Free Cora's Secret: A Vampire Ménage Urban Fantasy Romance by Tracy Cooper-Posey Page B

know you’ve wanted me to, ever since we’ve met. I even know why you wouldn’t let it happen.” His voice was low, curling around the base of her spine and walking along her back. “I think by now you know that I’ve always wanted to, right from day one. So now I want to kiss you before this bonding thing grows any stronger. I want to know what it might have been like.”
    “Perhaps it’s already too late.”
    “I thought you didn’t believe in the bonding?”
    Her pulse jumped, because Rhys was drawing nearer. It was almost sneaky, the way he was gradually moving closer. He was watching her closely.
    Looking at his eyes was a mistake. She could feel how something seemed to grab her attention and hold it—his willpower, the bonding (that didn’t exist, of course), or just plain ol’ horny feelings—and she couldn’t look away. Her breath emerged in a shaky sigh.
    Rhys reached out slowly and put his hands around her face. His flesh was hot against hers. Human hot. His scent was rich, layered. He tilted her head up. His eyes were so blue and from this close, she could see that they were flawless, without fleck or mark.
    She was right back to wanting him again, just like at the casino. This time, though, the feeling didn’t rise up inside her. It burst over her like a shower, saturating her with hot need. Cora leaned forward and met his lips, unable to wait.
    It was heaven. It was everything she thought it might be. Her already roused body tightened with almost painful wanting. It had been so long….
    Then thought faded and the delight the kiss generated turned to a slow, deep torpor, sending liquid heat through her veins and nerves.
    She wound her arms around his neck and clung to him. It wasn’t close enough, even though her breasts were against his chest and her hips against his. His hands pressed against her back, holding her still, holding her against him.
    His lips were warm against hers and tasted…she wasn’t sure what the taste was. She had forgotten so many tastes already. But she could taste him and it was such a pleasure!
    But there was something not quite right.
    The thought intruded despite the thrill of his kiss. Something was wrong. Something was missing. It tapped at her mind persistently, making her focus on it.
    As soon as she examined the thought, she felt the same jolt she had experienced when she had jumped away to the fire tower.
    “Well, hello.”
    Cora tore her lips away from Rhys’ and looked around, horror filtering through the thick, syrupy need, diluting and dispersing it.
    Aithan was sitting up on a bed with a coverlet on it that screamed “hotel”, his back against the headboard. “I see you got things started without me.”
    Cora pushed herself away from Rhys as the horror bloomed into a churning soup of guilt, embarrassment and confusion.
    Rhys turned to face Aithan. “Are you ever going to stop being a dick?”
    “Are you ever going to stop trying to be the hero?”
    Cora closed her eyes and sank onto the single armless chair that sat in front of a table holding a lamp and hotel stationery. Why had she brought them here? How had she even known where to jump them? “I felt your frustration,” she said slowly and looked up at Aithan. “I felt it.”
    Aithan gave a slow nod. “I felt your arousal.” He looked at Rhys. “Both of you.”
    Rhys rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s part of it, then. Feeling each other.”
    Cora shook her head. “No.”
    Aithan laughed. “You’re both in full-blown denial. It would be laughable, if it wasn’t so pathetic.”
    Rhys’ tone was defensive. “I’m not denying anything.”
    “No?” Aithan leaned back and crossed his arms. “You snuck back to kiss the girl after you delivered me here. Did you even try to go back to your office, like you said you were?”
    Rhys’ gaze flickered toward Cora. “That’s different. I couldn’t stay away.”
    “Not once you had me out of the picture.” Aithan’s smile was drier