“Taylor said his name was Roderick,” Isaid.
Corbin nodded. “Yes, that’s the one. When hecomes to me I must either flatter him with gifts or impress himwith a display of my strength. Otherwise, he will think me weak andineffective and attempt to have me replaced.”
“I can’t imagine that’s ever been a problemfor you,” I said dryly.
He grinned. “No. But one gets tired of doingthe same old thing, year after year. This year I think a moresubtle display is in order.”
“What are you thinking of doing?” I askedwarily. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like his idea, whateverit was.
“I am thinking that nothing would be moreimpressive than to have a non-glam human Auditor as myconsort.”
“So…you want me to pretend to be yourdate?”
“My lover.” Corbin’s silver-blue eyes werehooded. “And you would have to play the part very…very well.If the Inquisitor suspects that I am attempting to deceive him, theconsequences would be…unpleasant to say the least.”
“So I have to—what? Hang on your arm,pretend to be all lovey-dovey?” I was beginning to feel cautiouslyoptimistic. This actually sounded doable—a lot more doable thanhaving sex with a vampire, anyway.
Corbin seemed to catch my relief because hefrowned. “I am afraid this will be a little more involved than youseem to think.” He stood up from the edge of the desk and reachedfor me. I stepped back by instinct and he shook his head. “First,you must not flinch from my touch. You will have to get used to myhands on your body, my mouth on yours.” He reached for me again andpulled me up against the hard planes of his chest. Then he kissedme.
It had been a long time since I’d lockedlips with anyone and I have to be honest—it was good. Damngood. Maybe because he’d had centuries of practice kissing or maybebecause of the little thrill of danger that ran through me when hetook me in his arms. He could break me in half with less effortthan it would take me to break a pencil. But though I could feelhis immense strength in the tension of his big body he wasgentle—even tender.
I was tense in his arms at first—nervous anduncertain. But despite my hostility for Corbin, there was nodenying that he was hot. Against my will, I felt myself melting andeven kissing him back a little. But when one of his needle-sharpfangs nicked my lower lip, I pulled back abruptly.
“Ouch!”
“My apologies.” His voice was even deeperthan usual and his pupils were dilated, the black eating thesilver-blue of his irises.
I touched a finger to my hurt lip and itcame back with a red smudge. It was a damn good thing we hadn’tbeen doing anything more sexual than kissing or there might havebeen trouble. I didn’t care how much Corbin talked about hisself-control, there was no way I wanted to be with a vampire whowas feeling the urge to feed and the urge to fuck at the sametime.
“I’m bleeding,” I said.
“I know.” He took my hand in his and suckedmy finger into his mouth. I felt his tongue, warm and wet, lapgently against my fingertip. Shivering, I pulled my hand away.
“Your blood is sweet. Youtaste…innocent.”
I frowned. “I’m not a virgin if that’s whatyou’re implying, so don’t get your hopes up.”
“No, but you have not often known thepleasure of a man’s body against your own.”
Speaking of which, I could feel somethinghard pressing insistently against my thigh. I looked up at him.“And this is different from having sex with you how?”
“Not as much penetration.” He smiled down atme, showing his fangs. “Although I may need to bite you again infront of the Inquisitor to prove my ownership.”
“Ownership? Now wait a minute!” I tried topush away from his chest but he held me close, not letting me go.“Nobody said anything about you owning me,” I said angrily.
“Of course not,” he said smoothly. “But theInquisitor must believe that I own you—body and soul. And ifhe believes I am also able to glamour you, so much the better.”
“But you can’t,” I pointed out. “I’m anon-glam. I have resistance.”
“You have a natural shield around your mindthat most humans do not,” Corbin said. “But shields may be letdown…or penetrated.”
“I’m not letting you inside my mind,” Isaid, pushing against his chest again. “That’s a deal breaker.”
This time Corbin let me go but he continuedto pin me with his intense gaze. “What are you afraid of, Addison?That if you let me in and came to know me intimately, you mightbegin to feel something for me?”
“Hardly.” I straightened my jacket andreached up to smooth my hair. “I just don’t want a vamp inside myhead. I’m not about to become your puppet or one of those patheticglam-sex addicts you have panting outside the doors of your clubevery night.”
“Those who become addicted to what we canprovide have a weakness in their soul. The same weakness that mightlead them to become addicted to any other pleasurable activity.Drinking. Smoking. Physical sex. You, my darling, have no suchweaknesses. You are one of the strongest humans I have evermet.”
“Thanks. And I’d like to stay that way.” Ishook my head. “I’m serious, you can pretend to glamour meif you want but I’m not actually going to let you do it. Lettingthe Area Inquisitor think you can get into my mind will haveto be good enough.”
Corbin frowned. “All right, we will tablethis issue for now though I may want to return to it later.However, there is one point on which I must insist.”
“What?” I asked nervously, wondering what hewanted now.
“I must heal the scars on your arms. Takeoff your jacket and roll up your sleeves.” He gestured at meimpatiently. “Now.”
“Why?” I asked, reluctant to show even alittle skin in his presence.
Corbin sighed. “Because in my world, leavingsuch scars on one’s consort is the mark of either sadism or extremeineptitude. I do not wish to be thought either a bumbling fool or asavage.”
“Why can’t you just say that someone elsebit me?” I asked.
He gave me a dark look. “Because if you weretruly
