Midnight Sins (Midnight #2)(10)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Soon, it would be too late for Detective Brooks. The poor human was on the list now.

But the cop wouldn’t die right away. No point in a kill this soon—and Todd Brooks deserved to get to play this wonderful game a bit longer.

Brooks would play, and so would that bitch Cara.

Then death would come, in its blinding glory.

The killer could almost taste the sweet release.

Soon.

Chapter 3

“You don’t need to get out,” Cara said when Todd braked at her house. Her voice sounded higher and sharper than she’d intended. “I’ll be fine now.” She thought about thanking him for the ride, then discarded the idea.

Yes, she knew the guy had been doing his job when he questioned her, but she wasn’t going to overlook the fact that he’d been one serious jerk.

Being in the car with him had unnerved her. They’d originally gone to the police station in a patrol car. She’d sat in the back. Like any good criminal.

The confines of Todd’s Corvette were far too intimate. The leather seat felt soft and sleek beneath her, and with the windows rolled up, the scent of leather and man filled the car’s interior.

Cara reached for the door handle.

“Wait.”

Her fingers curled into a fist at the command, her fingernails biting into her palm. She glanced at him and found his stare trained on her.

The car was cloaked with shadows, but she could still see his eyes. The strong lines of his face. Cara licked her lips. “What?”

“You feel it, don’t you?” A whisper that seemed like a caress against her skin.

She shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She could lie, too.

His lips quirked, just a bit. With a flick of his fingers, he unhooked his seat belt and leaned toward her. “There’s something here.”

The promise of hot, wild sex. Of power and magic rushing into her body and making her scream with pleasure.

But she’d given that up because after the burn of fiery release, she hated the ashes of cold reality.

The reality that a man wouldn’t love a demon, no matter how enticing her physical appearance.

His hand lifted, reached for her.

Her fingers flew out and locked around his wrist in a fierce grip.

Silence. Then he said, “I just wanted to touch you.”

He sounded sincere, but… “I thought you just wanted to send me to jail.”

He didn’t deny her words. Didn’t fight her hold. Good thing, too, because the way she was feeling, Cara would have shown him just how strong a succubus could be.

Instead, his eyes dropped to her lips. “I wonder,” he spoke with words little more than a growl. “Do you taste as good as you smell?”

The damn pheromones. “It’s not me that you want.” The admission was hard.

“Ah, baby, but I’m going to have to disagree.” He was close, so close that she could feel the light brush of his breath against her face.

“You don’t understand—”

He kissed her. A soft, fast press of his lips against hers.

Cara’s fingers tightened around him as desire began to heat her blood.

“Not enough.” His lips were just above hers. “I need another taste…”

And she wanted more.

When his lips met hers again, her mouth was open. Ready. The kiss wasn’t as soft this time, and she was glad. She could taste the hunger on his lips, his tongue. A hunger that matched her own.

There was no questing search as his tongue slipped past her lips. Just need. Demand.

A moan trembled in the back of her throat even as her mouth widened for him. Her tongue met his, licking, stroking. Her ni**les began to ache and swell as the fire blazing inside of her grew.

She knew she shouldn’t be doing this, but Cara couldn’t stop. The cop was the wrong man for her. The situation was wrong.

But the need felt so right.

Power began to fill the air as his lust grew. Such sweet, tempting power. She could feel it, surrounding her. She could have that power. All of it.

She just had to take it.

Take him.

No. She’d sworn to fight that part of her life.

Cara pulled away from him, twisting her head to the side. “I—we have to stop.”

His breath was ragged. So was hers. Cara realized she still held his hand. Instead of a punishing grip, her fingers caressed his flesh.

She snatched her hand away from him.

“Easy.” He didn’t retreat and he kept his stare on her. “It was just a kiss.”

That was how the sweetest temptation always started. With a soft kiss.

He was aroused. No denying the obvious. It was in his voice, and if she glanced down, she knew she’d see the outline of his swollen cock.

But she was aroused, too. The feel of his lips and tongue against hers had stroked the dark hungers within her, and the feel of his power in the air…

Resisting was the hardest thing she’d ever done.

Her chin lifted. She’d started a new life. Or she was trying to, anyway. Lusting after the detective, well, that hadn’t been part of her finely crafted plans. “I can’t do this,” she told him, but couldn’t help wishing that she could.

He smiled at her then, and with the streetlight drifting into the car, she could see the wink of his dimple. “Seems to me like you can, baby. You were doing one hell of a fine job just a minute ago.”

Her chin rose another notch. “What I meant was that I won’t do this.” She reached for the door handle. Second time is the charm. She managed to shove open the passenger side door. Her body twisted, her feet touched the pavement and—

“You want me as much as I want you.”

He had her there.

“Circumstances are shit now, no denying that.”

She looked back at him.

“But I’m not just gonna walk away from you. Hell, even if you weren’t hip deep in this mess, I couldn’t walk away from you.” His eyes blazed with intensity.

Cara stood, rising quickly from the car. The chilly air bit into her arms as she left the warmth of the Vette. “You don’t have to walk away from me,” she said, her voice clear. “I’ll walk away from you.” Then she took one step, another. Her back was ramrod straight, her head up. She left him like that, not looking back, even though her body ached for him.

“Running, Cara?”

His taunt didn’t stop her. Damn it, but she could still taste him. She pushed open her gate—the one she’d never bothered to keep locked—and she took careful steps up the curving path until she finally reached her front door. It was only when she crossed the threshold of her house that Cara drew in a deep, clear breath.