Page 61 of Seduction in Blood
He relaxed as the scotch did its job. He liked talking about Cressa. Even when it was an aggravation. "She's ready." Flashes of the last dream poked at him, and he shook his head. "I think it's me."
Simone's deep chuckle brought him around. "You've been preparing for this moment for decades. And now that it's here, there are bound to be questions. Once we start this, there's no turning back." She studied him until he wanted to squirm. "Would you prefer to let it go?"
"Never." The word was out of his mouth before he had time to think. But what did it matter? He would never be able to let it go. None of them would. It held them back like chains around a junkyard dog.
Simone poured him another scotch and left it on his desk. She brushed her fingers over the letter. "Then get your head in the game. The only one that could truly lose tonight is Cressa."
Her chilling words filled his office like the bad omen it was as she closed the door behind her. He stared at the scotch, then swallowed it one gulp. The burn did nothing to squelch the cold dread that lay like a twenty-pound stone in his stomach.
Another knock made him frown at the door before he yelled, "What?"
A moment passed before the door opened. Cressa peeked her head around the corner. "Anna said to meet you here."
He ran his hands over his face. "Yes, sorry, come in."
She was stunning. Even in the stark lights of the office, her skin glowed warmly. Her short, cropped hair had been tamed and brushed back from her face, showing off the diamond stud earrings and emphasizing her long neck. The crimson dress was cut low, not enough to bother her mission, but enough to show off the simple diamond pendant that hung at the edges of her breasts.
The dress flowed around her as she turned toward the bar. Her long legs teased through the slits that ran up the gown and halfway to her thighs, allowing the eye to travel to her firm backside. A lump formed in his throat, and all he could do was watch as she knocked back two fingers of the same amber liquid he had.
"So, what exactly is the object I'm stealing for you this evening?"
He didn't hear her words, still mesmerized by the beauty in front of him. This was his first realization that he knew every inch of that body wrapped in crimson.Holy hells.How had he not remembered that every time she'd walked into a room? Because he'd pushed it away, knowing he wouldn't have the strength to only stop at a kiss. As he'd done last night. Shouldn't have done. He'd had a devil of a time locking down the beast within. The one that wanted to carry her to bed and take what had only been offered in dreams.
The dream. The crimson dress drenched in blood. Now the beast wanted to lock her in her room until morning. They were all damned.
* * *
The landscape rushedby as Sergi drove us to the ball in Devon's luxury sedan. I stared down at my shoes, classic pumps with short heels in the same blood-red color as my dress. Shoes I could run or fight in. Devon had thought of everything. "All this effort for a letter?"
"Words have power." Devon never lifted his gaze from his phone, either scrolling through email or social media.
When I'd first walked into his office, his eyes caressed me. I held some power over him, as he did with me. It had everything to do with the dreams. Although we'd only shared a single kiss the night before, electricity surged in the room, and the scotch hadn't dampened it. My gaze roamed over his tux, which only confirmed his hard physique. I couldn't help but lick my lips, and the next thing I knew, he rushed me out to the front steps to wait for Sergi.
The cool air tempered the heat that had sprung up between us. There was no doubt he remembered the kiss. Had he seen me lying in a pool of my own blood? I shook my head to bring me back to the present.
"How will I know which letter I'm looking for? I won't have time to read through a stack of documents." When Devon had mentioned during the planning session that the object was no larger than an index card, I assumed some type of disk. I guess after stealing part of a journal, I'd thought this would be a larger heist. Maybe it was to him.
He tapped a couple of buttons before sliding the phone into his inside breast pocket. When he turned to me, I immediately read his mood—all business—and squashed my emotions to match his expression. "The letter was written on light-blue stationery.
"Like a love note or something?"
He hesitated. "Or something." His gaze, at first considering, couldn't seem to stop the slow increase of a glow. That warm, liquid azure that melted my insides. "It won't be a problem will it?"
I couldn't seem to pull my gaze away and balled my hands into fists to prevent from reaching out. I wished I was in the limo behind us where Lucas and Simone followed. Anything to put distance between the heat building in this confined space. I grabbed the decanter of scotch and poured a drink for him, then a large splash of vodka for myself. I forced my hand to stop shaking but must not have masked my emotions.
He covered my hand with his own as he took the chilled bottle of vodka from me. "This should go smoothly. There will be many vampires, but you know all the security systems and the floorplan. You said yourself this was one of your easier jobs."
I snorted, releasing the pressure. The poor man thought I was nervous about the job and not that he was less than five feet from me. All I wanted to do was rip his tie, vest, and shirt away—too many layers of clothing—just so I could feel the warmth and strength of his bare chest. Breathe in his masculine scent. I lifted my glass in a salute and downed the vodka, relishing the jolt to my system.
"No problem." I set the glass on the bar then turned to watch the scenery.
We traveled to the north side of town, where extensive estates with impressive mansions swept by. Sergi turned into the drive of one of those mansions and pulled up to the front door where two limos waited in front of us.
By the time our turn came to exit the vehicles, nerves itched below my skin. I couldn't get my legs to move, grateful Sergi hadn't opened my door yet. My eyes landed on Simone, who'd already exited. Her gaze met mine and the jitters fell away. I stepped from the vehicle with a confidence that settled over me like a warm comforter.
Simone gave me a swift head-to-toe review and smiled. "Devon won't let you out of his sight this evening."
And there went those calm nerves. "That will make my little side trip a bit more cumbersome."
