“I’m not. Lust and desire alone drive us, regardless of species. The lust for power…” He ran his hands down her arms, and she trembled. A smile pulled his lips as he placed them next to her ear. “The lust for pleasure…” His breath tickled as his wicked hands moved to her waist and slowly traveled up her sides, around the swell of her breasts, and rested on her shoulders, leaving her a trembling mess. “Pure lust and desire. Nothing else. Love does not exist.”
Elena struggled to control her ragged breaths and slow her misfiring heart. His simple touch made her lose control. She was on fire, and it made no sense. None at all. She opened her eyes and met his in the mirror.
He leaned down to her ear again. “Is what you are feeling right now love?”
“Of course not.” She was relieved her voice came out solid and not breathy.
“Most humans would confuse what you are feeling with that tender, fictitious emotion.” He bit her earlobe, and she swayed a bit. His grip on her shoulders tightened. “What exactly are you feeling, Elena Arcos?”
It was bad enough he was going to kill her. Torturing her was beyond sporting. She straightened and lifted her chin, meeting his eyes directly in the mirror. “Lust. Pure, unadulterated lust.”
He grinned.
“But not lust for you. Lust for a shower, you asshole. Take your hands off of me.”
His grip on her shoulders tightened.
A spike of fear shot through her. Perhaps being a bitch wasn’t the way to go. “Get your hands off of me, please.”
He chuckled and lifted his hands. He knew. He knew what he did to her, and it was infuriating.
They stared at each other in the mirror a long time. The top of her head barely reached his shoulder. The top of her blood-encrusted head. Yuck. She shuddered and shot a longing look at the shower. He pulled the curtain aside and gestured for her to enter.
“By all means. Slake your lust, vampire.”
To her surprise, he didn’t try to get in with her. He stayed outside the curtain like a gentleman. Ha! A gentleman executioner. She shampooed for a second time, reveling in the steam and scent of the hotel soaps. It felt so good she wanted to moan, but knew that would be a mistake. She’d seen that look before. He may hate her, but he wanted her. Her boss got that look every freaking day. She dropped the empty shampoo bottle with a bang and reached for the conditioner. The cord checked her an inch or so short of it.
“I need some slack, please,” she said. His hand appeared around the curtain, and she stilled. It was so large. She shook her head and picked up the conditioner. “Thanks. I got it.” The hand disappeared. She slicked conditioner through her hair, rinsed, and turned the water off. Before she could ask, a towel appeared from around the curtain. “Um, thanks.”
What now? It was going to be awkward getting dressed while tied to him. Before she even stepped out, though, he climbed in fully naked except for his vest, which he couldn’t take off because of the cord. Naked and wow—glad to be there. Oh God. She spun around, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to block out his deep chuckle.
“I’m lusting for a shower as well,” he said. “Please hold this.”
To her relief, he nudged his vest into her hand. He’d slid if off, but it was restricted by the cord, so he’d shoved it across to her. She shrugged it on, inside out, and then scurried out of the tub before he asked her to hold something else.
Elena tried to put on her dress while he showered, but with her on the outside of the tub and the cord only ten or so feet long, she was jerked by the wrist every time he raised his long arms. It was almost like he was doing it intentionally. Then, a rhythmic tug, tug, tug, tug on the cord began, and he moaned.
No! No, no, no. This was not happening. She squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath, refusing to let her mind go there. She’d seen way too much when he stepped in the tub. Dang. Way too much and there was a lot to see. And he was…
Tug, tug, tug, tug, tug.
Crap. She slumped to the floor and waited…and waited. She leaned her head back against the wall, trying to block out the delicious smell of leather and spice coming from his vest wrapped around her. Oh, come on. How long could one guy…
Nikolai stepped from the shower expecting to find the vampire clean, frustrated, and needy. Huddled on the bathroom floor, she leaned against the tub, sound asleep. It made sense, he supposed. She had died today, after all.
Perhaps he should have left her dead in the convenience store. At least her end would have been quick and peaceful. Who knew what would happen to her now, especially if his uncle Fydor got his hands on her.
He scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom.
No. Letting her die would have been wrong. Fate had stepped in, he was sure of it. There was more to this girl than met the eye. Not human, not immortal, somehow she balanced on the sharp, dangerous edge between worlds.