famous vampire was stiff. The giggling fey hadn’t cared, merely demanded that her application be processed as soon as possible so she could check her match rating.
Though she dutifully sloughed through the files on her desk, her mind was elsewhere. What would he say when he showed up tonight? Would his eyes still heat when he looked at her, or had Vivian been right? Once the chase was over, so was she.
Abbey shook her head. It didn’t matter. If he still wanted her, she just had to reiterate that it had been a one-shot deal. And if he didn’t… Well, she’d survived worse.
Hadn’t she?
The minutes counting down to his arrival were interminable. She checked the clock twenty times in five minutes before his appointment was scheduled to start.
Play it cool , she instructed herself. He had a date with a cover model tonight, and she refused to wait at the bar and see it play out. They would be nothing more than client and rep from now on. She could be around him and not think of the perfect body lurking beneath his designer clothes or the heights of pleasure he was capable of lifting her to.
It all sounded very mature and civil until Lucian walked into her office and all thoughts of letting him go vanished.
“Abbey,” he said, her name rolling off his tongue.
Heat swept through her. Logically, she knew one night had been it. But her body wasn’t ready to concede defeat. It demanded she walk into his arms, sweep everything off her desk and part her legs. Anything for one more taste.
“Hi,” she said, curling her hands into her purple skirt. Be professional , she commanded herself. He’s not yours anymore.
But the lust in his eyes seared her.
“That’s it?” he purred.
“We agreed. One night only.”
A wicked grin curved his lips. “I never was a fan of playing by the rules.”
He couldn’t be saying what she thought he was saying. And she couldn’t be tempted. He had to focus on the women they paired him with. Not the lust that begged her to spend another night in his bed.
She grabbed the file off the desk and held it out to him. “We need to get a move on if we’re going to make your date. The restaurant is across the city.”
“Actually, there’s been a change of plans.” Lucian set the file on her desk without even looking at it. “I called ahead and had Chloe cancel my date for the evening. A social engagement has come up. I didn’t plan on attending but it seems my presence is required.”
“Oh.” She blinked, running through her mental list of candidates for someone who would be free to accompany him. “Do you need someone to go with you? I’m sure we can get a new date here quickly if you didn’t like the woman you were supposed to meet tonight.”
“I do require company,” he agreed. “But I have something else in mind.”
He opened the door and grabbed a box he’d left in the hall.
Abbey’s eyes widened as she looked at the large pink box in his hands. He set it on the desk before her.
“Will you accompany me tonight, Abbey?”
She blinked in surprise. “We can’t. Absolutely not.”
“Why?”
“Last night was supposed to be the end.”
He caught her hands and drew her from her chair. Abbey went to him, helpless to do anything else.
“Last night didn’t feel like an end,” he said, wrapping an arm around her. “It felt like a beginning.”
She shook her head, wanting to deny his words but unable to.
“I want to spend the night with you,” he whispered. “Tell me you don’t want that too.”
Abbey closed her eyes at the soft kiss he offered her collarbone. She shouldn’t. Vivian would kill her.
But he’d already canceled his date tonight. Where was the harm?
“I’m not suitable for a vampire gathering,” she said. Her last protest.
“You’re perfect.” He tapped the box. “It is customary at Fated Match to give first-date gifts, is it not?”
“Humans don’t really do it.”
“How lucky that I am not human, then.” Again he
Though she dutifully sloughed through the files on her desk, her mind was elsewhere. What would he say when he showed up tonight? Would his eyes still heat when he looked at her, or had Vivian been right? Once the chase was over, so was she.
Abbey shook her head. It didn’t matter. If he still wanted her, she just had to reiterate that it had been a one-shot deal. And if he didn’t… Well, she’d survived worse.
Hadn’t she?
The minutes counting down to his arrival were interminable. She checked the clock twenty times in five minutes before his appointment was scheduled to start.
Play it cool , she instructed herself. He had a date with a cover model tonight, and she refused to wait at the bar and see it play out. They would be nothing more than client and rep from now on. She could be around him and not think of the perfect body lurking beneath his designer clothes or the heights of pleasure he was capable of lifting her to.
It all sounded very mature and civil until Lucian walked into her office and all thoughts of letting him go vanished.
“Abbey,” he said, her name rolling off his tongue.
Heat swept through her. Logically, she knew one night had been it. But her body wasn’t ready to concede defeat. It demanded she walk into his arms, sweep everything off her desk and part her legs. Anything for one more taste.
“Hi,” she said, curling her hands into her purple skirt. Be professional , she commanded herself. He’s not yours anymore.
But the lust in his eyes seared her.
“That’s it?” he purred.
“We agreed. One night only.”
A wicked grin curved his lips. “I never was a fan of playing by the rules.”
He couldn’t be saying what she thought he was saying. And she couldn’t be tempted. He had to focus on the women they paired him with. Not the lust that begged her to spend another night in his bed.
She grabbed the file off the desk and held it out to him. “We need to get a move on if we’re going to make your date. The restaurant is across the city.”
“Actually, there’s been a change of plans.” Lucian set the file on her desk without even looking at it. “I called ahead and had Chloe cancel my date for the evening. A social engagement has come up. I didn’t plan on attending but it seems my presence is required.”
“Oh.” She blinked, running through her mental list of candidates for someone who would be free to accompany him. “Do you need someone to go with you? I’m sure we can get a new date here quickly if you didn’t like the woman you were supposed to meet tonight.”
“I do require company,” he agreed. “But I have something else in mind.”
He opened the door and grabbed a box he’d left in the hall.
Abbey’s eyes widened as she looked at the large pink box in his hands. He set it on the desk before her.
“Will you accompany me tonight, Abbey?”
She blinked in surprise. “We can’t. Absolutely not.”
“Why?”
“Last night was supposed to be the end.”
He caught her hands and drew her from her chair. Abbey went to him, helpless to do anything else.
“Last night didn’t feel like an end,” he said, wrapping an arm around her. “It felt like a beginning.”
She shook her head, wanting to deny his words but unable to.
“I want to spend the night with you,” he whispered. “Tell me you don’t want that too.”
Abbey closed her eyes at the soft kiss he offered her collarbone. She shouldn’t. Vivian would kill her.
But he’d already canceled his date tonight. Where was the harm?
“I’m not suitable for a vampire gathering,” she said. Her last protest.
“You’re perfect.” He tapped the box. “It is customary at Fated Match to give first-date gifts, is it not?”
“Humans don’t really do it.”
“How lucky that I am not human, then.” Again he
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