He drew her into the shadows, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her against his chest. His head lowered and Niol's breath stirred the hair near her ear.

"Most of 'em like to stay in the house. It's safer there, fewer prying eyes."

His voice was a whisper, one that shouldn't have been seductive. It was too dark, too sinister, but goose bumps rose on her arms and it sure wasn't because he scared her.

If anyone glanced their way, she knew they'd look like a couple stealing away into the night.

Bodies too close. His wicked mouth at her ear.

For just a second, Holly could have sworn that she felt the warm touch of his tongue sliding over the shell of her ear.

Her knees did a quick tremble. "Niol…"

"Why are you here?" Another dark whisper. "And who the hell sent you to this place?"

She drew in deep breath, caught the scent of the flowers, fresh and clean from the late evening rain.

And the dank stench of blood.

Vampires.

Holly turned more fully against him. Her breasts teased the muscled expanse of his chest. Niol wasn't dressed in the fancy garb some of the vampires had worn. No silk jacket and pants.

Just his standard black T-shirt. Faded jeans.

A T-shirt that was stretched taut by his defined chest, his wide shoulders, the rippling muscles of his arms.

And those jeans…

Later.

Holly rose onto her tiptoes and let her lips skim his jaw. "Marc told me-I made him, but that doesn't matter." Not at all. She swallowed. "The picture at Carl's…" Her voice was as soft as she could make it, a breath of sound. The vampires weren't close, but she sure didn't want to chance them overhearing her. "I got one like it today, delivered to the station."

She glanced over his shoulder as she spoke, her gaze resting on the plump, bloodred petals of a rose. The roses were twisting beneath an old-fashioned gaslight. Strange to see them blooming, far too early in the season. Magic . She cleared her throat and said, "I got a picture, of you and me…and a note."

The roses shriveled before her eyes. Darkened to a sickly brown, then fell to the ground, petals raining down. Magic-Niol's magic.

Holly jerked her head back and stared, wide-eyed, up at Niol. His face was a hard mask, his black eyes glittering. "What did the note say?"

"The impure will die."

Her hair lifted in a breeze that hadn't been there a minute ago. "I think you're next on the bastard's list, Niol." The guy had all but drawn a bull's-eye on Niol's face. "I had to find you, to make sure-"

She stopped.

One black brow rose. "To make sure-what?"

"That you were safe."

The brow lowered and a crinkle appeared on his forehead. "Worried about me?"

In too deep . "Yes." Stark. She caught the surprise that flickered over his face. What? Hadn't anyone ever worried about the man before? "No matter how strong you are, you can still be hurt…or killed."

She didn't want to think about that. Holly's fingernails dug into his arms. "The bastard's watching us, Niol. And I'm not going to let you become his next slaughter."

A ghost of a smile feathered his lips. "Deadly."

"Right, that freak is, and I'm not-"

"Not him. You."

She didn't know what to say. Deadly-not exactly a word many had used to describe her.

"I like that in a woman."

He would.

"And if our…friend…was watching us before, when he took that picture-"

"It was from last night, in the parking lot of News Flash Five." He'd been so close to them, too close.

His hold on her hardened. "If that sick fuck was watching us then…" His stare bored into hers.

"What makes you think he's not watching us now?"

Holly's breath stuttered out as her heart slammed into her chest.

Hell, yes, he could be watching. Could have been watching her the whole time.

And, if so, she'd just led the freak straight to Niol.

CHAPTER 7

Holly's face bleached of color and Niol swore.

"You think he followed me?" She sounded horrified.

No point lying. "Maybe." Or maybe the bastard had been following him. "Either way, the guy's letting us know the game's on."

"And that you're his next target."

Or she was.

No, no that wouldn't make any sense. The impure reference in the letters had to be talking about the demon blood.

No humans had turned up carved to ribbons. Only his kind.

So, yes, looked like his ticket was up next.

Let the fucker just come and try to kill him.

"The flowers are all dying," she murmured, her lips curving down. "Stop it, Niol. They were the best thing about this place."

He hadn't even realized he'd been letting his power leak out. Instantly, he slammed down the gates of his control.

Niol dropped his hands and stepped even farther back into the darkness. He could see the withered petals in the flickering light.

Dead.

He was good at killing.

But once something was dead, there was no way to bring it back.

His gaze locked helplessly on Holly.

Once something was dead…

No.

Holly might not be impure, but someone had already tried to kill her once this week. No way was he gonna let her be at risk.

She'd been in the picture, too. Maybe the killer had decided that Holly had been slumming with the demons too much. Maybe she was impure in his twisted head, too.

Maybe he just needed to find the bastard and do some slicing of his own.

She touched his cheek.

Niol nearly flinched.

It wasn't a sexual touch, though, hell, yes, he sure liked those from her. The woman's mouth was the best temptation he'd had in well, years.

"It's okay," she whispered. "They're just flowers."

Even as she said the words, he saw the memory flicker in her eyes. Another night. Another place.

Another rush of his power.

But it hadn't been blackened flowers at their feet.

It had been a man's charred body.

The bastard had been planning to kill Holly. There hadn't been a choice.

Her hand didn't fall away, and he was expecting her to wrench back. But she didn't. The memories were there, the full knowledge of just what he could do.

What he'd done.

"I never thanked you, did I?" She asked quietly. "You and Cara saved my life that night."

And took another. "You don't have to thank me."

"I-I think I do."

"Don't make me into a hero." That he'd never be.

"I won't make that mistake." Did her lips curl just a bit? For a second, he could have sworn that dimple winked at him. "But you're not a hardass villain, either."

Wasn't he? Sometimes, even he wasn't sure. He caught her hand, and, for a moment, held her tight. Then said, "We need to go. If that asshole is watching us, we're not safe here." There was only one place he'd feel was safe enough for Holly.

His house.

His bed.

She glanced over her shoulder, back up at the monster of a house. "Do we have to go back in there?"

"No." He tugged on her wrist. "I know another way out. Come on." Time to get the hell out of there.

Before their new friend showed up.

They left her car at the party. Niol figured he'd call one of his men later, get 'em to pick it up, drive it around town to throw off any watchers, and then bring it back to his place.

Holly rode with Niol back to his home. When they first climbed into the car, she'd asked, "Where are we heading?"

"My place," had been his growled response.

Her slow smile had nearly stopped his heart, and then she'd whispered, "Good."

Niol didn't make a habit of bringing women into his home. Not his real home, anyway. He had an apartment over Paradise Found that he used for his lovers, but his home, that was different.

Sanctuary.

But he wanted Holly in his realm.

They drove to the outskirts of the city. He'd bought the land years ago, commissioned an architect, and built the house exactly the way he'd planned so long ago.

Years ago…when he'd been a dirt-poor kid all but shoving his nose against the windows of the fancy houses in D.C.

A fucking lifetime ago.

Holly whistled when she saw his house.

He drove past the thick wall surrounding his home, pushing a button to send the electronic gates closing behind him. The house waited down the lane, windows gleaming, lights shining from within.

Not as big as the antebellum, his place was a two-story brick home, with a wraparound balcony and a gleaming swimming pool. It sat on fifteen acres, plenty of privacy. The whole area had been wired for security. Cameras. Guards who knew how to watch, but not be seen. Motion sensors.

They'd be safe here. She would be safe.

"Didn't expect this." Holly's index finger tapped on the glass. "Didn't really take this for your style."

He killed the ignition. "And what is my style?"

Her head turned slowly toward him and she seemed to really think about that. "Dark. Private-"

Niol had to laugh. "This is private, love. Trust me, no one will bother us out here."

"No, that's not what I meant. The windows-" she broke off, shaking her head. There were over fifty windows in the house. He knew, he'd watched each one being installed. "There aren't any shutters, like you want the light to come inside."

You want the light to come inside. Niol stiffened and decided it was time to drop the damn topic of his house. He shoved open his door, then headed around the SUV.

But Holly was already out. "Niol…"

"I brought you here because it's safer. No one will get within five miles of this place without us knowing instantly."

"Good to know."

He bounded up the steps, with her on his heels. "There are guest rooms-" Niol pushed open the door and urged her inside. Once over the threshold, she turned back to look at him with those deep green eyes.

"I won't be using one," she said simply, and reached for the hem of her shirt. She jerked it up and tossed the garment onto the floor.

All the moisture in his mouth disappeared.

"I'll be in your room."

In his bed.

He couldn't take his eyes off her breasts. Full and tempting. Thrusting against the light pink silk of her bra. Oh, damn. "Love…" He barely managed to punch in the alarm code. "We aren't going to make it to the bed."

Maybe the sofa. Maybe the floor. Or maybe right there against the wall-he was going to take her.

Fuck waiting.

He'd waited long enough. Holly was ready, willing, and his cock was so hard that the brush of denim against him hurt.

Niol took a step toward her. Her head tipped back.

He took her mouth. Drove his tongue deep and hard into that wet sweetness even as his fingers jerked the hook of her bra free. He threw the silk down and groaned when her tight nipples stabbed into his chest.

Not good enough.

Niol ripped his mouth away, stared down at her breasts-

Pink nipples. Like suck-me candy.

– and then his mouth locked on her left breast. Sucking. Kissing. Licking. Tasting and taking as much as he could.

Her moans filled his ears. The scent of her arousal flooded his nostrils.

And he knew there was so much more to taste.

Her nipple pressed against his tongue, a ripe berry, one that he wanted to savor all night long.

Savor.

Take.

He drew her breast into his mouth. Laved her with his tongue. Her hips rocked against him. Her hands slid down his body and locked onto his hips. Hot hands, hands that seemed to burn him through his clothes.

He licked his way to the other breast. Swirled his tongue over her nipple. Heard her breath catch.

Then he used his teeth to lightly score her flesh.

Holly shuddered. "Niol."

Her hands pushed between their bodies. Fumbling, she managed to loosen his belt, unsnap the jeans, and jerk down-

"Ah, easy, love." He lifted his mouth, licked his lips, and still tasted sweet nipple. "I'm damn close…"

Since he hadn't worn underwear since he was sixteen, his cock sprang into her hands, and the lady knew exactly how to touch. Soft fingers, firm grip, perfect pump.

Damn.

He was going to come in her hand, when he wanted to be buried as deep as he could go in her wet sex.

He caught the edge of her skirt. Shoved it up so that he could grip the smooth column of her thigh.

Silky skin. He wanted those legs wrapped around him and clenching tight.

His fingers rose. Brushed against the edge of her panties.

Holly's grip tightened around him. "Niol."

He glanced down at his cock. Saw the thick, straining head coated with a gleaming drop of pre-

cum. Her fingers, so pale, with her short nails, held him carefully.

And worked him so well.

But not as well as her sex.

Or, her mouth…that sweet, red mouth…

"Let me."

Her husky plea had his eyes jerking to hers and he could too easily read the intent. "If that mouth of yours gets on me, I'm done." One lick, two, and he'd come against her tongue.

No, not this time.

He ripped the panties away.

His fingers brushed over her creamy sex, plump with arousal, so slick she made him shake.

Her legs shifted, thighs widening her stance, granting him more tempting access to that pink flesh. Niol stroked the button of her desire, dragging his thumb over her clit, and loved the moan that tore from her mouth. He parted her nether lips and pushed one finger deep into that tender opening.