For oneglorious, incredibly arousing moment, her eyes gleamed with areckless need that made his heart sing, and his cock rock hard.
What is shedoing to me?
Then it wasgone.
Harper shovedhim away, her breathing laboured. “What the hell are youdoing?”
She grabbed forthe door handle, flung the door open.
The cold nightair breezed into his car, but it did nothing to cool his urges.“Harper, wait…” His fangs ached, craved the taste of her sweetblood, but he had to control it before he ruined everything betweenthem. He ground his molars, forced his fangs to retract. They did,thankfully. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“Mean to what,Damon?” Her eyes, which moments earlier had been filled withdesire, now sparked with anger. “We had a perfect date, and thatkiss,” she swallowed, “was perfect too, and then you went andruined it by…” she shook her head, “by doing your vamp thing.” Sheleapt out of the car as though she was suddenly repulsed to be nearhim.
Damon lurchedover the passenger seat and grabbed her wrist. “Please, Harper, Iwould never bite you.” Why did he sound so desperate? Whathad she done to him?
She yanked herwrist from his grasp, her expression seething with hatred. “Youcould have fooled me.”
Right then heknew he’d lost her, but for some unfathomable reason, he still hadan uncontrollable urge to try. He flashed her a cheeky grin thathad always worked with other women in the past. “Vampire rulenumber one; we never bite without consent.” His attempt to ease thetension only escalated it.
Harper emittedan infuriated grunt. “You’re impossible, Damon. I wish I’d nevermet you.”
Damon’s jawslackened. No one had ever said that to him. Ever.
Speechless, hewatched her flounce towards her basement flat with the oddsensation he’d let someone very special slip through hisfingers.
ChapterThree
Harper stormedinto her darkened flat and slammed the door, her breaths ragged,her knees still trembling from Damon’s amazing kiss. At least itwas amazing until he tried to sink his fangs into her.
And alarmingly,she’d wanted him to.
Blueish,flickering light shone from the TV, the end credits ofSplash rolling on the screen.
“Lobsterthermidor!” shouted Zarya, her voice slurred with sleep. She layslumped on the sofa, with popcorn and crabsticks—her unusual snackcombo choice—littering the side table.
“Sorry, Zar,didn’t mean to wake you.”
Her flatmaterubbed her eyes and sat up on the sofa. “What?” She squinted. “Imust have fallen asleep.” She glanced at the screen. “Aww, I missedmy favourite film.”
“It’s not likeyou haven’t watched it ten times.” Harper began clearing up themess on the table, including the gross crabsticks. “Why don’t yougo to bed, Zarya?”
“No, it’s okay,I’m awake now. How did your date go with the dashing Damon? I bethe was dashing, wasn’t he?”
Dashing didn’teven come close to describing how handsome he was, or howdangerous. “You were shouting in your sleep again, Zarya. Somethingabout lobsters.”
Zarya narrowedher eyes. “You avoided my question. That bad, eh?”
“I don’t wantto talk about it.”
“Nonsense.” Shepatted the sofa, her infamous, I-won’t-take-no-for-an-answerexpression slapped on her face. “What are best friends for?”
Harper sighed,but maybe she did want to talk, and a sit down might stop her legsfrom shaking. She scooped the popcorn and crabsticks into the bowl,left it on the side table and slumped beside her friend. “It wasn’tbad, Zar. It was the best, most perfect first date I’ve everhad.”
“Ever? Wow,this Damon guy must be really something.”
“Yeah, he issomething, all right. A total moron with an ego the size of planetbloody Transylvania.”
“Huh? Notfollowing.”
“I met him atthis posh restaurant, which he owned, by the way—not that him beingrich bothers me one way or the other—but even though I stuck outlike a nun at a brothel, Damon made me feel like I had every rightto be there.”
“You’re hardlya nun.”
“Whatever. I’ma hundred years old—so what if I’ve had my fair share oflovers?”
“Hey, I wasn’tjudging,” her friend assured. “Anyhow, why wouldn’t you have everyright to be there?”
“It was aFrench restaurant in Mayfair, full of classy people dressed up tothe nines, like they were going to meet the queen or something. Ididn’t fit in; everyone looked down their noses at me when I walkedin, but not Damon. He looked at me like…” She recalled his intense,chocolate-brown eyes, lost herself in the way his soft lips hadbrushed hers, how his designer stubble had scratched her chin as hetangled his fingers in her hair… She blew out a breath. “Like I wasspecial. I know it sounds corny, but—”
“Wow, you’vegot it bad, girl.” Her friend grinned. “Smitten on the first date?I never thought I’d see the day.”
“I am notsmitten. Love at first sight only happens in those soppy rom-commovies on Netflix.” Doesn’t it? “I had a great evening,that’s all,” she continued, attempting to play it down. “Damonwasn’t at all like I expected him to be. He was utterly charming,and attentive too, and he told the worst vampire jokes I’ve everheard.” She couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face. “Anda few witch jokes too, not that I haven’t heard them before,but…”
Zarya chuckled.“Yep, you’ve totally got the hots for a dangerous vampire. Whathappened to you thinking he was an egotistical moron?”
Harper cameback to earth with a reality-check thump. Damon was dangerous,there was no denying that by the way he’d lost control outside herflat. “You’re right. I’m an idiot. I thought Damon could be someonespecial, but then he went and ruined it.”
“How?”
“He tried tobite me.”
“He did what?”Zarya’s face hardened. “If that jerk hurt you, I’ll set my sharkson him.” Zarya yanked Harper’s hands away from her face andexamined her neck, her eyes wide with concern. “Wait, you didn’tgive him your permission, did you?”
Harper nudgedher friend away. “No, I didn’t. I told him I wish I’d never methim, then ran in here.”
Zarya relaxed.“Well, good riddance, I say. I know you’ve always had a bit of adark side, but—”
“But that’s theproblem,” she finished for her.
“What do youmean?”
Harper’s headpounded with the truth. “My dark side wanted his bite.”
Zarya’s mouthmade an O shape, but if there was one person who would understandthe enticing power of the darkness, it was her best friend.
“Craved it,actually,” she admitted with a half apologetic smile.
