“He’s recruited me.”
Melissa swallowed. “You would never help him.”
“Which he knows. So he took my sister.”
“Damned man only has one go-to move.”
He stopped in front of her, watching her with his icy gaze. “He’ll only exchange her for you. So tell me, Melissa, what would you do in my place?”
She hesitated, flexing her hands to shake out the tingle of her claws edging toward the surface. The man before her was a far sight from the lover she’d laughed with. Tarian was caught between a rock and a hard place and looking for an out. Turning her over would be the easy path.
But for all his bloodline, Tarian had an honorable streak a mile wide.
There were two choices. Option one was to react as she would if any other necromancer invaded her home. She was well within her rights to defend herself, as her instincts screamed at her to do.
Or she could choose a different path. See beyond his heritage to the man underneath and believe that the lover she’d pined for was still inside him.
She could choose to trust him, the way no vampire would ever trust one of his kind.
Swallowing hard, she took a step closer to him. “What would I do?” she asked, raising a hand to cradle his face. “I’d do exactly what you are doing.”
He stiffened at her touch but didn’t pull away. If anything, he seemed to lean into her hand. “Which is?”
“Turn to my lover for help.”
Silence stretched between them. Tarian was doing exactly as she had just done—weighing the options, factoring in his feelings. All that remained to be seen was whether he’d choose her the way she had him.
“Are you so sure I’m not going to hand you over to Dominic?” he asked.
A smile curved her lips. “Yes,” she replied. “I trust you.”
His hands shot out to grab her upper arms and he tugged her closer. “My life would be a hell of a lot simpler if I didn’t care about keeping you safe.”
“Preaching to the choir,” she replied.
A harsh curse left his lips before they crashed down on hers. Melissa didn’t mind the rough handling. She could feel the desperation in his touch, taste it on his tongue. Tarian’s back was up against the wall and this was the place he’d turned to. Even the direness of the situation couldn’t stop the joy spreading through her body.
Melissa twined her arms around him, marveling at how she’d missed him. Over and over she’d told herself they’d just been a fling, that he wasn’t her mate, but holding him now left little doubt about how important he was to her.
She couldn’t imagine ever being over this particular man.
His lips slanted over hers as his hands slipped under the edge of her blouse. She groaned when his hands flattened against her bare back. Skin to skin contact was exactly what she’d been craving.
Tarian’s mouth left hers to nuzzle the sensitive skin beneath her ear, and she tipped her head back to give him better access. Pleasure sizzled through every nerve ending, leaving her hot and aching. She wanted to jump into his arms and lock her legs around his waist. Wanted to fall into bed with him and block out the new disaster threatening to crash down on them.
But as much as her body cried out for fulfillment, she couldn’t forget the girl Tarian had come here to save.
“Tell me you have a plan,” she whispered, peppering his lips with kisses.
“A really bad one,” he replied. “Part of me was hoping I’d get here and feel nothing for you.”
“So much easier,” she agreed. “Damned hormones.”
He pulled back to look down into her face. “I think it’s more than that.”
Melissa bit back the smile threatening to curve her lips. “Yeah,” she replied simply. “Tell me about this bad plan.”
“I need your father’s help.”
She snorted. “You do remember when he banished you, right?”
“Maybe I’ll grow on him.”
“I think you might be his least favorite person, and he’s met most of the villains in the history books.”
“I don’t need him to like me,” Tarian replied. “But I need his help to trap Dominic.”
“And I’m assuming your assistance in this matter won’t come from the goodness of your heart.”
A cunning smile flashed across his face. “Ironically, Dominic may have just given me the leverage I need to get Lucian to see reason.”
“Where do I fit into this?” she asked.
“I need you to get him here so we can speak.”
She stepped out of his arms. “I’ll do my best, but keep in mind I’m a vampire, not a miracle worker.” Grabbing the phone from its cradle, she punched in her father’s cell number and waited for the call to connect.