Free Love at Stake by Victoria Davies Page A

have great coworkers and love my job most of the time. Things worked out for the best.”
    “Remarkable,” he said, turning her hand over in his. “You are determined, strong.” Bedroom eyes assessed her. “Passionate.”
    “Yes,” she agreed, pulling her hand free from him. “And still not sleeping with you.”
    She moved to stand but Lucian was faster. He caught her around the waist and tugged her back into his arms.
    Abbey fell against him haphazardly, her legs straddling his. Lucian lifted the wine from her hand before she could spill it and placed it on the glass coffee table.
    “Let me go.” She wiggled to get free.
    “Truly?” he asked, his mouth a breath away from hers. “Think of this as research. You can learn about the species you spend so much time trying to avoid.”
    “I already know about you,” she said, her hands resting on his shoulders for balance. “I make vampire profiles all the time.”
    “Really?” He dropped a light kiss against her neck. “Dazzle me.”
    Abbey knew she should move; she was playing with fire. But damn, it was feeling pretty good to get burned.
    “You live off blood but can consume small quantities of human food if you have to.”
    “Good.” He rewarded her by pressing another kiss higher up her neck. “What else?”
    “No sunlight or silver,” she said. “Garlic is fine and crosses are useless.”
    “Very good.” Another kiss, this time on her jaw.
    “A stake through the heart kills you.”
    “As it does most things,” he pointed out, placing a kiss against the corner of her mouth. “But that is all very standard information.”
    “What am I missing?” she whispered.
    Hands slid over her thighs. “It’s far more important,” he said, his voice intoxicating her, “to learn how a vampire kisses. How he likes to touch his lovers. How his bite can make you explode with a single touch.”
    The breath froze in her lungs. Lucian leaned forward and she had nowhere to run. She knew what came next. He’d planned his trap too well and now that she was caught, she couldn’t think of breaking free without tasting his lips.
    He was wrong for her. So wrong. But right now, his fangs were the furthest thing from her mind, especially given the hard cock pressing between her thighs. She didn’t know whether to damn or praise the flowing skirt that allowed her to straddle him so easily.
    “It seems my education is sadly lacking,” she said, hardly able to believe the words had come from her.
    “Never fear. I’ve always been an excellent teacher.”
    Abbey hardly dared to move when he cupped her face between his palms. His mouth stopped an inch from hers, taunting her with his maddening nearness.
    Lucian obviously took pleasure in teasing her, but enough was enough. Diving her hands into his hair, she pressed her mouth to his.
    For a moment he froze under her touch. But it didn’t take her vampire long to shake off his surprise.
    His lips slanted over hers in a tender caress. Lucian didn’t try to swamp her with the passion she knew he was capable of. Instead he touched her as if she were precious.
    Well, she’d wanted to know what his embrace would feel like. Now she worried she’d never be able to forget it. Touching him felt like coming home.
    Her hand brushed against his newly shortened hair, cupping his nape. Abbey parted her mouth and snaked out the tip of her tongue to caress his. His guttural groan rewarded her efforts.
    She smiled against his lips. Who would have thought plain old Abbey Sinclair would command such a reaction?
    His tongue dueled with hers as his hands slid down her hips. Remembering her viciously tight control-top pantyhose, she worried he’d feel the constricting material or complain about the extra flesh on her thighs. But Lucian never stopped kissing her. He gave no indication that her body did anything other than please him.
    She kissed him more aggressively. Lucian shifted. A small gasp escaped her as his hard erection pressed