Dark Fire by Christine Feehan. Dark Series – book 6

“I have felt nothing these last long centuries. After a certain point, evidently a Carpathian male loses his emotions and is in danger of turning vampire. Because I had others depending on me, I fought off the beast within me. But for eons now I have seen no colors, felt no joy, no need for a woman, no laughter, and no love. I have not even felt guilt over necessary killing. Only my hunger was in me. Strong and terrible and always upon me. The beast in me grew until he was always fighting for freedom, raging for release. Then, into that darkness, you came, bringing me color and light and life.” Darius said it softly, honestly, meaning every word. His hand came up to capture her mass of red-gold hair, to crush it to his face so that he might inhale the fragrance of her. “I have more need of you than does any other in this world. My body claims yours as its own. My heart recognizes yours. My soul cries out for yours, and my mind seeks the touch of your mind. You are the only woman who can tame the beast and hold me to this earth, to the path of goodness and light. The only one who can keep me from destroying mortals and immortals alike.”

Tempest bit at her lower lip again. The things he said to her were almost more than she could comprehend. They made her nervous, even as he made her more aware of herself as a desirable woman than anyone ever had. “Let’s not get carried away, Darius. I’ve agreed to travel with the band for a while, but saving the world is a little beyond my specialties. I wield a mean wrench and all, but relationships totally elude me.”

She could be flippant with her answers, but her heart had melted at his every word. His Old-World elegance and charm somehow seemed to provide a balance to the danger clinging to him like a second skin. Sexual magnetism was also second nature to Darius, and Tempest didn’t try to delude herself into thinking she was immune.

“It will be in the best interests of all concerned that you remain free from any other relationships,” he said softly.

Her emerald eyes flashed a brilliant green before she turned away from him again, too tempted by his perfect mouth to stare at it for long. “Let’s walk, Darius. I think it’s safer than standing here on a log over looking a cliff. Much safer.”

His arm curved around her waist, and he bent forward, his warm breath caressing the nape of her neck. “Run if you must, baby, but there is nowhere to go except back to me.”

She firmly removed the thick band of his arm from around her waist, proud of her decisiveness. If his body continued to be in contact with hers, they were both going to go up in flames. The only sane thing to do was to put an ocean or a glacier between them. Maybe the entire polar ice cap.

His infuriating laughter followed her as she jumped off the log and began stalking away. “Reading your mind is becoming very interesting, honey. We could always settle down in an igloo.”

“Not a chance. You’d melt the darn thing. Then where would we be? I told you, none of that mesmerizing-eyes thing. And maybe you should try wearing a mask.” His sexy laughter had to go, also. Definitely had to go. It was wreaking havoc with her bloodstream. Making it hot, molten, so thick and heavy that she was going to throw herself at him and beg for relief if he didn’t stop. Then he’d be sorry. Yeah.

She turned around and glared at him. “Okay. Do the lizard thing.”

He studied her face. “The lizard thing?” he echoed. Then an unholy smile touched his sensuous mouth. “Lick your skin? With pleasure. Just tell me where.” Deliberately he bent close to the pulse in her throat, his eyes all at once burning, the laughter fading.

Tempest shoved him, hard. If the velvet rasp of his tongue touched her skin, she would be lost. “Get away from me.” She took two running steps in growing alarm. “I mean it, Darius. Or we’ll have to get a chaperone.”