Robert Read Online Free Page B

constantly consumed her every waking thought.
      The air around her was thick and her nipples responded to the heat, budding out, pressing against her bikini bra. She had dressed to get attention and she had finally got what she wanted.
    It felt like magic—her entire body was on fire. She had known at once when he entered the dance section of the club. It was like a magnetic pulse around him.
    He was there on the edge of the dance floor.
    Watching.
    He caught her gaze and held it.
    He wanted to kill the man she was dancing with. Sophie could sense his need for violence.
    She didn’t care. Her dance partner was a means to an end. She had wanted Robert Valentine’s attention…and now she had it.
    A sense of satisfaction washed over her.
    She blinked and, as she opened her eyes, he was there, barely a breath away. It had been three years since the last time she’d seen him, but now he stood in front of her.
    “Let her go.” His gaze remained on her, but his voice held the promise of pain for her new friend.
    “Buzz off, man. This girl is taken.”
    Sophie tensed. Of all the stupid things to say…
    A second later, Robert had the butt-head pressed up against the bar, his body at a ninety-degree angle. It looked painful and Sophie winced.
    “I said ‘let her go,’ and when I speak, you do what I say. Don’t come into my club again.”
    Silence fell inside the club, the heavy music stopping as everyone took in the scene of vampire against human—the owner against the customer.
    There were rules and this man had just broken the most important of them. Never go up against a vampire. Especially not the boss.
    The man scrambled against the bar and tripped all the way to the door. Her would-be rescuer buttoned up his suit jacket, rearranged his sleeves, then looked around the room. Considering he’d just lashed out at a human in front of more than a hundred witnesses, he appeared remarkably calm and collected. Sophie couldn’t help but admire him.
    He gestured for the other people to continue and music filled the silence. Dancers began shaking on the dance floor and the barman continued to serve drinks, the drama of moments ago forgotten. Robert took her by the arm, forcing her along the dimly lit corridor away from people—away from witnesses. Sophie could feel the pulse in her throat.
    He was angry. She could sense it.
    Everyone they passed moved out of their way.
    Eyes followed them. She could feel them boring into her back.
    Robert Valentine dominated the entire club.
    Moments later, he thrust her inside an empty room. At least, she hoped it was empty. The room was dark, with the only light coming from candles. It was small but cosy. A large bed and a cabinet filled the tiny space. The walls were painted black and the silk sheets were a deep shade of red—the colour of blood.
    Swallowing past her fear, Sophie looked up at him.
    His eyes were black, his body shaking with rage.
    Instinctively, she took a step back.
    He came forward, mirroring her every move.  
    “What are you doing here?” Each word was controlled as he spoke.
    Sophie would have preferred the anger, the lash of his loud words. This side of him scared her more than anything had scared her in her life.
    She looked away from his eyes, down at the black-carpeted floor. This entire club was so clichéd—darkness, danger and bloodshed.
    This was the first time Sophie had entered his club but, now, time was of the essence. Whoever was following Katie needed to be stopped.
    “I came to dance.” She spoke the words to the carpet. Her heart rate increased as he trapped her against the wall. The bed was less than three feet away.
    “You allowed those men to touch you.” He spat the words. “Human men.”
    “I’m a human, Robert.”
    His fist connected with the wall by her head, making her jump and scream at the same time.
    He wouldn’t hurt her. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her. She couldn’t explain how, but it was like a natural