Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 142050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 710(@200wpm)___ 568(@250wpm)___ 474(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 710(@200wpm)___ 568(@250wpm)___ 474(@300wpm)
“Yeah, the war. I want you to tell that asshole you mated with to stop going after vampires. Stop hurting them, stop killing them. Tell him to slaughter humans if he needs prey. Fuck knows there’s more of them around, and if he wins, he can rule the world. That’ll give him something to do for a couple of years.”
His mother’s disgusting stare searched his face.
And then in a soft voice, she whispered, “You love that female, don’t you.”
It was a long while before he could respond.
“No,” he lied. “Of course not.”
* * *
Back behind the event stage, Lyric was running on autopilot, smiling when she was supposed to, posing next to people, having the same near-miss-billboard conversation over and over again. She was impatient to get back to Dev and leave for so many reasons. What got her through was the bone-deep conviction that this was her last event.
The end finally came as she turned in place, ready for the next—and there was no one else in the loose line that had formed.
Marcia stepped up and shook her head. “You’re an absolute pro at this. Are you sure you want to quit—”
“Do you know where Dev is?” She craned a glance over all the heads, toward the door of the private dressing room. “I’m going to go find him.”
“Listen, I’m serious.” The manager stepped in front of Lyric. “When you rethink all this, call me. The next level is waiting for you—but don’t wait too long. You have to strike when the iron is hot, and that’s not forever.”
“Thanks, Marcia.” As she tried to look through the woman, she knew it was rude, but a sudden weird feeling was making her agitated. “Take care of yourself.”
Weeding through the tangle of staff, she got to the starred door of the—
It opened just before she could knock or go for the handle.
And for a third time, there Dev was, stepping out and closing things up behind himself.
“Oh, thank God.” Sagging, she could have hugged the man. “Have you always had perfect timing?”
He stared down at her for a moment. And then in a rough voice, he said, “Are you ready to go?”
“I was ready to leave as soon as I got here,” she muttered under her breath.
“Then let’s not waste any more time.”
With him in the lead, they made their way toward an exit sign, and then it was a case of concrete steps down, down, down. As their footfalls echoed upward into the stairwell, she appreciated how he waited for her on the landings, their progress steady, just rushed enough without risking a slip-and-fall. When they got to the bottom, he went over to a fire door.
But it was there that he hesitated.
Turning toward her, Dev seemed to retreat even as he stayed right in front of her, his eyes going remote, his jaw tightening. Except then he reached out and stroked her face, lingering with his hand on her shoulder.
“Lyric…”
“What is it?” She frowned. “Is something wrong?”
When he nodded, her stomach dropped. And when he didn’t go on, she said, “Just out with it. Whatever it is—”
“Can we go back to your place?” He lowered his head. “But I have to be real with you. Talking isn’t what’s on my mind.”
Exhaling with relief, she stepped into his body. “I couldn’t stop thinking of you, all day long.”
His smile was slow and sexy. But it didn’t change that dark light in his stare.
“Isn’t that my line.” He lowered his mouth, almost to her own. Yet he didn’t close the distance. “Lyric, there are things I need to tell you…”
“Well, talking isn’t on my mind, either—”
“I’m sorry.”
She had to laugh in a short burst. “And that would be my line. Dev, there is time for… whatever it is, later. The night is young, and I’m very hungry right now.”
He said something, but she couldn’t catch it—because whatever he’d spoken was against her lips. And God, the feel of his mouth on hers as his arms wrapped around her and pulled her close, her breasts meeting his pecs. Then his tongue licked inside of her, and she slid her hands up his back to hold on tighter. When she couldn’t reach his shoulders, she went down to his waist and urged him even farther, until there were no spaces between his hard angles and her soft contours.
It was so good. It was exactly what she’d thought about while she couldn’t sleep, and during the quiet moments when she’d been alone.
But there was also a pep talk in the back of her mind, a reminder to go slow, take it easy, wait until they were back at her apartment because this wasn’t a private place—all of which was excellent advice. Too bad she was raw in a way she wasn’t used to, in a way she’d never been.