Page 6 of Sexual Appetites of Vampires

“So don’t sit here in fear, get moving,” she scolded again, though didn’t move. It wasn’t that she was a fearless person, because there were times fear could be a good thing and stop you from doing the stupidest things, but having been raised in a cemetery had probably given her the edge over others when it came to fear or perhaps it was that it had given her—a boatload of courage.

Determined, she tossed her jacket and scarf on the bed and slipped out of her high-heeled boots. She zipped open the front compartment of her suitcase and took out a pair of grey flats. If she had to run, she’d have a better chance in flats than heels.

She shook her head again. How did one exactly run away from a vampire, especially when there wasn’t anywhere for her to run? And there was the fact that he knew this house and she didn’t.

“Reasonable explanation. Reasonable explanation,” she reminded again and slipped her shoes on.

Lara felt a moment of panic when she went to reach for the doorknob. What if he had locked her in? She hurried to turn the knob and sighed with relief when it opened easily. She poked her head out first and looked left to right and spied nothing but an empty hallway. She stepped out and wondered which way to go. Right would take her to the closed double doors and left was probably where she would find the staircase, a more logicalchoice. But something told her it would be wise to get the lay of the land so to speak, find out about the rooms on this floor before making her way downstairs.

The hallway was fairly wide. Between the wall on the door on the left and the double doors at the end of the hall sat an ornate wood console table. A crystal vase dressed in a winter floral display similar to the one in the entry foyer sat on top. An ornate carved bench sat on the wall across from it, though a few feet down. And more landscapes decked the walls along the hall and had Lara stopping to glance at them. Art lights above the paintings cast sufficient light for her to study the detail. She had thought something looked familiar about them and after a moment she realized that the paintings were of the Valaine property. There was the long driveway up to the place with woods to either side, the hills behind the house and where the house itself sat, but without the house. The paintings were of the land before the house was built.

Lara scrunched her eyes to see the artist’s name, but it wasn’t clear enough for her to read. She wasn’t familiar enough with art to tell the age of the paintings, but she had to admit they were beautiful and so very detailed.

She kept her steps light along the Oriental-style runner that graced the dark wood floors and peeked in the room that sat to the right. It was a bedroom, smaller than the one she was in, though decorated just as lovely. The other door was locked, and she wondered why. What secrets did it hide?

Her hand hesitated when she reached for the knobs on the double doors at the end of the hall, but she once again warned herself that it was best she became familiar with the layout of the house. She turned one knob and inched it open slowly, then cautiously peeked inside.

Low lighting and flickering flames from the fireplace cast faint light on the large, dark room. She had to step further in tomake out what was in it. She stood a few feet inside the room and turned in a circle looking it over.

Everything was dark from the intricately carved four-poster bed with a grey velvet canopy to the tall, wood armoire more heavily carved than the bedposts and headboard. Nightstands sat to either side of the bed, though they were grey metal and of modern design. Grey and black damask drapes covered the windows, blocking any view, and the lights were a mix of modern and antiques. A modern grey chaise sat at an angle to the fireplace similar to the way the one was situated in her room.

The room appeared as if someone could not quite decide which century he wanted to live in.

The small table beside the chaise held a single crystal wine glass and decanter with what looked like red wine. Lara assumed the room was Michael’s, which had her wondering just what was in the decanter. She took cautious steps over to the table, itching to lift the top and take a sniff, yet worried about what she would find.

She reached out.

“I don’t think that flavor will be to your liking.”

She spun around and her heart slammed against her chest. Michael stood with a black towel wrapped around his hips, his dark shoulder length hair damp and tousled. His torso, so finely sculpted with muscles, stole her breath. The towel hung so low on his hips that she half expected to see a hint of dark hair peeking out. He obviously had just finished a shower, though she had not heard a sound coming from the closed door in the corner of the room that now stood open, a shaft of faint light spilling out of it, illuminating his perfect and almost completely naked body.

She told herself to turn away, but it was impossible to take her eyes off him. The more she looked, the more she realized that her body was finding his body mighty appealing, so much so thatshe felt a tickle in her clitoris. She drew in her breath—a mistake—his scent so fresh yet so earthy that she felt her legs go weak.

Weak legs.No man had ever turned her legs weak, but then he wasn’t a man—was he?

She blinked, hoping— if only for a moment—to vanquish his tempting image and gain some sanity. When she opened her eyes, he was standing right there in front of her, and so close that their bodies almost touched.

He lowered his head, his lips drifting toward hers and she told herself to run, get out of there, get away from him, but her limbs wouldn’t move. She was frozen there, incapable of escape. The closer his lips came, the harder her heart beat, the tickle in her clitoris turned to a hum and she stupidly wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

“Your scent overpowers,” he whispered as his lips drew closer, nearly resting on hers. “It is like no other I have ever known, and I want to get lost in it.”

He didn’t smell so bad himself, as a matter of fact, she had never known a man’s scent to be so appealing.

“You’re going to be mine, Lara, I will see it done.”

She felt as if she was wrapped in strong, loving arms and yet he hadn’t touched her. She never felt so protected or so loved—loved? She shook her head. What was she thinking? He didn’t love her. She would be his to command with one single bite.

Bite?Did she really believe him a vampire? It went against common sense to think such a ridiculous thought. It also went against common sense to be standing in the bedroom of a near naked man she barely knew.

With reluctance, she stepped away from him. It annoyed her that she could be so attracted to him when they had barely met. And that she could even give credence to him actually being a vampire. She felt as if she had fallen down the rabbit hole.

Under the circumstances, meaning he was nearly naked and possibly a vampire, it was foolish to remain in the room with him. She stepped around him to leave and his hand caught hers.

She gasped, his skin was so cold it shocked, and then suddenly he warmed, and he tugged her closer to him. She didn’t stop him, though she doubted she could. His grip was gentle, yet his immense power radiated through her, and there was no escaping it.

“Stay,” he whispered, lowering his head and kissed her ever so lightly.

She felt her breath catch in her chest. The kiss was a mixture of cold and hot and it was like a flame sparking dry tinder, heat surged through her, shuddering her body and settling an aching need between her legs that she hadn’t felt in a long time.

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