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"Aren’t you afraid of ry voice

"No," I said just as steely "I’m not"

He moved his mouth close tomy neck h heone of his hands, he razed the exposed flesh abovea mile away," he said, his voice raspy, thick He laid his pal the swell of my breast "When it pounds harder, or faster, I can feel it insideeverywhere--inside ainstto piss me off" With a sudden jerk he pushed off of s to whoosh out as if the breath had been knocked out ofafter him until his silhouette had retreated into the shadowy recesses he’d eed from We were both silent for several moments; I couldn’t even tell howfro admission, and harsh action

"The body you saw, behind the alley? His throat and chest were ripped open because a strigoi vampire desires blood directly from the heart So be afraid of me, Riley," he said quietly from the darkness "It will keep us both alive"

I sat up, breathless, and beca heartbeat that I tried to force both to slow I’d never been known for my shyness, or the ability to keep quiet, so I drew a fewbreaths, then spoke "I don’t scare easy," I said, and I heard Eli snort--or soroaned, frustration thick in his voice "Because if I lose control and so happens to you by my hand, the contract will be broken, and Preacher and his kinsh "And my father will let them"

"Pretty sick contract," I said, and when Eli didn’t respond, I decided to keepIt was already difficult enough to try to fall asleep with him in the room; the current in the air between us snapped like it was alive, and swear to God, despite his strigoi threats, I couldn’t help the perverted thoughts that stormed my brain at the memory of Eli’s hand on my body, his mouth so close to my skin When he was near ed throughue on me; his hardness insideand holding s wrapped around his waist while he pounded into ainst the brick wall of ht I’d die where I sat if I didn’t get it right then There was so , nasty sex, and it was that one thing that made my brain shift into reverse and seize I couldn’t even name it, but it scared the holy hell out of roan--at least I thought it was a groan Then another sound broke the darkness, barely there, quiet, but I heard it just the saainst skin, and the only conclusion I could cohts and had decided to take care of business hi me I could have been mistaken, but I probably wasn’t, and it totally turned me on All I could do was lie there in the darkness and think about Eli Mypainfully slowly overbetweenwith need My hand moved without command, and the moment I touched ht I’d be, having done that in the same room with the very subject behind the act In the shadows, I felt him; I didn’t hear hihts of Eli could push their way to the forefront of my mind even in the midst of the chaos that had become my life Eventually, I drifted back to sleep, but it was a restless, agitated slu dawn fell across , and I cracked open ht out the corner where Eli had last been He was no longer there, and I really wasn’t that surprised Sitting up, I scrubbedof thesince we hadn’t actually had sex Soh I pushed it froan the first day of ue vaht ofand turbulent sex thoughts of Eli, I’d coer whine and cry about as happening to my brother and h-ass since age nine and had grown only tougher as I’d aged I was a fighter, and noas definitely the tiet him, swear to God NoI’d have to learn to control wasdesire for Eli Anyone with a rationalmortals would probably repel the idea of sex with one They weren’t natural They weren’t living They had no souls, and they were da more than a load of horseshit But that’s just hts in mind, I jumped up, pulled on some ratty jeans and a T-shirt, slid into my flip-flops, brushedin the storefrontlooking out over River Street, Chaz at his side, and both turned when I entered the rooed his whole back end but stayed directly by Eli I ignored the cold shirk fro and reflected on ht before; I was ready to kick vampire ass, and not Eli’s but the Arcoses’--the little pricks It seemed Eli hadn’t released quite as easily as I did His penetrating stare shookof what he’d seen in ht before He may be a va, hot-blooded, horny dude

I gave Eli a sotta let Chaz out, then run next door to Preacher’s, then back here to finish your lanced back, but he wasn’t there

When I turned around, Eli was at the door, waiting, his hands shoved into the pockets of a pair of faded 501s "I took Chaz out earlier"

I lifted a brow, frowned at o, then" I reached for the door, but he blocked it "What?" I said, trying to keep the irritation from my voice

Silently, he y air The first thing I noticed was a custom chopper, parked next to my Jeep I knew it had to be Eli’s, and I inspected it A Martin Brothers Silverback, it was titanium platinum with some pretty sick black scroll-work on the tank and fenders, a wide, fat back tire, and a narrower front one "Wicked bike," I offered, and I meant it I’d alanted one

"Ride’s sweet," he said "We’ll take it tonight"

I adht of it thrilledbreakfast, but randfather kept his eyes trained on Eli andhad happened, but that there was soerous and palpable He ignored it, though, and we finished our breakfast and left I couldn’t help thinking the whole ti it just wasn’t the sa I’d loved the tea, back when I’d thought it was just tea Maybe one day, I’d get used to the idea that it was now for the sake of my life, not just for the hell of it

IEli’s ed and swept across his forehead, partially hanging over his eyes, and had hiray ripped shirt, and buckled coer cuff and noticed that he already wore a leather band around his neck with a silver hly, and was pretty satisfied with the results Al"

Eli raised a brow "Where?"

Studying his face and following that raised brow, I pointed to it "Right there Sed "Whatever you say" He glanced toward the door and inclined his head "My brothers and sister are downstairs"

"I guess I ed down the stairs I opened the door, and Phin, Luc, and Josie stood, waiting "Come on in," I said, and led the way upstairs "Check out your bro"

"Whoa," Phin said, walking around Eli and ruffling his hair "Goin’ dark, huh, Eligius?" he said, and Luc joined in, patting Eli on the ass "Nice threads," he added

"If you’re going to go where we’re going to go, I suggest you get some of the sa h his careless dark blond locks "Hell and no"

"Puss," laughed Phin, then turned towith the clothes"

"Piercings, too," I added, then opened a drawer in the kitchen and grabbed a notepad "Here’s the nas," I said, scribbling the address, tearing it off the pad, and handing it to Eli "It’s on the west side, not too far froet to his house?"