That silence had contributed to the fact that she couldn’t think of anything else other than the kiss they’d shared. Damn it, she should have pushed him away and slapped him, rather than allowed him to kiss her like that. It had awakened things in her that she didn’t know how to handle.

“If you think you can manipulate me, you’re wrong. Maybe that works with the humans you normally date, but not with me.”

Annoyed by his accusation, she changed the subject. “We’re not talking about my love life. I’m coming with you, whether you like it or not.”

He tilted his head to the side. “Yeah, that would be not. As in—” He moved in closer, bringing his face within inches of hers. “—you’re staying put while I break into the prison and get what I need.”

“Not without me, you’re not.” She pressed her lips tightly together, ignoring his masculine scent that tempted her to do something stupid. “Or have you already forgotten that I’m a witch, and that I can make you do anything I want?” It was a bluff, but she hoped he was buying it just like he had before.

When his lips parted, she saw to her shock that Luther’s fangs had lengthened and the sharp tips were now protruding from their sockets. Her breath hitched at the sight, and her pulse began to drum excitedly, flooding her body with female awareness.

“Is that what you did earlier? Used your witchcraft to make me kiss you?” Luther narrowed his eyes, but she could see the orange glow around his irises nevertheless. His vampire side was emerging. “Don’t you get enough action as is? With those tits and those eyes you should have men lining up around the block. Guess that’s not enough. You’ve gotta force yourself on one who doesn’t want you.”

Without even realizing what she did, she slapped him so hard across his cheek that her palm stung from the impact. Rage careened through her. Forced herself on somebody? No, no. She was the last person to ever do that, because she of all people knew what it felt like. What it felt like to be forced to do something against her will.

~ ~ ~

Though Luther was used to pain—and a slap from a woman who weighed barely a hundred and thirty pounds wasn’t considered pain in his books—the ache from it spread through his entire body. Not physically, but in a different way. As if she’d slapped his heart.

He’d gone too far in his attempt to push her away. Why the hell did she have to push all his buttons?

“Guess I deserved that,” he said with a calm he didn’t possess and turned his face back to her. He was tempted to offer her the other cheek like he had Samson, but feared she wouldn’t get his dry sense of humor.

When she didn’t say anything, he searched for words. He was damned if he was going to apologize. Apologies were for wimps, and it would be a cold day in hell, before he apologized for something that she’d provoked.

“Why can’t you just accept that it’s too dangerous for you to come with me? If I get caught, at least then it’s just my ass on the line. But you. Do you have any idea what they’ll do to you?”

Shooting her would be the least of her problems. The guards would have a field day with her, playing with her before they killed her. And he sure didn’t need another death on his conscience.

“I can look after myself. My brother taught me.”

“He a witch too?”

She shook her head hesitantly, as if she wasn’t sure it was wise to tell him. “Haven is a vampire.”

Instinctively he took a step back. She had a vampire brother? If that wasn’t unusual, then he didn’t know what was. “So that’s why Samson tolerates your presence.” He nodded to himself. “And that other witch? Wesley? Are you related to him too, ‘cause as sure as shit he isn’t your lover.”

“How the hell…” She stopped, letting out a breath, before shaking her head. “Oh, why do I bother? Like I give a crap about what you think.”

He shrugged. “Likewise.” And he’d rather bite his tongue off than ask about that witch once more. However, judging by the way Katie had kissed him, he was certain she had no lover. No woman in an intimate relationship would kiss a stranger like that. Hell, no woman at all would kiss a stranger like that, particularly not one she knew to be an ex-con.

“Fine, now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s get back to our plan of getting into the prison. I’m assuming you have a plan?”

He scoffed. “Has anybody ever told you that you’re a pain in the butt?”

“It’s come up once or twice.”