Free Don't Blackmail the Vampire by Tiffany Allee Page A

kissing her.
    He hardened at the thought, and took a deep breath to clear his mind. That he was attracted to her was a given—and it shouldn’t worry him. He was attracted to a lot of women—if not quite so acutely—and he followed through on that attraction plenty. The bigger worry was that he wanted to help her. Had promised to help her save her sister and meant the words. Meant them even now in the painfully bright day.
    That wasn’t part of the plan, and he didn’t need the distraction. Making sure Alice was safe was his priority. Showing his brothers that they could rely on him to get the job done was his priority. He couldn’t afford the very attractive distraction that she offered. Nor the time and concentration he’d need to help her break her sister away from Brent.
    But he’d given his word.
    Hell. How much time could it take, really? Getting Brent into a compromising position shouldn’t be terribly difficult. He was, after all, doing his best to get an “in” with Charles, not the other way around. Sure, the scumbag was doing it in a standoffish way that saved face, but the need was there. The wanting. Just below the surface. Charles didn’t need to be a vampire to sniff out that fact.
    As for Kristen…well, it wouldn’t be difficult. Kristen fancied herself in love, but it wasn’t the real thing. Charles had avoided women threatening to fall in love for nearly a century. Kristen was a woman in love with the idea of love.
    He’d just have to help her see it. And ignore the fact that he’d much rather be charming her sister. Actually, it was probably the best thing he could do. Hell, screwing her sister was one sure way to make sure Rachel never let him near her again.
    Something pinched his chest at the thought, but he ignored the sensation.
    “Ready?” he asked. At her nod he helped her to her feet and they stepped carefully in sync the short distance to the ice.
    “Oh, jeez.” Nails digging in even through the thin gloves he’d donned for show, Rachel gripped him as though her life depended on it.
    Careful to go slowly, he shifted so he could face her and hold both of her hands, skating backward. “How long since you’ve been ice skating?”
    A grimace twisted her features. “I’ve managed to avoid it until now.”
    Brent buzzed past them, followed by a laughing Kristen. Cole was, once again, nowhere to be found. For a man who was supposed to be enjoying a wintry vacation with his friends, he was missing from the group an awful lot. Could it be that he had a hard time seeing Kristen and Brent together? Or…hell. Maybe he was working with Brent. Making phone calls. Sending letters. He needed to get a timeline from Noah.
    “You should really be with them,” she said, cutting into his thoughts.
    “This kind of thing takes time. Subtlety. I don’t want Brent to think I’m too eager to spend time with him. He’ll think he’s got the upper hand.” And he didn’t want to let go of her—very firm—grip. Moving slowly together, compensating for the other’s movements, the awkward skating almost felt like a dance.
    Suddenly she slipped, a small cry escaping her as she almost escaped his grasp. He cursed, and pulled her into a tight embrace to keep her upright. Only his vampire reflexes kept them from landing in a heap.
    Heaving in a few quick breaths, she held him as tightly as he held her. “Holy crap. I’m so not cut out for winter sports.”
    Her balance returned, but he couldn’t let her go just yet. Warm and sweet-smelling, she felt perfect huddled against him. What would she do if he kissed her now, in front of Brent and her sister? Would she pull away, flabbergasted and hissing obscenities at him under her breath, or would she sigh softly, and lean into the kiss like she’d done the night before? He wondered if she would open her mouth for him. Let him slip inside to taste her.
    As his cock pulsed at the thought of tasting her in every way possible, she pulled back. She