Dying to Date(12)

Her fangs ached in her gums. What would it be like to drive them into his neck as he drove into her body? The thought melted her into a puddle of need. Whatever it was about this addicting man, she had no resistance to him.

“More,” she purred against his mouth, her hands trailing down his chest. Hooking her fingers around his belt loops, she pulled him close, rubbing against his straining erection.

“My apartment is close,” she offered. She nipped his lower lip lightly before leaning back to see his face.

“How close?” he growled.

“Very.” Rising back to her tiptoes, she pressed a gossamer kiss to his lips.

His hands tightened on her waist. “We shouldn’t.”

“I think we really, really should.” Melissa leaned forward for another taste when her arms were magically empty. “Seriously?” she demanded, glaring at the man now standing four feet from her.

“I was thoroughly warned about first date etiquette,” he replied.

She was going to kill Abbey.

“What do they know?” she argued, closing the distance between them.

He cupped her face, staring down at her with a tenderness she couldn’t remember seeing in another man’s eyes. “I have work to do tonight, sweetheart, not to mention I don’t want to do anything to derail this.”

“What?”

“Us.” He kissed her softly.

“Trust me, great sex had never doomed any of my relationships.”

He laughed, releasing her. “Anticipation, my dear. I’m worth the wait.”

He had better be. No one turned her down. Maybe she was losing her touch.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said.

She sighed in defeat. “Fine. Tomorrow. But don’t make me wait too long.”

Tarian chuckled and treated her to a last toe-curling kiss. “Let me hail you a cab.”

She shook her head. “I’ve got a town car waiting.”

“Then until tomorrow, Ms. Redgrave.” He swept her a bow that again made her question his age. He might be more lively than the ancients she knew but he sure had some old-fashioned ideas.

“Good night.” With a last, lingering glance, she set off down the street to her car. She couldn’t help looking back over her shoulder and grinned when she saw he was watching her.

Fishing her cell out of her purse, she quickly texted Abbey.

You found a winner, she typed. Fill you in when I’m home.

Smiley faces and exclamation marks filled her screen as her friend replied. Putting her phone away, she rounded the corner and spotted her car.

Melissa knew she was grinning like a lunatic but couldn’t do a thing to stop herself. Maybe, after all these decades, her luck was finally starting to change.





Chapter Four


It was impossible to concentrate on work.

Melissa shook her head before focusing on the computer once more. She had too much to do, and spending every free moment thinking about Tarian wasn’t helping.

He’d called earlier so they could make dinner plans for tomorrow night. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, since she hadn’t wanted to appear too eager, and she had a pile of work to get through today. Hours later, however, she wished she’d found a way to play hooky. A date a day might be a little extreme but she wasn’t too proud to admit she wanted to see him as much as she could.

A day apart will do you good. She’d already ruined one document by doodling his name in the corner of it. Melissa needed to get a grip on herself before she saw him again. Hell, in her current state of eagerness she might scare him off, and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

“Your midnight appointment, Ms. Redgrave.”

She didn’t even bother glancing up from her computer. Though her secretary was rarely wrong, she’d made an error this time. Melissa had gone through the schedule backward and forward to see if she could justify taking an early night to see Tarian.

“I don’t have a midnight today, Mary,” she called. “But I will take the files on the Miller gala when you have a moment.”

“She means she’ll take them after her lunch break,” a deep voice cut in.

Abandoning her charity files, she looked up to see Tarian standing in her doorway.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, pushing from her chair. “We don’t have plans until tomorrow.”

“I realize you’re busy, but I couldn’t wait.” His hands slid over her hips as she stepped up to kiss him hello.

“This is an excellent surprise,” she murmured as her lips touched his. Conscious of her glass door and the eager eyes of her secretary, Melissa forced herself to keep the kiss chaste despite the fire roiling through her with just one touch.