Léopold's Wicked Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans) Read Online Free Page B

entered the room. The air thickened with palpable arousal, auras flickered to red, with fangs descending in response. The stranger stopped to take in his surroundings, looking over to the bar. Laryssa lowered her lips to the rim of her glass, attempting to look uninterested.
    As soon as he glanced away, her eyes were once again drawn to him. He was tall, at least six-four, his lean muscular build carefully concealed underneath his form-fitting black suit. Strikingly handsome, he smiled with a cool arrogance that told her he was a vampire. And he wasn’t a neophyte; quite the opposite, he exuded the confidence of a master. He laughed at something his friend said and winked at a passing waitress. The rugged good-looking fellow who accompanied him looked out of place next to the debonair vamp. Casually dressed in jeans and t-shirt, his forearms were painted in tattoos, the stubble of his day-old beard darkened his jaw. She’d be surprised if he was anything other than wolf, as his aura shone in relaxed blues. Like the magnetic attraction of polar opposites, the odd pair seemed inseparable, and she wondered about their connection.
    Her curiosity seemed to get the better of her as she swiveled her stool to catch a glimpse of them leaving. Unconsciously, she tugged at her short black wig, pressing a stray hair back underneath it. Her breath caught as the vampire stopped in his tracks and turned to stare over at her. Her traitorous heart sped up slightly in response to the way his gaze caressed her body. Laryssa crossed her thighs together as warmth spread throughout her chest. Like a blushing schoolgirl, she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. Hastily, she spun away from the sight of him, but not before his eyes locked on hers and she caught his broad smile in the mirror.
    She wasn’t sure if it was his stare or her own confusion, but as she tried to tear her eyes off him, the slippery leather seat gave way. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, her hands flailing to reach the bar top. Expecting a hard fall onto the stone floor, she cringed, anticipating the pain. Air rushed from her lungs as strong hands wrapped around her shoulders, jerking her upright. She grasped her sunglasses that had fallen down her nose, revealing her emerald green eyes to her rescuer.
    Léopold felt somewhat guilty for throwing the human off her game. As soon as he’d entered the bar, he’d spotted a woman dressed in black leather. Leather in Mordez was hardly unusual, but this woman looked tightly wrapped, like a Christmas present waiting to be opened. He observed the way she tugged at the ends of her short black hair, as if she was pulling a baseball cap down over her face. Interesting, he thought. Try as she may to blend into the supernatural crowd, her vitality licked at his senses the second he sniffed the air.
    Although he hadn’t come to play, the way her pulse increased, if only for a second, told him she was aware of his presence in the room. He didn’t have time to get distracted, but when he noticed her tottering on the barstool, he rushed to her side. Catching her right before she landed on the ground, a rush of desire slammed him as the swell of her restrained breasts grazed his chest. Léopold felt her quiver underneath his touch, but she quickly recovered. He caught a glance of her captivating green eyes right before she shoved the black glasses onto her face, shielding her from his gaze.
    “Careful, pet,” he told her.
    “I’m fine…really,” Laryssa stammered.
    “But of course you are,” he chuckled at her defensive posturing.
    Léopold was about to engage her further when he heard Dimitri call his name. Merde, cock-blocked by the damn wolf. He was starting to regret the day he’d become involved with the whole lot of mongrels. He nodded to Dimitri, who was staring at him as if he’d grown a second head.
    “Take care, mon petit lapin,” Léopold commented as he grazed the back of his forefinger down the side of her