A temporary pleasure.
Regret washed through her, but then his fingers parted her slick folds and his tongue swept her. Up and down. Back and forth.
Heat drenched her. She bucked and her body convulsed. A rush of moisture flooded between her thighs, and he lapped at her as if he’d never tasted anything so sweet.
When she calmed to a slight shudder, he slid up the damp length of her body, gathered her in his arms and kissed her. She tasted her essence—wild and ripe, bitter and sweet—on his lips and desire spurted through her.
She slid her hands over his shoulders and traced the sinewy contours of his body. His length pulsed between her legs, pressing against her tender flesh.
But he didn’t enter her.
Not yet.
Instead he devoured her with his mouth, his hands roaming her body, stroking pleasure points she never knew existed.
“Now,” she begged when she could take no more. She arched against him, opening herself up, desperate to pull him deep.
He growled and grasped her hips. Thrusting, he joined them in one swift, complete motion.
The air rushed from her lungs, only to rush back in as she gasped.
He pulsed deep inside of her for a long, decadent moment before he started to move. He withdrew, only to push back inside, burying himself deep.
Once. Twice.
She skimmed her hands over his back, urging him harder, faster, as she felt the bubbling heat of another climax.
Again?
She couldn’t believe how quickly she was ready for round two. Then again, it had been so long since she’d had a round one that it only made sense. It certainly wasn’t Jake himself who stirred her until she was desperate and out of control.
She was horny, that’s all.
She came quickly. She clutched at his shoulders. She cried out his name.
He buried himself one last time deep in her body and went rigid.
Through the fuzzy haze of pleasure, Nikki glimpsed him poised above her, his arms braced on either side. His muscles bulged. His skin glistened with perspiration. His eyes were wide-open. His gaze shimmered, pulsing into a hot, vibrant purple that glowed in the darkness. His lips parted, and she caught a flash of white as he bared his teeth—
Wait a second.
She blinked, and there he was still poised above her. But his eyes were closed, the vibrant color just a memory. His brow furrowed. His lips parted, revealing a row of straight, white, normal teeth. A groan rumbled from his throat as he gave in to his own orgasm. He stiffened, bucking once, twice, before collapsing atop her.
She felt a rush of panic, but then he gathered her in his arms. His strength surrounded her and eased the sudden tension in her body. He nuzzled her neck, his lips warm against her pulse beat.
She closed her eyes and saw him in her mind’s eye. His eyes blazing and his teeth—
Her eyes snapped open. She’d been on the wagon so long that she was hallucinating. She cupped his cheek and felt the warmth of his skin. The faint hint of stubble tickled her palm. Real.
And she wanted more.
The realization hit her, along with a rush of panic. Because she’d never wanted a man so badly.
The wrong man, she reminded herself. Then again, she didn’t know him well enough to know one way or the other at this point. Not that she would ever find out. He was temporary. A fantasy come to life.
And suddenly there seemed nothing wrong with pretending that Jake was the right man. The guy who would sweep her off her feet and carry her over the threshold and love her from this day forward, till death do us part.
It’s not as if he would ever know.
She slid her arms around his neck and gave in to the incredible urge to kiss him.
To love him.
Until the night ended and they said goodbye.
FORGET SUNLIGHT AND wooden stakes.
Neither posed half as much danger as the woman curled up next to him.
Lush. Blatantly sexual. Insatiable.
She was all three. A dream come true to a vampire who fed off sexual energy. Or she would have been except for the fact that, despite all of the above, she was an innocent.
Not a virgin, mind you.
Jake could spot those the way he sensed any other threat. She’d had her share of sexual encounters, but they’d been few and far between. Deep inside, she was naive when it came to men. Still nursing those pie-in-the-sky dreams of a knight in shining armor and forever.
Shit.
Jake eased his arm out from under her. The best thing to do was cut his losses and get the hell out of here right now.
Sure, he’d planned to rejuvenate all night, but the last thing—the very last thing—he needed to do was spend an entire night with Nikki Braxton.
Not because she wanted more from him than he could give but because for a few crazy seconds he’d actually wanted to give her more.
When she’d slid her arms around his neck and stared deep into his eyes as if he were the love of her life, he’d actually let himself get caught up in the fantasy, as well.
He’d liked having a woman look at him with something other than lust in her eyes. He’d liked it too damned much. So much that he’d forgotten himself for those few seconds and the hunger had reared its ugly head and he’d come this close—this friggin’ close—to tasting more than just her sex.
Holy shit.
He sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. She slept soundly next to him. But he had no illusions that she would stay that way. She would wake just as soon as she regained her strength. Hot and eager for another round.
Her brow furrowed as if she sensed his sudden movement. He touched her forehead and stroked away the worry lines.
Relax. He sent the silent thought and her expression eased.
He reached for the sheet that bunched at the bottom of the bed. He meant to pull it up over her. He really did. But then his gaze snagged on her pink toes and he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to look at her.
One last look.
His gaze traveled over delicate ankles, up her calves, her knees, to her hips. The single strip of pubic hair leading to the slit that separated her lush pink lips.
Jealousy burned through him as he thought of someone—male or female—waxing and pampering and touching her so intimately. Truthfully he’d never cared much for all the primping that most women did these days. He’d come from an era where natural was in. Staring at Nikki, however, he had to admit that he sort of liked the look.
He liked everything about her.
Before he could think too much on the subject, he forced his attention up and on, over her soft, smooth stomach to her rose-tipped breasts. He traced the indentation of her clavicle, the smooth column of her throat.
Her strawberry-blond hair fanned out across the pillow. Her nostrils flared, and a soft snore rumbled past her slightly parted lips.
Pull the sheet up, he told himself. Now.
Before he could get the cover past her waist, his attention snagged on one dark nipple. His mouth watered as he remembered the tight bud against his tongue. As if he’d actually reached out, the tip grew hard,