High Stakes (Vegas Vampires #1)(26)
Author: Erin McCarthy

He cleared his throat as he set his foot on the coffee table. That shirt of his still wasn’t buttoned, and Alexis was in touching distance of his chest. It was very distracting to her, considering that she hadn’t been sexually active in six years.If you didn’t count battery-operated self-service, which she didn’t. That was stress management, not sex.

"Well, we encourage population management, whereas our opponent advocates population growth. He also is pushing a return to direct contact feeding, where we consider blood banks safer.More laws and policies, not less. Essentially, I stand for keeping things status quo, but with improvements in certain policies regarding identity creation and social security."

"Hmm."That was the sound of her brain atrophying. Maybe she was too tired to grasp vamp politics at the moment. "Do you think you’re going to win?"

Ethan shrugged. "Seamus and his endless statistics say yes, but by a small margin. These things are unpredictable and Donatelli is a minority."

"He’s Italian? That makes him a minority?" What the heck were the rest of them?Eskimo?

Mr. President laughed at her question and ran his thumb over his very sexy bottom lip. Not that she had noticed.

"Being Italian doesn’t make him a minority. He’s an Impure. Which means he was born half-vampire, half-mortal and was turned later in life. He is the voice of this rapidly growing group."

"Impure? Wow, that’s really PC.Not . In a thousand years you couldn’t come up with a better name than that? No wonder they’re crabby and demanding rights. I would be, too. So is there like a vampire civil liberties union?VACLU? No, that’s no good. VACLU sounds like a construction adhesive. Hey, how old do you have to be to vote?Two hundred?"

"At moments like this, I find it very distressing that I cannot access your thoughts. I am powerless to understand or predict what is going to come out of your mouth next."

She kind of liked the way that sounded. "That’s sexy, isn’t it-It drives you nuts that you can’t dig in my head, I bet, but it turns you on, too, doesn’t it?"

And fatigue must be making her punch-drunk. Baiting the vampire was not a good plan.

He took the bait. "Yes, it turns me on. You most definitely arouse me."

Whoa. When did his hand get on her thigh? She hadn’t even seen him move. But now she certainly could feel him, sliding inward, upward, stroking over the soft cotton of the sweatpants she was wearing.His pants.Where she had a little bitty thong underneath just a few inches higher.

Alexis stood up, just this side of panicked. "You know, I think I should get some sleep. I’m feeling a little overwhelmed."

Ethan smiled a knowing little smirk. "Sure. Let me walk you to your room."

What, was she stupid? "Oh, that’s okay, I’ll be fine."Really.Just fine, away from him and his hot bod and blue eyes. She’d always had a thing for blue eyes.

Alexis booked it toward the door, scooping her purse off the end table. Before she could blink, Ethan was in front of her, opening the door with a charming half-bow.

" Geez!"Alexis pulled up short. "Don’t do that. You’ll give me a heart attack."

"My apologies."He moved his arm out to indicate she should pass.

Skirting him so there was no skin-on-skincontact, Alexis made it into the hall and rushed her own door. Digging in her purse, she tried to find the key card before he followed her.

Too late."Let me help you," he said, and before she could even draw a breath to protest, he had his hand in and out of her purse, and the key swiped through the lock.

His speed was really starting to freak her out. He could have sex with her before she could even realize he was in the room. And what would be the fun in that?

"Can you slow it down a little for Miss Mortal over here? You’re making me dizzy."

Ethan pushed her door open and brushed her hair back from her forehead. "Sorry. And thank you for calling 911 when you thought 1 was dying. I appreciate your concern."

She should swat his hand away, but couldn’t work up the disdain she should be feeling. In fact, she felt a lot like sighing. "No problem. I couldn’t let you bleed to death."

He was touching her shoulders now, leaning over from his foot height advantage. His eyes were serious, searching. "If you want to leave, Alexis I understand. This isn’t what you expected. It’s not a game."

That made her smile as she stood in the doorway. "I guess I’m not much of a vampire slayer, am I? I tried to save you instead of killing you."

"I find you much more appealing than that skinny Buffy, for one thing. And life isn’t always black and white, Alexis, with the good guys and bad guys clearly marked."

That had been obvious many times to her in her career. "Which was why she wasn’t in a hurry to leave The Ava and Ethan Car- rick.She was fascinated by him, and the concept of a whole secret vampire government existing right there in Vegas, of all places, had her curiosity on high.

She didn’t want to leave. She wasn’t finished getting her an swers yet, and while part of her questioned that she would act so impulsively, the other part acknowledged it was actually very logical to want to understand Ethan’s world.

Which was why she said, "I gave my word I’d stay and be your bitchy girlfriend.I’d be a wimp and a liar if I backed out now. Besides, I’m not done grilling you yet."

His eyebrow rose. "That sounds appealing.In a kinky, rather sexual kind of way."

She smacked his arm. "Watch it. I know karate, remember? And I’m not afraid to use it."

"I remember." But he didn’t look worried. He looked like he was leaning closer to her, like was going to

Damn. He was kissing her. And it felt good, just a perfect slow, sensual meeting of his mouth to hers, his lips warm and soft, commanding, confident. His hand was in her hair, but otherwise they weren’t touching, and it was pleasant, powerful, with no fumbling, no doubt, no hesitation.

While he only touched her mouth, she felt the kiss everywhere, undulating through her body in slow, lazy waves. Desire sparked, stoked, grew into a blaze within seconds, and she was opening her mouth, ready for more, when he ended the kiss.

"Good night, Alexis," he said, voice raspy, thick with want.

Afraid she might whimper, she just nodded. Embarrassed to hear her breath ripping in and out in the quiet hallway, she clamped her mouth shut and backed up. His hands were in fists and he looked fierce, like he might grab her and take her against the wall if she didn’t move immediately.

She only hesitated for a second, ready to haul him back over to her. A quick progression to naked had its merits.