Midnight's Master. Cynthia Eden

“But wanting isn’t enough for me.” The door opened with a squeak, sending the chilled night air flooding the interior of the vehicle. Holly pushed to her feet, flashing thigh, fucking gorgeous thigh, right at him.

      Oh, he wanted a bite. A very, very big bite of her.

      Growling, he nearly ripped open his door as he fought to get out of the SUV. By the time he rounded the front of the vehicle, Holly was hurrying up her sidewalk.

      “Holly.”

      She froze. The wind lifted her hair.

      “You came to me.” A reminder she shouldn’t need.

      Her head turned. Her gaze met his. “Not for sex.”

      A damn disappointment.

      Holly’s chin lifted. Stubborn. “You know why I came to Paradise.”

      Niol’s hands fisted. “You need to stay out of Other business.” Before she got herself hurt.

      Killed.

      The rest of the demons out there wouldn’t play as nicely with her as he had.

      And the vamps wouldn’t hesitate to bite.

      Then he’d have to stake the bastards.

      “I’m not the only killer in the darkness, love. You need to watch your step.” A fair warning.

      She swallowed. “Tell me, did you…know him?”

      The kid. The fool demon who’d been too soft. Niol didn’t answer. “You did,” he said instead and wondered just how close Holly had come to her source.

      Her shoulders squared. “Carl was a good man—”

      “Demon.”

      “—he didn’t deserve to die that way.”

      “Most folks don’t deserve the way they die.” Simple fact. He’d seen rapists die gently in their sleep. Seen kindly grandmothers get shot down in the streets. Life wasn’t fair and neither was death.

      “I’m not going to forget about him.” Shadows were all around her. Darkness waiting.

      “Then don’t.” Blunt. Hard. “Report his death. Talk about what a good man he was, remember him when you’re curled up at night and trying not to think about just what is out there on the streets.” He exhaled on sigh. “But don’t, don’t go digging into his murder.”

      Her head tilted to the left. The streetlight shot over her cheekbone, leaving a hollow of shadow. “Sounds like an order.”

      Because it had been.

      “But I’m not one of your little bar minions. I don’t take orders from you.”

      That was going to be a problem.

      “I could make you, you know.” The words slipped out, but they were true. It would take only a minute’s concentration. He could slip into her mind, force her compliance, and—

      “Been there, done that.” Rage shook her words, trembled her body. “If you want to try that method on me, then go ahead. But I think you’ll find I’m not such easy prey—this time.”

      The memory of her, the memory of the night an incubus had trapped her mind and tried to steal her life, flashed between them.

      Niol knew he was a bastard. He’d never denied it. But for an instant, he almost felt…

      Shame.

      Fuck.

      The woman was messing with his head.

      “Don’t make me force the issue.” Because he wouldn’t have her blood on his hands. Damn. Why did he even care? He should be shoving his way into her mind, blocking out the memory of the dead demon. But she made him hesitate.

      She’d caught his attention months ago. Hell, he’d been drawn to her the first time he flipped on the television and seen her face staring back at him. Holly had been broadcasting about some pileup on Peachtree, and all he’d been able to think about was the fire of her hair.

      Stupid.

      Horny.

      That was him.

      He’d taken a redhead that night. Picked up one of the humans who wanted to play at his bar. He’d taken her, closed his eyes, and imagined the reporter from News Flash Five.

      Insanity. Yes, it ran in his family.

      He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her, fantasizing about her. He’d even taken to watching the news—

      And he hated the local news. Yet he liked to watch her.

      “Don’t make you?” She repeated and he saw her breasts—nice, firm breasts—heave as she sucked in a breath. “Why don’t you just try to force me to—”

      In an instant, he’d closed the distance between them. His fingers locked around her arms, tight. Too strong. He jerked her up against him and glared down at her. “This is no game.” Even after all that had happened, she still didn’t understand how vulnerable she was.

      She could die so easily.

      Just as Gillian had died. His half sister had been a demon, with a demon’s power, but even she hadn’t been strong enough to fight the killers that hunted in the night.

      “I’m not going to back off this story.” Holly’s lips tightened. No hint of the dimple showed now. Pity. “I am going to find out who killed Carl. I came to Paradise, to you, because I thought you’d want to help me.”

      “You thought wrong.” Then, because it might just be his last chance and because, well, he wanted to taste her again, with the lights of the stars shining above them, he kissed her.

      Holly’s lips were parted, her mouth open as she prepared to berate him, and, oh, but the sweet human tasted good.

      His tongue stroked into her mouth. Taking, demanding a response from her.

      And the lady sure gave him one.

      Her mouth widened. Her tongue snaked out to meet his. The explosion of hunger hit him then, like a fighter’s punch in his gut, and his already erect cock stiffened even more.

      Her breasts pressed against him. He could feel her tight nipples nudging against his shirt. Her hands were on his arms, wrapping around his biceps, squeezing.

      Not fighting. No, Holly wasn’t pushing against him, not trying to break loose—

      She was trying to get closer.

      Just as he was.

      Her mouth fit him. Her lips, soft, full, felt right against his. Her tongue…ah, the lady knew how to use her tongue. Knew how to stroke. How to torment.

      How to drive him even wilder.

      Maybe the human did want to play. Absolutely-damn-perfect—

      Holly tore away from him, wrenching out of his arms and stumbling back. “No.” Her wide eyes watched him.

      With hunger.

      With horror.

      Ah, now that look wasn’t anything new. He’d seen it more than his share of times.

      Yet he still found himself stiffening.

      He didn’t like for her to look at him that way.

      She lifted a hand to her lips, as if to wipe away his taste, and Niol’s eyes narrowed.

      “You think…” Holly began slowly, then stopped and swallowed. “You think you can threaten to fuck my mind…then try and fuck me?”

      He didn’t speak. What would he have said?

      “No. I’m not one of your demon-wannabe sluts, Niol. I don’t want to jump you in the dark so that I can have the thrill