Instinctually, I placed a hand in the center of the vampire’s back, aiming to soothe him. Instead he tensed further, his hands gripping me tighter.
Resigned to staying where I was for the moment, I peered around Macgrath’s arm toward Rhys. “It’s all right. Just a misunderstanding.”
I shot a sideways glance to Harrison and found that his eyes were once again dark brown, though anger still simmered in their depths. His gaze dropped to where Macgrath held me and the muscles in his jaw flexed as though he was grinding his teeth. I would have to try to talk to him again later after he’d had a chance to calm down. Right now, I needed to soothe the vampire holding me in a death grip.
“Macgrath,” I murmured, rubbing the stiff muscles over his spine. “It’s fine. Harrison and I were having a minor disagreement. It’s all right now.”
He shuddered, releasing a breath, and some of the tension left his body. Some, but not all. Though he moved forward and put space between his body and mine, he didn’t release me completely. One of his hands fell to his side but the other reached out and clasped my hand, lacing our fingers and pressing our palms together.
The last of the electrical energy faded from Rhys’ fingers as he watched Macgrath’s actions.
I glanced around, encompassing everyone in my look, and said, “Give us just a minute, please.” My gaze rested on Harrison for a moment. “Why don’t you take your lunch break right now and we’ll talk later, okay?” My tone was soft but firm. Now was his chance to prove to me that he was willing to take direction from me. It was the only one he was going to get.
His eyes were searching as they met mine and I knew he saw the ultimatum there because he nodded. “I’ll be back in an hour,” he murmured.
But it wasn’t until he walked away, his back to the spot where Macgrath and I stood, that I understood he intended to be reasonable.
Once he left the coffee shop, I walked toward the reading room niche. I doubted that Macgrath would release my hand and I was right. He followed behind me, his fingers tightening around mine.
“Savannah, why don’t you make Rhys a cup of coffee?” I suggested. “Macgrath and I will be done in just a moment.”
Her grin was mischievous and her eyes gleamed as I shut the curtain between us.
I turned toward Macgrath, trying to figure out what in the hell I was going to say. Before I could decide where to start, his hands were back on my hips and he lifted me up, pushing me back against the wall. Then he moved in, pressing his body fully against mine and burying his face against my neck.
His mouth worked against my throat, lips and tongue tasting me. I sucked in a sharp breath as his fangs grazed my skin, the points barely touching my flesh.
My hands closed reflexively over his shoulders. My body wanted to pull him closer but my brain wanted to remind me that he’d been a possessive jerk.
He nipped my ear then whispered, “Wrap your legs around me.” His hips moved against my lower body and I felt the growing length of his erection there. When I didn’t comply immediately, his hands slid down from my hips to my thighs, simultaneously lifting and parting them. I gasped again when he rocked between my spread legs, his cock lining up perfectly with my center.
“Macgrath, wait,” I murmured. Despite my words, my hands moved up the back of his neck and fisted in the short strands of his hair. Between what his body was currently doing to mine and the way his lips moved over my throat, I was rapidly losing my ability to think clearly.
“Just once,” he whispered, his mouth roving over my jawline to the corner of my lips. “Just once, let me touch you.” I could feel the tremor in his fingers. “I need it.”
All the reasons I shouldn’t be doing this flew out of my head as his tongue whispered over my top lip. The only thing I could think about now was his mouth. I wanted it more than I wanted my next breath. I turned my head toward his and latched my mouth to his, my teeth sinking into his bottom lip and tugging lightly.
He groaned and plastered his body fully to mine, his hands no longer holding my thighs around his waist but moving up to dive into my hair. He fisted the long strands and pulled with delicious roughness, tilting my head back further.
My legs locked around him tightly and I moved with him as our tongues tangled. I tried to follow his mouth when he lifted his head, but his lips moved down my throat. One hand released my hair, sliding below my bottom and lifting me up higher until my collarbones were even with his chin. His other hand kept my head pulled back, baring my neck to him, before he finally released me.
I trembled in his grip as his mouth continued to move lower, over the skin revealed by the vee neck of my top. Using his torso to pin my lower body to the wall, he slipped both hands beneath the hem of my top and lifted, baring my sheer lace bra.
His lips closed over the tight nipple of my right breast, his tongue laving me through the material. My hands clutched his head to me and I arched my back, moaning loudly.
I’d forgotten everything and everyone, too lost in the sensations of his mouth, teeth, hands, and body against mine. Savannah and Rhys didn’t exist. Nor did Rhiannon. We had no past, no future. Just this one moment of insane, intense pleasure.
When Macgrath stiffened, his mouth leaving my breast, I moaned in frustration. I tried to tug him closer once again, but he resisted.
I suddenly understood why when I heard Savannah’s voice outside the curtain. While the spells on the framework and curtain kept the people outside from hearing what was going on inside the reading room, sound could still travel behind the curtain.
“Uh, Ava, I know you and Macgrath need to talk, but my two o’clock will be here any minute.”
“Shit,” Macgrath muttered against my sternum, his lips tickling me as they brushed my skin.
His eyes searched mine as he slowly lowered me to the floor. I met his gaze calmly and tugged my shirt back into place. He seemed confused by my lack of obvious reaction to what had just occurred between us.
As I set about putting my appearance to right, using magic to tame my hair and hide the redness I knew the stubble on his chin had left on my neck, he studied me.
