"What are you plotting, Jason?"

Wilfredo's sharp question snapped Jace out of his reverie. He cleared his thoughts of Carollina and looked at his mentor. "There's another woman haunting me. I need to tell you about a vampire called Ana."

"Haunting you in what way? Is she also a nocturene?"

"No." He frowned. Had she been evil, she wouldn't have stopped to help him. "She stopped to help me after my encounter with Aleksei Madison."

Wilfredo's nostrils flared at the mention of Madison's name. "Describe this Ana."

"She's beautiful." "That's not a useful description, Jason. What does she look like?"

"She's biracial. Her skin is the color of cocoa, her eyes are blue and she is beautiful."

"Biracial with dark skin and blue eyes?" Wilfredo's compressed his lip. "What last name does she use?"

"I don't know. Why? Does she sound familiar? Do you know her?"

"Is her last name Forester?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. What do you know about her? Tell me. Please."

"I have encountered her."

Jace's heart beat a wild tattoo against his chest. "Encountered? Not met her? When?"

"What is this fem to you, Jason?"

"I want to know who she is, Wilfredo. Please."

"If she is the woman I think she is, she is Aleksei Madison's sister."

Jace blinked, feeling as if the air had been sucked out of his lungs. He shook his head. She could not be related to the Madisons. If she were, what chance would he stand with her after he had tried to kill one of her brothers and in turn been nearly killed by that brother's twin?

"What is her name?"

"Her given name is Tatiana, but she has been known to go by Ana Forester." Wilfredo studied his face. "What are you planning to do with this information, Jason?"

"I have to see her."

"That would be neither wise nor safe. When she realizes your involvement with her brothers, you'll be in danger."

He shook his head. "No. She would never do anything to hurt me."

"And you know this how?"

"She... we... " He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "We made love." Noting the narrowing of Wilfredo's eyes, he held up a hand, palm out. "I know it was stupid, but I was dazed and hurt and she stopped to help me. Even when she knew what I was, she offered to escort me someplace safe. No one is going to convince me she would ever hurt me."

"And what of her brothers? She has many of them-protective of their sisters. They will not hesitate to kill you... Madison already tried."

He shook his head. "No. Had he wanted me dead, I would be dead. There is a sort of-he's not a bad sort, as vampires go."

Wilfredo narrowed his gaze. "I know you thrive on dangerous situations, Jason, but for your safety and my peace of mind, stay away from the fem. Give me your word."

"I'd like to, Wilfredo, but I have to see her again."

"And when she learns you were one of those sent to dispatch her brother?" He sighed. "She won't like it, but she'll forgive me." "You might not be so sure of that, had you seen her here. She was almost feral in her defense of her brothers. And in addition to Vladimir and Aleksei Madison, there are other brothers-Andrei, Mikhel and Serge Dumont, possibly more."

"Dumont?" Jace stiffened. "You said the vampires were protective of their sisters- as in more than one. I don't suppose this Mikhel and Serge are related to a Katie Dumont?"

"They are her older siblings." His situation had moved from bad to impossible. He was obsessed with a fem whose younger sister he had slept with and whose older brothers all had reason to hate him. What chance did he possibly stand with Ana now?

Chapter Six.

"I need to talk to you. Can you meet me for a late dinner tonight?"

Mikhel Dumont paced the length of his Boston office, making an effort to keep his breathing even. Just the sound of the sweet, s.e.xy voice on the other end of the phone evoked powerful memories of long nights of love best left buried in his subconscious.

Although happily married to, and in bloodl.u.s.t with, Erica, the mother of the young son he adored, he could not deny his continuing hunger for his brother's bloodl.u.s.t, Derri Morgan. He had met the alluring attorney when her boss had hired his security company to protect her from the rogue vampire stalking her.

Before the birth of his son Dimitri, while Serge was out of the country for several weeks, he and Derri had been lovers. Recalling the beauty of her smooth, dark, naked flesh left him hard.

Both Serge and Erica understood how deep his feelings for Derri ran. Nevertheless, the last time he'd made love to her, after the birth of Aleksei's daughters, he'd been hard-pressed not to complain when Serge came to claim her the next morning.

Would having dinner with her tonight be wise?

"Mikhel? Please say you can make it. I really want to see you."

The need in her voice reflected his own hunger. Yet the somewhat disturbing nightmares he'd been experiencing lately-where she became something dark and evil as they made love-gave him momentary pause.

"Mikhel? Can you make it?"

He shook his head. "Ah, Erica and Dimitri are visiting her family, so I planned to spend this weekend at the Dodge House," he said, referring to his parents' compound outside of Boston.

"The entire weekend? Can't we share the night? That'll still leave two nights to spend with your parents. Please? I really need to see you."

"What did you want to talk about, Derri?"

"I don't want to talk. Serge's away-"

He frowned. "He didn't say anything about going away the last time we talked."

"He's a big boy now, Mikhel. He doesn't tell you everything."

He frowned. "Look, Derri-"

"He's gone and I want to make love. I need you, Mikhel. Please don't say no. I really need to see you."

He swallowed slowly, his c.o.c.k stretching out along one thigh. The thought of spending the night in her arms, kissing her sweet lips and tasting her moist p.u.s.s.y before he sank b.a.l.l.s-deep in her, sent a shudder of l.u.s.t and love through him.

Some inner voice warned him to say no, but his hunger for her ate at him. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. "Okay." "Thank you," she whispered, her voice

husky. He glanced at his watch. It was just after three p.m."I'll fly down to Philly and we'll have dinner at-" "No.No dinner. I just want you, Mikhel." His c.o.c.k felt like arock. "What time do you want me to arrive?" "After seven.I want to do something different. I want us to meet at thislittle out-of-the-way motel just off I-95 North." Hefrowned. "Why should we meet at a motel instead of yourplace? It's not as if our seeing each other is cheating. We'reent.i.tled to this." "I know, but I just feel like being a littlenaughty. Humor me, handsome, and I promise I'll make itworth your while." He narrowed his gaze. "Derri? Yousound different. Is something wrong?"

"No." She laughed and cleared her throat. "I'm just eager to see you and I want to pretend we're sneaking around. I know we have a right to sleep together, but let's just pretend this once that it's not all right and we have to meet at some out-of-the-way place. Okay?"

Eager to spend the night with her, he agreed. "Okay." "Great." She gave him directions. "I can't wait to see you, Mikhel." "I'm looking forward to seeing you too, sweet." "Will you do something for me, Mikhel?" "You know I will, if I can." "Let this be our little secret?" "What do you mean?" "I mean I'm feeling in a mood to role-play. Let's not tell anyone where we're going or who we'll be with." He compressed his lips. "This cloak and dagger s.h.i.t isn't necessary, Derri." "I know. That's why I want to pretend. Okay? This will be our secret. Please?" What the h.e.l.l. If she wanted to play games what would it hurt to humor her?

"Okay." "Wonderful, lover." The sound of her laughter, higher than usual and with an undercurrent he'd never heard before, sent an uneasy chill down his spine. "Derri? Are you sure everything's all right? You don't sound like yourself."

"That's because I only feel like half a woman when we're separated." "What?" He gave an angry shake of his head. "What the h.e.l.l is that supposed to mean, Derri?" "Why do you sound so upset, lover?"

"Because that remark smacks of disloyalty to Serge! You know how I feel about you, but don't ever make the mistake of thinking I'd ever do anything to hurt him or Erica. And don't give me any more s.h.i.t about feeling like half a woman when you have the love and complete devotion of a man who loves you more than he does his own life."

"Why thank you, Mikhel. I knew you felt-""I didn't mean me! I meant Serge."She laughed again. "I knew that. I was just teasing you. Lighten up, Mikhel. I'll see you tonight. Okay?" Ignoring a soft voice whispering to him that meeting her that night would be a huge mistake, he nodded. "Until tonight."

He ended the call and placed the receiver on his desk. He turned to stare out his office window, his thoughts on the coming night and Derri's odd behavior. Turning from the window, he sat at his desk and reached for his cordless phone. When he heard the soft, honeyed voice of his wife at the other end, he relaxed and smiled. "Hi, honey."

Dressed all in black, Jace entered the ornate lobby of the Center City high rise where he had traced Ana. Or, if Wilfredo was right, and he usually was, Tatiana Forester. Ana or Tatiana. It didn't matter what she chose to call herself. He just needed to be with her.

Battling mixed emotions, he approached the concierge. "I'd like to see Ms. Forester."

"She's not accepting visitors tonight," the man replied without looking up from his computer keyboard.

Nostrils flaring, Jace narrowed his gaze and leaned over the desk. Dropping his hand onto the man's shoulder, he spoke in the soft, commanding voice he used to inform rogue vampires that he had come to kill them. "Open the door."

The man shook Jace's hand off his shoulder and looked up. The annoyed look in his eyes gave way to surprise as he encountered Jace's intense, hypnotic gaze. "But...she...she left word..."

"Open the door," he repeated, staring into the man's eyes.

His saw the remaining remnants of the man's resistance give way. The concierge touched a b.u.t.ton and the door behind him, which led to the elevator bank, slid open.

Jace walked around the desk. He looked into the man's gaze again. "Don't tell her I' m coming."

The man swallowed and nodded slowly, sweat beading on his brows. Jace normally didn't use force to compel any human who wasn't in league with a rogue vampire. Tonight, he was desperate. If Ana was warned of his arrival ahead of time, he wasn't sure how she'd react. He didn't want her to have time to flee before he could see her and plead his case.

"As soon as I get on the elevator, you will forget our encounter."

The man nodded again, his Adam's apple bobbing wildly.

Jace moved through the door to the elevator bank. He kept his gaze on the concierge until the elevator doors opened. Forget, he whispered into the man's thoughts and stepped inside.

At the top floor, he exited the elevator and walked down a long hall to the only door on the floor. Standing outside the huge cream door, he took a deep breath and then pressed the bell.

The door opened immediately and his heart raced as he found himself face-to-face with the female who had been haunting his every waking moment for weeks. Tall and beautiful, with skin the color of cocoa and startling blue eyes, he noted that her hair hung around her bare shoulders in a thick dark cloud.

She wore a pretty pink strapless bathing suit that hugged her curvaceous body. As memories of making love with her buffeted his senses, his c.o.c.k hardened.

"Ana," he whispered. His voice cracked and he paused, swallowing hard. "I told you I'd find you."

She took a deep breath, lowering her long dark lashes, concealing the look in her eyes. "Eric! You shouldn't have come here."

Her breathless voice stirred his senses. He stepped closer and stared at her. "The name is Jace. Eric Jason Makefield, and I had to come."

"Coming here was a mistake."

"You must have known I'd find you." He stroked a finger down her cheek. "Please tell me you're happy to see me."

She shook her head and stepped away from his touch "Since you're here, you obviously know who I am. And I know who you are, Jace Makefield. You're the hunter who wanted to kill one of my brothers."

Oh s.h.i.t. He supposed it wouldn't do to remind her that the brother in question was out of control and needed killing. "I was only attempting to do my job."

"Your job? And just who died and made your boss G.o.d? Who is he to decree that my brother didn't deserve to live? Santiago lives in his little ivory tower, refusing to get his own hands dirty, sentencing others to death. How can you do the bidding of such a sanctimonious hypocrite?"

His jaw clenched. "You may disapprove of him, but he is not a hypocrite."

"The h.e.l.l he isn't. He nearly killed my little brother Mikhel, and if he'd had the chance, he would have killed my brother Aleksei as well. Only Aleksei isn't so easily dispatched by you or the likes of him! You represent someone who would have killed nearly half my family. How dare you come here and expect...what? What did you come here expecting?"

He gave her a long, searching look. If she thought he could be so easily dismissed, she was sadly mistaken. He'd survived fifty-some years of hunting vampires because he 'd learned early that sometimes you had to take what you wanted-and to h.e.l.l with the consequences.

"I expect this." s.n.a.t.c.hing her into his arms, he curled his right hand in her hair, tugged her head back and crushed his mouth down onto hers.

Aware that as a centuries-old vampire she was physically stronger, he kept his body tense, uncertain how she'd respond to being manhandled. He knew she was capable of great kindness and pa.s.sion. She was also quite capable of tossing him across the room without any apparent effort.

She relaxed her tense body against him. Her full lips parted. Linking her arms around his neck, she welcomed his tongue inside her soft, warm lips. He kissed her slowly, savoring the taste and texture of her lips and tongue. The experience was sweeter than he remembered. There might be other females with more delectable lips and more alluring bodies, but d.a.m.n if he'd ever met one. This s.e.xy, wonderful fem was in a cla.s.s by herself.

Sliding his hands over her a.s.s, Jace lifted her body against his. Keeping her mouth pressed against his, she wound her legs around his body. His hunger for her ate at him, and he discarded his plans to woo her slowly. He needed to be inside her-now.

He drew his lips away from hers. "Open your eyes," he told her. "Look at me."

Her lashes swept up and he gazed into her startlingly beautiful blue eyes. "I need some p.u.s.s.y," he whispered.

Her lips curved upwards into a mischievous smile. "Do you? Sounds like a personal problem."

"I need p.u.s.s.y and I need it now."

"Really?" She stroked her fingers through the hair at his nape. "I feel your pain, hunter. Do you know someone-anyone-who might be interested in giving you some of this p.u.s.s.y you say you need?"

He squeezed her a.s.s cheeks. He smiled when she shivered. "I was thinking your p.u.s.s.y would do just fine, darlin'."