Page 50 of The Guardian's Curse

He gently withdrew his hand and touched her bare shoulder. A shiver rolled down her spine. “As did I, Miss York.” Then his fingers left her skin. “I apologize.”

“Don’t. Don’t apologize, I mean.” Her cheeks flushed. “I like you touching me.”

Fabric brushed her shoulder. “You are too lovely to be touched by these hands.”

“Maybe that’s not up to you,” she said, trembling with anticipation. “Do you want to touch me?”

“More than I can express,” he said.

Something warm and effervescent bubbled through her at the thought. Maybe it was the wine and all the sugar. Or a year long dry spell. Or the memory of how this two-century old vampire had rocked her world in a dream so thoroughly that she’d still felt it when she woke up.

Feather-light, so gentle she might have imagined it, his finger trailed from her bare shoulder, down to her hand. A thrill rocketed through her at the simple touch. Another finger joined the first, tracing up the back of her arm.

“Yes?” he murmured.

“Yes,” she whispered. His touch was agonizingly slow, betraying a patience she certainly didn’t share. There was a rustle behind her, and then cool lips pressed to the back of her neck. Her head lolled forward, and she suddenly grabbed his hand, pulling it to her stomach and sliding it up over her ribs, drifting closer and closer...

He pulled away slightly, chuckling against her fiery skin. “Patience, Shoshanna.”

Patience was an impossibility, with that simple, fiery touch cascading all over her, igniting her nerve endings.

His fingers traced her spine idly, as if he wrote a secret message over the landscape of her back. Cool lips brushed the curve of her shoulder, then kissed the side of her throat. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “I won’t bite.”

Why not?

His other hand roamed upward, cupping her breast. A bolt of heat shot straight down, and she instinctively pressed into his grasp. His soft chuckle rumbled at her back. Teeth pricked at her skin.

“Stop teasing me,” she complained.

He chuckled. “You aren’t ready.”

A frown crossed her face, and she turned to him. Against the bright red of his irises, his pupils were dilated, lips curved into a smile. But when his eyes drifted down to see her, he recoiled and covered his face.

“Alistair, wait!” she protested. Idiot, she scolded herself.

“I’ve overstayed my welcome. Thank you for entertaining me,” he said, his voice pinched. “Good night, Shoshanna.”

And with that, he left her with a spread of desserts and an insistent pulse pounding between her thighs. What kind of man left a girl hanging like that? She heard the creak of his footsteps heading downstairs.

And despite his best intentions, he’d left her a mess to clean up. Even with the frustration, she smiled as she closed the boxes and put them away.

He liked her. He wanted her.

Too bad it was going to take another century for him to really make a move. At this rate, she was going to have to hope someone turned her into a vampire so she’d be alive to see it.

13

He was a damned fool. Was it a greater curse to have this face, this body, or to be as goddamned stupid as he was?

To make matters worse, he wasn’t sure if he was angry at himself for staying or leaving. Shoshanna’s desire was palpable; it smelled like cinnamon and vanilla and it vibrated under her skin like an electric current. Her body thrilled to his touch, something he hadn’t felt in many years. But when she turned to see his face, he’d run from her like a coward. And he never should have let it go so far.

He spent the rest of the night considering what he would tell Eduardo when he stood before him the next night. It was easy to forget everything else when he was with Shoshanna, but there was a world of trouble waiting for him outside this sanctuary.

His dreams were filled with soft brown skin and warm kisses. But every time he raised his head to look into her warm brown eyes, she screamed in terror. Monster! No!

He woke just after sunrise with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. The queasy weight of dusk hung on him as he rose and showered. He took care to shave and dress neatly. Though he would cover his face in the club, Eduardo would demand to see his face when he spoke.

Upstairs, he could hear faint music and the sound of water running. Dread rushed through him at the thought of facing Shoshanna after his hasty retreat the night before.

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