Kiss of the Night Read Online Free Page B

lip before asking, “What do you transport? Usually.”
    “Illegal aliens, contraband goods, Council Reps.”
    “Ha ha. Funny. What about drugs? Weapons?”
    He was silent for a long time, so long she wondered if he was going to answer. Standing, Alexei drained his glass, set it down and moved to the window. “Would smuggling those items affect your decision to take me to your bed?”
    “Yes.”
    “Because of your career?”
    “I doubt what you smuggle would be of any importance to my political enemies, only the fact that I’m consorting with a known criminal would matter.” She released her breath in a rush. “Illegal drugs and weapons serve one purpose—to hurt people for profit. I couldn’t sleep with a man knowing he took part in that, regardless of how much I was tempted to.”
    Alex locked his hands behind his back, bringing the muscular beauty of his biceps and shoulders into stark relief.
    Heavens, he was gorgeous. A living work of art.
    Her fingers toyed with her spoon before she began to eat again. She was so nervous she couldn’t even enjoy the food, but going through the motions gave her something to do.
    “I could lie to you, Briana, just to fuck you.” His blunt statement was punctuated by a rapid succession of images in her mind—images of his mouth on her, his hands on her, his tongue licking her nipples and lapping up the cream between her legs. She saw him as he was dressed now and herself as she was dressed now. He clutched her to him and pinned her to the bulkhead. She could feel him, all of him, his cock driving into her aching pussy with such force her feet left the floor.
    Sweat broke out on her skin as her spoon clattered into the bowl. “Oh God…” she moaned, her entire body shaking with lust as the pictures came in a torrent so forceful she could scarcely register them all.
    “Or I could make you want me so badly that what I do for a living wouldn’t matter to you.” His low voice was accompanied by the feel of talented fingers plucking at her nipples, then moving between her legs.
    It was all in her mind, she knew. The scent of his skin…the warmth of his breath…the expertness of his touch…
    Briana pushed back from the table so fast she knocked the chair over. Alexei turned to face her in a graceful movement, completely in control.
    “Stop it,” she said, in a shaky voice.
    With an arch of his brow, the images and sensations disappeared.
    Leaning against the table with one hand, she took shuddering breaths, willing her pulse to slow.
    “I wanted you to know, Bree, that I have no reason to lie. You’d spread your legs eagerly if I wanted you to. You might hate us both in the morning, but if all I wanted was to fuck or feed, that wouldn’t matter. Vamps have their Calling for a reason—to survive. Subduing prey is nothing to us.”
    He moved toward her with predatory grace, the wide legs of his pants swirling around his bare feet. “But your feelings do matter to me, so I’ll tell you the truth. I don’t smuggle drugs or weapons any longer, but I did at one time.”
    “Damn you.” She shivered with desire. “You could have just said what you meant and not tortured me first.”
    He reached the table and began clearing it, moving the dishes to the sideboard. “But then you couldn’t be certain.”
    “How can I be certain now?” Frustrated by his calm in the face of her falling apart, she cast off any illusions of hiding her thoughts. “I want you. I wanted you before, but now it’s unbearable. I’d fuck you on a crate of blasters at this moment and you know it.” Briana straightened and moved away with rapid strides, determined to get to her room and take care of herself.
    But Alex moved too quickly. Before she knew what hit her, she was flat on her back on the table. “Damn it!” she snapped, hitting his rock-hard chest ineffectually with her hands. “I wanted you to wait for it. Beg for it!”
    As if he would. He could get it from anyone.
    “I only