"It's crazy in here!" Isabelle shouted over the music.
Stefan looked about as pleased to be here as he would have been to stick his hand in boiling water. In fact, given a choice between the two, Ethan thought Stefan might choose to stick his hand in boiling water rather than endure this noisy crowd.
"Sit," Emma urged and patted the seat of the empty chair beside her.
Ethan grabbed the back of the chair; he pushed it in again and moved closer to Emma as a couple nearly fell into her chair. He tried to shake off the overprotective urges he was feeling, but he couldn't bring himself to move away and leave her exposed again.
His gaze ran over the people in the building. He didn't sense any other vampires amongst the crowd, but he had a feeling the three from the bar would eventually make their way here. There were more people here; they were drunker, and it was poorly lit. This club was prime feeding ground for vampires. He spotted Mandy and Jill dancing with a couple of guys. A waitress came by to take their order and disappeared into the crush of people.
Ethan leaned closer to Emma as her fingers tapped along to the beat of the music and she began to sway. "Would you like to dance?" he asked.
Dancing wasn't something he did often, or well, but the idea of getting the chance to hold her was too appealing to resist. She frowned for a second before smiling and jumping to her feet. She was small, but she moved with easy grace as she came around the chair to stand beside him.
Her hand was swallowed within his when he took it and led her out to the dance floor. He kept her away from the horde of people as he steered her to a less crowded section. They weren't playing a song meant for slow dancing, but he still wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. Her body fit snugly against his frame as she moved with him.
He didn't notice any of the other people on the floor as everything within him became focused on her. Her tantalizing scent filled his nostrils as his other hand settled onto her lower back. The feel of her breasts against his chest caused blood to rush into his cock. He adjusted his position so she wouldn't feel the evidence of his obvious arousal.
Overwhelming sensations of safety and protection filled her as she rested her head on his chest. She found herself tuning out the beat of the music and focusing on the solid, reassuring thump of his heart. Maybe it was because he was so much bigger and stronger than her, or maybe it was just the tender way he held her, but she felt incredibly secure in his arms.
Unable to resist, Ethan lifted his hand to her hair and let the soft strands of it slide through his fingers. The bloodlust that had yet to be stirred by the crowd around them now slid through his body as the fruity scent of her shampoo drifted up to him. His canines tingled; he fought to keep them from extending as his gaze drifted to the vein in her neck.
Just a little taste, she didn't even have to know, and he could take the memory from her after. The idea was so enticing, he briefly considered pulling her from the club and out into the night, but even as the impulse crossed his mind, he knew he couldn't do that to her.
Her forehead furrowed as she studied him with assessing eyes he found entirely captivating. He bent and placed a kiss on her forehead. He meant to pull back afterward, but his lips lingered against her warm skin as his fingers slid beneath her chin. His lips moved leisurely down her cheeks before brushing against hers.
Lust crashed through him, the heat of her lips burned against his, and the strawberry taste of her mouth suffused him as his tongue swept inside. It was the first time he'd ever kissed a human, he didn't know what he expected, but it certainly wasn't this urge for more. He had to go easy so he didn't accidentally hurt her.
That thought frightened him, but he couldn't bring himself to pull away from her and put some distance between them. Turning her away from the crowd, he backed her into a wall and pressed her against it as his kiss became more demanding.
Her fingers curled into his forearms, and at first she seemed hesitant, but she gave herself over to him with a small sigh. The music and people around them completely vanished as lust consumed him and he completely focused on her. He was close to lifting her dress and taking her right there to relieve himself of the pressure she created within him.
He was seriously considering doing just that as his hand cupped her handful-sized breast. Her breath sucked in; her teeth nibbled at his lower lip as he swirled his thumb around her hardened nipple through the thin material of her dress. Lifting his head, he met her passion-clouded eyes and savored in the desire playing over her face as he continued to tease and fondle her breast. Ever so slowly, he bent his head to hers again. He seized her swollen lips as he released her breast to slide his hand over her belly and down to her thighs.
Emma gasped as his hands left a trail of fire over her body. Her mind spun as she tried to understand what was happening, but she was so swept away by the feel of him that she couldn’t recite the alphabet, let alone form a coherent thought. Her heart hammered as his touch brought her to life in ways she never knew possible.
She'd never lost herself to a man—not even Tristan. She'd never thought it was possible to be so out of control
