"I want you," she admitted. "You're one of my writers, a vampire in serious need of blood, you nearly died last night, we both could have died, and yet now, this morning, I don't care about any of that. I want to push you back on the bed, crawl on top of you and take you inside me."

Lucern stared at Kate, his mind blanked by her words, filled with the image she painted. He could see her pushing him back, dragging the sheets and blankets aside, shrugging out of the bulky terrycloth robe she wore, then shifting over him and reaching down to guide him into her.

A moment before, what she suggested would have been impossible. His body would not have cooperated. Now, however, he was awake and peering expectantly up from under the blankets. d.a.m.n, he thought with mild amazement, there was definitely something to be said for modern, aggressive women.

Clearing his throat, Lucern managed a smile. "I think that idea shows merit," he said.

Oddly, his gruff formal words had the effect of making Kate burst out laughing. Lucern was trying to decide if he should join her or be affronted when she suddenly sobered, straightened beside him on the bed, and untied her robe.

She slipped it off her shoulders. As it pooled around her waist, she said solemnly, "I hope you have a condom."

Lucern stared at the pale creamy flesh of her body. He had gotten her almost naked just days before in this very room, but he hadn't had the view he had now. Kate was slender and shapely, her curves generous but not overly so.

She had rosy nipples, which topped b.r.e.a.s.t.s pointing at him like a pair of binoculars. He wanted to reach out and grasp them as he would binoculars, but rather than look through them, he wanted desperately to lick and suck and...

"A condom?" he asked, as if he'd never heard the word before. Fortunately, his mind cleared enough for him to grasp the meaning: she was concerned about the s.e.xual diseases of the day. "Oh. Not to worry; diseases can't survive in my body."

He smiled one of his rare smiles, pleased to be able to pa.s.s along the information. Not having a condom wouldn't be a problem. Besides, at that moment, he was positive that a condom wouldn't be sufficient. Many would be needed.

Many, many, he thought as he reached out to run his finger over one of her erect nipples.

He glanced up with a start when Kate slapped his hand away. Much to his dismay, she didn't appear impressed with his announcement. She was frowning.

"But don't vampires have sperm?"

Lucern had to think about that question for a moment before his poor besotted mind understood. Sperm? s.e.x.

Babies. Oh!

"Oh!" He glanced wildly around the room, his mind working frantically. He didn't have a condom. He didn't use condoms. STD's weren't a fear to him, and pregnancy had never been much of a concern. It was rare for a human and his sort to manage a baby. His cousin, the mad scientist of the clan, had explained why to him, but he couldn't remember at the moment. Still, he didn't think Kate would take that rare chance. He needed a condom.

"Uh, just a minute. Just... uh..." Sweeping the blankets aside, he leapt from the bed and grabbed the bloodstained pants he'd removed last night. He began searching through the pockets. When he found his wallet, he took it out and smiled at her-an admittedly pained smile. "I just have to... er... just one minute."

He ran out of the room and into the living room. He paused halfway to the door to the hall when she shouted, "You don't plan on going to buy some, do you? You're naked, Luc!"

That stopped him.

"Luc?"

"No. No, I'm not-Just a minute," he finished at last, his mind feverish. He considered dressing, but then an image of Kate rose in his mind. No, there wasn't time to dress. What if she changed her mind? Had second thoughts? He couldn't risk that. It would be faster if...

Hurrying to the phone, he s.n.a.t.c.hed it up and dialed the front desk.

"Good morning," a cheerful female voice sang. "Front desk. Can I help you?"

"Condoms," Lucern blurted.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Condoms. I need condoms," he barked.

"I see, sir." The cheerfulness went out of the voice. "What size?"

"Size?" They had sizes? Lucern peered down at himself. "Big."

"Of course, sir. They're always big," the voice said dryly. "Your choices are fitted, regular, large or extra large." Lucern stared down at himself again. He seemed smaller than he had been moments ago. His erection was dwindling. He decided to forgo the extra large. "Large."

"Luc? What are you doing?"

Lucern turned to find Kate standing naked in the bedroom doorway, her gaze moving nervously between him and the door to Chris's room. His gaze swept her from top to toe, and he was grateful that his eyesight hadn't been damaged last night. Neither had his sense of smell. Her sweet, spicy scent was wafting to him, surrounding him with its succulence. She smelled good enough to eat. That thought brought other thoughts to mind: licking every inch of her flesh and- "Luc?" Kate was starting to look concerned. "Are you all right? You look... odd."

"Sir?"

Lucern's gaze dropped to his erection. He said into the phone, "Make that extra large."

"Extra large what? Lucern, what are you doing?" Kate asked. She was starting to sound irritated.

"Just a minute," Lucern barked into the phone. Setting it on the table, he hurried to Kate's side to catch her by the arms. "I'll be right there. Go back to bed. You have gooseb.u.mps." She had them everywhere-on the arms his hands were absently caressing, on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s which his eyes were caressing, on-Perhaps extra large wouldn't be big enough.

Shaking his head, Lucern turned Kate around and pointed her toward the bed. "I'll be right there. I promise."

"But-"

Lucern closed the door on her protest and hurried back to the phone. "h.e.l.lo?"

"Yes, sir." The woman was definitely annoyed at waiting. "Now, what size package do you want? We have six- packs, twelve-packs, twenty-four and thirty-six."

"Six, twelve, twenty-four and thirty-six?" Lucern repeated. This was like some sort of test. Dear G.o.d, he couldn't think. The scent of Kate still enveloped him, and his brain had gone all fuzzy. He wondered briefly if he shouldn't have consumed more blood. Perhaps he had lost more than he'd thought, and his blood supply was so low that his body was now having to take blood from elsewhere to support his erection. If so, it had definitely chosen to remove it from his brain. His thoughts were as muddy as a pigsty after a rainfall.

"Sir?"

"All of them," he said at last. The more the merrier.

"Lubricated or nonlubricated?"

"Urgh," Lucern choked into the phone.

"Very good. Lubricated," the woman said. "Now... do you want For Her Pleasure, Ribbed, Ultra-fit, Extra Strength, Ultra Pleasure, Shared Sensation, Textured, Sensitive, Ultra-thin, Magnum, Supra, Pleasure Mesh, Extended Pleasure or Magnum XL?" The woman sounded like she was really enjoying herself.

Lucern wasn't. He peered down to see that his erection was definitely suffering from this barrage of questions. It was a sad sight, and he whimpered into the phone.

"I'll just send a variety, shall I?"

Lucern was sagging against the table in relief when she added, "That should be no more than half an hour. Have a good day, sir."

Lucern was erect at once. Well, his body was. His p.e.n.i.s was still flagging as he roared, "Half an hour?" into the phone.

His answer was the dial tone.

"Luc?"

He slammed down the phone and turned to find his bedroom door open again. Kate was once again standing in it.

But, she had re-donned her robe. He noted this with horror, his sinking heart telling him that the moment was pa.s.sing. If he didn't do something soon, she was going to change her mind. Uncertainty was already creeping into her expression. "Maybe we should just give this a pa.s.s. You're one of my writers, and it probably isn't very professional to-"

Lucern almost groaned aloud. This was exactly what he'd feared might happen. Faced with it now, he did the only thing he could think of. Crossing the room, he caught her in his arms and kissed her. It was no "Good morning, nice to see you" kiss. It was "I want your body hot, sweaty and plastered against mine." Kate hesitated the barest moment, then-much to Lucern's relief-gave in with a moan. She melted against him.

Lucern's erection gave him a thumbs-up. It poked at Kate's robe. That was enough to urge him to take her in his arms and carry her to the bed. Setting her on her feet beside it, he quickly removed her robe and tossed it aside, then set to work convincing her she hadn't made a mistake on admitting she wanted him.

His plan-he began to worship her body-was to drag out the foreplay until the condoms arrived. Half an hour shouldn't be any problem at all. It would take that long to make his way across every inch of her skin. He started with her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, sweeping his hands up beneath them and catching their bottoms with his thumbs as the rest of his fingers closed around the sides. Then he bent his head and took one perfect nipple into his mouth. He would coax it back to its former glorious state of erection.

Kate moaned and shuddered as her nipple pebbled in Lucern's mouth. She had begun to think this wasn't a very good idea when Lucern left her side, but now, as he suckled on her breast, drawing its peak into his mouth and pulling her desire back from where it had briefly hidden, she let her doubts drift away. She wanted him. Oh, yes, how she wanted him.

Her hands roamed over his shoulders and down his back, clawed his flesh as he nipped playfully at hers.

Lucern chuckled against her breast and urged her onto the bed. He lay atop her at once, his mouth finding hers and devouring it. Kate kissed him back with every ounce of her being, her hands sliding into his hair and holding him there as she did. Then she let her hands drift down over his body.

Lucern stiffened against Kate, his eyes closing with pleasure as her fingers wrapped around his erection. She squeezed gently before sliding her hand along its length.

Ah, the aggressive modern woman, he thought vaguely. Renaissance and Regency women had been much more timid. Not all of them, of course, but the majority had allowed the man to set the pace and do most of the work. Not his Kate, however. She grabbed for the gusto, urging him on, and once again Lucern saw that there was something to be said for modern women after all. They were smart, business savvy, s.e.xy as h.e.l.l and not afraid to go after what they wanted. They were...

Horrible, he thought suddenly as he thrust into her caress. He had half an hour to kill before the condoms arrived.

He hadn't been with a woman for a while. Several hundred years of s.e.x had rather stolen the novelty of it, and he had grown tired of the bother more than fifty years ago. He'd led a rather as.e.xual life since. However, Kate had reinvigorated that side of him-with a vengeance. And if she continued to touch and caress him the way she was, he was going to lose control like a teenager. Oh, this wasn't good.

Reaching down, Lucern caught her by the wrist and pulled her hand away. He broke their kiss and moved down her body, shifting his erection out of reach. He was determined to keep her busy and excited until the condoms arrived.

Kate moaned with mingled desire and displeasure when Lucern's mouth slid from hers and he began licking and nibbling his way down her body. She had the brief thought that it was a shame he didn't have two mouths so she could continue to kiss him as he ravaged her flesh.

Catching the hand that had stopped hers from exploring, she drew it to her mouth. Grabbing one thick finger, Kate sucked it into her mouth and nipped. Lucern paused to pay special attention to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

Her body tingled everywhere, and Kate shifted restlessly beneath Luc, clutching his hand and gasping as his mouth dropped to her belly. The muscles in her stomach contracted and rippled under his onslaught; then they clenched as he moved lower still and urged her legs apart. Oh, this was... She hoped he wouldn't bite her there.

The thought, silly as it was, forced a gasping laugh from her lips, but it died as quickly as it was born. What he was doing to her didn't leave breath or thought for such concerns, and moments later she didn't care if he did bite her so long as he didn't stop everything else. Dear G.o.d, he would kill her with pleasure and she would be happy in the dying, she thought dazedly.

Then, losing the capacity to think as her body imploded, she cried out, arching her hips upward and tearing at the bedsheets. She shuddered out of control, grabbing Lucern's shoulders as he shifted. The only thing that would make this better was to have him inside her. She was sure of it. "Please, Lucern," she gasped.

"What is it, sweet?" he asked as he lay between her legs.

"I want you inside me. Put on the condom," she begged. When he stiffened and paused, she frowned. "Luc?"

"Er..." Much to her dismay, he pulled away from her. "I, er..."

"Didn't you get a condom?" she asked. "I thought-"

"Yes, yes. I, er, I just forgot it in the other room," he a.s.sured her quickly. Pushing himself from the bed, he added, "I'll... er... just be a moment. Stay here."

Then he hurried out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

Chapter Sixteen.

Lucern yanked the door open and peered out into the hall, hoping to see a bellhop sauntering up with condoms in hand. Of course, there was no such thing. The hall was completely empty. He slammed the door with frustration, then turned to peer around the suite. There should have been condoms in each room. Hotels should stock them like they did candy bars and booze. Really, Luc didn't know why no one had thought of it.

A small sigh and the rustle of sheets drew his gaze to the door to his room. His hearing was working exceptionally well at the moment. All his senses were buzzing. His entire body was jumping with excitement, and all of it, every aching inch of him, wanted to be with Kate. This was like some sort of h.e.l.l. Some sort of...

Lucern scowled toward his room and the soft, willing woman in his bed. He had known that this conference would be a h.e.l.lish excursion. Little had he realized it would be full-body torture, though.

A snore from the other direction drew his attention. Chris Keyes's room. Sure, the guy was sleeping peacefully. He wasn't suffering the tortures of the d.a.m.ned and- Chris is a guy.

The thought interrupted Lucern's internal rant, and he gazed hard at the door. Kate's coworker might have a condom. His gaze shot to his own room. He didn't think that Kate would want Chris to know what they were getting up to, though; he was pretty sure she would be extremely displeased if he asked her friend for a condom.

Another sigh issued from his bedroom, followed by another rustle. He could just imagine Kate shifting restlessly on his bed, her nipples still erect, her face softened by desire and- He just wouldn't tell her where he got the condom, Lucern decided. Hurrying to Chris's door, he didn't knock or make any other sound that Kate might hear, simply opened it and slipped inside. He rushed to the bed where Chris lay sleeping. Grabbing the sleeping editor by the shoulders, he gave him a violent shake.

"Wake up," he hissed.

Chris came awake at once, his eyes blinking open with alarm. "What? What's happened?" he asked anxiously. "Is the hotel on fire?"

"No. I need a condom. Do you have one?"

Chris blinked stupidly at him. "What? A condom?" He started to lift his head; then his gaze hit Lucern's naked body. He froze, his mouth dropping open with horror. "Oh, geez, don't point that thing at me. Oh, my G.o.d." He pulled free of Lucern's hands and rolled away with disgust. "I'm sleeping here. Go away."

Lucern scowled at Chris's back, straightened, and crossed his arms. "I need a condom."

"And I need sleep! Go away," the editor repeated.

"Don't you have any?" Lucern persisted.

Apparently realizing Lucern wasn't going to go away, Chris rolled back over. He glared. "Yes, I do. But do I look like a pharmacy to you?" he asked. He sat up. "Look, Lucern, I like you. But Kate is my friend and..." He paused to scowl. "Will you stop pointing that d.a.m.n thing at me? You're giving me a complex here. Thank G.o.d all of my writers are female. Not one of them would stand there naked, waving themselves in front of me. I shouldn't know this much about Kate's personal life. We're friends and coworkers and... Have you two slept together yet? The other day-"

"No." Lucern interrupted to shut him up. "Not yet! All I want is a d.a.m.ned condom, not a lecture!"

"Yeah? Well, all I want is to sleep and to not see Kate hurt, and you..." He paused as a knock sounded on the door to the suite.

When Lucern started to leave, Chris caught his arm. "You aren't answering the door like that! What if it's a fan who managed to track you down?" The editor thrust his blankets aside and got out of bed in one move. He was topless but wearing boxers. He stalked out of the room without bothering with a robe. Lucern followed at a discreet distance, just in case it was fans at the door and not the condoms he had ordered. "Good morning, sir!" A uniformed bellhop stood in the doorway, smiling widely and holding out several boxes. "I believe these are for you."

Chris goggled. Lucern didn't know if it was the quant.i.ty or the variety that had so horrified him. When the editor continued to stand there, Lucern lost his patience and strode forward.