"It�s all right, love," he teased. "I don�t bite�not until the second date."

Whatever her reservations, they vanished in an instant. She flashed him a look so fierce and wanton, it left no doubt about their common interests.

"In that case, we�re counting drinks as our first." She wrapped her hand around his arm and leaned in close. "Let�s hope you�re a man of your word."

With her firm breasts pressed against him, it was all Dorian could do to keep his cock in check.

If I didn�t want that painting so badly, I�d drag her into the nearest coat closet, tie her up, and�

"Come on," she asked, leading him into the auction room without another word.

Leading him. Dorian Redthorne. Like a damn puppy.

Bloody hell, how had she managed to turn the tables so quickly? In her captivating presence, Dorian was powerless to resist�a state that agitated him greatly. The last time he allowed a woman to get the upper hand, he�d lost complete control, and a hundred and forty-nine people died in the aftermath�a bloodbath Dorian was still paying for and not keen to repeat.

Despite the warning echoes of the past, there was something about her�a physical magnetism he couldn�t ignore. She�d intrigued him from the moment she stepped into the lobby downstairs, and every moment he spent in her presence drew him in deeper.

Entranced. It was the only word for it.

Stupid was another one, perhaps, but he pushed that thought aside.

As they settled into adjacent seats, he rested his arm around the back of her chair, inhaling another breath of her intoxicating scent, wondering at her strange contradictions. Despite her passion for art, her intelligence, the way her eyes danced with laughter, the darkness he�d noticed downstairs was still lurking, roiling beneath the surface like a tempest she could barely contain.

What secrets are you harboring, love?

If she felt his intense gaze, she didn�t show it. The woman kept her eyes on the artwork at the front of the room, her jaw set, looking determined as hell.

He wondered what piece she was after today. Hopefully not the Whitfield. If Dorian was going to do battle with her, he�d much rather have it unfold in his bedroom.

The very thought of her creamy flesh against his dark silk sheets made his cock stir, and he pulled his jacket closed to hide the evidence, affixing a polite smile to his face as the rest of the guests filed in.

Duchanes strolled in dead last, taking a seat directly in front of them, acknowledging them both with a curt nod.

His woman stiffened, and Dorian moved closer, protective instincts kicking into overdrive. Despite her bravery, the relief in her eyes when he�d barged into that bedroom� It was a look Dorian wouldn�t soon forget.

Duchanes wasn�t the only vampire in attendance tonight, either. Two women from House Connelly sat a few rows away, and he�d noticed a man from House Pritchard at the bar earlier. He also counted two wolf shifters in the crowd, along with a witch from Darkmoon coven whose services he�d occasionally employed.

The presence of supernaturals at private human auctions wasn�t unheard of, but it was unusual. Mostly, his kind preferred to avoid the company of humans in large groups�less chance of violence, less chance of discovery. To see this many gathered at the same auction�so soon after his father�s death, no less�left him uneasy at best.

At worst? Well, Dorian preferred not to think about that, choosing instead to glare at the back of Duchanes� head, imagining it popping right off his neck and rolling along the floor like a bloody bowling ball.

With everyone finally seated, the auctioneer got down to business, starting with a small but richly colored painting of a Parisian sidewalk scene�A Moment�s Pause, the last known work of Johan Saccari. Dorian didn�t recognize it.

"What do you think it�s worth?" he whispered to his companion. "Fifty thousand?"

"Not even close." The woman leaned in, a conspiratorial grin lighting her face. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course." JrNovels.com