that night is coming. Knowing thatheis coming.

My phone buzzes again – a text from my best friend Lisa:

Drinks tonight? Haven't seen you in weeks!

Guilt twists in my stomach. She's right – I've been neglecting my friendships, my social life, everything that used to anchor me to reality. But how can I sit in some bar making small talk when I know what's really out there? Knowing there’s a whole other world practically begging for me to explore it? How can I pretend to be interested in dating drama and office politics when a sexy vampire is the only thing on my mind 24/7?

Rain check?Deadline crunch.

Another lie to add to the growing pile. My whole life feels like a lie now – a thin veneer of normalcy covering the darkness I've been drowning in since my parent’s death. The darkness I'm learning to love.

The temperature in my office drops suddenly, and I smile. "You're early tonight."

"Eager, little ghost?" Torrin materializes from the shadows, looking devastating in a charcoal grey suit that emphasizes his perfectly sculpted body.

"Maybe I'm not the only one," I counter, turning to face him. "This is the third night in a row you've come to me. Someone might think you're getting attached."

There’s an amused expression on his face. "Or maybe I’ve watched you every night for the past four years. You’re only now learning to acknowledge my existence."

"Every night?" I raise an eyebrow. "Wasn’t there a better use of your time?"

---