Page 23 of Blood Submission

She reached for the knob, but didn’t open the door. “I feel a lot better tonight. I could probably drive right through the day I think, if need be. And I have a blanket in my car. That would protect you from the sun, wouldn’t it?” She was babbling. She always talked too much when her nerves were shot tohell.

He narrowed his eyes. “It would. If it stayed overme.”

His meaning was clear. He wasn’t stupid, and he didn’t trust her. But she tried to convince him anyway. “I swear, I wouldn’t —”

“So eager to get to our destination? To see the end of your pathetic life, little mouse?” His tone mocked her. “I won’t need you anymore once we get to myhome.”

“At least I’ll be rid of you, one way or the other,” she said with a show of bravado she didn’t feel. “This world is going to shit anyway.”

Fraidy chose that moment to jump up onto the bed and meow, demanding attention. Distractedly, the vampire reached over and stroked the orange fur. A flash of irrational jealousy went through her as she watched him being so gentle with her pet. Then she shook her head at herself. It’s not like she wished he would touch her like that. Laney would be thrilled if he never touched her again.

You weren’t thinking that earlier.

Heat made her cheeks burn, and she turned her thoughts back to her cat. But she had to admit, a part of her was fascinated by the way he could contain his power when he wanted to. She’d felt his strength when he dealt with her, and knew it took a lot of effort on his part to control it. Yet, he did it so effortlessly with the animals. It made her wonder which one was the real Dante. The monster that attacked her? Or the man that so naturally soothed creatures so much smaller and weaker thanhim?

Maybe they bothwere.

“Well?” she asked, irritated with herself. “Are we leaving, or are we just going to hang out here all night?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wished she could take them back. She didn’t want to give him any ideas. Her traitorous body, however, was in full agreement with those ideas. Ever aware of the male in the room with her, it released a rush of desire that started in her core and crashed through her body, making her breasts swell and her innermost muscles clench. How could she fear a man and desire him all at the same time? What the hell was wrong with her? Then she reminded herself that he wasn’t an ordinary man. He was a supernatural creature. A predator of the highest order. She needed to keep her wits about her if she had any hope at all of getting out ofthis.

He inhaled deeply, and as he did so he seemed to grow larger, his muscles harder, as those cold eyes dropped from her face to her tits to her hips, and back to her lips. The air grew heavy between them, and Laney had to force herself not to fall to her knees and beg for his touch.

But then he sighed, as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders. Striding past her without a word, he brushed her fingers aside and held the door open, indicating with a wave of his hand for her to go out to thecar.

Laney hadn’t realized until she stepped outside that she had stopped breathing. She gratefully inhaled the cool, fresh air, and headed to thecar.

She waited by the driver’s side while he gathered up the rest of their stuff, held the door for the dog and Fraidy, and then followed them out, leaving the room key on the table.

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