Her Incubus Master (The Children of Lilith) Read Online Free Page B

commission a painting on a
secular theme."
    "Wow." Katie studied the painting. "Come to
think of it, you do look a little like that Cupid—same nose and
chin."
    Andras chuckled. "I'm flattered. Now, may I interest
you in dinner?"
    Katie allowed him to steer her downstairs, though not
without another backward glance at that amazing painting—and the bed that stood
beneath it. It looked so sinfully inviting. Was it too much to hope that she
might end up there before the evening was over?
    She swallowed hard, remembering what he had promised her at
the club: I swear to you that I will make you come so hard and so often that
you won't be able to move...I want to tie you up and play with you, until
you're begging me...
    Dinner was fabulous. Andras had made crab cakes flavored
with green onion and grated ginger and served them sitting in a pool of red coconut
curry sauce, accompanied by a salad of mixed greens with diced mango and a
refreshing citrusy dressing, and served with a Pinot Grigio that reminded her
of tart apples.
    Before coming here tonight, Katie had been worrying that seeing
Andras might be awkward after all the intimate secrets she had spilled at their
first meeting. But it wasn't. They continued to talk about art, including a
recent exhibition of Dutch Masters that had recently been at the city's museum,
and which both of them had visited separately.
    Katie learned that the prints on his downstairs walls were
all by an artist named Yoshiko Nakazawa, who had been Andras' friend.
    From the way he spoke of her, Katie suspected that they had
been more than friends.
    "You talk about her in the past tense," she noted.
"If you don't mind me asking—"
    "She died two years ago," Andras replied,
somberly. His bleak expression made him look old and sad for a fleeting moment.
"She was very dear to me."
    "I'm so sorry." Katie reached across the table and
took Andras' hand. Except for his hand at her waist during the tour, he had not
touched her since she arrived, and she was beginning to wonder if maybe he'd
had second thoughts about his proposition.
    Without hesitating, he turned his hand palm-up, and enclosed
her hand in his. "Thank you. We knew each other a long time. I miss her a
lot," he said, simply.
    Katie raised her wine glass in her free hand. "To
absent friends," she said, and drained it.
    He mirrored the gesture. "To absent friends and to new
ones." He tipped the glass in her direction before drinking.
    Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, he released it, and pushed
back his chair. "Ready for dessert? Coffee?"
    She helped him clear the dishes from the table, rinsing them
and putting them in his dishwasher while he assembled the desserts and made
them both cappuccinos. It felt companionable and pleasingly intimate.
    After their first date, Katie had walked away hoping
fervently for an exciting fling with Amanda's gorgeous brother. But now she
realized she could fall hard for him, if she wasn't careful. He was so
perfect—smart, cultured, kind, and very, very sexy.
    What on earth does he see in me?
    Dessert was a blood orange sorbet served with a delicate
drizzle of dark chocolate sauce. Katie savored every spoonful with rapturous
delight as Andras watched her with a pleased smile.
    "There's no higher compliment to a cook than to see
someone enjoying a meal," he told her, leaning back in his chair, and
raising his cappuccino to his lips. "There's such sheer sensuality in the
sight of someone savoring their meal. It confirms my first impression of you, Katie,
as a very sensual person."
    For an instant, she wondered if he was making fun of her,
then decided he didn't seem the type. So, she took a chance and licked the last
bit of chocolate sauce off her spoon with an exaggerated swipe of her tongue.
"It's easy to be a sensual gourmet when the food is this good."
    Andras laughed. Then he put his cup down and leaned forward,
green eyes intense. "I'd like to try an experiment tonight, if you're
comfortable taking things to