“You’re so tall,” she mumbled, her eyes fixated on his mouth. Then she stood on her toes and pressed her mouth against his.

She wanted to lean up and curl her hands around his neck, feel his hair in her hands, but she had to keep her grip on his jacket. She could feel him struggling to pull away. But where he had speed, she had strength. Still the thought wiggled in the back of her mind that he was letting her win. The thought made her smile against his lips.

She angled her head on a sigh and thrust her tongue inside. The kiss made her warm and fuzzy, body alert and tense, coiled. He never kissed her back. Well if that didn’t just kill the passion. She pulled back with a pout.

“No fair, vampire. I want a kiss.”

“And you got it.” His voice was hoarse, strained.

She knew she was whining but she couldn’t help it. He just kissed so good. “But that’s not the kind of kiss I want.”

He shut his eyes, his jaw sliding slowly left then right.

“Then I’m going to show you the kind of kiss I want.”

She had only a moment to contemplate that before he pushed her back against the car and really kissed her. No bars, no holds, no restraints. He kissed as if he’d die if he didn’t kiss her .

He thrust his tongue inside and took her mouth with dominating passion that left her body yearning for more.

His hands grabbed the edge of her dress and pushed it up. Panic and excitement flared inside her. Was he really going to go through with his promise—to take her in the parking lot?

Before she could even ponder if she was ready for that—he dropped to his knees before her.

“Oh,” she said dumbly as his hands pushed her legs apart and ran up her hips.

Bare skin to bare skin, the touch was pure ecstasy. He lifted her dress with a flick of his wrist and found her black silk panties. He made a gruff noise that made her breath catch. Was he really going to—?

He kissed her over the meager silk barrier and she gasped, head falling back against the car. Her anxious hands bunched against his shoulders for support or else she might slide down into a puddle of mush on the ground.

In jerky movements, he yanked the scrap of silk down to her thighs and bared her sex to him. A blush crept over her cheeks and she couldn’t look at him as he saw her for the first time.

The first touch seemed to come forever later. She stood there, tense with anticipation when it finally came.

“Ti takaya kraslvaya. ”

She had no idea what the words meant, but they were hoarse and pain-filled.

His tongue touched her. Hands squeezed her thighs, keeping her open for him, as his tongue tasted her aching sex.

“Dmetri.”

She was helpless, left to hold onto him as he found her bud and worked it with soft flicks.

It wasn’t a slow build, but a quick burn like lighter fluid thrown on a fire. His tongue took her up, made it difficult to breathe as her body tightened almost painfully. Her hips rocked against him and she didn’t know if he groaned or she did. She was going to fly apart and he’d be left to pick up all the pieces.

Her breath caught as a finger trailed around her wet entrance where she was empty inside.

He lingered there, his tongue working her, and then slowly started to push in.

He didn’t make it in far before she was shuddering hard, breathing in harsh gasps as her body coiled hard one last time then exploded. Hot, her body burned like fire as waves shot through her core. She moaned, one long note as he held her suspended in bliss.

And then she came back down to earth, her body feeling so heavy she wanted to fall to the ground and lie there. But his hands curled around her hips, holding her up.

She slowly caught her breath and opened her eyes to look at him. His face was buried in her thigh, shoulders hunched. His hands grabbed her panties and she saw them tremble as he pulled them back up her legs. He pulled back and her dress fell back in place.

He kept his face averted, his long hair masking it.

“Dmetri...”

Frowning, she leaned down and parted the hair away from his face. What she saw took her breath away. Agony.

Eyes squeezed shut, lips planted together; he let out a long shuddering breath, standing slowly as if it pained him to move. Her eyes fell to the bulge in his expensive trousers and she had no doubt that big boy hurt him. She moved to touch him but his eyes shot open and he shook his head hard.

“Don’t.”

“I’d be more than happy to—”

His eyes closed again in agony and he reached down to grasp his cock through his trousers. “Nyet.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask why when suddenly he stiffened, eyes going wide and alert, the erection completely forgotten.

“Get in the car,” he said quietly but with enough force that she looked around the parking lot for some kind of threat. “Now.”

She hurried around and got in the car. Her heart thundered but as she looked behind the car and around the parking lot, she saw nothing.

One second he was standing there and in the next, he was flying through the air in a blur.

She was reaching for the door handle in the next second. Grunts and the sound of flesh hitting flesh beat against her eardrums as she ran to him.

Another man was on top of him with wide, manic eyes, hands clenched around Dmetri’s throat. Not a man, she realized, a vampire.

“Stop it!” The scream had the vampire whipping his head around, the grip on Dmetri’s throat tightening.

“Get out of here,” Dmetri said hoarsely.

The other vampire grinned but his eyes were wild, crazy. “Do stay. I’d like a dessert when I’m through with him.”

Dmetri rolled his eyes and then struck the vampire in the face. He lost his grip on Dmetri and they rolled on the ground exchanging hard, powerful blows that left her flinching.

“Leave!” Dmetri roared.

Shaking, she ran to the car and got in. Her hands shook as she searched for the keys, though it didn’t help that her eyes couldn’t stay away from the fight. The vampire pulled out a blade and landed it deep in Dmetri’s thigh. Dmetri let out a cry and then threw the vampire off.

He landed hard against the restaurant, rubble and concrete falling around him as he slid to the ground.

“Dmetri get in!” she yelled as she found the keys still hanging in the door. She turned the key in the ignition, starting it with a soft purr.

He looked at her and rolled his eyes—again. “I said get out of here. Now!” When his eyes settled on her, she saw the genuine fear in them...for her. Her heart stuttered in her chest, but she put the car in drive and sped off—without him.

Her short legs barely reached the peddles but she made it all the way to the pack in one piece. She fell apart when she saw Gerry and told him everything that happened. When she told him he had to send help, he only shook his head.

“I can’t do that. It’s a vampire fight and we have no business getting in between that.” Christine’s hand shook with the urge to slap him. She curled it into a fist instead. “What if that’s the Justicar business he’s here for. It has to be.” Gerry frowned but slowly shook his head. “Then I hope he kills him and be done with this.”

Christine growled in frustration and got back in the car. She drove to her house and sat there for a minute before she thought better of it and went to Dmetri’s cabin. She’d wait for him there, that’s what she’d do.

She turned off the car and waited.

Dmetri took a hit so hard to his head he felt his teeth crack and his brain swish around in his skull.

“You’re a fucking ass, Claude.”

The vampire grinned like a fool and came at him with bared fangs. Dmetri landed a solid kick to his chest and then laid into him with a flurry of swift punches and jabs. He heard bone crack and satisfaction filled him like tasty blood.