Page 33 of Hot Blooded
He turns to me once we reach the center of the ballroom. “Should we dance?”
“Maybe? In a little bit,” I suggest.
His mouth twitches with amusement as he watches me. “You’re trouble.”
“How am I trouble?”
His fingertips graze my neck, searing promises into my skin that I know will never come true. “You tempt me,” he admits in a low voice.
I’m not sure if he means for more kisses, or to drink from me, but something tells me it’s the latter. And that thought sends heat racing through me.
“Maybe I like tempting you,” I challenge him. The reaction is instant, his eyes flash with an obvious hunger.
It’s a crazy thought, tempting a vampire, but it’s true, and I can’t recall any other man describing me astempting. And Reign isn’t just any man. He’s beautiful and dashing and intelligent and just… superior to anyone I’ve ever met. I wonder what it would feel like to be bitten by this man… I wonder about a lot of things. My body has never craved sex like it does when he’s near.
“Reign Tryst. In the flesh. Where have you been hiding?” a man in a gray sport coat calls out to Reign from across the room.
“I’m going to grab a drink,” I tell him, spotting the bar across from us. “It’s okay—go.”
Reign meets my eyes. “Are you sure?”
I nod. I need a minute to collect myself. Maybe to find Lena. Or at least to text her.
Reign greets the man and watches me go.
Once I reach the bar, I order myself a glass of champagne and leave a cash tip in the jar, then I sip my bubbly and people-watch.
Conversation buzzes around me, but I don’t catch any of it. Or much of it… because every so often I swear I hear the name Reign Tryst. Not that I can focus on much, because all of my attention is captivated by the man himself. He moves effortlessly around the room greeting men with firm handshakes and women with polite nods. His face is serious and carved from stone. He’s so handsome.
Lena finds me and dashes across the room, somehow managing to balance a tray full of champagne flutes without spilling a drop.
“Hey!” She greets me with an eyebrow wiggle. “Oh my God. I can’t even with you,” she says, sounding exasperated.
“What?” I look down at myself.
She rolls her eyes. “If my boobs looked like that, I would never wear a bra again.”
I blush and fight the urge to tug the dress over my cleavage. “You look fine, by the way. I don’t even notice the stain.”
She presses her mouth into a line. “I look ratchet AF.”
With a chuckle, my gaze strays over to Reign again. He’s watching me too and heat zips over my skin.
“How’s it going?” she asks.
“Good, I think. We just got here.” I take a gulp of champagne and try not to stare at Reign.
“Well, I better go,” Lena says, motioning to the crowd of thirsty party guests.
Before she leaves, I place my now-empty champagne flute onto her tray and help myself to another.
“For good luck,” I say, grinning.
“One of us should get lucky tonight.”
I can’t help the desperate laugh that bubbles from my lips at her words. She gives me a cheeky wink and spins on her heel, shoulders shaking in laughter at my obvious slipup. I really need to check myself. Hooking up with Reign?Yeah, right.
I’m about to head over to join Reign when a woman in a black leather mini-dress skirts around me. She's stunning. Brilliant auburn hair, pale skin, and bright green eyes. Eyes that track the movements of Reign as he moves through the room, greeting old friends. I remain rooted in place as I watch her. She's a vampire, if I had to guess. She's just too regal, too still as she appraises him.
