Dorian fucking Redthorne.

How dare he be so kind, so thoughtful? He was supposed to be pissed at her for kicking him out of his own bedroom. He was supposed to be cold and distant. He was supposed to love her and leave her, just like the rest.

He was supposed to be a monster. One she could hate. One she could justify stealing from. One she could easily walk away from.

But instead, he�d taken care of her.

He�d given her space.

He�d cleaned up the mess.

He�d brought her a midnight snack.

And, she realized, he�d left the bedroom door ajar.

Charley didn�t know if it was a test or a show of trust, but right now, she didn�t care. She was too exhausted for an escape, too overwhelmed to snoop.

After indulging in a cup of lavender vanilla tea with cream and a big helping of everything else, Charley pushed the door closed, crawled between the cool, black sheets, pulled Dorian�s robe around her body, and waited for the darkness to take her.

The scent of coffee pulled Charley from a decadent dream, the effects of which still lingered between her thighs. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, the dream vision receding as she took in the sight of her unfamiliar surroundings.

Dorian Redthorne�s bedroom. Annandale-on-Hudson.

She was alone in the king-sized bed, the sheets cold and smooth, the coffin-like decor no less imposing in the daylight.

Kings� Coffins� Vampires.

Everything came back in a rush.

It hadn�t been a dream. More like a waking nightmare.

Liar,she thought, scolding herself. If last night was such a nightmare, why was her body still begging for his touch? Why was the burn in her thighs such a delicious reminder of what had transpired in this very bed?

"Because you�re certifiable," she whispered. "That�s why."

Slowly dragging herself to the windows, Charley slid open the tapestries. Outside, the lush grounds were velvety green carpets, mist rising from the river like steam from the bath.

Charley took a moment to bask in the early morning sunlight. Sometimes she forgot how different everything looked outside the imposing steel-and-glass metropolis she called home.

What a difference a day makes.

Twenty-four hours ago, she was sitting in a hotel room prepping for the job, Rudy�s warnings playing on repeat in her head. Believe me when I say there is no room for error on this one, Charlotte�

She�d promised him�promised herself�she wouldn�t screw up.

Last night, when she�d found the stolen goods from her father�s cache, she�d made a second vow�that she�d follow the trail and expose her father�s killer, no matter how long it took, no matter how great the risk.

But how could she keep either promise when the man at the center of it all was an immortal vampire king? One who�d rocked her world, rocked her body, and�with every passing minute�was coming dangerously close to rocking her heart? JrNovels.com