Damon paced theconfined space inside the lift. He shoved past her and prodded thebell button repeatedly, like a man possessed.
He must reallyhate her; he obviously couldn’t stand to be anywhere near her. Thefeeling was mutual.
Tell yourselfenough times and you might believe it.
She stared athis back, noted how his stance had suddenly stiffened, hisbehaviour agitated.
What’s thematter with him?
A trickle offear crept down her spine.
What if he waslosing control of his bloodlust again?
She squared hershoulders. “If we’re going to be stuck here for a while, which, bythe way, is going to make me miss an important business meeting,then I want to get one thing straight, vampire. I do not give youpermission to bite me.”
There, she’dsaid it. Best to get that little nugget out in the open. She couldonly hope he didn’t detect the wobble in her voice.
He spun aroundand faced her. “Believe me, that’s the last thing on my mind rightnow, witch.”
Disappointmentflared again. “Great. Glad we cleared that up.”
“Me too.” Hetugged at his shirt collar, scrubbed the nape of his neck.
So, if hedidn’t want to bite her, then why the hell was he so on edge?
Their gazeslocked. The tension crackled between them.
“So, what now?”he asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
“I don’t know.Hopefully somebody will try the lift and call the maintenanceguys.”
“This bloodylift has always been temperamental, but I thought they fixed it theother week.” He turned towards the control panel and prodded a fewbuttons again.
Curiously gotthe better of her. “Why on earth would someone like you come here?”He didn’t answer. Irritation flared, and she called on her sarcasmonce more. “Let me guess, you prefer your women a bit rough aroundthe edges? You flash that charming smile of yours, throw your casharound and they’re like putty in your hands.”
He glared ather. “Are you implying I have to pay for sex?”
No, she wasn’t.Did he have to mention sex? Now she was thinking about it. Withhim. She swallowed.
“Unbelievable!”His raised voice echoed around the lift. “For your information, Ihave never paid for sex. Most women are more than willing to caterto my needs, vampire or otherwise.”
Was that a digat her, or done to prove his prowess in the bedroom?
He pressed hislips together.
She blinkedback at him, her head full of what those needs might be.
“You knownothing about me, Harper, so don’t presume you do,” he continued.“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m here to check on mybrother. He got himself mixed up with some bad people a while back,drugs and stuff, and I think he might be using again. Someone hasto keep him on the straight and narrow.”
“Oh… sorry.”She wanted the floor to open up and swallow her into the pits ofHell. All erotic thoughts vanished. “I hope he’s okay.”
Damon blew outa breath. “So do I.” He paced the lift, giving her neck ache as shewatched him go back and forth. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry too.Sorry for almost biting you the other night. What I did wasunforgivable.” He ran his fingers around his shirt collar yetagain.
“Yes, itwas.”
Oppressivesilence filled the confined space.
His agitatedstate appeared to be getting worse. He kicked at the litter on thefloor.
“Are you okay?”she asked.
“I’m fine.” Hisvoice came out strangled, clearly not fine at all.
He bashed theemergency alarm button repeatedly, so hard, sparks flew from thecontrol panel.
“Hey, get agrip, would you?” she said, keeping her tone light-hearted. “Beingstuck in a lift with me can’t be that bad, surely?”
“Can’t you useyour magic to get us out of here? You know, go all ‘double, double,toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble.’ Surely you’ve gotto have a cauldron in that giant bag of yours?”
The nerve ofhim. “For your information, I don’t own a cauldron,” she told him,her sarcasm returning full force. “Unless you count the tinyplastic one I use on Halloween when I fill it with sweeties to lureinnocent children to their deaths.” That’d teach him for dissingher kind, and his inappropriate Shakespeare quote.
Damon turned,his back pressed against the lift wall. He stared, withoutspeaking, for what seemed like a whole minute.
Then she sawit. The fear in his eyes. Fear of what, losing control?Antagonising the unstable vamp came to mind again.
“I was joking,by the way. About the kids.”
Stillstaring.
“Badly,apparently.” She licked her dry lips. “I’m sure the maintenanceguys will be here soon, so you’ll never have to listen to my poorattempts again. I’ll leave the jokes to you.” It wouldn’t hurt totry to keep the atmosphere jovial, right?
“It’s... it’snot that.”
She had to ask,even though the answer might be something she didn’t want to hear.Or maybe she did. “What’s wrong with you then?”
Thebloodlust?
Somehow, andshe knew it shouldn’t, seeing a more vulnerable side to Damon, onewho wasn’t all cocky and self-assured, and could lose control atany second, made her belly flutter.
ChapterSix
Thegraffiti-scrawled lift walls closed in around him.
Damon splayedhis palms against the sticky surface, but it didn’t stop the wallsfrom looking like they were caving in.
He had nochoice, he had to tell her. Judging by her guarded posture, she wasterrified he was going to lose control of the bloodlust.
Or was itthat?
The way she’dlicked her full lips, the way she was looking at him; wary, yes,but as he found himself entranced by everything about her, herpupils enlarged, sparkled with something akin to desire.
His caninesprickled, but he was in full control of that part of his anatomy.For now. However, lower down seemed to have developed a will of itsown.
Granted, themoment he saw her, looking stunning in a silky blouse which clashedspectacularly with her pastel-coloured hair, and tight trousersthat showed off her shapely legs, he’d wanted to get as far awayfrom her as possible, lest the bloodlust overcame him.
Then the liftdoors had closed on him. It took everything he had, but Nerissa’swords played inside his head. ‘You must see her. She is the one whowill help you control the bloodlust.’
If he couldcurb the deep-rooted urge to sink his fangs into her pale, softflesh, then maybe there was something in what his maker hadsaid.
Soft, paleflesh…
Despite whathe’d told her, he was barely holding it together, and being stuckin a confined space wasn’t helping one iota.
Damnit, why didit have to be her?
Damon
