"I never make threats I'm not prepared to carry out."

"The h.e.l.l you don't." He tightened his fingers around her shoulders. "I know who and what you are, but you'd better realize who I am as well. I've spent the last fiftysome years hunting rabid vampires and have lived to tell about it. I do not scare easily, Tatiana."

She jerked away from him. "I'm asking you for the last time to leave us alone."

"Why?" He stared down at the unconscious man lying at his feet. "Is he your bloodl.u.s.t?"

She moistened her lips. "You should know enough about vampires to know if he were my bloodl.u.s.t, I wouldn't have been with you earlier." She stroked his cheek. "Now will you leave us alone?"

"I'm not going to leave so you can f.u.c.k him!"

She slapped him so hard his head snapped back on his neck. "Don't make the mistake of forgetting who you're talking to, Jason. I'll f.u.c.k who the h.e.l.l I like."

The urge to slap her back nearly choked him. He stepped back, leveling a finger at her. "And don't you make the mistake of thinking I'll allow you to slap me like that again."

She sighed and shook her head. "Please."

"I'll wait inside, but I am not leaving." He glared at her. "And you had d.a.m.n well better not f.u.c.k him. I'll be watching and I swear if you do, I'll kill him and rip him into a hundred little pieces. You are my woman and I'll be d.a.m.ned if I'll share you with anyone else."

He clamped a hand against the back of her neck and glared into her eyes. "I'm warning you, don't you try me or I'll spank your a.s.s raw and then f.u.c.k it so hard you won't be able to sit on it for a week."

Although her blue eyes sparkled with annoyance, to his surprise, she leaned forward and pressed her lips briefly against his. Before he could enjoy the contact, she'd jerked away from him.

He turned and walked back inside. For a moment he stood staring at her as she knelt beside the blond. Then he shrugged and went back into the bedroom. If she really were his woman, he was going to have to be able to trust her not to sleep with other men when they were separated. Breathing deeply, he stretched out on the bed and closed his eyes.

Tat kneeled beside Tim's sprawled body and stroked his jaw. "Are you all right?" He opened his eyes and sat up. He worked his jaw slowly. "Who the f.u.c.k was that?"

That was a good question. Who was Eric, or Jace, as he now insisted on being called? "What difference does it make?"

"It makes a lot of difference." Tim rose, pulling her to her feet. With his hands on her waist, he jerked her against him, grinding his hips against hers.

She felt his c.o.c.k. He was aroused, but rather surprisingly, she was not.

"You're my woman and I want to know what he's doing here half-dressed. Were you f.u.c.king him?"

She pulled away from him. "Who I f.u.c.k is none of your business. You had your chance with me and you blew it."

He stared at her. "If I were you, I'd rethink that statement. If you think I can be so easily dismissed, you're wrong." He shook his head. "I'm not the man I used to be."

She nodded. "So I noticed."

He smiled and slid his zipper down. "I'm more man than I've ever been." He exposed his c.o.c.k. It was long, thin, fully erect. "I need you, baby."

Recalling the number of times he'd hit her special spot with his sweet c.o.c.k, she bit her lip. She had needs too, but he wasn't the one she wanted to satisfy them. "It's over, Tim."

"Oh no it's not. It can't be."

"It's been over since I realized you couldn't handle who and what I am."

He touched her cheek. "I was a fool, but I told you I took steps to make myself worthy of you."

She recalled his blood tattoo, which had required large amounts of vampire blood. "You've changed one of the things I loved most about you, Tim-your humanity."

He flushed. "I'm still human."

"Technically?" She shrugged. "I suppose you are, but you're not the man I fell in love with, and I am no longer in love with you. If you're all right, you should leave."

He stared at her. "You're asking me to leave while allowing him to stay? You think he's human?"

"I know what he is."

He shook his head. "Oh, I don't think you do. I'm telling you, Tatiana, if you don't watch yourself with him, you'll find yourself biting off more than you bargained for. You're better off with me."

She stared at him, frowning. He was so different from the man she had once loved. He looked exactly the same, but all the warmth and goodness she'd so prized had been replaced by a cool arrogance tinged with a hint of threat that she found highly annoying.

The man who had broken her heart no longer stirred her physically or emotionally. "I can take care of myself." She gestured toward the patio doors. "Goodbye, Tim."

He narrowed his gaze. "I'm warning you. If you do this, you'll be sorry. He's involved in some heavy s.h.i.t and you can't trust him."

"I'll take my chances. Now please don't make me ask you to leave again."

He gripped her hand. "I need you. If you send me away now, it's going to be bad news for both of us."

"Goodbye."

He his narrowed. "Fine, but the next time we see each other, it will be under different circ.u.mstances. When that happens, remember that it could have been different if you hadn't been thinking with that hot, insatiable p.u.s.s.y of yours instead of your head."

She clenched her right hand into a fist and pressed it against her side. If she gave in to the impulse to hit him, a slap wouldn't be enough. She'd grab him by the b.a.l.l.s and toss him off the balcony. "Get out-now!"

"You can't begin to realize the trouble you've gotten yourself into."

She grabbed him by his collar and shoved him toward the doors. "Get out now, or else."

He righted himself and turned to glare at her. "You'll regret this."

"If you make me tell you to leave again, you'll be dead."

He turned and left.

She followed him through the foyer to the front door. "Do yourself a favor, Tim, don't come back," she said and slammed the door in his face.

"b.i.t.c.h!" He hissed the word through the closed door.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, leaning back against the door. What the h.e.l.l had she ever seen in him? She shook her head. Why waste time thinking about him when a handsome hunter with a thick, pleasing c.o.c.k awaited her in the bedroom?

Smiling, she pushed herself away from the door and headed for the bedroom and the s.e.xy hunter waiting there.

Within moments of lying on Tatiana's bed, Jace was asleep and fleeing, naked and afraid, from Carollina.

Jace, my darling, come to me. We can be together just like we used to be. Come to me, my Jace.

The dark road he raced along ended abruptly, leaving him facing a high brick wall. He glanced up, there were no discernable foot or handholds. Although he could jump far higher than a human male and had a strength that rivaled a vampire latent, the wall stretched upward as far as he could see.

On either side of him, the road slanted into a steep drop. No creature short of a fullblood could possibly survive a fall from the road. He turned. Behind him, Carollina flashed forward, incisors bared, eyes glowing.

He braced himself against the wall and crouched, determined that this time she would not take him alive. He edged closer to the cliff. If he couldn't fight her off, he'd go over the side and maybe even take her with him.

She stopped several feet in front of him, slowly swaying from side to side. Now, Jace, you are mine...all mine. Look into my eyes and surrender the last of your will to me. When you have, we will be together as lovers forever.

He lowered his lashes to avoid looking directly into her hypnotic gaze.

Jace, my love. Look at me. Look at me and surrender to me.

Her low, insistent voice invaded his thoughts and made anything but absolute obedience to her out of the question. He had to obey her. When he did they could be together forever.

Forever. Look at me, my love.

He raised his eyelids and head, his will to resist gone.

Smiling, she raised her arms. Come to me, my Jace, and I will make you mine for all eternity.

He straightened and slowly moved toward her.

She reached out and took him in her arms. A chill shuddered through him as she lowered him onto his back. Rising above him, she straddled his hips, wrapped her small fingers around his c.o.c.k and quickly impaled herself on him.

He felt his life force seeping out his body with every plunge of her unbearably tight p.u.s.s.y around his c.o.c.k. He pushed weakly against her waist. "No, Carollina...no. Please... I don't want this." He closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to see the triumphant and evil glee in her gaze.

It's too late for regrets, my Jace. Nothing can stop this now. Open your eyes and speed the process along.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that."

His eyes snapped opened in time to see a tall fem with dark skin and blazing blue eyes standing over them. A rush of hope danced along his spine.

Carollina glanced over her shoulder, rising to a squat. "You! You've interfered with my business for the last time."

"How right you are, fem." She grabbed Carollina by her hair and forcefully lifted her off him. Then, easily overcoming her resistance, she tossed Carollina over the cliff.

"No!" With Carollina's screams ringing in his ears, too weak to rise, he crawled to the edge of the cliff. "Carollina!"

He looked over-right into Carollina's glowing eyes. She held onto a rock with one hand. Startled, he drew back. Carollina's free hand streaked out and closed around his arm. She jerked and he flew over the side of the cliff.

"No! You can't have him. He's mine now."

Before he could fall, the other fem's hand closed over his shoulder and he was jerked from Carollina's grip. Holding him against her with one arm around his body, the fem lifted her foot and stomped Carollina's hand until it opened and she fell. Her screams echoed back up the cliff as she fell several hundred feet to the bottom of the canyon.

He jerked free and fell to the ground, staring over the edge of the cliff. "Carollina! Noooo!"

"Shhhh. Your Carollina is dead. That's not her. Shhhh." The fem drew him away from the edge of the cliff. She held him, rocking him gently. "It's all right, Jason. It's all right. I have you. You're safe."

Disoriented and afraid, Jace opened his eyes. Tatiana kneeled on her bed in the darkened bedroom, rocking him in her arms. Her soft lips pressed against his damp forehead. "It's all right, Jason. There's no need to be afraid. The nightmare is over and you are safe with me."

Embarra.s.sed to find himself shaking and drenched with sweat in her arms, Jace pulled away from her and rolled off the bed. He walked across the room to stare out the bedroom window. He had to take several deep breaths before his heartbeat returned to normal.

How could he expect Tatiana to take him seriously as a lover if she had to enter his dreams and rescue him from a dead woman? Closing his eyes, he pressed his forehead against the cool window.

"It's all right, Jason," she told him, her voice soft with understanding. "There's no shame in being haunted by a nocturene."

He swung around. She remained kneeling on the bed just as he'd left her. Through the moonlight streaming into the room, he could see the outline of her lush curves through the sheer negligee. Despite his embarra.s.sment, his c.o.c.k hardened. He shook his head. "She's not a nocturene."

"She's haunting your dreams. That's not something most vampires would do to one they claim to care for."

Stung by her certainty that Carollina would want to hurt him, he narrowed his gaze. "Really? Since you were in my dream as well, should I a.s.sume you're also a nocturene?"

She bared her incisors and bolted off the bed. Crossing the room, she glared at him. "I have done many things which I now regret, but I have never used my ability to enter anyone's dreams to terrorize them or weaken their spirit. Her sole purpose in entering your dreams is to lead you into a dark cesspool that no living creature should wish to inhabit. After I revived Tim and he left, I heard your cries of distress. When I was unable to wake you, I knew what must be happening. So I entered your dreams to break her hold on you. She entered your dreams to drag you into her dark pit. I entered to keep her from accomplishing her goal."

"So you say."

She sucked in an angry breath. "Are you doubting my word?"

"Sounds like it, doesn't it?"

She shook her head. "I was crazy to send Tim away and allow you to stay."

"Really? Did you send him away before or after you allowed him to f.u.c.k you?" He sniffed the air. "Is that his c.u.m I smell in your p.u.s.s.y?"

She hissed and swung away from him. She jerked her bedroom door open. "Get out before I hurt you-and don't give me any s.h.i.t about who you are. Leave now or I swear I will slap your sorry a.s.s all over this room."

He was tempted to stay and challenge her. They would never have a chance at a real relationship if he allowed her to think she could scare him. Under those circ.u.mstances, leaving was not a viable option. But he needed time to regroup and time to talk to someone who knew the intricacies and pitfalls of wooing a full-blood fem, something he had never expected to find himself doing.

He paused at the door to look at her. "I'm leaving, but-"

"But nothing! Get the f.u.c.k out of my sight, you insecure, idiotic human."

He heard traces of pain under the anger. Way to go, Jace. Should he confess he was no longer human? Maybe later. There were other more pressing concerns he needed to address before baring his soul to her. "I'm sorry," he whispered, brushing his lips against hers.

She shoved him over the threshold and slammed the door in his face. "Get the f.u.c.k out of here."

Her voice broke on the last word. He leaned his forehead against the closed door. "I' ll make it up to you, Ana. I promise."

"f.u.c.k off!"

Her voice sounded as if it came from near the floor. She must be kneeling. "I love you." He turned and rushed from the penthouse, appalled at his ill-advised confession.