“Look, just because it felt good when youhealed me doesn’t mean we’re soul mates. Now can we get on withthis?”
Corbin sighed, looking more exasperated thanI’d ever seen him. “Why must you be so stubborn? I need everyminute of my four centuries of patience to deal with yousometimes.”
I didn’t know what to say to that so I justheld out my other wrist. “Do you want to do this one too? If not, Ican go now.”
His eyes flashed. “Oh no, my darling. Youaren’t going anywhere. It is almost dusk and you are coming with meto rescue your stupid little friend from Celeste. I want you toknow just how much trouble you are causing in case you’re temptedto forget our bargain.”
“I wouldn’t back out of our deal,” I said,stung by his implication.
“I didn’t say that you would. But I haveseen for myself how willfully blind you can be when the occasionsuits you. I think you need to meet the Area Inquisitor firsthandto have an idea of what is at stake. No pun intended.”
“Very funny,” I muttered, irritated. Damnit, I had the right to stand up for myself and deny this supposedconnection he was saying we had! So why did I feel like a sullenlittle girl when I did just that?
“Let me heal your other wrist,” he said.“And then we must hurry if we wish to catch Celeste before she goesout for the night.” He eyed my sober black pants suit. “It is agreat pity we don’t have time to change you into something moreappropriate.”
“What do you mean? Look at how you’redressed,” I said, gesturing to his olive green t-shirt and jeans.“You’re not exactly wearing a tie and tails.”
“I have no need to dress for the occasion.My consort, however, must be resplendent at all times.” He shookhis head. “Never mind. We will see to getting you a new wardrobesoon.”
I opened my mouth to protest but by then hewas already licking my other wrist and sending warm sparks ofdesire through my entire body. God, how could I stand it? I triednot to fidget but I couldn’t stop myself from pressing my legstogether, as though by keeping them tightly closed I could stop therush of sensation that made my pussy wet. I thought at one pointthat I couldn’t get any wetter if his tongue was actually betweenmy legs instead of on my wrist. But that thought and theaccompanying mental image made me blush so hard I felt dizzy and Iquickly pushed it away.
Corbin must really have been in a hurry orelse my second wrist wasn’t as scarred as the first. For whateverreason, it didn’t seem to take as long this time, which was a bigrelief to me.
“There,” he said finally, lifting his mouthfrom my arm. “All better?”
“Yes. Thank you,” I made myself say. I triedto look him in the eye but I couldn’t quite manage it. My nippleswere aching to be touched…to be sucked. And my pussy was so wet andready my clit was throbbing like a second heartbeat.
“You are very welcome, Addison,” Corbinmurmured. “Now, is there any place else you are in need ofhealing?”
I thought of the inner bend of my elbowwhere Taylor had bitten me just the night before. It was still redand raw and painful, almost as though I’d been bitten by an animalinstead of my friend. Not that it was her fault. I opened my mouthto tell Corbin about the fresher wound and closed it again. Icouldn’t have his mouth on me anymore tonight. Not if I didn’t wantto embarrass myself by coming right in front of him.
“Addison?” he asked again, frowning and Irealized I’d been taking too long to answer his question.
“Uh, no. No, that’s it for scars,” I said,which was technically the truth. I’d only recently had Taylor startusing the inside of my elbows because the much-abused veins in mywrist were getting too hard to find, so there weren’t really anyscars there yet.
He looked at me for a moment more and thennodded. “All right, then. Let’s go. I want to surprise Celeste whenshe is just waking up.”
I followed him out of the office and intothe purple Tampa twilight with a feeling of dread in the pit of mystomach. I ought to be glad—we were going to get Taylor out of herlife of bondage, after all. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that Ihad bitten off more than I could chew.
Chapter Five
Celeste’s house was exactly as I rememberedit. Decorated in a dramatic black and white motif, it seemed likesomething you’d see in a fashion magazine, not an actual placeyou’d want to live.
I had been wondering how Corbin planned togain entry to the house. If he would knock politely or blow thedoor open with some kind of as-yet-unexplained vampire mind power.After the way he’d healed my wrist I wouldn’t put anything pasthim. However, he surprised me by doing neither. He just turned theknob on the ornate, blood red door and walked into Celeste’s livingroom as though he lived there. He must have seen the surprise on myface.
“What is your question? Ask, Addison.”
“Well…” I looked around nervously. I didn’texactly have the best memories of this house. “I guess I thoughtyou’d, uh, make more of a dramatic entrance. You know, to getCeleste’s attention.”
Corbin shrugged. “What could be moredramatic than bypassing all of her carefully constructed wards andentering her home without an invitation?”
I looked back at the blood red door whichhe’d left standing casually open. “You mean we shouldn’t have beenable to just walk in like that?”
He shook his head. “No. And please do notever attempt to enter a powerful vampire’s home unannounced withoutme—the result could be nasty to say the least.”
“I didn’t know,” I said, feeling like Ishould have.
Corbin shrugged again. “How could you? Youprefer to harass us at our places of business where such wards
