And she was far too focused on him. His face had been the first thing she thought of when her father had called to tear into her for missing a Gathering. She hated the Gatherings. They were a constant reminder that she belonged to the pack but wasn’t truly part of it. If she had been, she would have been allowed to fight for dominance in the clearing, but her father had denied her again, and she’d come straight to Swirl.
Straight to Jared.
She shook the thoughts from her head, then pulled her wrist from his grip. He stood when she did.
“Nora.”
“Say my name all you want. We’re using each other. That’s it.”
“I have not yet begun to use you.”
The deep timbre of his voice sent a thrill over her skin. Being with Jared was a risk, and she reveled in it. But that’s all this could be. It didn’t matter if he wanted more… more whatever. There was a limit to her foolishness, and she couldn’t allow herself to make this out to be anything other than a fling.
She pulled on her shirt. Slipped into her tight black pants. When she straightened, Jared stood right next to her. He didn’t really have a choice given the amount of room they had behind the curtain. He had not donned a single item of clothing.
“You want to be naked when I open this curtain?” she asked.
He stood there with all the stillness of an Aged vampire. It was almost unsettling how statue-like he could be sometimes. It was the complete opposite of the man he had been moments ago, his hands curved over her breasts, his head bowed to suck at the tender skin beneath her jaw. She liked him animated. She liked being the thing that made his composure crack and crumble.
“Suit yourself.” She reached for the curtain.
He yanked her to him, then slanted his mouth over hers before she fully registered his movement.
Damn, he moved fast. And… mmm. He moved good, his tongue teasing hers until she had no desire to touch that curtain again.
He sucked hard on the lip she had bitten. It had healed, but he likely tasted a hint of blood. And he wanted more. Even though she was a werewolf, she was reacting to that desire. His vampire magic made her languid. It made her tilt her head to the right angle, an angle that would allow him to pierce her neck. If she’d been human, she wouldn’t have been able to resist his allure.
She let herself ride that yearning for a few seconds before she put a hand on his chest and pushed him back. “No blood.”
His teeth clenched. His fingers dug into her hips. “That’s not—”
“If you can’t handle that,” she said, “then this is over.”
His stillness returned. His eyes didn’t dull with apathy this time, though. They were slightly narrowed, pinched at the corners almost as if something pained him. Or confused him. Maybe both.
“I will handle it,” he said finally.
He was old. No vampire became one of the Aged without developing strong self-control. It shouldn’t be a struggle to keep his teeth from her skin.
His pants were lying across the small table. She tossed them at him. “I won’t be back for a while.”
“I want your number.”
That again. But his voice was gentle. He was asking for a boon, a small gift of acquiescence. He could easily have his vampires dig up her number; he wanted her to give it to him instead, to give it to him freely, by choice, without pressure.
Her wolf paced and growled, warning her not to submit.
It’s just a number, Nora soothed. Jared had given her pleasure. He’d agreed to no blood. The number was such a minor thing.
A minor thing that had major significance.
She steadied her breathing. Calmed her wolf. The animal didn’t control her.
She gave Jared her number. He didn’t gloat, didn’t smirk. He pulled her closer and placed a light kiss on her lips.
Just a fling, she told herself. A game. She was allowed to enjoy herself. In fact, her restlessness had faded. Oh, it was still there. She was still stifled, still trapped, but he made this place tolerable again. How long that would last, she didn’t know. She was sure she would get tired of him, probably before the next full moon.
12
