I accepted Roth’s invitation to stay at his chateau while working on my book. I wanted to keep my quarry in sight lest he try to go back on our agreement and skip town. He had been hard enough to locate the first time around, and I didn’t have any more days, much less months, to spare.

Bart seemed over the moon about having a guest in the house and made snappy arrangements to have all the things from my apartment brought across town as soon as possible.

By the time I’d been shown into a guest room next door to Roth’s, had a shower in a luxurious rainwater bath, and toweled my hair halfway dry, I heard Bart arranging my belongings in my sumptuous quarters. I strolled out in my bath towel and admired Bart’s handiwork. The mahogany walk-in closet dwarfed my meager supply of clothes and shoes. What few other items retrieved from my apartment were likely already hidden in the massive oak furniture.

“You work fast.” I closed the closet doors, barely catching my towel before it almost slid off me.

Bart eyed his feet again, doing his best to look away while he nodded in response. How in Hades did a sex fiend get such a gentlemanly butler? “If this is to your liking, then I shall leave you to your rest.” He backed slowly out of the room, never looking up at me as he closed the door.

The king-size bed beckoned, pillows piled high on top and a plush crimson duvet fringed with black satin covering the expanse. I allowed the towel to slip to the floor and crawled between the cool sheets, letting the silky layers caress my skin as I snuggled down into the feather mattress. I’d been up all night and hadn’t realized how drained I was until the whisper-soft sheets began warming my body. I fell asleep within minutes of lying down, slipping into a comfortable darkness.

* * *

Roth was in pain. He had fought the wolf hand-to-hand in the street and was much the worse for wear. He struggled to sit up. I went to him and knelt down to check him for injuries. Lifting his shirt, I ran my hands along his solid abs and chest. I looked for wounds or broken bones until he stilled my hands. His eyes were that deep midnight with a low amber light. Heat licked along my flesh, touching the surface of my skin and sinking to a deeper, darker place.

I moved to rise, but Roth kept my hands clasped in his as he pulled me to him. I knew I should resist him, but his lips beckoned. I rested on top of him, straddling him.

“Does this hurt?” I peered into his eyes.

“Not enough.” He leaned up for a kiss. Our breaths mingled as he wrapped one hand in my hair and stroked my back with the other. He was so warm against me. Wetness grew between my thighs as he caressed my tongue with his. We needed to leave. There was no telling who was watching or if the wolf would come back.

As if sensing my thoughts, Roth broke the kiss and breathed, “Stay.” It was a request and command.

Despite my misgivings, I pressed back down into him, my breasts against his hard chest, our lips meeting in a more urgent crush of warmth. He began to move against me, ever so slightly. He stiffened, his length pressing against my hot core. Gods, the pleasure he could impart if I only asked him to.

A moan rose from my throat as he kissed me deeply. I began rocking against him, getting a slight buzz just from the friction. I wanted the barriers gone, wanted to feel him, all of him. Like a genie granting a wish, now we were in bed at his chateau. I was still astride him, but there was nothing between us. No clothes, no hesitations. His eyes, still that enchanting mix of man and demon, took me in. He reached up and cupped my breast gently before rubbing the pad of his thumb over my nipple. As if he couldn’t wait another second, he caught the other peak in his mouth and nipped me lightly. Now my moan echoed through the room.

I was ready for him, wanted him so badly. Sensing my need, he growled low in his throat and flipped us so he was on top. My legs spread wide, he moved his fingers down my body, causing me to tremble at the light touch. His gaze never strayed from my eyes, looking into my most secret places. Roth’s fingers caressed ever lower, touching me gently but electrifying me at the same time. He claimed my mouth, possessed me with his urgent kiss. When he sank a finger deep inside me, I arched up, needing more. More of him, more of his touch. When he sank in another, I cried out.

“Please.” My voice was nothing more than a hoarse whisper against his lips.

“What do you want, carissima? It’s yours. Anything.”

“Inside me.”

“Only after I taste you.” He brought his fingers to his mouth, licking at my wetness. His eyes closed and he groaned, pleasure in every note. I had never seen anything so erotic in my immortal life. He positioned his head at my core, ready to feed his length into me. I shifted my hips up to him.

He began pushing, the sweet pressure overwhelming my senses, until I sensed a change in the air.

Something was off. Something had changed. Now I was on my side. A hand was trailing up my leg, cupping my bottom. Another hand at my breast, palming the mound. I felt the wet heat of a mouth teasing my nipple once more.

It had to be Roth, taking his time with me. Relaxing back into the bed, I scissored my legs at the rush of sensation his touch gave.

“Roth.” It was a whimper.

“Not quite,” a deep voice replied.

Confusion shot through the billowy softness of my dream, stripping away the seductive illusion. My eyes fluttered open to find a strangely familiar and stunningly gorgeous naked man in my bed. He gave me a friendly smile while his hand rested on my breast. I scrambled back from the intruder as a scream leaped from my throat and shattered the stillness of the unfamiliar room.