Hopefully, she had a book.
He stopped in front of a dark green door with a peephole and it opened before he touched the knob. On the other side stood Evelyn.
Pink curlers rested in her hair.
The rest of her outfit—a nice black nightie—accented her long tan legs and her gorgeous butt. A frown crossed her face, but she let him inside.
Darius whistled. Maybe there’s more to that jackass’s nutcracker comment than we thought.
The vampire had a point. Those legs were beautiful. Sexy. She could wear a skirt and he’d still try slipping a hand underneath it.
He held his breath. He was a gentleman, not a sex crazed teenager.
What was wrong with him?
“Look, I’m sorry I’m not ready.” Evelyn headed into the kitchen. “I haven’t even had coffee yet. I’ve been working a lot of late nights the last few months. You know how business goes.”
Oh yeah. He did.
Those muscled legs taunted him.
“Do you mind if I make some?” Dishes clanked together in the sink. “I could make a cup for you.”
God, if he watched her make coffee in that nightie, they wouldn’t make it out of the apartment. She wouldn't have a futon left with his sex drive and freakish strength.
He had to make her get dressed.
“We’ll grab coffee at Starbucks.” He kept his voice neutral. “We can talk about the meeting on the ride.”
“Oh, good.” She poked her head out of the kitchen and headed into her bedroom. “Tell me about it while I’m getting dressed. It’ll make things less awkward.”
Her voice deepened at the last word.
Louis hid a grin.
“Well, it’s just a shareholder meeting.” His hand waved around the room while he took a seat on her uncomfortable futon. “They’re a bunch of rich old men who love hearing themselves talk. However, I have two problems whenever I go to these meetings.”
A drawer slammed shut. “Oh?”
“They love playing matchmaker and they try setting me up with unappealing women.”
She came into the hallway in her lacy bra and underwear. “So you said. That has to get irritating.”
Louis couldn’t help himself.
He whistled.
“Stop that.” Evelyn blushed, grabbed the blue dress hanging off the doorknob. “I thought you were still near the kitchen.”
Oh, he wished.
Then he wouldn’t have seen her ass jiggle underneath her lacy panties.
Heat traveled throughout his body the longer he stared at Evelyn covering herself with her dress. Her tanned body stood out more against the blue material.
Darker colors suited her.
God blessed her with a beautiful body and he’d make her gorgeous legs wrap around him. Or he’d part them. Or both. There was an idea. Sit her on the counter, move the microwave, and—
He crossed himself and stiffened.
This woman masqueraded as the devil’s servant.
“Evelyn…” Louis choked out her name. “Get dressed. Quickly.” Each word became lower the longer he spoke. “We need—”
She came beside him, laying the dress on top of the couch. Her finger trailed against his jawline and his rough stubble. Seconds later, her fingers brushed against his bottom lip.
He sucked on her finger.
There went all his self control.
His tongue rolled along her smooth flesh, moving faster at her soft moan. He retracted his fangs, making sure not to bite her. She wasn’t food. Not yet.
For now, he’d enjoy her warm body against his.
“This…” Evelyn pulled her finger back. “This is why I wanted to decline your offer. I wanted this to stay professional between us.”
She said that, but she positioned herself in his lap.
Every wiggle rubbed against his growing erection.
The friction felt good. Too good. God gifted her with a fantastic ass. How did it jiggle with all that muscle tone?
Her ass defied gravity.
That was it.
He slipped a hand around her ass cheek and squeezed it before he freed some pink curlers with his other hand. Those things needed to go. They were horrendous. Unnecessary.
Evelyn didn’t need old lady curlers.
“Wait.” She pressed her hand against his shoulder. “We can’t do this.”
Louis stopped, holding a curler in his hand. “Oh?”
“Didn’t you hear what I said?” Her voice wavered. “This has to stay professional.”
“I’m sorry, but you’re sending me mixed signals, cutie.” He pushed up against her, then moved her chin until she met his eyes. “You sat in my lap. After I had said to get dressed, didn’t I?”
She fumbled with her fingers.
She’s a shy girl. Darius’s tone stayed serious. I bet she’s never had a wild ride like you. So different from those arrogant nobles you entertain.
Nonetheless, he started this. Not her. He almost bit her in the parking lot last night. He could’ve sunk his fangs into her toffee-colored flesh and drank, but her touch warmed him last night.
Just like it did now.
If it got any hotter between them, he’d take her right there on the futon. It’d be messy. And fantastic. He’d rip those lacy undergarments off her.
Screw the shareholder meeting.
He pressed his lips against hers, grabbing a handful of hair and curlers. They had time to kill before their meeting. She could handle a quickie.
Besides, this is what she wanted, too.
4
Warmth flooded Evelyn the moment their lips connected.
Her whole body reacted to his kiss. She would have woken up sooner if she knew this was how he would greet her. Maybe she should greet people wearing lingerie more often.
No.
No way.
No man should see her like this.
Still, Louis could kiss. His lips warmed the longer they stayed locked in their impassioned embrace. Those thick hands slid onto her hips, keeping her in place.
She wasn’t going anywhere at this rate.
To be honest, she shouldn’t have straddled him—or ran around the apartment in her nightie—but he practically begged her to tease him a minute ago. He watched her prance around her apartment in her panties. Any respectable man would have stayed on the couch and let her grab her dress in peace. And they wouldn’t have visited her apartment without her consent.
How did he get her address, anyway?
His tongue slipped into her mouth.
Holy moly. Louis outdid her ex-boyfriends in the kissing department. None of them were passionate whenever they made out with her. They did the bare minimum. They didn’t listen to her wants and needs. In fact, most of them didn’t care if she enjoyed herself—except Ethan, but dating a virgin had its drawbacks. The rest—including Simon—wanted to get to the action quickly.
Not this guy.
He took his time.
His hands tantalized her in all the right places. And his mouth—holy hell. Incredible. That tongue did all sorts of things inside her mouth.
Evelyn lost track of all the sensations and moaned, pressing against him. Kisses this good should be a sin. Men didn’t kiss like this. They were savages. They only cared about one thing. After sex, her ex-boyfriends had stopped visiting her.
He suckled on her bottom lip and let go of her hips, wrapping his powerful arms around her.
This man had to be different.
Evelyn grabbed his blazer, sliding it off his shoulders and down his toned arms. Then she grabbed his tie, trying to unknot it.
Her fingers fumbled the longer they kissed.
Damn. She needed skin-on-skin contact like a fat kid needed cake, and she bordered on ripping his clothes off. Except he wasn’t as delectable as cake. More like white chocolate.
His fair complexion could use a little color.
“Evie, I’m not complaining…” He spoke in a husky whisper, sliding a
hand toward her ass. “But if you don’t move, we won’t leave this apartment. I can’t miss my meeting.”
Meeting be damned.
The handsome businessman could reschedule.
She undid the top button, holding her arms in place until they shook with anticipation. Her fingers parted the collar of his shirt.
Louis seized her wrist. “You might not want to undo anymore buttons. Besides, what happened to professionalism?”
“You came to my apartment without notice and checked me out in my underwear.” Her free hand tried undoing another button. “Then you couldn’t stop looking at my panties.”
He slipped a finger underneath her frilly panties. “Oh, how naughty of me.”
Jesus, Joseph, and Mary.
The bastard enjoyed teasing her.
Her fingers fumbled again. Why couldn’t she get his blasted shirt unbuttoned? She’d done this plenty of times. This wasn’t rocket science. Toddlers could unbutton shirts better.
He seized her other hand.
She’d win.
Somehow.
“Damn you.” Evelyn reached for the dress laying behind him on the futon. “You shouldn’t have teased me.”
“I did nothing.”
“Bullshit.” She slid off his lap. “You enjoyed looking at me.”
“I admit, you’re attractive.” The smug businessman crossed himself and sat his hands in his lap. “You’re quite the looker, you know.”
“You did more than look.” She scuffed the floor with her slipper. “You worked me up. Then again, I don’t usually react like this.”
A smirk crossed his lips. “Oh?”
“We need to talk.” Her shaky hands unzipped her dark blue cocktail dress. “It seems we’re—you know.” Heat flooded her face. “Compatible? Yes. That’s the right word.”
Jesus. Talk about screwing up her sentences.
Way to go, Evelyn.
She slipped the dress over her head, grasping for words. Great. Airheaded Evelyn came out to play. Not what she intended.
What a great start to her day.
“Don’t be so nervous.” Louis’s hands danced along her back as he zipped up the dress. “You’re not doing anything wrong.”
“I’m sorry.” The words tumbled out, echoing her short breaths while she turned around and faced him. “I’m not like this. It’s just—”
“Shh.” His finger touched her lips. “There’s nothing to explain.”
“I feel like I—”
He silenced her with another kiss.
Unlike the last one—which she enjoyed—this kiss was gentle. Tentative. More a comforting kiss than one of passion.
He moved her back on his lap and pulled her to his chest.
Her ear found his strong heartbeat.
“We can talk afterward if you like.” His hand rubbed the middle of her back. “I think these feelings are mutual, don’t you?”
What a stupid question. They were. He was hard. She got riled up.
Evelyn’s finger trailed along his cool collarbone.
Why did they have to end their playful game here?
“Evie, you’re such a tease.” He pinched her butt, then helped her to her feet. “We’ll talk about this later. In the meantime, get dressed. I’ll go grab my coffee while you’re getting ready. I’ll get you hot chocolate.”
She licked her lips. “Okay, but I have one question.”
“If this is about paying for anything—”
“How did you get my address?”
Maybe she should have asked her question before making out with him, but he didn’t appear to have any stalker qualities. He wasn’t tailing her everywhere she went. He didn’t call her phone multiple times a day. Showing up at her house—well, he lost brownie points for waking her up before three-thirty.
He better have a damn good explanation for visiting her unannounced.
“Hector.” His voice hardened. “I met someone who wasn’t too fond of you today. I thought he’d pay you a visit, so I wanted to beat him here. He told me the complex, not the address. You told me the rest.”
The heat drained from her face.
Only one man tried ruining her life.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” Evelyn hugged herself. “What did this guy look like?”
“Blonde. Full of hot air.” His words turned darker the longer he spoke. “He’s a creepy bastard. No one likes him. I’d ring his neck if I could.”
Her heartbeat fluttered in her chest.
Her stalker had returned.
“Anyway, I thought I should come before he did.” He rose from the futon. “Will you be okay while I’m gone?”
She nodded, forcing herself to breathe.
“Would you like whipped cream on your hot chocolate?”
“Ah, yeah.” A heavy weight settled in her chest. “I guess.”
“I’ll assume that’s a yes.” He kissed her on the cheek. “Go get ready. I’ll text you when I’m back at your place.”
Evelyn hurried into the bedroom.
Then she slammed the door.
Shit. Simon tried ruining everything. How did he hear about Louis, anyway? The maintenance men took out the cameras he installed around her apartment last year. She removed the ones he planted at Vixens, too.
Then how did he find out about her job tonight?
She stomped her foot into the floor and wood splintered everywhere. At least Louis cared enough to check on her.
This relationship couldn’t end up like Simon. It couldn’t.
Otherwise, she’d have to change the locks in her apartment.
Again.
* * *
Twenty-five minutes later, Evelyn emerged from the bedroom, dressed to the nines.
Pantyhose never suited her, but she preferred those over having her thighs chafe. Every girl hated having their thighs rub while they walked. However, pantyhose triggered all her insecurities about being fat.
Her cousin didn’t call her thunder thighs for nothing.
Still, a hundred and forty-six pounds beat weighing three hundred pounds. God didn’t curse her to be a hippopotamus. Still, being called thunder thighs haunted her. Every boyfriend she had ever had remarked on how muscular her legs were.
They weren’t wrong.
Louis looked at them, too.
She stopped at her full-length mirror, putting her long hair in a bun before she stuck two thick Oriental chopsticks inside it. Once they settled in place, she framed a few strands of curly hair around her face.
No one would suspect her beloved weapons at the meeting.
The thin blades remained hidden inside the chopsticks. Not that she needed them. She had fists of steel. But a secondary weapon helped whenever she got stuck in a pinch.
After patting the items in her purse and slinging it over her shoulder—while crossing off everything on her mental checklist—her phone buzzed with an incoming text. She grabbed her phone, then opened the notification while locking the apartment.
A text message came in underneath the picture. Louis had two small cups from Starbucks inside his cup holders.
Someone had marked one of the cups with the cute nickname he had for her.
I’m outside the apartment. Your hot chocolate is still warm.
Wow. Talk about perfect.
He knew how to worm his way into her heart.
She headed downstairs, waving to the three women eating around their fire pit. When would those women move? They had camped outside her building for the last month. Anytime she saw them, they were roasting animals over their blasted pit.
No wonder they got evicted.
Evelyn ducked into the Beetle before they talked to her. Their depression would sour her good mood. Then it would spoil her night.
Talk about ruining her first paying job in months.
Or a potential first date.
“Thanks for the hot chocolate.” She sat in the passenger’s seat and nursed her cup. “I could’ve paid for
it, you know.”
Her host headed down the road. “I didn’t mind.”
Not the point, but whatever.
She’d slip a five inside his glove box before she left for the evening.
“So, you never mentioned what kind of business you’re running.” Whipped cream and chocolate tantalized her taste buds as she sipped her drink. “I know shareholders can get technical.”
“Well, yes.” An amused tone came through his voice. “I acquired two businesses. The first involves cologne and men’s clothing. The second involves the shareholders who take part in underground sports.”
Evelyn leaned back. “I see.”
“To be honest, I’m hosting both of them simultaneously. Talking to them isn’t the hard part.” He groaned at a red light. “It’s all those flaky women I mentioned earlier. They’re relentless. And their families expect me to cater to their every need and whim. It’s embarrassing.”
She stifled a giggle.
Thank goodness he wasn’t like Simon.
“I’d like to have more money.” She sipped on her drink again. “You know… so I can build up a savings account again. But being rich? No thanks. Those folks have it tough.”
“You have no idea.”
Evelyn snickered into her plastic lid. “I can take a guess. You’re trying to fend off beautiful women.”
He made a gagging noise. “They’re worse than becoming rich.”
“Don’t they play favorites at these gatherings?” She scratched her wrist, banking his last statement for future reference. “Because I don’t play favorites or kiss anyone’s ass. I cater to enough catty women at Vixens.”
“It’s worse with these fogies.” His tone turned sour. “They’ll snub you if you marry the wrong person.”
Whoa, baby. They treaded into dangerous territory. Marriage and kids were off limits. Those conversations always brought out the worst in her clients.
Time to change the subject.
“So, how did you acquire these businesses?” Her question ended on a curious drawl. “Did you inherit them or—”
“Hector. He fronted me the money.”
“I didn’t think he was so generous.”
“Actually, we split it fifty-fifty.” He headed onto the highway. “Most of these meetings I attend are about his business except for tonight. It’s rare I get to meet anyone about my personal endeavors.”
Vulture’s Kiss Page 4
