She breathed in his all male scent, the intoxicating blend calling to her senses. The heat in his eyes lowered to a slow simmer. She tried not to respond to his overwhelming presence, to the maleness inside him that demanded a female response.

"I need more time to think about what we're doing," she said. "What we did in that elevator was...was...crazy."

He brushed a finger across her jaw line, then whispered low, his voice a temping growl of brisk and gentle. "And that scares you?"

"Frankly, yes."

"You've never been into wild sexual experimentation."

"No. And if you're talking about sex with two men and one woman or two women and one man, I told you I'm not into that. And if you are-"

"In the past, many, many years ago, I indulged once with two women at the same time."

She sniffed, feeling slightly disappointed in him. "Well, it isn't for me."

"So you want me to think you prefer white bread sex?"

Embarrassment sent heat into her face and she glared at him. "There's nothing wrong with white bread sex."

"No, there isn't. But what if I told you there was something more incredible than you ever dreamed?"

"I thought what we did in the elevator was pretty unbelievable as it is."

He chuckled, the sound deep, slow and sexy. "But there's more. Much more."

With reverence he kissed her forehead, then her nose, then her mouth. She leaned into his tender touch. She needed more than a wild fling with a man that was half-vampire.

With determination she pulled away from him. "Ronan, we've got to talk this through.

I'm not into one-night stands."

A gentle smile curved his mouth. "I'll want you for more than one night, believe me."

The overconfidence, the old-fashioned possession in his attitude should have affronted, but instead it fascinated her. "Give me a compelling reason why I should finish what we started in the elevator, Ronan. And don't leave anything out."

He released a soft growl. "Woman, I don't think I'm going to be able to take much more of this."

"This?"

He cupped her cheek, caressing the skin with his thumb. "Looking at you, being near you, touching you without being buried inside you is driving me insane."

His words rasped over her and warmth filled her lower belly once again. She grinned.

"You're a big boy. You can handle it."

A teasing smile came back to his lips. "You think I'm a big boy, eh?"

Without a hint of remorse he leaned into her so she could feel his erection pressing against her stomach again.

She trembled. "Wow, that doesn't want to go away, does it?"

He laughed, the sound caught between strangling and hilarity. "All right. I'll tell you what you need to know. And as soon as I tell you, you'll do one of three things. You'll either run like hell, never speak to me again, or you'll be terrified."

Apprehensive, she wished his disturbing presence didn't keep her libido and her sense of obligation to him so prominent in her mind. She glanced down and tried for humor again.

"Oh, I see. You're not going to tell me you've got two of those bad boys, are you?"

Again he chuckled, and she loved the rich, whisky and velvet sound of his voice. Dark.

Smooth. Sinful. "Now that might be interesting to have two cocks. Think of what I could do with them."

She tried not to smile and didn't succeed.

"But no," he said, "I've only got one cock, and it wants you damned badly. Sure, and if you don't put me out of my misery, I'll have to take the problem into my own hand."

Arousal boiled and built inside her like a hurricane. She'd never fantasized about seeing a man jacking off, but she had a feeling tonight in bed she'd close her eyes and dream about Ronan Kieran wrapping a big hand around his cock and stroking until he exploded.

"Shit," he said. "I felt that, Clarissa. What are you thinking? It must be sex."

Trying to be brave, she decided to confess. "You're right. It was. But I think it's over now."

He groaned softly. "Damnation, woman-"

"Do you know you speak like someone from another century sometimes? It's really interesting. Layer it on with that Irish accent and I'll bet women follow you all over."

"Trying to avoid the subject, eh, Clarissa?"

She sighed. "Please be patient with me. I might understand the paranormal, but everything that's happened in the last couple of days has me rattled."

Clarissa knew she would have been in big trouble if she'd let him take her in the elevator.

I would have let him take me if the phone hadn't interrupted.

He knew it and she knew it. So how could she put him off now? Staring into his luminous eyes sent trails of fire dancing along her every nerve ending. She may have delayed sleeping with this man, but not for long.

"It's getting late." She kept her tone mild and polite. "It's been a long day. Tomorrow I need to go to the crypt and try and find my camera. I can't believe I didn't even think of it until now. I really must be losing it. It's probably damaged beyond repair."

Alarm darted over his features. "You willnot go out there without me."

One of her brows twitched upwards as she responded to his imperious tone. "What makes you think I want you with me?"

He sighed and closed his eyes. "Damn it, Clarissa, don't do this to me." He rubbed a hand over his jaw. "Mother of Mary, the seer never told me-hell-Yusuf never told me it would be this difficult."

She frowned. "Who?"

He shook his head. "You're right, it's late." He looked at the bedside clock. "Stay here and I'll get your camera tonight."

She smiled. "You can see in the dark, I take it?"

"Exactly."

"Okay, it's a deal. Just bring it to me in the morning."

With a groan he reached for her, his mouth coming down on hers with a heated passion that made her warm all over again. He tasted her deeply, his tongue intruding as he caressed her mouth.