panic. The prospect of sex with him had always seemed impossible, despite it splintering her conscience on far too many occasions.
But there, alone with him, on his bed, it suddenly seemed all too feasible – especially as he looked at her like he could devour her just for fun. Unabashed, self-assured, experienced predator Kane was already chipping away at her convictions. Kane who had no qualms about taking whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted and however he wanted – just like Rob had said. Sex with him wouldn’t be affectionate – it would be power-driven and brutal. Kane Malloy clearly despised what she was, and he despised her coming after him even more.
‘So,’ he said. ‘Do the rest of your team know just how personal your mission is, coming after me?’
Straight to business. She almost felt relieved. ‘I was bringing you in because I had a good lead. Anything more was a bonus.’
‘But you must have known I wouldn’t confess, which means you must have had everything hanging on being able to read me. That’s one hell of a risky strategy.’
‘I know about your communications with Jask Tao.’
He almost smiled. ‘You were going to blackmail me?’
‘If I had to.’
‘And you thought it would work?’
‘I would have done whatever it took to keep you there long enough to read you.’
‘Clearly,’ he remarked, before taking another mouthful.
‘When I joined the VCU, I searched the archives about my parents’ deaths. Two separate psychic reports said the same thing: that their astral bodies were taken with their souls still intact; their souls hadn’t passed into the afterlife. But there was only so much I could research without a name to go on. No third species would talk to me because of my job and my links. I was running out of options. And time.’
‘So you came looking for me.’
‘I knew you were no ordinary vampire. The things people said. The way you conducted yourself. Research I’d done. I was going to bring you in anyway but yes, I was hoping to find something in my shadow-reading.’
‘But not one of your colleagues knew what you were up to? Not even Max?’
‘No one’s ever believed me that my parents’ deaths were linked.’
‘Well, well, the golden girl’s got a devious streak.’
She knew she had no time to waste, that he would have already planned what he was going to do with her, but it still stuck in her throat even as she said it. ‘I want to make a deal with you. The thing that slaughtered my parents is coming for me too. Help me kill it and I’ll give you what you want.’
His silence, his dismissive smile, riled her.
‘It wants my soul, Kane,’ she added. ‘And obviously so do you.’
‘But it’s not coming for another three days. I’ll be done with you by then.’
Her pulse raced at his nonchalance, as she struggled to suppress her annoyance and panic. ‘To get to my soul you need my heart. So far you don’t stand a hope in hell. I’m offering you a way in. You’d be a fool not to take it.’
‘Such conviction.’
‘I mean it, Kane.’
His gaze slid tauntingly over her again. ‘So are you advising I’d best take what I want, while I can?’
Her stomach flipped. Her eyes narrowed at the passive threat. ‘Why not? Help me hate you more. That’ll help your cause.’
And she did hate him. Hated him for discarding her plea like it was nothing. Hated him for being so arrogant as to think he could still seduce her. Hated the fact he had got her there in the first place.
And as he flashed a hint of that sexy smile, those deadly alluring incisors, she hated the way he ignited her inside.
Hated the fact he was so damned sexual. So damned bad. So damned everything that deep inside she craved.
Hated the fact that she wanted him despite knowing he was poison. A poison so deadly that if she let it into her system, it would all be over.
Silence filled the gap between them as Caitlin’s defiant eyes locked in indignation on his.
If he
But there, alone with him, on his bed, it suddenly seemed all too feasible – especially as he looked at her like he could devour her just for fun. Unabashed, self-assured, experienced predator Kane was already chipping away at her convictions. Kane who had no qualms about taking whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted and however he wanted – just like Rob had said. Sex with him wouldn’t be affectionate – it would be power-driven and brutal. Kane Malloy clearly despised what she was, and he despised her coming after him even more.
‘So,’ he said. ‘Do the rest of your team know just how personal your mission is, coming after me?’
Straight to business. She almost felt relieved. ‘I was bringing you in because I had a good lead. Anything more was a bonus.’
‘But you must have known I wouldn’t confess, which means you must have had everything hanging on being able to read me. That’s one hell of a risky strategy.’
‘I know about your communications with Jask Tao.’
He almost smiled. ‘You were going to blackmail me?’
‘If I had to.’
‘And you thought it would work?’
‘I would have done whatever it took to keep you there long enough to read you.’
‘Clearly,’ he remarked, before taking another mouthful.
‘When I joined the VCU, I searched the archives about my parents’ deaths. Two separate psychic reports said the same thing: that their astral bodies were taken with their souls still intact; their souls hadn’t passed into the afterlife. But there was only so much I could research without a name to go on. No third species would talk to me because of my job and my links. I was running out of options. And time.’
‘So you came looking for me.’
‘I knew you were no ordinary vampire. The things people said. The way you conducted yourself. Research I’d done. I was going to bring you in anyway but yes, I was hoping to find something in my shadow-reading.’
‘But not one of your colleagues knew what you were up to? Not even Max?’
‘No one’s ever believed me that my parents’ deaths were linked.’
‘Well, well, the golden girl’s got a devious streak.’
She knew she had no time to waste, that he would have already planned what he was going to do with her, but it still stuck in her throat even as she said it. ‘I want to make a deal with you. The thing that slaughtered my parents is coming for me too. Help me kill it and I’ll give you what you want.’
His silence, his dismissive smile, riled her.
‘It wants my soul, Kane,’ she added. ‘And obviously so do you.’
‘But it’s not coming for another three days. I’ll be done with you by then.’
Her pulse raced at his nonchalance, as she struggled to suppress her annoyance and panic. ‘To get to my soul you need my heart. So far you don’t stand a hope in hell. I’m offering you a way in. You’d be a fool not to take it.’
‘Such conviction.’
‘I mean it, Kane.’
His gaze slid tauntingly over her again. ‘So are you advising I’d best take what I want, while I can?’
Her stomach flipped. Her eyes narrowed at the passive threat. ‘Why not? Help me hate you more. That’ll help your cause.’
And she did hate him. Hated him for discarding her plea like it was nothing. Hated him for being so arrogant as to think he could still seduce her. Hated the fact he had got her there in the first place.
And as he flashed a hint of that sexy smile, those deadly alluring incisors, she hated the way he ignited her inside.
Hated the fact he was so damned sexual. So damned bad. So damned everything that deep inside she craved.
Hated the fact that she wanted him despite knowing he was poison. A poison so deadly that if she let it into her system, it would all be over.
Silence filled the gap between them as Caitlin’s defiant eyes locked in indignation on his.
If he
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