"And I want him to forget all about the little talk we had."
"Easy enough."
She'd thought it would be, for him.
Skye pulled out two large vials. Uncapped them and stood, knife in hand. "But I want my payment first."
What the man did with vampire blood, she had no idea. He couldn't use it for a transformation.
The transformation only worked if a vamp drank from the victim and then gave up her blood to him.
Maya held out her hand, wrist up. "Just hurry." Because this was only going to make her weaker.
He smiled, a smile that didn't reach his eyes and the knife slashed across her exposed flesh.
"You sonofabitch!" Adam was on him in less than a second, slamming Skye against the wall.
The knife clattered to the floor.
Her blood began to drip onto the carpet. She glanced around, looking for the vials. No point wasting-
A deep, inhuman growl of rage stopped her. Glancing up slowly, she saw that Adam's fingers were digging deep into Skye's arms and that the dark tattoos lining Skye's body were starting to shimmer.
Not a good sign.
"Adam!" She grabbed his arms, tried to pry them off the other man. "Let him go!"
Adam's head jerked toward her and he gave her a look that clearly questioned her sanity. "He attacked you."
"No," she told him, wincing. "He was just getting his payment." A payment that was wasting as it slowly dripped onto the floor.
Adam's brow furrowed. He slanted a hard look at Skye. "You work for blood?"
"For her blood, yes." Skye didn't look scared. Or even mildly nervous. His lips quirked the faintest bit. "Perhaps for yours, too."
" Skye ." Maya put a warning edge in her voice. She didn't have time for them to get in a pissing match.
He only smiled wider.
She touched Adam's arm again, felt the muscle tighten beneath her fingertips. "Look, I like this whole kick-ass thing you've got going on, but now really, really isn't the time."
A muscle flexed along his jaw. His gaze held Skye's. "Come at her with a knife again, and you're a dead man."
Skye blinked at that. "What makes you think I'm not already?"
Ah, screw this. Maya marched away from them, found the vials, and held the first one under her bleeding arm. The knife had cut pretty deep and the blood flowed quickly. She capped the first vial and reached for the second.
When she looked up, she saw Max watching her with a kind of helpless fascination on his face.
I'm too tired for this crap now.
She shoved the vials back into Skye's pack. "Done." Maya jerked her thumb toward Max. "Now it's your turn."
Adam's hold slowly loosened. Skye stepped around him, slung the backpack over his right shoulder, and bowed slightly to Maya. "You are a woman of your word."
Not really .
Skye walked toward the chameleon. Frowned. "Would have been easier if you'd had him unconscious for me."
She'd just bled for the guy. Did she have to do everything? Her temples pounded in a fierce rhythm of pain. The fingers of her right hand gripped the wound, trying to halt the flow of blood. "I figured you might be in the mood for a challenge."
He laughed at that. A rusty, quick laugh. Skye knelt in front of the now cringing chameleon.
"This isn't a challenge." He lifted his fist to his mouth and blew. A stream of dust shot straight into Max's face.
The chameleon slumped forward, completely unconscious.
"Huh. Neat trick." One she'd like to learn.
Skye hefted the chameleon over his shoulder. Didn't even so much as grunt at the weight. When he headed for the door, Adam was at his side, keeping his body between her and Skye.
At the door, Skye paused, glanced back at Maya. "You know, I said it was the right tattoo for you."
Yeah, he had. Right before he'd picked up his needles and gone to work on her.
"Thanks for the blood. I'll be seeing you, lady vampire." Then he was gone, hauling the sleeping chameleon from the motel and leaving them in silence.
A silence that only lasted mere moments. Adam slammed the door shut, threw the lock, and turned on her, his eyes hot with anger. "Where the hell did you meet him?"
That was an easy one. "Tattoo parlor. During the day, Skye's the best tattoo artist I've ever seen." And one willing to work on the undead. It took special skills, not to mention some damn magical ink, to mark one of her kind.
"And during the night?"
Not so easy, mostly because she wasn't entirely sure. "Let's just say that at night, he's much, much more."
Adam swore, then crossed to her in long, quick strides. He grabbed her arm, holding up the slash, his fingers warm and strong around her. "The ass**le cut you too deep."
Yeah, she knew that. She was still bleeding and getting weaker every second. She needed-
He caught her by the nape of her neck. Pushed her head against his throat so that she could feel the rapid pulse beating beneath her lips. Tempting her.
"Go ahead," he muttered. "Bite me."
It was all the invitation she needed.
Her fangs sank into his throat, and lust exploded in her blood.
CHAPTER 11
When her lips touched him, his c**k swelled, hardening with instant arousal and thrusting against the zipper of his jeans.
And when her teeth pierced his flesh, when she began to suck on his neck and draw his blood into her mouth, he thought he'd come right then.
Adam clenched his teeth, biting back the groan that rumbled to his lips. Damn, but he hadn't expected to feel this way. Not from her bite.
Not with her.
His hands snaked between their bodies, fumbled with the clasp of her jeans. The need to touch her tight, hot sex screamed through him. He wanted to brush past those soft curls and feel her cream coating his fingertips. His cock.
He shoved the jeans down, ripped the panties in his haste. Then he was touching her, finally smoothing his fingers over the silken folds of her sex.
She moaned against his neck. Sucked harder.
Hell, yes.
His fingers stroked over her clit. A tremble shook her body, and his.
Adam's heart thundered in his ears. Her scent surrounded him, warm, wet woman.
Claim. Take.
His fingers parted her. Drove deep. Found her as hot and tight as she'd been before.
So good.
But not good enough. Not yet. Not until he was balls-deep inside her, plunging hard and fast and she was clenching around him, squeezing him tight with that creamy sex.
He lifted her up, heard her kick off the jeans that dangled around her legs. Her mouth never left his neck and the pleasure of her bite just pushed him ever closer to the edge.