Was it that obvious? She felt her cheeks go hot. Delicately clearing her throat, she asked, "A vampire taking a seat at a banquet? What exactly do you intend to eat?"

His smoldering gaze landed on her neck. Had he just run his tongue over one fang?

She almost shivered. "Don't even think about taking my blood again. I'm still pissed at you."

In truth, she couldn't muster much anger over that. He had tried to warn her, and it wasn't like he'd pierced her neck.

Since last night, her outrage over his taking had cooled to . . . curiosity? Maybe even titillation? Whenever she recalled his reaction to her taste, she experienced a forbidden thrill. "Dulcea!" he'd groaned. Sweet.

If he did harvest her memories, then the damage was already done. She told herself yet again, Don't cry over spilled blood.

Or maybe she was just drunk.

"I apologize, Bettina. I have little control with you."

Me, Bettina the Freakling, making a centuries-old vampire lose control. She sighed. Delicious.

"As for this banquet, I can eat," he said. "And drink wine." He took her glass and drank a healthy swallow before handing it back. Proprietary. Perception is reality. "I'll do both if it makes you feel more comfortable."

Daciano was all charm again this eve, looking handsome and noble. She was immune. She was. Damn it, she was starting fresh with Cas. From this minute on.

She would not let this vampire plant any more doubt. Because today, when she'd tried to picture Caspion straight out of the bath, she'd seen nothing but deep green eyes, black hair, and a chiseled body wracked with vampiric lust.

Daciano could make her doubt her own heart, if she let him! "Comfortable, vampire? Trying to close the gap on all our many differences?"

"Yes."

Flustered, she glanced at the program for the night. The next fight was between two fire demons. She didn't care either way who won that meet. In fact, the only rounds she cared about were Cas's, the vampire's, Gourlav's, and, weirdly-the Lykae's.

She didn't understand why the wolf couldn't restrain the beast inside him. All the Lykae males she'd met before had been brimming with sensual charm, hot Scotsmen with wicked grins and a repertoire of clever innuendo.

But this creature was brimming with pain and confusion. Earlier when it'd won its match against a rage demon, it had begun to feed on the demon's corpse. Cloaked warlocks had drugged the Lykae and hauled it away. Its handlers. Disgusting.

And there was nothing she could do about it. The powerless queen. In more than one regard.

When she waved for a refill, Daciano frowned. "Do you always drink so much?"

"No, but if it bothers you, I'll drink much more often." She thanked the attendant.

"I can use it to my advantage."

At the rim of her goblet, she said, "Oh, and how's that?"

"You're soon to see. Now, tell me, what creation have you this eve?" he asked, lifting her hand, examining the sizable ring on her forefinger.

Normally she took every opportunity to talk about her lethal luxe, even as people's eyes glazed over, but her tone was put out as she explained, "Standard-issue toxin delivery." She'd created a flip-top reservoir on the bottom of the band.

Most Sorceri owned at least one poison ring. Her kind were talented toxinians-who didn't hesitate to practice their craft. She demonstrated the function for Daciano, turning her palm up and flipping the lid on the full powder well.

"So you would dump that in someone's drink?"

"Yes, or I could blow the poison into someone's eyes, like I was blowing a kiss." Exactly the reason why mimicking a blown kiss was a heinous insult to Sorceri.

"The craftsmanship's flawless." He appeared proud. Yet then his expression grew lustful, as if his pride had only stimulated his desire. "Planning to poison someone?"

"One leech is making the short list."

"My clever sorceress has a tart tongue this eve." Leaning closer, he rasped at her ear, "When last night it was so exquisitely sweet."

Not going to fan myself. Wine! Gulp.

"Come back to my tent."

"Why would I do that?"

"For a time, you enjoyed yourself there."

Enjoyed? Understatement. For a time, she'd been crazed with lust. Just remembering his hard, damp chest against her breasts made her nipples tighten under her bandeau top.

Apparently he noticed, because he had to clear his throat before saying, "And it's still your turn, Bett."

Turn? What did he- Oh! She flushed, wishing she'd worn a full face covering instead of a narrow bandit-style mask. Her pink cheeks were on display for all to see. "You like embarrassing me."

"I'm a vampire-naturally I'm going to love it when blood heats your cheeks." Before she could pull back, he'd grazed the backs of his fingers below her mask. "It's beautiful. You are beautiful."

He can't lie. Wait, speaking of mask . . . "I left things in your tent. I need them back."

"Impossible."

"Your squire could find them!"

"They remain secure in my possession."

What could he possibly want with them-

"Did you dream of me when you slept?" he asked.

She raised a startled glance to him. "What? N-no!"

His lips curled. "Liar."

"And what about you?" she demanded. "Did you dream my memories?"

"I didn't sleep. I haven't since I met you."

"That's not good for your tournament."

"You saw me fight. Did you see any ill effects?"

"You're arrogant."

"I'm Dacian. You can't have one without the other."

She wondered what he'd done today instead of sleeping. Had he found another to relieve him of that erection? Judging by Caspion's past example, she assumed males had sex every night without fail. "And how did you occupy yourself during the daylight hours?" Had her tone been arch? She raised her glass.

"I spent the day with my Bride."

She nearly choked on her wine. "You wouldn't dare come to my room while I slept!"

He merely raised his brows.

"Does my barrier spell do nothing?" Great, to live without protection, high in the sky where the Vrekeners ruled!

"It's imperfect. But for others it would be sufficient."

"And what exactly did you do with me today?" She could only imagine. Had he seen how her dreams had affected her?

"I lay beside you and shared your suffering. You're desirous, dragă," he rasped, his accented words making her melt. "Come with me, and I'll pleasure you till you scream."

When her mind started to blank again, she gave her head a sharp shake. "Caspion is about to fight in the next heat. I'd never abandon him with no support."

A bitter laugh. "Won't his throng of female admirers support him?"

"He's escorting me home afterward. We have a date."

"A date?" Daciano bit out. "You have no bond with him. Though I can scarcely comprehend it, he doesn't want you in the way I do."

Again, was it so obvious? "Why would you say that?" Could everyone see it?

"He was in a brothel two nights ago. In Dacia, he had a new maid every night."

"Caspion and I are starting anew. We discussed it today. He considers us betrothed from now on. Therefore I will be waiting here for him."

"And I will be damned before he enjoys a passion I stoked."

"I'm not leaving this table, vampire." No matter how seductive you are. "If you try to trace me back to your tent, I'll introduce you to the weapons I didn't show you." A dagger strapped to her ankle, for one.

"Then you leave me no choice."

"What does that mean-" She jerked upright when she felt the vampire's callused palm at her knee. She tried to pry it away, but he was far too strong. She had to settle for clamping her legs together.

"It seems I'll have to pleasure you here."

"Stop this!" she hissed when he began making lazy circles high on her thigh.

"You have the softest skin, sorceress. Are all the females of your kind so soft as this?"

"Go find out. Your . . . Bride gives you a pass. Just leave me alone."

She didn't want his touch; apparently her body disagreed. Her nipples hardened even more, her breaths shallowing. She squirmed in her seat, dismayed to find her panties were growing moist. Her clamped legs seemed to weaken, the muscles lax.

How could he affect her so quickly? Yes, she'd had dreams of him, and yes, he'd taken her to the very verge two nights in a row-but they were surrounded by people! "I-I draw the line, vampire." The indignant tone she'd attempted fell flat.

He gave her that indulgent look. "You'll learn that there is no line between a vampire and his Bride." As his hand trailed higher, he murmured, "I can feel you tremble. It won't take much to bring you over the edge. I'll ease this ache and have you relaxed and sated in my arms."

He wanted to make her come-right here? "You're mad." Then she bit her lip. To be fair, I do ache.

Chapter 25

No! "Someone will see."

"My hand isn't the only one busy under a table, I promise you." All around them, couples were furtively touching. "No one is paying attention to us."

"Y-you care nothing about my reputation!" she cried. "This isn't fair."

"As I said before, the prize is too dear for me to fight fair. Doesn't it feel good, dulcea mea?"

My sweet. In a hazy part of her brain, she wondered if he called her that as an endearment or if he was referring to her taste again. "You know it feels good, but someone will notice."

"So my touching you isn't the issue. It's just that you don't want others to see."

"You're twisting my-I never said that." She was already panting, her breasts swelling. The peaks jutted lewdly beneath her top. She clutched the tablecloth in her fists.

He worked his hand between her legs, but didn't force them open. "Spread your thighs and let me give you pleasure," he rasped. "Come, Bett, I won't stop until you're writhing from it."

"Daciano, please, you can't do this here."

"Shh, shh." His soothing murmurs only heightened her arousal. "I left you unsatisfied, and I vow to you that I never will again."

She squeezed her eyes shut. This male wanted to give her hot, wet, bliss-and gods help her, she craved it.

"Open your eyes, dragă. Now no one can see us."

Mist had filled the grandstand. She couldn't see anyone but him. They might as well be alone, cocooned in the sensual heat surrounding them. It dotted her skin, glittering like dew in the morning.

"You are part of it, Bettina." Again he sounded proud.

Something was affecting her. One second she felt like she was floating, the next like she was tethered hard to the male beside her.

He dragged her across his legs, settling her sideways over his lap. With his arms wrapped around her, she felt almost a sense of relief, as if she'd yearned to be even closer to him.

Yes, tethered even more tightly to this vampire. . . .

"Open for me." Her legs eased a touch wider; he growled low with approval.

Then his hand glided higher, rucking her skirt to the side. She held her breath as his fingers began delving into her panties. Strange-she thought he was holding his breath too.

When his fingers slipped to her sex, he groaned at her ear, "Wet, so fucking wet."

Struggling not to whimper, she bit her lip again.

"Woman, you madden me"-he ripped her panties free with one forceful yank-"at every turn."

"Vampire! Don't . . ." She trailed off-because he'd begun to stroke her.

With infinite tenderness, he rubbed his thumb up and down her clitoris, the rest of his fingers teasing her opening.

Nothing could possibly feel this good. She needed more. How to get more?

"I love how sensual you are, Bride. Even now you're rocking to my fingers, as if I'd petted you like this a thousand times."

Am I? She gazed down, shamelessly watching him fondle her bared sex. With his thumb making slick circles, he crooked his forefinger, breaching her only with his knuckle. And it was-

Rapture.

"Ah, gods," she whispered. Sure enough, she was slowly undulating to his touch, wanting it deeper, the pressure greater.

"You'll do that when you're beneath me," he promised her. "Look how hard your little nipples strain against your top." She felt a ghosting sweep of fingertips across them, making her shiver. "Did you like when I sucked them?"

His words and his sinful voice worked together, stoking her desire like a forge. "Vampire, you really want me to . . . to . . . here?"

"Yes. Tell me you'll let me do anything to you."

Her brows drew together. "You know I can't say that, can't allow that."

"One day you will."

Why were those words so important to him?

"For now, you'll come for me." The wicked things he was doing to her . . . pressure right at her core, then a tickling sensation, then more pressure.

When her head lolled, he cradled the back of it with his free hand. Holding her so gently, he brought his forehead to hers, pinning her gaze with his own-as if he wouldn't let her look away.

The intensity of his eyes, the need in them . . . she found herself tunneling her fingers into his thick hair, clutching him close.

"Open for your male, Bett," he said, his voice hoarse. Below, his fingers continued their play.

She surrendered completely, mindlessly spreading her thighs for the vampire.

The pleasure was so great she feared its end. Eyes pleading, she whispered, "You won't stop?"

"Never, dragă."

"But what if I cry out?"

"I can make your release softer, less intense. Would you like that?"

In a miserable tone, she said, "Nooo."

He gave a strained chuckle. "I didn't think so."

She was panting-half panicked, half out of her mind with lust. "Daciano, it's so strong. . . . Oh, gods, I am going to scream. I-I won't be able to stop."