Hex Appeal Read Online Free PDF Page B

the vampire ways. She pretended only mild curiosity, but damn him, he knew different. The faint grin on his lips told her he saw through her ploy.
    â€œDo you mean something like ‘Beam me up, Scotty’?”
    â€œIf the bat fits.” She narrowed her eyes, trying to imagine him as a winged creature of the night.
    â€œBe nice. I saved you from Thad.” He lifted his glass in a silent toast. “He saw you arrive, admired your sexy convertible, and obviously saw you as some bored Hollywood wife who was looking for action he would be only too happy to provide.”
    â€œLittle did he know I’d just use him and abuse him,” she drawled, well used to Nick’s gift of reading minds. She wasn’t surprised that Thad’s mind wasn’t all that difficult to navigate.
    â€œAnd he would have loved every minute of it.”
    Jazz stared at the platter set before her. Considering she’d eaten little all day, it was no wonder she was starving. After she eyed Nick’s lobster she knew she would be making short work of the luscious crustacean along with her own meal.
    The things she did for the man.
    ***
    â€œJust roll me out of here,” Jazz said with a contented sigh as they later exited the restaurant.
    â€œI could have done something with my lobster,” Nick muttered.
    â€œMy idea was better.” She patted her over-full tummy. “But the cheesecake may have been over the top. You were smart to stick with just coffee.”
    He chuckled. “As if I had a choice.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her around the side of the restaurant. “A walk seems to be in order.”
    â€œAugh! Carrying me would be more like it.” She bumped her shoulder against his, but tugged off her flip-flops as they trudged through the sand. Nick took her sandals from her and draped an arm around her shoulders.
    â€œI honestly don’t recall taking your blood.” The salt-tinged evening breeze caught up his quiet words and seemed to blow them out to sea.
    Jazz winced at the memory of how her morning had begun. While she now questioned what she felt or if it was a dream, the faint throbbing in her neck was a vivid memory.
    â€œIt was all so real,” she said softly. “A hot sexy time and then you biting down.” She paused. “I honestly felt as if it happened.” Her fingers absently fluttered toward her neck. “Still feel...” Images flashed before her eyes like a horror movie. Suddenly, her dinner wasn’t settling so well.
    Nick rubbed his hand down her arm in a comforting manner.
    â€œI need to know what you dreamed. Perhaps I can figure out what happened.”
    â€œI don’t do well with blood, you know that. I’d need an Alka-Seltzer before even talking about it.”
    â€œPretend you’re watching a movie.” He steered her toward an outcropping of rocks and settled her against one that was shaped like a seat.
    â€œGreat, Freddy Krueger time.” She breathed in through her nose. “We were, ah, making love.” That was a memory she could deal with. “And as it got more intense, you took charge the way you like to.” She shot him a look when he opened his mouth. “My story. My way. Simple. You were on top. Your eyes turned red, then you leaned down and tore into my throat. I screamed and wondered why my blood didn’t make you sick. Next thing I knew I was yelling at you and exiting your apartment as fast as I could go.” She flinched when his finger-tips moved over the affected area.
    â€œA dream with pain is nothing unusual,” he murmured, continuing to caress her skin in soothing strokes. “There are those who would pay a fortune to have such a dream. They would welcome such pain.”
    â€œWell, they can have mine for free.” She stopped, recalling what had happened before the definitive moment. “The last part, that is.”
    â€œWhy do you think you had the