 
### She was on fire for him ...

### Every inch of her flesh screamed for more

He looked at her as if she were his world. When he pressed his lips against the corner of her mouth, she felt and heard a low growl rumble deep in his chest. The sound of it wrapped around her body and gently pulsated over her flesh in ways that made her feel delicious, intoxicating sensations she'd never even imagined experiencing.

Rising onto the very tips of her toes, she slipped her arms around his neck and then, without any other thought than needing to get closer to him, she arched her body into his. He gently teased her lips with his, and then he kissed his way to her neck. She let the pleasure take her, let it wipe out all thought other than his hands and hot lips moving over her flesh. She was fully clothed, but his hands wandering, massaging, caressing every inch of her body, felt as if they were touching her bare flesh, wreaking such glorious havoc that her breaths were coming in short, ragged gasps.

She felt something dark, powerful, and dominating shift inside him. It didn't frighten her at all. In fact, it excited her. She moved her body against his as his teeth scraped her neck and his tongue soothed the sting. His hand gripped her thigh and lifted her leg to wrap it around his thigh. The feeling of her hot, throbbing core pressing against his was so unexpectedly erotic it nearly caused her to climax. Moist, beckoning heat gathered, pooled between her legs. She felt so empty, so needy. She ached to feel the weight of his body on top of hers. She ached for him to fill her.

By the time he took possession of her mouth and his tongue parted her lips, she had completely forgotten that they were standing on a busy sidewalk. He wasn't simply kissing her. His lips, his tongue, his hands were making love to her, worshipping her. The hot, passionate desire he displayed as he feasted her on mouth was the single most extraordinarily sensual experience she'd ever imagined. And she'd imagined many.

On a breeze of hot, sensual bliss, she was soaring so incredibly high. She was on fire for him. Her entire body was so entirely aroused. Every inch of her flesh screamed for more. She wanted more. She needed so much more from him.

Then, he went completely still. His arms briefly tightened around her, nearly crushing her to him. She felt deep, terrible anguish. She felt regret. Every muscle in her body tensed. She felt anger and frustration. But they weren't hers. Somehow she knew the emotions belonged to him. She felt them for only a few seconds before he released her and took a step back.

"I'm sorry." She saw a mixture of pain and love in his eyes when he reached out for her as to take her in arms again, but then he stopped. "I shouldn't have kissed you." His arms folded behind his back, he looked down at her hand for a few seconds. And then, his expression void of any emotion, he met her gaze. He held out his hand for her. When she didn't take it, he took her hand and led her into the restaurant.

She could feel her heart racing. A kiss? It was only a kiss to him? In a state of shock, she followed his lead. To her it had been so much more than a kiss. If they'd continued, she would have ... oh, God. It wasn't just a kiss to her. It was so much more. It was a magical moment of ... of sweet, decadent fires of desire merging.

### Also by Candice Stauffer

Eternal Breath of Darkness

### _What reviewers are saying  
about_ Eternal Breath of Darkness

4 of 5 stars

If you love romance novels for the hawt adult scenes,

do not worry—there are plenty of those

I am so glad that I read this book. In fact, I had a very hard time putting it down. The para elements were both familiar (vampire and witch and weres) and new (hot dragon/immortals). The minor characters were amazing. I am so excited this is going to be a series so I can learn more about them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading the next book when it is released.

~ Delphina, _Delphina Reads Too Much Book Reviews_

5 of 5 Hearts

Awesome Book!

OMGosh this book takes you from the pits of a living hell on a journey of love, lust, passion, action-packed fight sequences, not mention very vivid, HOT, and Steamy Sex scenes! I am honored to have been able to Read~n~Review this book!

The characters are personable, detailed and so realistic, that I found myself yelling at Caylee for being so stubborn by not making better choices, laughing when she teasingly shows Hayden her naught, and being terrified when her past is revealed or when she comes face to face with a very, lustful and twisted vampire!

The world building is consistent, passionate, and spell-binding as Candice Stauffer creates a storyline with a powerful punch to entertain and intrigue the reader with the hope of more to come.

I highly recommend this book! This is the first book of her series and what an introduction it is!

~ Wendy Lovetiggi Gonzales, _Lovetiggi's Book Reviews_

### Sweet, Decadent Fire

By

Candice Stauffer

Sweet, Decadent Fire

By Candice Stauffer

www.candicestaufferparanormalromanceauthor.com

Copyright © 2012 by Candice Stauffer

Edited by: Karen Babcock

Cover Artist: Kendra Egert

All rights reserved

Published in the United States of America

Smashwords Edition

February 2012

Names, characters, and events depicted in this book are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

Excerpt of _Eternal Breath of Darkness_

Copyright © 2011 by Candice Stauffer

Discover other titles by Candice Stauffer at Smashwords.com

_Eternal Breath of Darkness –_ <http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/92940>

### Dedication

For Tawnya, with much love.

We live so far apart, but I think of you often.

I hope to see you and get into a little trouble with you again soon.

### Contents

Sweet, Decadent Fire

Preview: Eternal Breath of Darkness

About Candice Stauffer

~ One ~

BITING BACK A CURSE, her body responding to the nearness of his with the most insatiable hunger, Lee Anne Parker frowned as she turned away from Jake Mann. Agreeing to meet him had been a terrible mistake. For a moment, she stared up at his reflection dwarfing hers in the restaurant window. Then, taking a deep breath and releasing it with a sigh, she closed her eyes to escape the image. Seeing him, hearing his voice, being so close to him, was too much for her to handle.

An icy breeze came from out of nowhere, reminding her that by morning a late-winter blizzard was due to move over the area. She hated snow. She hated being cold. The one thing she remembered about the accident that brought Jake into her life was the slippery, snowy conditions that caused her car to slide off the road and roll several times before it landed upside down in a ravine.

To keep her teeth from chattering, she clenched her jaw tightly. She couldn't stop shivering, but it was only partially due to the cold and the dreadful memory. She was shaking because she was so mad at Jake. No. Not at Jake. She was mad at herself. He hadn't forced her to meet him. He'd asked, and she, despite knowing better, had agreed.

She felt the warmth of his body against her backside and knew he'd moved closer seconds before he took her shoulders and slowly turned her around to wrap his arms around her. "Tell me what's bothering you, Lee Anne," he whispered as he nuzzled his chin on the top of her head.

Almost instantly, the heat of his body seeped into hers and pushed the cold out. Staying very still, her ear pressed against his chest, she closed her eyes and listened to the strong, steady beating of his heart. Being in his arms was like being home. It felt so right, so perfect in every way. She wanted to remain as she was for forever, but she knew better. She couldn't afford it.

She wiggled out of his arms and took a step back. "It's nothing," she lied. "I'm just a bit tired." Averting her gaze from his, she shrugged. "It was my first day back at work, and I had to make three home visits. On the third, I had no choice but to remove the children and place them in a foster home. It's never an easy thing for me though I know it's for the best. I wish there was more I could do for them." She paused. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go on and on. It has been a long day. I need to go home and get some sleep." She nodded as she looked up at him again. "Call me. We can meet up another day."

Jake tilted his head to the side and stared down at her for a moment. At first, as always, his eyes remained void of any real emotion as he met her gaze. "There's no reason to be sorry. I enjoy listening to you. And don't be so hard on yourself. You protect children when their parents are neglecting or otherwise abusing them."

Then his gaze narrowed on hers, and his expression turned into something dark and passionate.

Everything, except for the sound of her heart beating a little too quickly, went totally silent. And yet, she knew they were surrounded by people. It was a busy part of the city. Vehicles drove past, and people chatted as they walked down the sidewalk.

She moistened her suddenly dry lips with her tongue. Her breath caught in her throat when his hungry gaze jumped to her mouth and lingered there for a few seconds before he redirected his gaze to hers. Swallowing hard, searching for a hint that would reveal he was teasing her, she studied his face.

"Jake." His name came out sounding more like a breathless gasp when he reached out and tangled his fingers in her hair and dragged her to him.

Staring into her eyes, he didn't say word. His lips slowly parted and curved into a sensual smile that caused her pulse to skyrocket. Feeling awkward, she wanted to look away, but he was holding her gaze captive with his. She wished he would say something, anything to end the deafening silence.

She waited, but he didn't say a word. Her entire body was shuddering with insane, tumultuous need. A small part of her, self-preservation, tried to deny what was happening. It couldn't be there. Any yet, it was. She saw the truth in his bluish silver eyes. He wanted her as much as she wanted him.

He so very slowly, making it feel as if time were standing still, bent his head to get closer to her. She felt as if he were simply allowing himself to savor the moment. One thing was certain. She was fully taking pleasure in it. "I've never even imagined a more beautiful woman than you, Lee Anne." His voice was a deep, throaty growl. The lusty sound of it caused so much passion to rise in her that she ached with wanting him to kiss her. "I've never wanted or needed a woman so entirely."

A short, bittersweet eternity passed before he finally kissed her forehead. Waiting for that first touch of his lips was so incredibly intense, the instant it happened sparks ignited a fire that burned in her blood. Allowing the flames to consume her, she moved closer to him. And then, when she felt his body shudder and his muscles tense in response to her body pressed into his, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to savor the sensation of it.

She wasn't sure when it happened, but he'd released her hair and framed her face with his hands to lift it to his. She opened her eyes and stared up at him. He looked at her as if she were his world. When he pressed his lips against the corner of her mouth, she felt and heard a low growl rumble deep in his chest. The sound of it wrapped around her body and gently pulsated over her flesh in ways that made her feel delicious, intoxicating sensations she'd never even imagined experiencing.

Rising onto the very tips of her toes, she slipped her arms around his neck and then, without any other thought than needing to get closer to him, she arched her body into his. He gently teased her lips with his, and then he kissed his way to her neck. She let the pleasure take her, let it wipe out all thought other than his hands and hot lips moving over her flesh. She was fully clothed, but his hands wandering, massaging, caressing every inch of her body, felt as if they were touching her bare flesh, wreaking such glorious havoc that her breaths were coming in short, ragged gasps.

She felt something dark, powerful, and dominating shift inside him. It didn't frighten her at all. In fact, it excited her. She moved her body against his as his teeth scraped her neck and his tongue soothed the sting. His hand gripped her thigh and lifted her leg to wrap it around his thigh. The feeling of her hot, throbbing core pressing against his was so unexpectedly erotic it nearly caused her to climax. Moist, beckoning heat gathered, pooled between her legs. She felt so empty, so needy. She ached to feel the weight of his body on top of hers. She ached for him to fill her.

By the time he took possession of her mouth and his tongue parted her lips, she had completely forgotten that they were standing on a busy sidewalk. He wasn't simply kissing her. His lips, his tongue, his hands were making love to her, worshipping her. The hot, passionate desire he displayed as he feasted her on mouth was the single most extraordinarily sensual experience she'd ever imagined. And she'd imagined many.

On a breeze of hot, sensual bliss, she was soaring so incredibly high. She was on fire for him. Every cell in her body was so entirely aroused. Every inch of her flesh screamed for more. She wanted more. She needed so much more from him.

Then, he went completely still. His arms briefly tightened around her, nearly crushing her to him. She felt deep, terrible anguish. She felt regret. Every muscle in her body tensed. She felt anger and frustration. But they weren't hers. Somehow she knew the emotions belonged to him. She felt them for only a few seconds before he released her and took a step back.

"I'm sorry." She saw a mixture of pain and love in his eyes when he reached out for her as to take her in arms again, but then he stopped. "I shouldn't have kissed you." His arms folded behind his back, he looked down at her hand for a few seconds. And then, his expression void of any emotion, he met her gaze. He held out his hand for her. When she didn't take it, he took her hand and led her into the restaurant.

She could feel her heart racing. A kiss? It was only a kiss to him? In a state of shock, she followed his lead. To her it had been so much more than a kiss. If they'd continued, she would have ... oh, God. It wasn't just a kiss to her. It was so much more. It was a magical moment of ... of sweet, decadent fires of desire merging.

### ~ Two ~

JAKE HAD A BIG problem on his hands, and he wasn't sure how to handle it. Lee Anne had consumed a little too much wine. She rarely drank alcohol because it caused her, a normally rational and calm woman, to become argumentative, unpredictable, and entirely irrational. As an ancient vampire he was a powerful, cunning predator, but at the moment he felt more like cowering prey hiding underneath a bush.

Appearing as if she were planning to jump across the table and rip him apart with her bare hands, Lee Anne glared at him. The silence dragged on a little too long for his liking. He'd already tried everything he could think of to distract her, though he wasn't sure what he was distracting her from. It couldn't have had anything to do that kiss, could it? Well, perhaps it was possible.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Jake?" Frowning, she drew her bottom lip into her mouth and bit down on it hard enough to make her wince.

Maybe the silence hadn't been so bad after all. "What do mean?" It was a stupid question, but he didn't have a choice. As mad as she seemed to be, pretending not to have heard her would've been even more stupid. At the moment he didn't really want to know how much his kiss had upset her, but later, after she sobered up, he would happily discuss it. And she would come to agree that it had been a mistake.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" Shaking her head, she leaned across the table. "Better yet, why the hell did I go through the torture of having my legs waxed?"

Yep. She was drunk. Heaving a deep, inward sigh, Jake nodded. It took a great deal of strength to keep from cracking a smile even as a sweat broke out on his body. Making it difficult, he knew a smile would most certainly send her spiraling into a passionate fit of rage. Oh, sure, she was beautiful when she was mad, but that wasn't what was making it difficult.

Deep down, he was happy she was suffering because of the kiss they'd shared. Selfish? Oh, yeah. Definitely. Cruel? Perhaps. But there was no good reason for him to suffer alone. Besides, knowing she wanted him as much as he wanted her felt good.

He should've resisted the urge to kiss her, but in that moment he hadn't had the strength. He was well aware she had been purposely avoiding him since her release from the hospital. It was for the best. He should've left it alone ... left her alone. He could've easily gone back to secretly watching over her. But he couldn't do it. He was addicted to her companionship.

During her recovery, they'd spent countless hours together. He'd never been the type of man who needed friends. But the more they were together, the more his feelings for her grew into something so stirring he actually looked forward to spending time with her. He wanted her and she wanted him, but he'd never acted on it until he kissed her outside the restaurant.

It was a moment of weakness that never should've happened. When he'd received the assignment from Jeremy Lang, one of the higher-ups in the secret vampire society Blood Brotherhood, it had sounded so simple: watch over and guard Lee Anne, preferably without her awareness. For years he'd done just that. And then he went and did the unthinkably stupid.

He'd fallen in love with her.

It wasn't uncontrollable blood-lust of the kind most associated with vampires. No, that was what happened with murderous creatures of darkness with tainted blood, and he was one of the ancient, pureblooded vampires who'd mostly coexisted peacefully with humans since the beginning of time, harmlessly taking only enough blood to survive. Sure, lust was part of what he felt for Lee Anne, but to his horror he'd come to realize he actually _cared_ about her, and not just because of the assignment.

Lee Anne picked up her soupspoon and waved it in front of his face. "And, Jake, just in case you're wondering, it hurt like hell. I'm serious. I actually cursed at the lady that did it. I felt terrible."

Deciding it would be best to remain calm and appear to be one hundred percent agreeable, he smiled and nodded. Still, he kept a close eye on the spoon clenched in her tiny fist—he wasn't stupid—and opted for silence to avoid any chance of her twisting the meaning of his words.

"I'm serious." Leaning forward a little more, she moved the spoon a little too close to his face. He was fairly certain she was considering stabbing him with it. "It hurt like hell, Jake."

He didn't doubt it. He also didn't doubt that it was going to hurt like hell if she stabbed him in the eye with the spoon. Maybe remaining silent wasn't the best thing to do.

Lifting his eyebrow, he nodded. "I'm sure it did." Giving her a little sympathy couldn't hurt. It might even help calm her down a little. Not a lot. Because he knew that would take much more than empathy. He was fairly certain that as riled and as intoxicated as she was it would take a miracle. And, as a general rule, he wasn't the type to receive miracles.

She tilted her head to the side. "What did you just say to me?"

"Oh, shit." He leaned back in his chair to put a little distance between his face and her spoon. Sure, she was quite talented at it, but how the hell did she twist that?

"Oh, shit?" She paused. The silence seemed endless. "Oh, shit? Why would you say that, Jake?" She shook her head. "Forget it. I don't really want to know. But don't you dare sit there like some high-and-mighty, righteous, holier-than-thou jerk and judge me."

"I wasn't." Heart pounding, he swallowed hard. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"For your information, I felt bad—so bad that I apologized and left her a really nice tip."

He nodded. "That was a kind, generous gesture."

"Kind?" She narrowed her gaze on his. "Generous?" He was fairly certain she meant to laugh, but what came out of her mouth sounded more like a demonic cackle. He suddenly felt very afraid. "I never realized the words were in your vocabulary."

Sitting absolutely still, he just stared at her. She was obviously too irrational to be disarmed by what he was saying. Why had he tried to say anything? Wasn't the original plan to remain silent? Well, he was quick learner. From this point on he wasn't even going to nod or shake his head.

"I apologized because I hadn't walked into the spa blindly. Experience told me it was a painful procedure. The only reason I was mad was because I knew all along it would be for nothing. Would you like to know how I knew it was for nothing?"

Nope. No way. He didn't want to know anything. What he wanted was to run for the hills. Obviously waiting for him to respond, she glared at him. Did she think he was an idiot? He wasn't going to take the bait. No matter what she said or did from this point on, he would sit there and remain absolutely silent. He'd also learned from experience. And experience told him this was the part of the conversation that always led to him being pegged the bad guy.

Normally, he wouldn't mind the title. Being bad was entertaining. It was great fun—he was a vampire after all. But since she'd leaned even further over the table and was again holding the spoon dangerously close to his face, he doubted that being bad would be such great fun at the moment.

He really wished she'd put the damn spoon down. He watched and waited for her to do or say something. Anything would be good. Her cheeks were turning a brighter shade of red with each passing second. She was furious. He could literally hear her heart pounding. And? He focused on her lungs. Yep. She was holding her breath. The seconds dragged on so damn slowly.

Then, without a single indication she was going to do it, she slammed the spoon down on the table hard enough to turn heads and to cause him to flinch. "I knew you would never actually get close enough to notice if my legs were stubbly."

Just then, Jake heard the sound of male laughter in his head. He looked for the source of it and saw a long-time friend, Joseph Payne, sitting at a table nearby with Mia Harte. _I've never heard of a vampire having trouble taking care of a woman's needs. Just this morning I saw a commercial for a little pill that humans can take when they suffer the same condition. Perhaps you should give it a try. And if it doesn't work there're always other ways to get the job done. Google it. I'm sure you'll find lots of interesting, useful information._

Fuck off, Joseph. If I want any sex advice I'll get it from someone who's getting it.

Running his hand through his hair, Jake glanced down at the spoon. He was slightly relieved that it was no longer in his face, but he didn't really feel any better. She was suffering because he was an idiot. He felt terrible for ever thinking she should suffer with him. In truth, he had been waiting for her to question the lack of physical intimacy between them. Their sexual tension and frustration had been growing every day. He'd thought he was prepared to deal with it, but now that it was happening, he wasn't sure how the hell to handle it.

He'd really fucked up. He'd always known there was no future for them. He didn't like it, but he'd accepted it for her sake and the sake of his people. He'd never intended to do it, but he'd hurt her deeply. He shouldn't have kissed her.

Deciding it was too late to keep his mouth shut, he decided to try to calm her down by using a compulsion. "Shh." Lowering his voice, he leaned forward. "You've only been out of the hospital for a few weeks. It's not good to get so upset. Just relax," he whispered, deepening his voice, merging his mind with hers. "We should get you something to eat. It'll help you sober up and think more clearly."

Staring into his eyes, she sat in what appeared to be a trance-like state for a few seconds. He smiled; the compulsion was working. But then, shaking her head, she blinked. "Huh?"

Once more, he tired to merge his mind with hers. No doubt the reason it hadn't worked was related to the alcohol she'd consumed. "You need to calm down. There's no sense in getting all worked up over nothing."

"No sense in it?" She rolled her eyes. "You think it's nothing?"

Oh, damn. The way she said the words, the low tone of her voice, caused his stomach to flip. He watched her jaw clench and unclench. An instant before he'd said the words he knew it would be a mistake. And it was. A terrible, he'd just thrown gasoline on an out of control fire, mistake. Why would he continue to try to use a compulsion to calm her while knowing it would fail? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results wasn't just stupid. It was entirely insane.

"Nothing?" Her beautiful, emerald green eyes were on fire with what appeared to be homicidal rage. "Nothing?" She shook her head, her mouth half-open for several seconds, obviously searching for the best words to tell him to go to hell. "I can't believe you're making light of our situation." She picked up the spoon again and waved it in his face. "No." She dipped the spoon in her soup bowl and looked down at it as she stirred it. "You're not really making light of our situation, are you?" She dropped the spoon and reached for her glass of wine.

"You're right. I'm not." He reached out to take the glass from her. "Listen to me, Lee Anne, you're not thinking clearly. I was only trying to help you. I certainly never meant to insult you by pointing it out. You shouldn't drink anymore wine."

"Get your hand away from my glass." And, startled, he immediately did as she said. He actually tasted fear. She was so mad that she looked and sounded possessed by something very dark and dangerous. She lifted the glass to her mouth and downed the wine in less than five seconds.

It was a bad situation bound to get worse when the waiter promptly filled her glass again despite Jake shaking his head at him. Clearly, the waiter was a moron.

"It's not the situation. Oh no, you aren't really making light of the situation." She giggled. There was no humor in it at all, however; in fact, the dark, sadistic sound of it was quite frightening. He actually got goose bumps. "You're making fun of my feelings." By the look on her face, it was obvious she wanted to say more.

Honestly, he wished she would've spoken, rather than downed another glass of wine. And once again, the damn waiter was right there to fill her glass. The idiot was really starting to piss Jake off. When the waiter turned his head to smile at Jake, seemingly hoping for a tip for his promptness, the fool didn't even seem to notice the predator fury in Jake's eyes or hear the threatening growl rumbling deep in his chest.

When the waiter walked away Jake softened his expression and shifted his gaze to Lee Anne. "I'm not making fun of your feelings, love. I'm trying to save you from embarrassing yourself. You know what alcohol does to you. Drinking isn't going to make you feel better." He shrugged. "In the end, it's going to make you feel worse."

She opened her mouth. He waited. He knew she wanted to yell at him. It was fine with him. He deserved it. But when all she managed to utter was a strangled-sounding squeak, he chuckled. Why the hell had he done something so stupid? He had no idea. He tried to bite it back, but he failed miserably. Intending to immediately rectify the blunder, he reached over the table and grabbed her hand.

For a second, she just sat there and stared down at her hand in his. His heart was thundering in his ears. She lifted her gaze to meet his. For a moment, she appeared calm. He knew better, but he couldn't help it. He smiled at her. And then, obviously seeing the smile as him celebrating some sort of victory, she yanked her hand out of his.

Holding his breath, he waited for her to unleash her mounting rage. She'd never be able to hold it in. Or so he thought. Her lips parted in a sweet, breathtaking smile. His heart stopped.

"You're just trying to save me from the unpleasant effects of too much wine, right?"

He nodded.

"So, why do you look so nervous, Mr. Knight in Shining Armor Can't Kiss Worth a Damn?"

Swallowing hard, he lifted his eyebrows. "Do I?" He had no doubt that he appeared nervous. But he'd never been accused of not being able to kiss worth a damn.

Of course he looked nervous. She was going to explode. And she did. But not quite in the manner he'd expected. "You're a cruel, wicked tease from hell, Jake Mann." She picked up her fifth glass of wine, but to his relief, rather than chug it down she threw it in his face.

At first, staring at him, she appeared to be in shock. Her entire body was trembling. Not with fear. He knew better. She had no fear of him. Her body was filled with pent-up rage and sexual frustration. She wanted to hurt him. But more than that, she wanted him to make love to her.

A little shocked himself, he stared right back at her. He didn't dare move—he was far too aroused by her passionate aggression. He didn't even attempt to reach for a napkin to sop the wine up from his face and clothing.

After a few very long seconds, there was no missing the satisfaction in her eyes or in her naughty, sexy smirk. Soaking him obviously felt damn good. He had the ability to move with supernatural speed. He could've dodged it, but he was happy he hadn't. If seeing him soaked with wine made her feel better and ended the argument it was no big deal.

He'd known what he needed to be done the night he saved her from the car wreckage. He should've done it immediately. In theory, it was a simple thing. It was the kindest thing to do. But it was the last thing he wanted to do.

He needed to wipe out every memory of him from her mind. And it was exactly what he planned to do. It would be the hardest thing he'd ever done, because if he ever allowed her to see him or hear his voice again, her memories of him could be spontaneously restored. He would be forced to go back to guarding her in secret.

She stood up and pushed in her chair in. Being a little light-headed and tipsy, she stumbled. Using supernatural speed, he jumped up and reached for her arm to steady her. They stared into each other's eyes for several seconds. "Lee Anne." Even he heard the painful longing in his voice. He knew she'd heard it too and was confused by it when she yanked her arm away from him. To resist the urge to take her into his arms and kiss her, he sat back down. He couldn't have her. She belonged to Jeremy. It was her destiny.

Arms crossed over her chest, she stared down at him for several seconds. The waiter had returned to the table with a towel for Jake to clean up, but Jake shook his head and waved the waiter off.

"I know I owe you. You saved my life. If it wasn't for you ... I can't see you anymore," Lee Anne whispered through clenched teeth.

Jake shook his head. "You don't owe me anything." He paused. "And I agree. We shouldn't see each other anymore. I'll take you home."

Cheeks flushed, she took a deep breath, held it, and then released it in a hiss. "Really?" She turned to the table behind her and reached for a pitcher of water. "Do you mind?"

Joseph gave Jake a sympathetic nod, but Mia smiled knowingly and shook her head. "No. Not at all." Mia looked at Jake and frowned.

_You shouldn't have allowed her to get drunk._ Joseph's voice, sounding quite amused, slipped into Jake's mind.

Momentarily making eye contact with Joseph, Jake lifted his brow. _I mean no disrespect, but I will never go to you for advice on how to deal with women. As of yet, I haven't done anything that has provoked Lee Anne to make any attempt to murder me._

_It was the morphine. It causes her to suffer uncontrollable rage. And Mia knew the gun wasn't loaded._ Obviously realizing his mistake, Joseph groaned.

_That's crazy. Don't you think giving morphine to a werewolf is a bad idea? Wait._ Joseph looked at Mia and smiled, and then looked back at Joseph. _I was talking about Theresa. Mia also tried to kill you?_

I don't give it to her. And I told you she didn't know the gun was loaded.

You know you can't continue to allow her to take morphine. It'll turn her into a killer. She needs to be stopped before she loses her mind.

The floor started to vibrate, causing the dishes on the tables to rattle. Almost every human in the restaurant gasped and glanced around nervously. Slowly, Joseph turned fully in his seat and locked his gaze onto Jake's. _Are you threatening Mia?_ Most of the people in the restaurant were leaving their tables and heading for the exit. Jake knew that on some level they sensed and feared the danger Joseph presented. A demon's rage was a hard thing to miss.

_No._ Jake was well aware Joseph would kill anyone who even considered harming Mia. But he was also sure that Joseph knew Mia would have to be destroyed if she lost her mind. _I'm telling you that you need to get her off the morphine before it's too late and you have no choice. We both know you're not going to allow her to suffer._

Joseph instantly broke the merge with Jake as he turned to face Mia. Jake waited, ready to fight. The atmosphere was still boiling over with Joseph's anger. He knew Joseph wasn't really angry with him; he was angry with the situation. Then, obviously realizing it was too dangerous to remain in a building full of humans when his emotions were out of control, Joseph stood up and held his hand out for Mia. "Let's go."

Mia shook her head. "Sit down. I'm not ready to leave yet." She stared up at him. "What did he just say to you?"

"I would feel terrible if I allowed a stain to set in." Jake had just enough time to return his focus to Lee Anne before she upended the pitcher of ice water over his head. "That's better." She smiled. "Oh, no, please ... don't thank me. It was my pleasure." Then, after setting the pitcher back onto the other table and thanking Mia, she walked away and headed straight for the restroom.

"Okay. We can go now." Looking at Jake, Mia laughed out loud. Then she looked up at Joseph. "I like her."

Joseph nodded. "I'm sure you do."

Jake wasn't expecting Lee Anne to walk away, but he didn't stop her. It would be best for her to cool off and hopefully sober up a bit before he took her home. Besides, she wouldn't get far. To leave the restaurant she would have to walk by him.

### ~ Three ~

LEE ANNE STARED at her reflection in the mirror. What hell was she thinking? Didn't she just swear to never, no matter how much he begged, see him again? She felt woozy. A small part of her regretted drinking so much wine. She knew she would have a pounding headache in the morning. But she wouldn't have lost her temper if she'd been sober. And a larger part of her was happy she'd finally had the nerve to set Jake straight.

She smiled. Dousing him with wine had felt fantastic, and the look on his face when she'd dumped the pitcher of ice water over his head had been priceless. Maybe it was a bit over the top, but it was better than gouging his eyes out with the spoon for humiliating her.

She wasn't the type of woman to lose control of her temper in public. In fact, she felt more comfortable remaining unnoticed in public places. He just made her feel so crazy mad, and she'd been struggling with what she should do about him for the past few weeks.

What the hell was wrong with wanting to be treated like a real woman? "Nothing." She nodded. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting it." After coming so close to death, she'd realized that it was way past time for her to start living. It was time for her get what she wanted most. And she wanted to find a man who was willing to fall in love with her. It was more than want. She needed it. And she deserved it.

She was done being the pathetic best friend. It had been fun for a while—only because she'd made the mistake of assuming his feelings toward her would evolve into something more passionate.

Smiling, she turned sideways and studied her full, feminine curves. Then she groaned and frowned. "Oh, holy crap." She wasn't sure when it had happened, but she was starting to look older and droopier.

Drawing her bottom lip between her teeth, she shook her head. It was true. She was really starting to look older. She readjusted her bra and smoothed her hands over her dress. It didn't help her appearance. She turned to look at her other side in the mirror. It didn't look any better to her.

Turning to face the mirror, she cupped her full breasts. One thing was certain: her girls weren't getting any perkier. She turned again and, looking over her shoulder, studied her butt. Damn. Damn. Damn. Gravity had finally started to take its toll on her body.

She turned to face the mirror again. She needed to make a drastic, life-altering change before it was too late and she became a lonely, wrinkled-up old lady sitting in a rocking chair and knitting sweaters. "No." She shook her head. "Not just a change. I need to find a man that wants to do more with me than talk about what looks good on the menu."

Of course, there was a problem with that goal: ever since she'd met Jake, no other man ever dared to approach her. He always acted like a hairy, chest-beating, club-wielding, and knuckle-dragging Neanderthal. He glared, sometimes even growled, at every other male who seemed to notice her. Even her doctor at the hospital had been a victim of Jake's notion that he owned her. He acted like a fool, puffing out his big, heavily muscled chest like some savage brute guarding his property. And the doctor had been very kind—and extremely good-looking.

Closing her eyes, she smiled. Jake did have a totally fabulous chest. It was no use in pretending his entire body wasn't fantastic. And yummy. Oh, God, yeah. The man looked scrumptious as hell. No matter how mad she was, she couldn't deny he was an incredibly hot, mouth-watering specimen of masculine perfection.

Oh, damn it. Her eyes snapped open, and she glared at her reflection in the mirror. More than anything else, she wanted to hate him, but he'd saved her. And whenever she thought about him she obsessed over his body. Why did he have to kiss her? How would she ever forget it?

To help renew her anger, she started to meditate on his annoying traits. It didn't take long. It didn't really matter how perfect his body was, because from the moment they'd met he was always crowding her, using it to maneuver her through crowds so that no other man could ever possibly get close enough to even brush up against her.

Night after sleepless night, she'd tossed and turned. She wanted ... no, she needed a hell of a lot more romance. Much, much more. Her wants and needs weren't outrageous. What living, breathing woman wouldn't want a more gratifying sex life? Okay. Getting more wasn't really the problem. She didn't have a sex life at all. In fact, she'd never had a sex life worth bragging about. Just having one would be totally fantastic.

Lee Anne's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a toilet being flushed. She blinked. Then, smiling, she blotted her lipstick. Enough was enough. It was a difficult fantasy to forget, but it was time to face reality. If she was going to get any sexual satisfaction, it wasn't going to be from Jake Mann.

A few seconds later a lady left the stall behind her and walked over the sink to wash her hands. The woman looked at Lee Anne's reflection in the mirror. "I couldn't help but notice the hot hunk you were arguing with."

"What?" Lee Anne heard her, but she was a little shocked by the woman's forwardness.

"I'm sorry. I just can't help myself sometimes." She giggled. "I bet you can't wait to get him home and make up. Lucky, lucky girl. I'd give anything to get a man like him between my le ... er, I mean, sheets."

Lee Anne rolled her eyes. "Yippy skippy." Spinning around, doing a little unenthusiastic dance, she stumbled and had to grab the sink to keep her balance. "Woo hoo. Lucky, lucky me." Sure, he was tall, dark and wickedly sexy, but what did all that matter if he wasn't willing?

"It wasn't just a quarrel?"

Lee Anne narrowed her gaze on the woman. "No."

"There's serious trouble in paradise, isn't there?" The woman looked and sounded far too pleased for Lee Anne's liking. Obviously, the vulture was looking for an opportunity to swoop in and sink her talons into Jake's flesh.

"Paradise?" Turning to face the woman, Lee Anne snorted. Unladylike? Yep. But she didn't care. She didn't like the woman at all. She'd noticed the woman gawking at and drooling over Jake while they were in the lobby waiting to be seated. "Knowing Jake is the furthest thing from paradise." A trip to the lowest, hottest depths of hell was a more accurate description of spending any amount of time with him.

"You're kidding." The woman pulled a paper towel from the dispenser and dried her hands. "I know you're not serious. The man has it going on in all the right fabulous ways." She tossed the towel in the trash and turned to walk away.

"I'm serious." Lee Anne turned toward the woman. Truthfully, she wanted to slap the woman; she was clearly asking for it. But Lee Anne had a better idea. "In fact, if you really want to go out there and give him a try, go for it. I'm certainly not going to stop you."

"You're not serious." The woman started to open the door but stopped. She faced Lee Anne. "He did something horrible to you, didn't he?" She stepped away from the door and walked back over to Lee Anne. "What did he do to you?"

"He didn't do anything to me." That definitely wasn't a lie. If he'd ever bothered to do something to her, she wouldn't be in the middle of concocting the perfect plan to distract him and punish the woman while she made her escape from the restaurant.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing at all."

"I don't believe it. If he and his equipment aren't defective in some way, why don't you want him?"

"There're just no sparks between us."

"Now I know you're lying. I saw the way he looked at you."

"I don't know what you think you saw." Lee Anne wished she'd seen it. "Jake and I have known each other for a very long time. We're more like brother and sister." She shrugged. "He's yours if you have what it takes to go out there and get him."

"You mean it?" Looking more than a little suspicious, the woman narrowed her gaze as she laughed nervously. "I know you're not serious. Why would any woman want to give another woman a chance with him? He's hot as hell. Just looking at him made my blood burn."

"He's okay. But he's certainly not the hottest, most shockingly handsome man I've ever seen." Okay. That was a big fat lie. But so what? She didn't owe the woman the truth. "And I'm dead serious." Lee Anne did her best to flash her most sweet, innocent smile. "There are no sparks between us."

"Awesome." Grinning from ear to ear, she nodded. "I'll go out and introduce myself to him." Lee Anne frowned as the woman turned to look at her annoying as hell perfect image in the mirror. The woman had the body of a toned eighteen-year-old and the smooth, flawless face of a seductive angel. "I've never had a problem getting any man I wanted."

Lee Anne didn't doubt the woman was speaking the truth. And that made her very angry. "Wait." Lee Anne didn't dare look in the mirror because of what she was about to say; she was fairly certain she would see horns sprouting on her head. She really didn't like the woman. She moved quickly to get in front of the woman to stop her from opening the door. "There's something very important you should know if you truly want to leave here with him tonight," she said, trying to appear as innocent as possible.

Looking a little worried, the woman stared at her. "What?"

Lee Anne struggled to keep from laughing. "There's only one way you'll be able catch his interest enough to get him to leave with you tonight." Taking a deep breath and holding it, she paused for dramatic effect.

The woman nodded. "I'm listening."

"He gets bored very easily. He likes a woman to be extremely aggressive when she approaches him."

"That's fine. I can do aggressive." The woman smiled widely.

Lee Anne noted that woman's teeth were seriously crooked. Ha. She was very pleased to see the flaw. "I'm serious. You need to be the take-charge type of woman when you first introduce yourself to him."

"I heard you." The woman sucked in her belly and stuck out her breasts and then turned to give Lee Anne a good look at her. "Look at me." She giggled. "Does it look like I have any problem being sexually aggressive with a man?"

Dirty, nasty, filthy whore! "I sure hope not for your sake." Lee Anne smiled. "You'll only get one chance to get together with him. Once he decides something isn't worth it, he drops it forever. If you don't do and say the right things, he won't want anything to do with you."

Shaking her head, the woman frowned. "I'm not sure I want to know, but when you say that I must do and say the right things, what exactly do you mean?"

Lee Ann shrugged. "Just be bold." She wrapped her arm around the woman's shoulder. "There's no reason to look so worried. It'll be a piece of cake for a gorgeous, sexy woman like you."

"I suppose you're right."

"You need to walk right over to him and climb up on his lap, and then tell what you want to do to him and what you want him to do to you."

"You're kidding." Shaking her head, the woman giggled nervously.

"I'm serious."

The woman, shrugging out from beneath Lee Ann's arm, turned to face her. Her cheeks were bright red. "I'm not a slut. I could never do anything like that in public."

Lee Anne was fairly certain by the eager glint in the woman's eyes that she was considering doing it. No. It was more than that. The woman was imagining doing it.

Oddly, it irritated Lee Anne. It shouldn't upset her—after all, she wanted the woman to distract Jake. Well, it might upset her a little, but she wasn't going to allow it to stop her. She knew the woman was going to do it. She just needed a little gentle nudging. She could hunt the woman down and smack her later. She smiled. The thought of beating the woman down made her feel much better.

Lee Anne turned away from her. "No problem. You don't have to do it. You've seen him. There'll always be another woman to step up and give him what he wants. I was just trying to help you."

"It's just so wrong."

"To who?"

"Me."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with it as far as he's concerned. He likes bad girls."

"But it's just so slutty."

"Would it be so bad to be a slutty with him?" Pretending to be uninterested, Lee Anne pulled a tube of mascara out of her purse and applied it to her lashes.

The woman stared at her for several seconds. Lee Anne almost thought her plan wasn't going to work. Then, the woman said, "Fine. I'll do it. You only live once, right?"

Doing her best to not look too happy, Lee Anne placed the mascara back into her purse. "Right."

### ~ Four ~

JAKE STARED UP at the woman sitting on his lap wondering how the hell she'd managed to get between him and the table to straddle him so quickly. He also wondered what had happened to the waiter. Thanks to Joseph's outburst there weren't many people left, but certainly someone in the restaurant should've noticed he was being harassed by a lust-crazed woman.

He'd expected Lee Anne to return to the table and demand that he take her home. He'd expected her to yell at him. Hit him. Kick him. Throw something on his again. He'd expected her to do something mean to pay him back, but he hadn't expected her to send a woman out to seduce him.

He'd noticed the woman watching him earlier. It wasn't because he was interested in her; truthfully, the woman gave him the creeps. Her sexual fantasies about him were very loud and uncensored. He'd noticed her because Lee Anne had noticed and was irritated by it. It felt pretty damn good to know it made Lee Anne mad. "What exactly did she say to you?"

"At first, I thought you were a couple. So, I complimented you and congratulated her. One thing led to another, and she explained that you weren't a couple. It's okay. You don't have to explain anything to me. She told me all about the lack of chemistry between you." The woman bent her head as if to kiss him. "I know how to take charge," she whispered against the corner of his mouth. "I can make you feel so good, Jake. I can do things to you that will make you scream for mercy and beg for more."

"No. You can't." Jake glanced around. There were a few couples still eating, but none of them seemed even slightly interested in one of the patrons being molested by a woman. Where the hell was the waiter? Shouldn't the prompt son of a bitch be doing something to get the woman off his lap?

"You're wrong, Jake." She wiggled from side to side, rubbing her body against his. "She told me everything. I know exactly how you like it. And I plan to give it to you."

"She didn't tell you anything," he remarked, knowing all too well that Lee Anne had advised the woman on how to seduce him.

"It's okay. There's no need to worry about her. She wants me to take care of you tonight." She moved back and forth, grinding her body against his. "I would really, really love to take a ride on your big, hard, throbbing man beef all night long," she whispered against his lips, still moving her body against his. "I know you'll love it too."

"She doesn't want you touching me." Jake had made the statement more to himself than to the woman straddling his lap. He really hoped Lee Anne didn't seriously want him to be with another woman.

"I swear it's true."

"Get off me." Jake pushed her back, but she grabbed the front of his shirt and clung to him. What was Lee Anne thinking? Her behavior was so incredibly beyond rude. How could she want a woman to be with him?

Jake didn't blame Lee Anne for being mad at him, but sending another woman to him was quite a shock. Actually, it was quite disappointing. No. Not disappointing. It pissed him off. He would never want another man to touch her. Not even a little. In fact, if a man touched her, it would be nearly impossible to keep from killing the man. And yet ... oh, damn.

Jake's heart sank. He had always planned to hand her over to Jeremy.

"We should go somewhere else, Jake." Since he was distracted, the woman managed to scoot closer; now she had her arms wrapped around his neck and her breasts pressed against his face. "Somewhere more private so we can get naked and better acquainted with each other."

Pushing the woman back and turning his head to the right, his lips curved upward in a predator's smile. There was no way he was going to hand Lee Anne over to Jeremy. He wanted to laugh. Not at the woman making a fool of herself, sitting on his lap, attempting to seduce him. He wanted to laugh at the thought that he'd ever truly believed he would allow Jeremy to take possession of Lee Anne. He wanted to laugh because his behavior had led Lee Anne to believe another woman could distract him so much he wouldn't know she was attempting to sneak out of the restaurant.

Of course it had never been just a kiss to him. Lee Anne didn't have a clue. And it was his fault. She didn't understand how much she meant to him. He smiled. But by the end of the night there she would no longer have any doubts she was all that mattered to him.

"Well?" The woman leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "What do think ... your place or mine?"

"Neither." He stood up, easily taking the woman with him, and then he set her aside. Without even looking at her, he walked toward the front of the restaurant and outside. Dissolving into a vapor, he shed his physical form so Lee Anne wouldn't know he was with her. He wanted her to proceed as if he weren't watching. He loved to secretly watch her from time to time, though not in a creepy way. She fascinated him so much more than any other woman.

Besides, he needed a little time to come up with a plan, because Jeremy would retaliate with deadly force the instant he realized that Jake was taking Lee Anne as his own

* * *

When Lee Anne got into the cab, she imagined Jake still sitting at the table waiting for her. She giggled. It served him right.

All at once she realized what she'd done. She frowned. Starting the process of sobering up sucked. It made her think more clearly. Jake was probably getting ready to leave with the woman because he couldn't wait to rip her dress off her gorgeous body.

Just then, she heard the sound of Jake's laughter. It sounded as if he were right next to her. Eyes going wide, she sat back in the seat. It was the oddest thing. She knew she was alone, but she swore she felt his presence. She shook her head. He wasn't in the cab with her, and yet ... even as she rejected the notion, she felt the oddest sensation that she was not alone in the backseat. She took a deep breath and released it with a loud sigh. It also could be the result of a guilty conscience. Not that she had any reason to feel guilty. He deserved to be dumped. At least she hadn't left him alone.

"Oh, oh, my God." She turned to look out the back window and watched the restaurant grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared. She was so stupid. Thanks to her he had a beautiful woman keeping him company.

Luckily, it was a quick drive to the club. The last thing she needed was more time to think about what she'd done. Within twenty minutes she was out on the crowed dance floor, surrounded by men. Men who obviously managed to notice that she was in fact a woman, men who seemed to enjoy lavishing her with attention.

* * *

The moment Jake walked through the door he froze. The building was packed with a mixture of humans and impure vampires. Also, one demon was present, Demetri Demidov. It was the last thing he'd expected. But he should've known. It was the only functioning nightclub in the vicinity. And after Mary Tate's club burned down, she would naturally seek a place to market her women and drugs.

Jake, being an ancient, pureblooded vampire, was responsible for destroying vampires with tainted blood. He knew that proceeding was suicide, but there was no way he'd leave Lee Anne in such a dangerous situation. He reached for her and found her dancing in a group of vampires. It was far worse than dangerous; it was a deadly situation, and he needed to end it.

As he made his way toward her, pushing his way through the crowded building, he felt Demetri reach for his mind to search out his motives. Jake opened his mind fully, hiding nothing, knowing Demetri would seek to destroy him if he viewed him as a threat to whatever he and Mary were doing. Jake knew the moment Demetri turned his focus to Lee Ann and found her. Every muscle in Jake's body tensed to point of pain as he waited for what would come next.

Demetri was an extraordinarily powerful demon who could effortlessly kill Lee Anne with a thought. Normally, a demon would never harm a human. They protected humans. Demetri, however, was no ordinary demon. He was a rogue. His own kind feared him. _If you manage to get her away from your fellow leeches you may leave with her_. He heard the amusement in Demetri's voice. He was slightly relieved, but he knew better than to truly believe the demon would allow him to proceed without any interference for the sake of entertainment.

### ~ Five ~

Strong arms reached around Lee Anne from behind and pulled her backside against a very large, solid body. Tilting her head back against his chest, she closed her eyes, savoring the way her mystery dance partner was holding her so close. His body felt so incredibly hot, so solid and muscular against hers.

He leaned down to kiss her neck and shoulder. It was the perfect, most erotic moment. The moist heat of his breath and lips on her flesh sent waves of scintillating flames from the bottom of her feet to the top of her head as his body moved against hers in perfect rhythm with the music. She was certain her heart was beating faster than ever before. His body flooded hers with desire that sent pulsating currents of pleasure surging through her veins until her flesh cried out for out for more of his touch.

She was suddenly very aware of his hands roaming, fingers massaging, exploring her body as he continued to kiss her neck and shoulders. Her breaths came in short, ragged gasps. Pure, hot ecstasy wrapped around her. No pleasure could compare to the sensations racing through her body. It didn't matter that they were in the middle of a dance floor surrounded by people. It didn't matter that they were strangers. She didn't care. Her sense of discretion was long gone.

She was shocked when he was cupped her breasts, but she was so incredibly aroused by it that she didn't try to stop him. No part of her wanted his to stop. It was more like making love than dancing. He continued to tease her neck with his lips and tongue. Then, his teeth gently scraped back and forth. Her nipples were so hard and sensitive. They ached for his attention. And he didn't disappoint them. Still cupping her breasts, he squeezed her nipples between his thumbs and fingers.

Oh hell yeah, it was fabulous to be a woman. She could get definitely get used to the way her mysterious, dancer, so skilled in the art of seduction, met her body's every need. She smiled. Suddenly, shaving her legs seemed a worthwhile punishment. Night after night, she'd dreamed of what she needed. And this exceeded every dream she'd ever had. She knew it was wrong to allow a stranger to touch her so intimately. She knew that she should stop him. But it was the last thing she wanted to do.

Pressing his lips against her ear, he whispered something in a foreign language. The deep, sexy sound of his voice caused her body to shudder with pleasure so intense, so magical. She couldn't prevent the husky moans that escaped her throat. Her marvelous, secret lover was touching her in every way that she'd dreamed of Jake touching her.

Wait—that was Jake's voice! Her heart jumped, and her eyes flew open. "Oh, shit." Once again he was ruining her chance to find romance. He was her dance partner!

Jake whirled her around so quickly she nearly lost her balance. She would've stumbled if he hadn't been holding her. Her gaze collided with his. "Why ... how ... oh, shit." She turned her back to him.

"Oh, shit?" Jake grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to face him. "Now that's an interesting choice of words." Gently lifting her chin with his hand, he bent his head and kissed her forehead. "You look a little pale. What's the matter, love?"

"You tricked me."

"I tricked you?" He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, forcing her to rest her head against his chest.

"Yes."

"What about the woman you convinced to climb up onto my lap and molest me?"

"I've absolutely no idea what you're talking about," she lied. And she thought she sounded quite believable. But it was a good thing her head was tucked beneath his chin so he couldn't see the smirk on her face.

"You're lying." Forcing her to meet his gaze, he stepped back and held her at arm's length. "I'm surprised you would deny pulling off such a brilliant, well executed prank."

She bit her lower lip hard to keep from smiling or laughing. He was right: it was pure torture to deny it. She'd definitely got him good. She felt heat rise from her neck to cheeks. She really wished she didn't blush so easily. Now there was no hiding it.

"You think it's funny."

She shrugged. "Maybe a little bit."

"Do you want to know what I think is funny?"

"Not really." But of course she did. Denying it didn't matter; she knew he was going to tell her.

"I think it's very funny you believed another woman could distract me from noticing you were leaving the restaurant." He brushed a kiss on her cheek and drew her closer to rest his chin on the top of her head. He started dancing again, moving his body against hers. "I thought while we were dancing you knew it was me."

"How would I've known?" She struggled to pull herself out of his arms. Of course it was useless. He was too big and too strong for her to overpower him. Besides, she didn't really want to get away from him. He easily held her in place, forcing her to feel the heat of his erection against her belly as he massaged the round curves of her bottom. "You ... oh, damn it, Jake."

"I wouldn't have ever thought you would allow a stranger to touch you like this," he whispered in a deep, seductive voice in her ear.

She was definitely sober now, but it was much more difficult to keep a clear head than earlier at the restaurant. He was making her crazy with lust though she knew he was mad. He was messing with her, paying her back for humiliating him at the restaurant. "You're just mad."

"I'm not mad at all."

"You're lying."

* * *

"No. How could I blame you?" Jake knew this was the point of no return. If he proceeded the danger would be great. He would become an enemy to his people. They would be hunted down, and if they were captured he would be killed and she would be taken captive. But there was no other choice for him, for her. He wouldn't allow her to live another day clueless of how deeply, completely he loved her. "When I asked you to have dinner with me tonight, I planned to say good-bye to you."

"What?" Lee Anne blurted.

"I've never tried to be intimate with you before tonight, but it was never due to a lack of desire to do so." His hands slid down the curve of her back to the firm, rounded curves of her hips. "It's the opposite." Unable to resist the urge, he pulled her closer, pressing her body against his. "I've always wanted you, Lee Anne."

"Why, after planning to say good-bye to me, are you doing this?"

"I could never say good-bye to you."

"But you just said that's what you were intending to do."

"I was lying to myself. I always knew I could never hand you over to another man." Revealing his anger, his voice had lowered and sounded more like a growl. The silence stretched on as he searched for the right words. "We have so much to discuss."

"What are you talking about? Another man?" She shook her head. "Just ... just forget it. I've given our friendship a lot of thought lately. I will always be grateful you saved me, but I can't be your friend anymore. It's just too much."

She blinked up at him and gasped. He heard her heart rate speed up. She blinked again. He knew that she'd just realized that his eyes had changed color. "Jake?"

He groaned as his hands molded her ass and he pulled her deeper into his embrace, pressing her body so snugly against his that she would feel the heat of his rock-hard cock against her belly. "Of course it's me."

He bent his head and pressed his lips to hers. Palms flat on his chest, she shoved him. Well, she tried to. He wasn't going to allow her to get away from him. But he did allow her to back up enough to look up at him.

* * *

Lee Anne stared up at Jake. He was too calm. He was too sure she wanted to kiss him. Smiling, she swallowed the lump in her throat. And damn it, he was right. She did want him to kiss her. And double damn it, she was so far beyond wanting. She needed him to kiss her.

"What did you mean when you said that you were planning to hand me over to another man?" She didn't know what else to say, so she just stared up at him.

He leaned down, wrapping his arms around her, his lips barely touching her ear. "I don't know what I was thinking." He trailed kisses from her ear to her jaw. The heat of his body wrapped around her. Then, once again, his lips were on hers. It was long, slow, tender kiss—nothing even close to the crushing kiss she needed.

The moment the thought entered her mind the kiss deepened. His tongue parted her lips, and his kiss turned into a living, breathing entity of violent, heart-pounding lust. She was lost. Oh yeah, she was in serious trouble. What if he went back to not wanting her tomorrow? Oh ... damn it. To hell with tomorrow. Tonight she was taking a wild, delicious ride on a tidal wave of the sinful delights of sheer, primal ecstasy.

"I'm so sorry for hurting your feelings, Lee Anne," he whispered against her lips. "I was so wrong to ever believe I could hand you over to another man."

"Huh?" With strength she'd never known she possessed, she ripped herself right out of his arms. She kept her back to him for a few seconds, and then she turned to glare at him. "I want to know what you are talking about right now." She was furious with him, but mostly with herself for aching for his touch. Even still, her body ached so terribly. She continued to glare up at him, her mind a whirling mess as she tried to figure out what the hell was wrong with him.

He smiled widely. The first thing she noticed was the total lack of humor in his smile or his eyes. Then, she saw his fangs. She shook her head in denial. "Jake?" She blinked just in case she was seeing things. But he still had fangs. She'd certainly never seen that coming. "You're a ... Jake, you're a vampire?" She drew her bottom lip into her mouth and chewed on it.

He nodded. "I am."

"No."

"It's true."

"I don't believe it." She shook her head. Clearly, in such a moment denial was the best response. She waited, but he didn't say anything else. He was obviously waiting for her to digest and accept the truth he was revealing to her. He just nodded his head slightly and stared into her eyes.

The situation had gone from confusing to 'holy crap' to 'I'm going to die tonight'. She needed to get away from him. Now that she knew what he was he would kill her. She didn't have a chance.

Grinning, he lifted his brow. "You need to calm down. You're getting carried away. I've no intention of killing you."

She snorted. "Lying bastard." Of course he was going to kill her. A vampire would never allow a human eyewitness of his existence to live. Yep. She was going to die.

"You don't seriously believe I'm going to kill you." He shook his head. "While you were in the hospital, didn't I tell you that you needed to stop watching horror movies? They aren't good for you. They make your imagination run wild with all sorts of unsavory thoughts."

She smirked. Sure. Blame it on her love for horror movies. Why not just relax? Maybe he'd rip her clothes off and ravish her body before he killed her. She frowned. Where the hell did that thought come from? _Oh, Jake, it's perfectly fine if you kill me as long as you get naked and ravish my body first._

Running his hand through his hair, he shook his head. "Not ravish. But I would love to get naked with you and worship your body with mine." His lips slowly curved into a sexy smile. "Well ... maybe ravish. But I would never hurt you."

She blinked. "You read my mind?" She narrowed her angry gaze on him.

"Not really. You're broadcasting your thoughts very loudly."

Of course he'd read her mind. He was a vampire. She glared up at him. "How long have you been sneaking around in my head?"

"It's not difficult to hear your thoughts. I never need to sneak. You think loudly."

She snorted again. Yeah. Right. Vampires were sneaky. They also used compulsions to seduce and take blood from and murder unsuspecting victims. "How long have you been poking around in my head, Jake?" Her hand went up to her throat. "Oh, crap." Had he ever used a compulsion to use her as an unknowing blood donor or a lover? She felt so violated, and so strangely excited all at the same time. But she was also shockingly angry because she had absolutely no memory of it.

He tilted his head to the side and placed his hand over hers. She felt her pulse leap in response to his touch—and it wasn't a fear response. "Have you ... oh, shit. I swear if I find out that you ..." Great. She was an idiot. Was she seriously going to threaten a cold-blooded killer? Not just a killer. A predator that hunted humans. And why was she so mad? Because she didn't remember him biting her and feasting on her blood. She was sick. She was losing her mind.

"Not yet. There's nothing I've ever wanted more. I've fought my nature to resist the temptation. It was nearly impossible. I've obsessed over the thought of tasting your sweet blood for a very long time. But I've never taken your blood. I've been your guardian." He frowned. "It truly irritates me that you had such a bad opinion of me. I've been protecting you for a very long time." He paused. "Of course, to be fair, you didn't know it. You have reasons to distrust me. But I'm not a murderer, Lee Anne."

He'd read her mind again. "From what? I don't have even one enemy." She really hated the idea of him knowing her thoughts. "I can't believe ... wait. Why?" Emotions were a funny thing. She wasn't asking why he was claiming innocence or why he was invading her mind. She'd seriously lost her mind. Was she actually asking him why her blood wasn't good enough? She decided to change the subject. "Why would you need to protect me?"

"A price was placed on your head the day you were born. Your mother and grandmother were murdered by your father that night. He planned to kill you, but the nurse that delivered you managed to hide you. I've been watching over you from that day, protecting you."

He slowly bent his head as if to kiss her again, but he didn't. "Another vampire has claimed you. But I love you," he whispered against her lips. "I can't give you to another man." He was so close. It would be so easy to just kiss him. "I never expected it to happen, but I'm in love with you. The laws of my people are very strict. You belong to another. He plans to take possession of you soon. He plans for you to have his child."

"You're insane." She needed to get away from him. She needed to go home and forget about all that had happened. And somehow, she needed to forget what it felt like to have his lips brush up against hers. Like that was going to happen. She would need a good therapist after this. She stepped back and held her hand out to stop him from reaching for her.

* * *

Jake was about to reach for her when someone grabbed his shoulder from behind. "She belongs to me. You're supposed to be guarding the whore, not fucking her."

"Go home, Lee Anne." Jake used a powerful compulsion to force her obedience as he pushed her behind him and turned to face Jeremy. "I won't give her up."

"You don't have a choice."

Jake immediately noticed something was off with Jeremy. He began to search for the reason. Within seconds, he detected tainted blood in Jeremy's system. "You've killed for blood. You've fallen."

"Fallen?" Laughing, Jeremy shook his head. "No. I've risen."

"You know it's against our laws. By murdering the weak you've condemned your soul. You will be destroyed."

"You can try. I hope you do. But we both know you don't have what it takes to destroy me." Jeremy's assumption meant nothing to Jake. Jake had killed many fallen vampires who'd thought they were too powerful to be destroyed.

Jake felt the floor vibrate. He felt the enormous waves of demonic power moving slowly toward them from behind. Fear flashed in Jeremy's eyes. Jake turned sideways to watch Demetri approach while still keeping an eye on Jeremy.

While Jeremy was distracted, Jake reached for Lee Anne. Still under his compulsion, she was walking down the sidewalk. Satisfied she was safe for now, he returned his attention to the dance floor.

Demetri stopped. "You have something that belongs to me, little leech. I thought I would be forced to chase you down. It was so thoughtful of you to come to me." Completely ignoring Jake, Demetri pinned Jeremy with his dark gaze.

Backing up, Jeremy started to fidget. "Mary gave it to me. Ask her. I didn't take it from you."

"Mary cannot give away what is mine." When Demetri took a step closer to Jeremy, Jake took a step back. It was hard to determine Demetri's mood. He wasn't acting overly aggressive, and he didn't seem to be angry. He also didn't seem to notice Jake was even present. But just in case, Jake waited to make sure the demon was solely focused on Jeremy.

It seemed to be an odd coincidence, but Jake knew better than to believe Demetri was in any way assisting him. Demetri was pure evil. He had no idea why the demon was at odds with Jeremy, but Jake knew it had nothing to do with him.

### ~ Six ~

LEE ANNE WALKED down the sidewalk. Her head was in a strange fog—she couldn't remember leaving the club. It was well after midnight in a rough part of the city. Walking alone wasn't a good idea at all. She tried to flag a taxi, but it sped by her and there didn't appear to be any others.

She struggled to remember why she'd left the club. And why had Jake allowed her to leave alone? It was so unlike him. She wasn't sure of anything that had happened, but one thing was certain: the evening she had just endured was by far worse than any bout of PMS she'd ever experienced. And she'd gone through some rough ones.

She didn't make it much further before she felt the creepy sensation of being watched. She stopped and looked all around, but she didn't see anyone out and about. It suddenly dawned on her that the streets were too quiet. A second passed, and then another, and then an icy cold breeze swept around her, funneling around her. It carried a foul odor so strong it made her gag. She felt the faintest sensation of icy fingers gripping her throat.

Picking up her pace, she started to walk again. She only made it few more steps before she was grabbed from behind and pushed face first against the side of a brick building. "If you try to fight me you're going to get hurt."

"What do want?" Twisting and turning, she struggled to break free from her attacker's grip.

The man turned her around and wrapped his hands around her throat. "It's not for me to tell you. But don't worry, you'll know soon enough."

She reached up and dug her fingernails into his hands, trying to pry them off her throat. "Stop it." He squeezed her throat with enough strength to cut her air off to force her to stop. But she didn't. She dug her nails in deeper.

"You stupid, fucking bitch!" Changing tactics, he took her hands and held them against the building over her head. Hatred burned in his eyes. She wanted to look anywhere but at him, but she couldn't stop staring at his face. "When I tell you to stop, you stop." He smashed his forehead against hers with enough force to stun her. Her back sliding against the wall, she fell to her butt. She was somewhat aware of what was happening, but she wasn't fully conscious when her attacker yanked her into a sitting position by her hair and then grabbed her arms to pull her across the pavement.

He tossed her onto the backseat of a car. His hand gripping her hair, he pressed her face against the seat. Then, yanking his hand out of her hair, he pressed his knee into her lower back and started to tie her hands together. As she regained full consciousness, she fought with all her strength to get away. But it was no use. He was far stronger. She knew she was as good as dead if he managed to drive away with her.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. And then, much closer, thunder rumbled again. Somehow, she knew it was Jake. She felt his approach like hurricane making landfall.

"Get away from her!"

The man's weight shifted, but not enough for her to move out from under him. "Your services are no longer required, Jake. It's time for her to meet her destiny."

What the hell was going on? Was this the man Jake had just claimed was her mate? She tried to turn her head to look at Jake, but she couldn't see anything. It was too dark.

"He's not taking her from me." This time, by the sound of his voice, she knew Jake was closer. She let out of sigh of relief. But then she heard a click right over her head. _Oh, God. He has a gun!_ But before she could warn Jake, the gun went off.

"Jake!" She fought so frantically that she managed to turn over and kick the man. When he stumbled back, clutching his groin, she jumped out of the car and ran toward Jake.

The instant she dropped to her knees next to Jake the gun went off again. Jake's body jerked, a red stain forming on the front of his shirt. She turned and stood up to face her attacker, to protect Jake, but the man smashed the butt of his gun into her face.

The air exploded out of her lungs. She tried to take a breath, but she couldn't. She fell to her knees and then hit the pavement face first. Using her arms, she tried to push herself up, but darkness moved in on her until everything went black.

* * *

Opening his eyes, Jake remained absolutely still for a moment to examine his wounds. His memory clouded, he struggled to a half-sitting position. He saw the shadowy image of a man take substance several feet away and then move toward him. He blinked to bring the man into focus. It was Joseph. Suddenly, memories flooding his mind, he jumped to his feet and expanded his mind to reach for Lee Anne. Because of the strength of their connection, he found her quickly. She was unconscious in the back seat of the car.

"What happened?"

Jake knew Joseph was already taking the information from his mind. "They've taken her," he confirmed. He was so distraught that it was all he could say at the moment. He looked down at his stomach. Both bullets had ripped straight through his body.

"Can you shift?"

Meeting Joseph's gaze, Jake nodded. The wounds were nearly healed, but he'd lost a considerable amount of blood. Not enough to stop him from shifting, but he would definitely need blood to replenish his strength before morning or he would die.

"We will get her back," Joseph vowed as his image began to shimmer. Within seconds, Jake was staring at the empty space where Joseph had been standing.

For a few seconds he stood there in shock, unable to move. He'd allowed her to be taken. Snapping out of it, he concentrated on pinpointing the location of the car. At first, he couldn't find it. But then he reached for Lee Anne and once again found her. Within seconds, he'd located the car and started the process of dissolving into a mist to shift to her.

* * *

Head pounding, Lee Anne woke up slowly. When she felt the warmth of blood dripping down her face, she tried to reach up and realized her hands were tied behind her back. Rather than panic, she forced herself to remain calm as she worked to wiggle her arms free of the rope.

At first she couldn't remember anything. Staying completely still, she tried to force the memory of what had happened to come to her, but it didn't work. She focused on her surroundings. She was in the back seat of a moving car. She could hear a man talking, but she couldn't make out his words. She figured he was having a conversation with someone on a phone, because his was the only voice.

Just then, he shouted, "I had to shoot the bastard!" And in a flash, Lee Anne remembered everything. "I didn't have a fucking a choice. He wasn't going to allow me to drive off with the bitch. This is your fucked-up mess. I didn't start any of it. And if you fucking threaten me one more time you're on your own." He paused for several seconds. "There's no reason for you to worry about that. We both know nothing is going to stop him. He'll come for her as planned."

Rather than pounding, her head felt as if it had been cracked in two. Who the hell was coming for her? She couldn't worry about that right now. She needed to get free to help Jake. He could be bleeding to death. Or worse, he could be dead. No. She wouldn't believe he was dead. But how long ago had he been shot? How long had she been unconscious? It didn't matter—Jake couldn't be dead. She couldn't lose him. She would get to him in time. But first, she needed to get her arms free and escape from her abductor.

Within seconds, her hands were free. For the time being, she couldn't allow her thoughts to wander to Jake. The thought of him lying alone, bleeding to death, was just too much. She figured that since her hands were free, she had a chance. Not much of a chance since the man had a gun. But a little chance was enough. It had to be.

The car slowed down and made such a sharp turn that she rolled off the seat. She heard gravel crunching beneath the tires. Being on a gravel road was definitely not good. They could be headed into the forest, and it was dark. If she got away, she wouldn't be able see. Where would she run?

She knew from the conversation that at least one other person was waiting for them and another was planning to show up. She couldn't believe she was being abducted. And worse, Jake must have had some idea it was going to happen for quite some time. Why had he waited until tonight to tell her that she had a price on her head? If the situation were reversed, if she had known something bad was going to happen to him, she would've warned him in time to do something to protect himself.

The car stopped. A few seconds later, the driver opened his door and got out. Just before he shut the door, she realized she could smell salty ocean air. The nearest beach was several hours away from where she'd been attacked. Her heart sank. Jake had been shot hours ago. What if no one had discovered him in the alley?

Waiting for the dome light to go out before she moved, she heard several voices but couldn't make out what they were saying. Then, all was silent. Perhaps they'd left her. When she sat up to investigate, she couldn't see anything. It was way too dark. Holding her breath, hoping for the best, she opened the car door.

The dome light went on. She froze. Her heart stopped. She forced herself to move. She got out of the car slowly and shut the door quietly. She waited for a few seconds, and then, believing no had noticed the light, she turned to run.

She didn't make it more than a few feet before she ran into something solid and arms wrapped around her. "You're not thinking of leaving us, are you?"

She struggled to get away but stopped when something sharp pierced her arm. She knew it was a needle. She felt the burn of whatever substance was in the syringe work its way through her veins. The moment the thought of being drugged registered, her head started spinning. She tried to pull away from the man, but her balance was off and he released her so she ended up falling flat on her back.

She tried to get up, but her arms and legs wouldn't move. It felt as if she were paralyzed. Her flesh tingled, but deep inside her muscles a horrible fire burned. Never before had she ever experienced such intense pain. It felt as if a fist had gripped her heart and was squeezing it. She knew it was struggling to beat. She knew that whatever had been injected into her body was killing her.

Sprawled out on her back, she noticed it was getting harder and harder to breathe. At that point, being in so much pain and knowing she was going to die, she wished for the end to come quickly. Unable to see anything, she listened to what was going on around her. It helped take her focus off the pain. She heard several male voices. She was able to figure out by what they were saying that they were waiting for someone. Eventually, she felt herself drifting into a state of unconsciousness.

"What took you so long, Jake?" The question snapped her back to a state of total awareness even though the fiery pain assaulting her was so intense. _Jake's alive!_ She smiled despite the pain she was experiencing. She wanted to let go, to slip into the darkness again, but she wanted to look into his eyes once more.

"She's your mate. Why would you hurt her, Jeremy?" Jake voice came from directly above her.

"Knowing you still think she's my mate feels so wonderful. I knew making you her guardian was a brilliant plan. Some told me that my plan for revenge against you would never work. But I always knew I could count on your honor to keep you in check. It's actually quite funny you haven't figured it out after all the time you've spent with her. You have no idea how I'm grateful for the opportunity to tell you that she has always belonged to you. And now, because of your honor, she is dying, and you will walk alone for the rest of your miserable existence."

* * *

Jake couldn't believe what he was hearing. For so long, believing she belonged to Jeremy, he'd denied the truth that was always so clear. Lee Anne couldn't possibly belong to Jeremy or any other man. She belonged to him. Only him. "You idiot. Your brother chose his fate. And now, you've chosen yours. But I promise your death won't come as quickly as his."

"You didn't even give him a chance. You murdered him."

"You know better. He'd lost his mind to rage. In a moment of lucidity he begged me to kill him. Just as you will."

"He was mourning the death of his mate. It wasn't too late for him. He just needed time. He would've recovered."

"Our kind cannot recover from the loss of a mate."

"Do you feel the rage yet?" Jeremy laughed. "I've heard that she must be dead before it takes you."

Jake glanced down at Lee Anne. He knew it was true. She was on the verge of death. But he didn't know why. As enraged as he was it took every ounce of his strength to keep from killing Jeremy immediately, but he couldn't. Not yet. He needed more information if he was going to save her.

"Can you hear her heart laboring?"

"What did you do to her?"

"It doesn't matter. There is nothing you can do for her now unless you break the rules. And we both know that Jake Mann, executioner of his own people, doesn't break the rules for anyone."

All at once Jake realized what they'd injected into her system. "Tainted blood?" Devastated, Jake stared down at her. "You've given her tainted blood."

"Yes. And now, you must kill her. Once the conversion is complete, she'll be consumed by the blood-lust."

Jake knew it was true. The tainted blood would cause her to become a sadistic murderer. He had no choice. He couldn't allow her to suffer. He had to kill her. Jake dropped to his knees. "She never wronged you." He reached down and placed his hand on her chest. Her heart was barely beating.

Lee Anne's eyes snapped open. She growled at him. Her body convulsed. She looked so terrified. So small. And so very fragile. She was in terrible pain. Suddenly, appearing to recognize him, her body went still and her eyes widened. She opened her mouth and whispered his name. She smiled.

He forced himself to return the smile. "I love you," he leaned down to whisper in her ear. And then, her eyes rolled back and her body convulsed as her breaths turned into short, violent gasps.

Jake realized there was something else in her blood. Something far more powerful than vampire blood. "What is mixed with the blood?" Jake stood up. He was going to kill Jeremy, but first he needed this one last bit of information.

"Insurance."

"What do you mean?"

"Just in case your honor failed, I wanted make sure there was no chance of her surviving. You've heard about Mary Tate's little project, right?" Jeremy pointed up into the night sky. "What do you think? Is it a coincidence, or have they already come to kill her?"

Jake didn't look up. He already knew it Joseph in the form of the dragon. He was the one demon Jake trusted; he would never harm Lee Anne. "They wouldn't kill her. They wouldn't need to. She's human. She can't survive being injected with a demon's blood."

"That's the beauty of Mary's project. Because of her tainted blood, the demon blood won't kill her, and the demons know it. They also know their blood will make our kind as powerful as they are. They will no longer rule over us. We'll be unstoppable."

Enormous waves of rage welled up in Jake. For a moment, he feared he would lose his composure. Every cell in his body ached to attack Jeremy, but he felt he should wait for Joseph to land before making any moves. With Lee Anne so vulnerable and realizing he'd lost track of the other vampire, he didn't want to take any chances. _Don't wait!_ _Pick her up and get the hell out of there—you're surrounded!_ The instant he heard Joseph's warning, Jake bent over to pick her up, but something very big slammed into him with enough force to hurl his body back several feet.

Surrounded, Jake jumped up and lunged for one of the vampires but stopped and froze when the unthinkable happened. Lee Anne, obviously struggling to remain upright, was stumbling around so very close to the edge of the cliff. Jake took one a step toward her but couldn't take another. He was grabbed from behind by at least two vampires. They were unusually strong and were able to wrench his arms behind his back. Keeping his gaze focused on Lee Anne and attempting to use a compulsion to get her to move away from the cliff, he fought to get the vampires off him.

Jeremy stepped in front of him. Jaw clenched, Jeremy flashed a cruel grin. "It appears your mate wishes to save you the trouble killing her." And then, he stepped to the side just in time for Jake to see Lee Anne go over the edge.

In the same instant, the vampires released Jake, and Joseph, in the form of the dragon, landed. Jake didn't hesitate. He didn't wait to see if Joseph needed him. He didn't care. He dove off the cliff and plunged into the sea. Surrounded by murky darkness, he allowed his instincts to guide him to her. He kept swimming deeper into the icy, dark abyss until he reached her. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arm around her waist. And then, kicking his legs, holding her body against his, he brought them to the surface.

He knew she was unconscious and not breathing. He knew her heart was no longer beating. The fear and pain and anguish he felt were like nothing he'd ever known. He swam for the shore. It seemed as if it took hours, but only seconds passed before he lowered her onto the sand.

He leaned down and tilted her head back, and then he pinched her nose, settled his mouth over hers, and breathed into her several times. If he saved her there was a chance he would later be forced to kill her. It didn't matter. He had to try. He started chest compressions. It wasn't working. She wasn't responding at all. She was dead. She would find peace in death, but he couldn't allow her to die. He couldn't go on without her.

"Breathe for me, Lee Anne," he whispered in her ear, using a powerful compulsion. He breathed into her again. "Please ... damn it ... just breathe."

Joseph, still in the form of a dragon, landed only a few feet away. His image shimmered as he took human form.

"She's not breathing. Her heart is not beating. She can't die." Jake looked up at Joseph. "Can you help her?"

Joseph knelt down. "What did they give her?"

Jake feared the outcome of telling him the truth.

"You know better." Joseph shook his head. "I would never hurt your woman. Tell me what's in her blood."

"Tainted blood combined with a demon's blood."

"Well then." Joseph smiled. "She'll survive. We've just discovered that their blood donor is Zack Savage. We think he's allowed them to capture him. There's no telling what the hell he's up to, but he's a stubborn son of a bitch. He's strong. His blood is strong. We need to get the saltwater out of her lungs. Turn her head to the side."

Joseph placed his hands on her chest. "This is going to be very unpleasant for her. Hold her down." He sent healing energy into her body and a burst of power into her lungs to force the saltwater out.

She started violently coughing and choking as she fought to take a breath. All the while, eyes wide, she stared at Joseph.

"You need to talk to her. She doesn't know you're here. She's fighting me. And?" Lee Anne made a horrible growling, snarling sound. Joseph laughed. "Yep. She's fixing to get feisty with me. She's nearly fully converted. She really wants blood in a bad way. But she needs to wait until the conversion is complete. It's best to have as much of Zack's blood in her as possible while it's occurring to fight the tainted blood. And right now, to be completely honest, I do not really like the idea of allowing your possessed little lady to bite me. Zack's blood will do just fine. "

Jake wasn't surprised by Joseph's humor. It was how he normally behaved. He'd known Joseph long enough to know what he wasn't saying: he was willing to give Lee Anne his blood to save her if he had to.

Jake looked down at Lee Anne and used a compulsion to force her to focus on him rather than Joseph. "It's okay. You're confused. But it's okay. He's trying help you."

She started coughing and gasping for a breath again as saltwater spewed from her mouth. Jake held her tightly as Joseph continued to send healing energy into her body.

"It's done, Jake," he said after several moments had passed. "You need to put her to sleep now."

Jake sent the command, and she instantly went limp in his arms. "Will she survive?"

"She'll survive, but we need to get her warmed up. Don't forget that it'll be best if you wait to give her blood until the transformation is complete."

"Do you think it'll work?" Cradling her against his chest, Jake stood.

"You're an ancient. Your blood is pure. It's powerful. After she has fully changed, take as much of the tainted blood from her as possible and replace it with yours. Don't allow her out of your sight until there's no tainted blood in her system. You can't allow her to kill anyone for blood."

"If it doesn't work?"

"Is she your mate?"

Jake nodded. "Yes."

* * *

"It will work." Well, Joseph hoped like hell it would. If it didn't, Lee Anne's thirst for human blood would increase until she turned into a merciless killer. Jake would have no choice but to end her life.

Joseph lifted his head and concentrated on a disturbance in the atmosphere. "They're getting closer." It was odd for any vampire to pick a fight with a demon, but that was exactly what Jeremy and his men were doing. "These vampires are much stronger and more powerful than ever before. I'm not really sure what we're dealing with."

"Do you feel that?" Jake asked. "Is it one your friends?"

With a thought Joseph placed a fiery hedge of protection around then as he took a slow look around. Examining the atmosphere and extracting information, he searched for the identity of the demon moving closer. "Demetri."

"We need get her out of here."

Joseph knew Jake could shift from one place to another with no problem, but he wouldn't be able to take Lee Anne with him. He also knew Jake would never allow him to take Lee Anne. "I can take both of you." He smiled when he saw the relief in Jake's eyes. "Having a woman certainly makes decision making much more difficult, does it not?"

Jake laughed. "Yes."

Joseph placed his hand on Jake's shoulder. "Give me the image of where you want to take her." Within seconds of receiving the image, Joseph had managed to take them to the destination Jake envisioned.

As Jake lowered Lee Anne onto the bed, Joseph said, "You've lost a great deal of blood. I will watch over her until you return."

Jake turned to face Joseph. He was obviously conflicted because he knew Joseph was right. He needed blood to survive, but he no doubt feared that if Joseph saw Lee Anne as a threat to his kind, he would kill her.

"Considering the situation, I don't blame you for questioning my motives. But you have no reason to worry. If I wanted her dead, she would be dead." Joseph wasn't bragging. He wasn't threatening. He was stating a fact. "Despite being a vampire, you are a man great honor," he teased. "You would never allow her to suffer. If you can't cure her through a blood exchange, I trust you to do what is best for her. I will make sure she remains asleep until you return."

Jake nodded. "Thank you, Joseph." He turned to walk away but then stopped and turned to face Joseph. "How did you know to come tonight?"

"I didn't. I was looking for wolves."

"I've heard that Eli is here to claim his mate."

"It's true, but he has chosen the wrong woman."

"Mia?"

Causing flames to ignite in the large stone fireplace, Joseph waved his hand. "Yes." Joseph turned to face Jake. "Jeremy has turned. He must be destroyed."

"I know."

"Immediately."

"You don't have to worry about it."

Joseph nodded.

"Let me know if you need help with Eli's pack."

"I will." Joseph rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Don't allow any of my people to learn that Zack's blood was combined with tainted blood and injected into her. Some will be able to detect it in her easily. You can never allow her to get too close to my kind. Most wouldn't consider harming her, but there are those that would view her as a threat. Demetri's betrayal has caused great discord amongst my kind."

"I will return shortly. And again, thank you, Joseph." Jake turned and walked out of the room.

### ~ Seven ~

JOSEPH STOOD IN front of the fire. He reached for Mia mentally and found her sleeping peacefully, just as he'd left her. He smiled. The only time he knew she wasn't in getting into trouble was when she was sleeping. He shook his head. Of course, that could change in an instant.

His life had been such a waste up until the moment he'd met her. And now it was a waste because he couldn't save her. Worse than a waste. It was doomed. He couldn't save her because she, the only woman he would ever love, wasn't his true mate. Fate was a cruel enemy, and it seemed he couldn't, no matter how hard he fought, defeat it.

He couldn't figure out why her cancer was so resistant to his power. Despite his many attempts to heal Mia, every day her life was slipping further and further away. It didn't matter that he would never give up. Her cancer would never give up. In the past, being immortal, he'd never truly paid attention to time, but now time consumed his every thought because he was running out of it.

Being lycan, she took many unnecessary, completely unacceptable risks on a regular basis. And thanks to her morphine-induced outbursts of rage, she'd made several dangerous enemies. She was a fearless warrior. She defended the weak with just as much passion and conviction as he did. Truthfully, that was a lie. She possessed far more passion and conviction than he'd ever had. He respected her inner strength and honor.

Joseph felt Mia's familiar presence in his mind. _What's wrong, Joseph? Do you need help?_

He smiled. Their connection was growing stronger every moment of every day. She'd reached for him because she'd sensed he was troubled. _None that you're willing to give me ... yet._

Her laughter filled his mind. _It's never happening._ He felt her sorting through his memories, trying to figure out where he was and if he was in danger. He could've easily blocked her, but he didn't. He lived for the connection they shared. He kept his mind fully open to her at all times unless he was fighting an enemy.

It's only a matter of time. Your resistance to my charm is growing weaker every day.

In your dreams.

Lee Anne moved. _Every night._ Glancing at Lee Anne, Joseph made sure Mia felt the warmth of his breath on her neck and ear. He walked over to Lee Anne and placed his hand on her forehead. At the moment, she shouldn't have any awareness, but she was having a nightmare.

_Where are you?_ There was no missing the contempt in her voice. She knew he was with woman, touching a woman, and it bothered her.

Mia was jealous. Joseph couldn't help but smile. _You're supposed to be sleeping._ He pushed the nightmare from Lee Anne's mind and sent her into a deeper state of unconsciousness.

I'm not tired. And I'm not jealous. Who is she?

She belongs to a friend. You gave her a pitcher of ice water to dump over his head,

_He hurt her because of it? And women do not belong to men_.

No. She was attacked by an impure vampire. And I meant no disrespect to her. He would gladly tell you that he belongs to her.

Will she survive?

Yes. She will be fine.

Where are you?

He smiled. She wanted to make sure the woman was okay. _Close your eyes._

* * *

She closed her eyes, allowing the sensation of weightlessness to take her as she felt his arms wrap around her and hold her against his body. Many erotic visions played in her mind as she thought of her fingers moving slowly over his hard, muscular body.

"Are you thinking about me naked, my naughty little angel?"

Her eyes flew open. "No!" Even she knew that she'd answered too quickly. She actually blushed. She tried to move away from him, but he held her firmly. "Let go."

"I will as soon as you admit that you enjoy the thought of touching my naked body." He bent his head as if to kiss her so that he whispered the words against her lips.

* * *

Standing on the very tips of her toes, Mia wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. Making himself vulnerable, he returned her kiss even though he knew she was preparing to put him in his place and it might very well hurt. She kissed him long enough and with just enough passion to cause him to forget she was using the kiss to overpower him. When she bit down on his lip, he growled, though not in anger. It wasn't a threat; it was a warning. She was playing a dangerous game. Her aggression only increased his urgent need for her. It took every ounce of his strength to control his nature.

Releasing her, he laughed softly as he reached up to rub the sting from his lip. "You get meaner every day."

Mia turned away from him and leaned over Lee Anne. "Are you sure she'll be okay? She doesn't look good at all. She looks like Caylee did after the vampire forced her to take blood."

"She will be fine." Joseph placed his hand on her shoulder. "Jake will take good care of her."

* * *

Mia turned to face Joseph. She felt the warmth of his healing power generate from his hand and seep into her flesh. She knew it was his way of setting her at peace. Given the woman was a stranger, some people would not understand how deeply Mia felt for her, but Joseph knew. He always knew. And he always took care of her. Even when she lost her mind in fits of uncontrollable rage, he was always there to patiently guide her back to sanity.

One day soon she would die. She'd never feared death, but it had been such a lonely journey until he walked into her life. She was so very thankful for his friendship, but she would never allow it to turn into anything more. It wouldn't be fair to him. Joseph Payne loved fully, completely. She suddenly felt bad for getting angry over the thought of him being with a woman, helping a woman. She didn't like to think of him finding and falling in love with another woman, but she hoped he would one day find the love of his life.

"There's only you, Mia. There'll never be another woman for me."

* * *

"Why would you say something so stupid?"

"It's true. You're the most remarkable woman I've ever known. Why would I ever consider another? She could never come close to intriguing me as thoroughly as you do. It wouldn't be fair to her at all." Joseph knew Mia wasn't his true mate. She belonged to Eli. Keeping Mia from Eli would only be possible if he killed Eli and the majority of the males in the pack. And that was exactly what Joseph planned to do.

"Shouldn't we be more concerned with what's fair to her?" Mia looked down at Lee Anne. "I'm sure she'd rather not be forced to listen to you make a fool out of yourself."

"No worries. She's unconscious." Joseph paused. "As soon as Jake returns to take over her care we have a vampire to hunt down and destroy. Do you feel up to it?"

"What?" Mia turned to face him. "Are you serious?"

Joseph struggled to keep a straight face. Happiness looked so damn good on her face, especially when he was the cause of it. "Sure." He shrugged his shoulders casually. "After all, I assume you'd rather not allow the vampire to get away with doing this to her and probably the same thing or worse to someone else."

He had every intention of killing the vampire and taking her with him, because he knew she had every intention of tracking down the vampire by herself. Since she was so hell bent on seeking out and destroying forces of darkness, keeping her close made keeping her safe a whole hell of a lot easier.

Mia rolled her eyes. "Stop screwing around with me, Joseph. You know I planned to go after him. Do you think ..." She paused. Joseph waited while she decided whether or not to continue. Mia wasn't the type of woman to trust easily. He respected her for that, and he had no problem working to gain her trust. "Do you think he has ties to Mary Tate?"

Joseph smiled inside himself. It felt great that she was choosing to involve him in her war against Mary. "I've no doubt of it."

Just then, Jake returned.

Without saying another word or even acknowledging Jake's presence, Joseph wrapped his arm around Mia's shoulder and walked her toward the door so she wouldn't have a chance to realize Jake wasn't human. Being lycan, she had keen sense of smell and could possibly detect the scent of blood since he'd just fed. And just as he was hoping, she was so eager to go hunting for the vampire she didn't balk as he ushered her out of the room.

The last thing Joseph needed was for Mia to realize Jake was a vampire. Eventually he would tell her there were good vampires, but not while she was still suffering from morphine-induced bouts of rage. She really, really hated vampires. And poor Jake had been through a horrible ordeal. He didn't need to add having his ass kicked by a woman to his day.

### ~ Eight ~

JAKE STRETCHED OUT on the bed and gathered Lee Anne into his arms. It had been four days since Jeremy had injected tainted vampire blood into her system and three days since Jake had converted her. To make the process less traumatic, he's kept her in an unconscious state and used a compulsion to get her to consume large quantities of his blood on three separate occasions.

In all his existence, he'd never dreamt of finding true and lasting love because he'd never believed in it. His deep feelings for Lee Anne were a complete mystery to him. She was everything to him. His heart. His soul. His life. He would sacrifice anything to ensure her well-being and happiness.

He would never forget the night he'd found her, so cold and near death, after her car accident. He'd searched for hours before he'd found her. He'd watched over her for years, but it was the first time he'd ever physically touched her. He wasn't ever supposed to have physical contact with her. He'd always known handing her over to another man would be difficult, but when he picked her up in his arms and she looked up into his eyes, he knew he could never do it. It had just taken him a little while to come to terms with it.

For the moment, she was at peace. Until she was awake, he wouldn't know whether or not he'd managed to dilute the tainted blood enough to prevent her from being consumed with the urge to kill for blood. With her life at stake, he was naturally reluctant to wake her up, but he couldn't allow her to sleep any longer. No matter the outcome, it was time to move on.

Joseph had arrived yesterday to warn Jake that Jeremy was still a threat. Joseph planned to continue tracking Jeremy down, but the odds weren't in Joseph's favor because Jeremy had managed to consume a large quantity of Zack's blood and was utilizing ancient forms of Demetri's magic. The combination had made Jeremy far more powerful and elusive than any other vampire. It was only a matter of time before Jeremy showed up to seek more revenge, but that wasn't the greatest threat to Lee Anne.

Unless drastic measures were taken, keeping her safe would be impossible. Because of the discord Demetri's betrayal had caused among demons, some would not hesitate to kill her. Joseph advised Jake to move Lee Anne as far away from the area as possible. In fact, since Zack's blood remained very detectable in her system, Joseph offered to send them to the past.

Manipulating time was a nearly forgotten ability to most demons. Very few still possessed the power to do it, and the act was strictly forbidden. Unfortunately, going back in time to change something that had already happened wasn't simply forbidden; it was impossible. No one had ever really understood why, but whenever it had been attempted, disaster struck hard with vengeance. One way or another, even if Joseph went back before Lee Anne was poisoned and he killed Jeremy, Lee Ann's cruel fate would have its way with her.

When Jake questioned Joseph's willingness to go against the laws of his people, Joseph told him the one thing he'd learned from events such as Demetri's betrayal was that following the laws meant suicide. Jake knew it was true. It was a time of war. And because of their great power and strength, demons were naturally inclined to make up their own laws and protect whatever they held dear to them with deadly brute force in times of war.

Of course, if Jake's efforts to cleanse her blood hadn't worked, the question of whether they needed to hide in the past would be irrelevant. Taking a deep breath, Jake rose up on one elbow and looked down at Lee Anne's face. Gently sweeping silky stray strands of hair away from her face, he swallowed hard. He was so afraid of waking her, of discovering the tainted vampire blood had turned her into a sadistic killer. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful, so incredibly perfect in every way imaginable to him.

* * *

Jake's voice was a low, barely audible whisper in Lee Anne's mind. Darkness surrounded her, but it wasn't frightening at all. It was comforting. The thought of following him entered her mind, but it was nearly impossible to focus on the sound of his voice. It seemed so far away. Besides, returning to him meant returning to a world of excruciating pain. She could still remember the syringe piercing her skin and the terrible fire that spread through her entire body. She couldn't return to it. She wouldn't. Not even for him.

She turned away from the sound of his voice and moved further away from him, moved deeper into the darkness. But seemingly unwilling to allow her to go further away, he followed her. He was insistent. He was so demanding. He promised there would be no pain. His voice grew louder, more urgent. He kept calling out her name, attempting to coax her out of the darkness. A small part of her wanted to follow him, but she was reluctant to leave the place that brought her absolute comfort.

"I can't. Please, let me go, Jake," she whispered. But then, though she was so very afraid of the pain that awaited her, she found herself turning around and moving toward him. She couldn't stop. He kept calling out her name. She tried to stop, but she couldn't do it. It was his voice. She knew he was using a spell or a compulsion. It was impossible to defy.

His love curled around her and ignited a flame, a sweet, decadent fire that speared over her flesh. She was still surrounded by darkness, but she was skin to skin with Jake, submerged in his warmth. Bracing for the pain that was certain to take hold her body, she tensed. His body was wrapped around hers, and his arms held her close. She waited, but the pain didn't come.

She tried to open her eyes, but she couldn't find the strength. It didn't matter. She was safe. She was completely relaxed. So much more than ever before. She allowed herself to drift on a breeze of tranquility, listening to the sound of his heart beating, knowing it was carrying her closer to him.

Something was different. She was different. Her senses were heightened. Her hunger burned like never before. Her body was aroused and ached in ways she'd never experienced. She heard more than the whisper of wind outside. She heard the voices of people talking though she knew they were far away. And ... the clomping of a ... a horse? It was far off. It seemed to be fading, moving further away. And then, it was gone.

Her entire focus narrowed in on the sound of Jake's heart beating and the warm sensation of his body against hers. She snuggled up closer to him. His pulse was so erotic to her. It whispered to her, stirring her hunger for his blood to greater heights.

She breathed deeply, inhaling his masculine scent. She'd always loved to breathe in his scent, to fill her lungs with him, but now the pleasure of it was somehow so much more intense than ever before. She listened to his slow, steady breathing over her head and felt his heart beating against her cheek. Her need for him was so incredibly urgent; her thirst for his blood was a fiery need she had no choice but to quench. Her mouth watered. Her stomach twisted. Her muscles burned hotly with need, with hunger.

The truth hit her hard and fast: she was fantasizing about drinking his blood. She tried to yank herself out of his arms, but she found herself on her back, pinned beneath his weight, staring up at him. "Let me get up, Jake!"

"No." He smiled that slow, sexy smile that always wreaked such glorious havoc in her body and mind. She was on fire, burning up with such intense, pressing need.

"I'm serious," she insisted, even as she was arching her body into his. "You're in danger. Something is wrong with me."

Laughing softly, he framed her face between his hands and kissed the corner of his mouth. "Kiss me."

She felt a peculiar, powerful push in his voice. He was trying to get into her mind, and it was irritating the hell out of her. "No!" She shook her head. He didn't understand. He was in danger. How could she want to consume his blood? She was a monster. A vampire. Her breath caught in her throat.

* * *

Jake understood that she feared she would hurt him. He knew she was confused. But he'd never felt so much joy. It was obvious by her concern for him that the tainted blood hadn't destroyed her. He bent his head so the words were whispered against her throat. "What you're feeling is natural. You're not a monster, love. Far from it." And then he lifted his head and smiled widely, purposely allowing her to see his fangs as he swiped his tongue over them. "It's okay. I want you to hunger for my blood as I do for yours." His voice deepened.

"No," she whispered, eyes going wide, her gaze locked onto his fangs. "My head feels weird. I'm dizzy. Everything seems distant. Something inside me wants to kill you." Swallowing hard, she met his gaze. "What's wrong with me?"

"Your head feels strange because you're not breathing. Besides that there's absolutely nothing wrong with you, love."

Being so close to him, feeling his bare flesh against hers, was making her insane with lust. Not just lust. It was dark, savage hunger growing, consuming her senses fully and completely. Every inch of her skin and every cell in her body burned for his blood and his body.

He brushed a kiss on top of her head. "It never should've happened this way." He took a deep breath and released it with a sigh. "I know you're confused. You don't really want to hurt me."

Her head was pounding. She felt so irritable. Angry. Frustrated. "Really?" He thought she didn't want to hurt him, but she felt as if she were a wild, savage predator and he the prey she was seeking to devour. "Right now, I want to ... damn it, Jake. I want sink my teeth into you. I want to drink your blood."

He laughed softly. His reaction made her angrier. "That's not a bad thing to me." Smiling, his hand came up to sweep her hair from her face. "What else do you want from me, love?"

Lust washed over her in enormous waves, and she closed her eyes. She felt the heat and thickness of his cock pressed against the entrance of her body. "I want all of you. I want ... no." She opened her eyes to look up at him. Every muscle in her body ached for him. "I need all of you." She arched and wiggled her body against his so that the broad head of his cock was pressed more firmly against her. "I need to feel you deep inside my body." She was so hot, so wet with desperate need for him to fill her.

He bent his head so that she felt the heat of his breath on her breasts. "Since I'm having trouble understanding it, please tell me what part is supposed to hurt me." He gently bit her right nipple, and then he cupped her breast in his hand and swirled his tongue over her nipple before he drew it in his mouth to suckle on it.

"Oh, God, Jake." She tangled his hair in her fists. "You need to stop." She tried to pull him back even as she arched her body to offer her breast to him. She felt a low growl vibrate in his chest as he bit down on her nipple a little harder and then soothed the sting with a caress of his tongue. "I just told you that I'm fantasizing about drinking your blood." Despite the warmth of his body blanketing hers, she shivered.

He lifted his head and met her gaze. "I've been fantasizing about devouring your blood for a very long time." She heard the ring of truth in his voice. She saw it in his eyes.

He pressed into her, slowing stretching her. Her pulse quickened. She held her breath for a few seconds. She wanted him to take her blood. She let her breath out. "It's wrong." It was so against everything she'd ever known. And yet, she wanted him to take her blood.

"Not to me," he whispered as, legs trembling, she dug her nails in his ass and lifted her hips while he pushed his cock deeper inside her. "I'm a vampire, love. I've always needed blood to survive. And you're like me now. You need blood to survive, but you will never kill to get it."

"How can you be sure?"

"I will always, happily provide for you." His lips parted in a sensual smile. He looked so incredibly sexy. So naughty. "And I happen to be a very jealous man. I'm certain I could never deal with you nibbling on another man's neck."

He was teasing her. Well, maybe not. She didn't doubt he was serious.

Remaining completely silent, she stared into his eyes, turning his words over and over in her mind. He was a vampire. She was a vampire. Vampires consumed blood. The silence spread a long time. She knew he wasn't going to rush her. He'd always been patient with her. And now wasn't any different. He was waiting for her to embrace the wicked desires welling up in her.

She bit her lower lip hard. Wincing, she licked her lip and tasted blood. Shocking her, he dipped his head and lapped at it. Groaning, he suckled her lip. The thought of him tasting her blood and savoring it devoured her inhibitions and caused her hunger for his blood and his body to increase.

And yet, she didn't understand why, after spending so much time together, he was just now, after planning to hand her over to another man, deciding to want her as a lover. "Why are you doing this now, Jake?" Even if the truth hurt, she had to know. But she turned her head to escape his gaze.

"Look at me." She did. "I'm in love with you. I have always been and will always be in love with you, only you. I've always known it. I was being an idiot, Lee Anne." Tracing her lips with his finger, he sighed softly. "I've always known we belonged together. I've always known I could never hand you over to another man. I'm sorry it took so long for me to come to terms with it."

* * *

Just then it happened. He watched unfettered lust swell in her until it became her. He took a breath and held it. Her heart was pounding. His heart was pounding. Releasing his breath with a hiss, he focused on the intoxicating sound of her rapid pulse echoing in his head. His tension heightened. It stretched to a breaking point. His hunger grew sharply, quickly. He fought for control but lost the battle.

Gripping her hips, he thrust hard and deep. Throwing her head back, she screamed out his name as an orgasm ripped through her body. Her muscles tightened around him, gripping onto him. Never. Not once in his entire existence had he fought so hard to prevent himself from climaxing too soon. Buried deep inside her hot sheath, he froze, his muscles tensed to the point of pain with the effort it took to remain still. Because if he moved, if he even dared to take a breath, he was going to explode.

She writhed and bucked beneath him. He moved again, thrusting wildly, plunging deep. Wave after wave of raw lust washed over her, filled her. Her fingers dug into the muscled contours of his back. He was wild. He was so hard. So hot. So big. Stretching her. He was creating the most hot, scintillating friction. She was on the verge of another orgasm when his teeth scraped her neck. His lips and tongue teased her. She could feel the intensity of his need, thirst for her blood beating at her.

He lifted his head. "Look at me." He drove into her again and again. The raw lust in his darkening gaze caused her pulse to race. A small whimper escaped her throat. She tried, but she couldn't look away from his gaze. It truth, she didn't want to look away as he plunged into her again and again.

He was pushing her over the edge. She felt her mind, her soul shattering into tiny pieces. She really wanted to taste his blood. He leaned down and found her lips with his. Then, he was kissing her neck. She felt him in her mind. Her soul. She was in his. She knew he preparing to take her blood as he continued to slam deep inside her body.

There was a sudden, sharp pain on her neck that burst into mid-blowing pleasure. He was pumping into her. Fast. Hard. He was feasting on her blood. The orgasm that hit her was so beyond anything she'd ever imagined. She wanted his blood. She needed his blood. She was beyond thought. She felt his rock-hard, throbbing cock swell even more as he surged wildly into and her body convulsed around it.

* * *

Nothing compared to the sweet taste of her blood, to the experience taking it into his body. No other blood would ever satisfy him again. He now, for the first time, understood why mated couples only took blood from each other.

It hit him so hard and fast that it shook him to the core. Her body was squeezing, gripping his cock with a vengeance. An explosive orgasm like no other he'd ever experienced shook him as her sweet blood filled his mouth. There was no holding the orgasm back. His entire body shuddered from the pain and pleasure of it as it tore through his body.

He continued pumping his hips. With long, leisurely strokes, he made love to her as he held her gaze captive. He was so amazed by what had just happened. Perhaps, he thought, he was even in a state of shock. He'd experienced sex with women before, but he'd never experienced making love to his woman. Sex would never again be enough. Her hands, her fingers were touching him, tracing his muscles. His flesh was so ultra-sensitive to her touch. He'd never experienced anything like this. He couldn't believe he didn't know all along that they belonged together. So many years had been wasted.

She felt something stirring in her. It was like another being. It was violent. Ravenous. Uncontrollable. Her teeth ached. She felt the sharp point of fangs picking her cheeks. "Jake?"

"It's okay." He was still aching, still impossibly hard. No matter how many times he made love to her, he would never have enough. "Don't resist it, Lee Anne." He moved faster, thrusting his hips, building the momentum, creating more hot friction. "Embrace it."

"It's too intense. It's too uncontrollable."

"Intense is good." Slowing his movement, pumping his hips, creating just enough friction to make her want more, he cupped her breast and bent his head. "There's nothing wrong with intense." He swirled his tongue over her nipple. "Uncontrollable is also very good," he whispered against her breast before he kissed his way from her breast up her neck.

Making sure he stayed buried deep inside her body, he took her with him as he rolled over. His back against the headboard, he framed her face in his hands and kissed her briefly before he leaned his head back to expose his neck to her. He could easily put her under his control and force her to unknowingly take his blood. He'd already given her his blood to dilute the tainted blood several times as she remained unconscious, but he wanted ... no. He needed her to take it from him of her own free will.

She was already moving, riding his hard cock, taking pleasure in impaling herself again and again. The hunger was so intense in her that she couldn't deny it. Nuzzling his neck, she whispered his name in his ear. When the first touch of her lips caused his body to shudder, she was amazed that she could cause his body to react like that. She scraped her teeth back and forth over his skin. She kissed and licked his neck, teasing him, testing his reaction.

And then, unable to deny her thirst for his blood any longer, she buried her teeth deep. His hands griped her hips as he drove up into her hard and fast, over and over again. Moaning with pleasure, she drew his blood into her mouth. He tasted like hot, wild passion. She felt his power, his life, flowing into her, filling her. In that moment, she knew they were bound together. They were connected together as one for all of time. Another orgasm building, she rode his cock harder, faster, until they both reached the same glorious climax. Exhausted, they collapsed into each other's arms.

Watching Lee Anne sleep, Jake started to get worried. He had another big problem on his hands, and he wasn't sure how to handle it. Eventually, as it was only a matter of time before she left the room and figured it out, he needed to explain to her that they were now living in the 1600s. It was sure to upset her even though it was only for a year and he'd made the decision for her own good. She was modern woman with a love for modern-day technology.

Well, then ... he blanketed her body with his ... he would just have to do his best to keep her in the room for as long as possible.

### Here's a free excerpt of the first book in this series:

Eternal Breath of Darkness

### ~ One ~

TAKING A DEEP breath, savoring the sweetness of her lingering scent, Haden Drake watched Caylee Adams walk toward Mia's Clothing Boutique. He shifted, repositioning the seam of his pants, attempting to lessen the terrible ache that was becoming his most loyal, frustrating as hell companion. There was a small chance his attempt to get a little more comfortable would've worked if she hadn't dropped her phone and bent over to pick it up. Shuddering, he uttered a curse, his cock swelling until it was impossibly hard, nearly bursting out of his pants. She was sexy in anything, but nothing compared to the way the worn fabric of those tight, low-rise jeans hugged her ass at that moment.

He, a demon, was the furthest thing from a saint, and pretending to be one was no longer an option. For a year he'd battled against his powerful, volatile sex drive, but day after day the torment of wanting her and not having her had been building into a fierce, unstoppable storm of raw lust. Every night he dreamed of her writhing beneath him, calling out his name in sheer ecstasy as he plunged deep inside the tight, silky heat of her body. She wasn't ready for him to stake his claim on her, but the season for moving slowly, seducing her gently, was long gone. Despite his great power, he was utterly powerless to deny his insatiable hunger for her any longer.

Just before entering the boutique, she glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him. It was a naughty, wickedly sexy smile. If he didn't know her better, he would've thought she'd purposely bent over to torment him. Had she? Rejecting the thought, he shook his head. "Nah." Teasing wasn't her style. Once she was out of sight, he was unable shake the feeling something wasn't quite right. Every second that went by the feeling of uneasiness increased in him so much that his centuries-learned ability to remain absolutely calm under pressure failed. It was her smile. Something about it was raising a red flag. He would never admit it, but the moment she turned to smile at him, chasing after her was inevitable.

While getting out of the car he tried to merge his mind with hers, but she was blocking him. He could easily use more force to penetrate the barrier, but he wouldn't do it. Not yet anyways. He would if it proved necessary, but for now, knowing it would cause her pain, he decided to wait.

A terrible, should've known better feeling churning in his gut, he approached the boutique, hoping she was inside. He really wished she wasn't so skilled at blocking him. She was uncomfortable with his ability to touch her mind at will so he permitted her to build a wall to keep him out. Hindsight was a particularly brutal thorn in his ass. He was an idiot for allowing her wall to become so solid the only way to get through it was to cause her pain.

Taking a deep breath, he released it with a frustrated groan as he entered the building.

"Well, Mr. Slick, it definitely took you long enough to figure it out." Mia approached from behind.

Her sharp voice slicing deep gouges into Haden's skull, he cringed as he slowly turned toward her. His eyes brows drawn together, he flashed her an uneasy smile. "Hello, Mia." The instant he saw the wicked look in her eyes, his heart stopped. "Where's Caylee?"

"Oh, I get it." Hands on her hips, Mia narrowed her gaze on him. "It's a man thing. You couldn't possibly comprehend what has just happened without further explanation. Oh my, you poor, miserable boy. There's no reason to pout. It's your lucky day. I just happen to be feeling quite charitable."

He suppressed the urge to growl. She was smiling too sweetly, showing way too much teeth for any demon's liking. The woman was a wolf. Literally. She was lycan, though she didn't know it. She had been orphaned at young age and raised in foster homes and eventually group homes. He wasn't sure why, but the true essence of her wolf remained dormant. However, when she was riled, the temperament of the wolf was always present. She never hesitated to follow through with a bite after baring her teeth.

"She ditched your pathetic ass," she whispered.

"What?" Things like this didn't happen to him. "No." He was a powerful, immortal warrior. "No." He was a demon, a master of deception. "No." He'd live too many lifetimes, acquired too much knowledge to be so easily duped. "Where's Caylee?" It was joke. She was hiding somewhere, having a good laugh at his expense. Laughing was good. It was great. But enough was enough. Feeling uncharacteristically bewildered, he glanced around. Spotting the dressing room area, deciding it was a perfect hiding place, he walked toward it.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing? Don't you dare open that door." Mia followed him. "You're going to scare the hell out of my customers." She grabbed his arm and yanked it as hard as she could. "She isn't here."

Turning, he glared at her. "Where is she?"

Mia glared right back at him. "She ... ditched ... your ... pathetic ... ass." She smiled, lifting her chin defiantly, obviously enjoying the moment. "Was that clear enough for you? If not, I'm sure that I could look around and find some crayons to draw you a picture."

"Why?" Nah. It was much more than enjoying the moment. She was clearly savoring it.

"Why do you think?" Snorting indignantly, she glanced down at his groin. "You haven't even tried to make it worth the aggravation you put her through day and night. Try using the most valuable tool God gave your gender." Smirking, she shrugged. "Maybe, and, yes, I know it's a highly unlikely maybe, if you manage to use it correctly she'll learn to look beyond the fact you're a seriously flawed, arrogant bastard."

Fists clenched at his sides, Haden nodded. Yep. The woman was a wolf. Rather than bite and release, she clamped down to bury teeth bone-deep to rip and devour. She clearly had some really messed-up, unresolved issues with men. He wanted to strangle her, but unfortunately, no matter how infuriating women happened to be, he never strangled them. He was a demon of great strength, integrity and valor. A warrior. A guardian. Demons like him didn't strangle women. Not even if they were lycan. Grumbling, because it was the only thing he could do, he turned to walk away.

"Leave her alone, Haden." She managed to get in front of him, using her body to prevent him from leaving. "I'm serious. You can't continue whatever sick game you're playing with her. It's wrong, and you know it is."

He stared down at her. "What are you talking about?" Wonderful. She was willing to take him on to protect Caylee. Now, despite the fact she irritated the hell out of him, he actually respected the woman.

"Look, Haden, it's totally cool if you're gay. It's not a big deal. Really, it isn't. I swear. Just be honest with Caylee. Introduce her to your lover. You can still be her friend." She shrugged. "Unless—" She tilted her head to the side. "—your lover boy is the controlling, jealous type and he doesn't allow you to engage in other relationships."

"Huh?" His jaw dropped. "Caylee thinks I'm gay?"

"No," she lied. Smiling, she softened her expression, attempting to use kindness to manipulate him into continuing the conversation. "That's my assumption," she lied again. "You're a very wealthy man. You're not all that hard on the eyes. You're always clinging to Caylee. I've never seen you give any other woman a second glance. And, here's the big one—you've never tried to get down her pants. Oh, and don't try to lie to me about it—she would've told me. She always shares her greatest disappointments with me." She waited for a few seconds, but he didn't respond. "Look, I don't have all day to play games with you. Just tell me the truth, are you gay or not?"

Haden really wished he didn't know Mia was lying. He didn't even want to consider the possibility Caylee believed he was gay. For the first time ever, he truly regretted having the ability to hear the thoughts of another person. A few women, peeking at them from behind a manikin, giggled and whispered to each other. He glanced over at them and then, shaking his head, he looked down at Mia. "No."

"Oh crap. It figures. She won another one." She waved a twenty-dollar bill in his face. "You know, I'm starting to think it's time to take that girl to Vegas. Well anyways, give this to her when you catch up to her." Dismissing him, she turned and walked away.

The moment Haden stepped out of the boutique he tried to call Caylee, but her phone was turned off. Driving to the secluded trails where she jogged, he reviewed everything that had happened. Fearing for her safety, he'd told her to stay out of forest. As expected, she refused to listen. She loved using the scenic trails to jog in the afternoon. He was ready for the argument, ready to win. He'd offered to jog with her. How could she refuse? And, she didn't. She looked up at him with the mysterious, sexy smile that always heated his blood and wreaked havoc in his body, and she agreed.

Caylee _smirked_ at him, Haden suddenly realized. She wasn't teasing him. Opening the door to the boutique, she'd glanced over her shoulder to smirk at him. She was flipping him the bird in her own special way. He would've known it if he hadn't been obsessing over her ass. Accelerating through the last curve, pushing the car to its limits, he punched the dash with so much force he left an impression of his fist in it. If she were anyone else, he would've happily abandoned her. He sure as hell wouldn't be chasing after her to protect her, completely helpless to do anything else.

Throwing gravel, he sped into the parking lot and slammed on the brakes. Sliding sideways, the car abruptly stopped when the rear end crashed against a boulder. From time to time, she accused him of being a control freak. To be fair, he was a bit overly protective of her, but he wasn't a control freak. His behavior wasn't due to a lack of respect for her. It was his responsibility, his right to ensure her survival. If she would just be honest with herself, she would accept the fact she didn't always make the best decisions. It wasn't her fault. Not really. She was a woman. Women needed men to lead them. Women commonly made bad decisions based on overly sensitive emotions. It was a hormone thing. Hopefully she would eventually learn to rely solely on his flawless wisdom. It would sure as hell make life a whole lot easier.

He opened the car door and stepped out. Hoping to find her more quickly, he checked his phone, just in case she'd left a message. "Of course not," he growled, clenching his fist, crushing the phone. "Why make anything easier?" The woman was stubborn as hell. He had until the end of time to train her, but deep down in his heart he knew it wouldn't be long enough for him to teach her to submit.

There were miles of trails in every direction, and he needed to find her now. He never should've let her out of his sight. Slamming the car door, he moved quickly, allowing his finely honed tracking skills to lead him. The warm, muggy air reeked of old blood and decayed flesh. Surely, despite being human, she could smell it, couldn't she? He grumbled unintelligibly; questioning her ability to detect the presence of danger was senseless. It was his responsibility to guide and protect her. What pissed him off was that he'd told her to stay out of the forest and now, deliberately defying him, she was jogging directly into the path of a vicious predator.

Haden stopped. The vampire was hunting. Swinging his head to the left, he clenched his jaw, drawing his lips back in a soundless snarl. All senses on alert, he scanned the ever-darkening interior of the forest. Standing completely still, he was silent, barely even breathing, focusing on the vampire, studying the creature's venomous thoughts. He felt the ferocious, relentless thirst for blood driving it far beyond a state of madness. He felt its depraved anticipation for the kill.

Then, Haden saw the vampire's intended prey.

"Caylee."

Absolute fury welled up, stirring the deepest, darkest portion of his essence, the dragon, the living force of destruction feared by even the most powerful, deadly immortals. A deep, ominous growl, a promise of swift, violent retribution to the undead pursuing her, rumbled in his throat as he expanded his mind to pinpoint her exact location. But he felt nothing. No hint of her location.

Terror instantly replaced fury. It slammed into him so hard and so quickly that he did what a fearless, unfaltering immortal never resorted to doing: he panicked. Heart pounding, he took to the sky, ripping the atmosphere apart, creating a thunderous boom while an enormous mass of black, swirling clouds that completely covered the sun hid his ascent. As he traveled with supernatural speed, he covered her with a hedge of protection, but he quickly realized that he still didn't know where she was. His heart stopped. With his enormous power and strength, he'd never experienced fear or doubt in his ability to defeat adversity of any kind. But now with her life in jeopardy, fearing he wouldn't reach her in time, he froze.

While he plummeted toward the ground, lightning exploded all around, violently crisscrossing the sky. He landed hard, jarring his bones, but ignoring the pain he remained on his feet. Lifting his face to the heavens, he closed his eyes and expanded his mind to search for her. _Caylee, where are you?_ Normally, nothing ever rattled him to the core. He was utterly unshakable, but not now. _Show me!_ He didn't have the strength to wait for her to answer or to willingly open her mind to him. Sending forth a brutal current of power, he forced his way into her mind.

Fully merging his mind with hers, Haden was able to see through her eyes. She was scared out of her mind, but she was safe and would remain safe as long as he reached her before the vampire breached the hedge of protection surrounding her. He should've felt some relief, but he didn't. As a demon, he was far more powerful than the undead, but with her life a stake it didn't matter. _You're safe, Caylee._

* * *

Looking down at her foot, Caylee wiggled her toes. "Shit. Shit. Shit." She yanked on her foot, but it was too tightly wedged between tree roots to move it very much at all. "Oh, God." She had always joked about having the worst luck, but suddenly, thanks to the fact that Haden's bossy nature had finally pushed her too far, her lack of good fortune was no joking matter.

Okay. In all honesty, it wasn't Haden's fault. Not really. Sexual frustration was to blame. He wouldn't have the ability to irritate her so easily if she hadn't allowed her secret crush on him to spiral out of control. It wasn't his fault that she'd entertained countless sexual fantasies about him. During the past year, he'd never even pretended to be interested in more than a platonic friendship. He'd always, despite his habit of continually being present and bossing her around, behaved like a perfect gentleman.

He was a good friend. Besides Mia, he was her best friend. It wasn't fair, but his willingness to share a long-term platonic friendship with her was what irritated her the most. She craved so much more with him, but it wasn't an option. She'd suffered a horrifying, violent attack, and now she hated to be touched, so she hadn't exactly tried to seduce him, to act on her fantasies. Besides, she was fairly certain he was gay. He never dated. In fact, he never so much as even gave any woman a second glance.

Still, it wasn't his fault that she'd been too busy wondering how long he'd taken to realize she'd given him the slip to watch where she was putting her feet. She'd veered off the edge of the trail, stumbled, and somehow ended up with her foot wedged in the roots of a tree.

Caylee turned her head to look for a stick to use to pry apart the roots. She blinked. "No." Eyes wide, she stared in disbelief. "Oh, no."

She had never, not even in her worst nightmare, imagined anything so gruesome. There was so much blood. It was everywhere. The woman's throat was ripped out, her mouth gaped in a silent cry for help, and her lifeless eyes, opened wide, mirrored the terrible pain and suffering of a death that refused to come quickly. Screaming was Caylee's first urge, but she knew that making her presence known was the worst thing she could do.

She desperately wanted to look away from the carnage, but she couldn't even blink. She tried to take a breath, but the stench in the air was so bad her throat was swollen shut. How hadn't she noticed it before?

Gasping for air, she clutched her chest. It felt tight. It was worse than uncomfortable. It was extremely painful. Her heart raced far too quickly, pushing adrenaline through her bloodstream, causing her entire body to shake. Feeling the sharp pain of Haden's sudden intrusion in her mind, she winced, but she was too frightened to recognize his presence or to hear his voice. She needed to get away! She needed to run! She tried to stand up, but since her foot was stuck she fell back onto her butt.

Her vision narrowed and darkened. She tried to pull her foot out, but it was no use. Her head was spinning. If she ran, her foot wasn't going with her. Of course, leaving it behind wasn't feasible. She was having a panic attack. She needed to calm. She needed to think. It was easier said than done, but it was the only way she would have any hope of coming up with a plan.

Within seconds, she heard Haden's voice. She felt his presence enveloping her, surrounding her with protection and warmth. But it didn't really make her feel better. She knew he wasn't really there with her. In fact, she sensed he wasn't close at all. She knew he was able to use spells to create illusions, but an illusion of safety wasn't what she needed. Haden planned to use a spell to hide the dead body from her, but he needed to take her focus off it or it wouldn't work. _Listen to me, little love. I want you to close your eyes and take a breath._

His voice was only a whisper, but it was a powerful command that forced her eyes to close, allowing her to escape the grisly sight. But dreading the thought of inhaling the stench of death, she struggled against the command to breathe. Panicking, she started to choke.

_Please, Caylee, do not panic._ Her fear pierced his heart so deeply that it was making him insane. He was moving faster than ever before, faster than he ever thought possible, but it wasn't fast enough.

_The air surrounding you is pure. Just breathe, little love. I'm so very close to you now._ But not nearly close enough. Driven by ancient, savage instincts to protect her at any cost, he wouldn't be close enough until he destroyed the vampire and she was safe in his arms.

Believing Haden didn't understand, Caylee continued to panic. The air wasn't pure. The stench of decayed flesh was so strong she could taste it. Stomach rolling, mouthwatering, she struggled to hold her breath.

Breathe.

His voice was a whisper, but it was so powerful there was no fighting his command this time. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with his familiar scent. And just like that, defying the physical distance between them, she felt his strong arms holding her, protecting her.

That's it, little love—just keep breathing.

Knowing he was so close was comforting until she realized his voice was way too calm considering the situation. He couldn't fool her. She wasn't stupid. She knew he was mad. She'd ditched him to teach him a lesson in manners. Sneaking out the backdoor, she'd left him sitting in his car in front of her best friend's clothing boutique. It seemed like such a great idea at the time. Frowning, she bit her lower lip. It didn't seem like such a great idea now. She didn't want him to find her. Putting him in his place, challenging his self-proclaimed dictatorship over her every move was a great stress reliever and a distraction from what she really wanted to do to him. But she'd never pushed him this far before.

She considered trying to hide from him. She was a strong woman. She didn't need him. She could pull herself together and get out of the mess on her own. _If it makes you feel better, feel free to try to hide, but it isn't happening._ She looked down at her foot and rolled her eyes. He was right. She wasn't going anywhere. She looked over at the woman's remains, but there was a barrier hiding it. Still, she knew what was behind the wall of strange black and silver flames. She wouldn't even try to hide. Regardless of his mood, she didn't want to be alone any longer.

* * *

Lured by Caylee's mouth-watering scent, Paul was backtracking, returning to where he'd left the body of his last female victim. Cursed for all of eternity, he would never experience the peace of true contentment. His body would always crave more, need more, demand more. He was a vampire, a monstrous creature, a loveless, soulless, living corpse suffering the agony of a perpetual thirst for human blood.

Recalling his previous killing, knowing he would soon kill again, gave Paul the most perverse joy any being would ever experience. Groaning aloud, he clutched his chest, taking great pleasure in the fact that the blood of his last victim sustained his corrupt heart. Oh yes, nothing was more magnificent than the ecstasy of ripping a screaming woman's flesh to shreds and consuming every last savory drop of her blood. Lifting his head, he breathed deeply through his nostrils, inhaling the scent of his new quarry. It wouldn't be long. She was less than a mile away. Soon, he would taste the sweet, exhilarating fear in her blood.

Hearing Haden and feeling a surge of power, Paul stopped. There was no missing the fact that a demon was on the move. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply through his nostrils. Immediately recognizing Haden's scent, Paul opened his eyes. He'd gone to great lengths to avoid the demon for days. Paul smiled. It didn't matter. Thanks to his supply of ancient demonic powers and abilities, Paul was confident he was considerably stronger than most vampires and able to hold his own in any fight against any demon. Besides, Haden was moving away from the area, and he was nowhere near the woman. There would likely be no need to fight. He would have more than enough time to drain her blood and leave the area long before the demon was able to interfere.

Paul was about to attack Caylee, but he hesitated. Lifting his face, he studied the stormy sky. Something was off-kilter. Haden seemed to be moving away quickly. Too quickly. It was as if the demon didn't know a vampire was in the area. It was a trick. Perhaps it was a trap. Haden was an ancient. There was no way he'd overlooked the fact that a vampire was in the area hunting. Demons never allowed vampires to hunt in peace. Cloaking his presence from Haden, a feat very few of his kind could perform, Paul waited to see what his enemy was really doing.

About Candice Stauffer

I live in Zeeland, Michigan, where half the year is winter and the other, much shorter half, is summer. It's a wonderful place to live as long as you own a four-wheel drive vehicle and happen to get a kick out of measuring the snowfall in feet rather than inches.

I write paranormal romance because I love to explore and manipulate the limitless possibilities of the genre. To be completely honest, I'm also very fond of taking a totally hot, powerful, immortal hero and using a strong, confident, beautiful heroine to turn his world upside down and make him fight like hell for a victory that seems impossible to achieve. Some might call it torture. I call it entertainment and character building. Regardless, it's great fun!

I have a strong aversion for helpless heroines. Though she's afraid, a heroine must always be willing to fight like hell—and, yes, even if the fighting is against the hero. I'm not sure why, but I tend to really enjoy it when the heroine fights against the hero. Putting a hero through the wringer builds personality, right?

I'm often accused of being a little bit naughtier than nice and slightly rough around the edges. Okay, I lied—very rough around the edges. Life has been a challenge. But I'm grateful for every challenge I've faced. Through them, I've learned to focus on the goal rather than the walls surrounding it. Basically, I figure that as long as I enjoy life and do all I can to encourage and help the people around me enjoy life, it's all good.

To find out more about me, please visit my website:

http://www.candicestaufferparanormalromanceauthor.com.

And for the latest news, check out my Facebook page:

 http://www.facebook.com/pages/CandiceStauffer-Paranormal-Romance-Author/135025903252623.

Discover other titles by Candice at Smashwords.com:

_Eternal Breath of Darkness_ – <http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/92940>

