Page 28 of A Song in the Night

He’s in front of me in a flash, advancing until I collide with the wall, then traps me between his arms. His voice is low, barely above a whisper, and I feel it all over as he says, “I could take you right here.”

My pulse jackhammers. I fight the urge to close my eyes and give in to what my body desperately wants. “You could,” I agree almost breathlessly, “but you won’t.”

“No?” Noah challenges, seeming to have forgotten the conversation we had at the office.

“No,” I say, “because as much as you want people to believe you’re an awful person, you’re not.”

“You truly believe that?” he murmurs. I nod, suddenly afraid my voice won’t work. Noah sighs, letting the silence linger between us as a muscle ticks along his jaw. “That is your worst mistake yet.”

His mouth is on mine hard and fast, devouring me entirely. I don’t stand a chance. His hands drop to my hips as I tug him closer, and he slams me against the wall. I gasp into his mouth when I feel him against me, pressing firmly between my legs. Everything is throbbing and tingling, and all I want is to feel him inside me.

Noah is absolutely right. He isn’t good—and believing that he could be is a mistake. But right now, I can’t find the will to care. Not when his body against mine feels this damn good.

He pulls back for the briefest of moments before he dives for my neck, sucking and kissing until my head is spinning. His fangs scrape along my skin, and my heart slams against my chest, the wicked sensations shooting heat directly to my core. He won’t bite me, won’t risk the potential consequences of tasting my blood, but even this bit of teasing has me ravenous.

I drag his mouth back to mine, palming the front of his pants. He growls in response, catching my bottom lip between his teeth before flicking his tongue along it. “Charlie,” he grounds out.

“Yes?” My tone is soft and innocent as I continue moving my hand. I press my forehead against his.

“Fuck,” he growls.

I brush my lips against his in a whisper of a kiss. “That’s the idea.”

Noah kisses me back. Hard. “Remember that when you’re screaming my name, baby vampire.”

I pull back, tipping my head against the wall. “Yeah, we’ll—”

When I notice a figure standing near the doorway watching us, my voice cuts off, and I shove against Noah’s shoulders, pushing him away. Judging from her sky-blue skin, she’s a water nymph. I glance at Noah, wondering why he isn’t reacting.

“Charlie?” he says.

I step away from him and look toward the girl. “Who are you?”

Noah speaks again, but I’m so focused on the female, his words don’t register. She opens her mouth… and water pours out. She coughs violently, her eyes rolling back into her head. I hold my breath, fear clawing deep at my chest. She rasps something that might be a word or a name, but it’s impossible to know.

“What?”

“Julian.”

“Is that your name?” I ask hesitantly. She shakes her head. I make a vague, helpless gesture. “I’m sorry, I—”

“Julian,” she says again, louder this time, then she flees the room.

I move to follow her, but Noah holds me back. “Let go,” I snap, “I have to—”

“Tell me what the hell is happening. Did someone drug your drink? Are you having hallucinations?”

“What?” I turn and face him. “You didn’tseeher? There was a water nymph. She wouldn’t tell me her name, she just kept sayingJulian.”

Recognition flashes across Noah’s face. “Julian,” he echoes.

“Yes.” I finally succeed in pulling free of his grasp. I don’t bother going after the nymph anymore, since she’s probably long gone. “Noah, who is Julian?”

He’s frowning down at me with a line between his brows. “No one you need to worry about.”

“Don’t pull that shit with me, Forrest. Not again. I still haven’t forgotten that you lied about what Edward was doing at the office, and I didn’t press it. You owe me this. Who is he?”

Noah rakes his fingers through his hair and releases a heavy sigh. “Julian is the King of the Barrens.”

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