Full Moon Rising

His fingers skimmed the rise of my breasts, and my nipples woke to painful life. My mind might be advising caution, but my body was screaming yes, yes!

“When?” He was speaking softly, the lilt of Ireland caressing his voice, sending my already erratic pulse into overdrive

“Soon,” I said, voice breathy. “Not now.”

His fingers slipped under the sheet, taking an agonizingly circular route to my aching nipples. Slowly, teasingly, he rolled his thumb across one hard nub. “That’s a shame.”

My hormones thought so too. “Tell me about the wolf who hurt you.”

He stopped, but his fingers were so warm against my skin it felt like he was branding me. Then his gaze met mine, and I saw the hardness there. Rhoan was right. This man would never give me anything more than sex. The wolf who had been here before me had totally destroyed this vampire’s heart

His touch left me, and while I regretted that, curiosity was still stronger than desire. One of these days, I was going to have to leash my curious instincts before they landed me in water too hot to get out of. Or, in this case, out of luck with one of the sexiest vampires I’d ever come across

He leaned back in the chair, his face expressionless. “Why?”

“Because Rhoan warned against getting too involved with you, and since he rarely gives that sort of advice, I’m wondering why he chose to do so now.”

Surprise touched his stern features. “Rhoan said that?”

“You’ve said that, too,” I reminded him. “I’m gathering that we werewolves are good enough for a dance or two, but nothing more?”

His gaze met mine, the dark depths cold and hard. “Basically, yes.”

“Meaning, you hold the all-too-human view that werewolves are little more than whores who have little or no control over their base instincts?”

“Yes.”

I snorted, inexplicably disappointed. “And here I was thinking that a thousand years might have knocked a little knowledge into your brain.”

His smile was grim. “A thousand years has knocked knowledge into my brain. And my experiences with wolves have confirmed my beliefs.”

I thought back to the pictures I’d seen of his fiancée. Remembered the articles saying she’d disappeared. “Eryn was a wolf, wasn’t she?”

His nod was short, sharp

“What did she do?”

His hesitation was brief, but nevertheless there. His reluctance to talk about the subject was obvious, and yet he was. Did that suggest he wanted me more than he wanted to keep his secrets?

“We met during a moon phase,” he said, voice low and devoid of the sexy lilt. “But the fever continued on after. I couldn’t get enough of her. I thought it was love.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And it wasn’t?”

“No. It was a drug called Everlasting.”

I frowned. Everlasting wasn’t a drug I’d ever heard of—though there were certainly plenty of them to be found in the clubs. “What does it do?”

“Imitate the moon fever in races other than werecreatures.”

My gaze widened. “That’s dangerous.”

“Very. Thankfully, it was only experimental. Eryn was working for the company developing it and decided to do a little field test. I was the subject she chose.”

Then she didn’t research well enough, because anyone with half a brain could see you didn’t want to mess with this particular vampire. “So she never loved you?”

“Oh, I’m sure she loved my money.”

I blinked at the sheer depths of anger so evident in his flat tones. “What happened?”

“I bought the company, then destroyed the whole project.”

“So Everlasting is no more?”

“No.”

“And what about Eryn?”

“Last I heard, she was working in a whorehouse in Sydney.” His sudden smile was ferocious. “A suitable occupation for a wolf who was little more than a slut after money.”

I stared at him, knowing he’d taken her mind, altered her self-image. Made her believe she was what she’d become. A shiver ran through me. As punishments went, it was as cold as you could get

“And what do you think I’m after?”

“Nothing more than sex.” He hesitated, then gave me a slow, sexy smile that had my hormones scrambling and toes curling. “Which brings me neatly back to my original question—when?”

“My brother insists I eat and regain some strength before I do anything too vigorous.”

“And I intend for it to be very vigorous.”

Oh, man… “How about we seal the deal with a kiss?” Because if I didn’t at least taste him, I might just explode with frustration. Though it was very possible that I would explode even if he did kiss me

He leaned forward, his hand cupping my cheek as his mouth captured mine. It was a kiss unlike any I’d ever experienced—a long, slow possession that left me gasping for breath and hotter than I’d ever been for a man

I couldn’t wait to see what he could do when he had the time to explore more fully

“Your brother’s climbing the stairs with your dinner,” he whispered, brushing his lips across mine a final time before he sat back

I took a deep breath, but it was filled with the scent of him, the richness of sandalwood combined with sheer masculinity. He smelled good enough to eat. Or at least nibble. And lick

“My brother has always had bad timing,” I muttered

Quinn chuckled softly and rose. My gaze slipped downward, and I noted with pleasure he wanted me every bit as badly as I wanted him

“Sorry to break in on your fun,” Rhoan said as he appeared. “But you have to eat before you go expending too much energy.”

“And so do I,” Quinn commented, giving me a look guaranteed to make my insides combust. “Though synth blood is not my meal of choice right now.”

He disappeared down the stairs, and I suddenly remembered how to breathe

“Are you sure there’s no wolf in his background?” I said, sitting up so Rhoan could place the tray on my knees

Rhoan grinned. “The man is potent, I’ll give him that. Damn shame he’s straight.”

I gave him a long look. “Don’t tell me you hit on him.”

“Hell, yeah. Wouldn’t you if you walked into a bar and saw him?” He placed the tray on my knee and sat down. “He refused nicely, we got talking, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

“This was how many years ago?” I picked up my knife and fork and studied the mess on my plate. I think it was bacon and eggs, but I couldn’t be sure. A cook my brother wasn’t

“Only one.”

“So why haven’t you introduced us?”

It was his turn to give me a long look. “This from the wolf who rants about all vampires being arrogant pigs?”

“Well, all the ones I’ve met have been. Quinn isn’t.”

“He can be on his bad days, believe me.” He rose again. “If you’re feeling up to it after you finish that, come downstairs.”

I nodded. “Why has Jack allowed Liander to stay?”

“Because this is looking bigger than the three of us can handle.” He shrugged. “Liander’s here because I need him, and because he’s one of the best makeup artists in the country.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That sounds like a plan.”