Hot Summer Bites: A Castle of Dark Dreams Novella (A Penguin Special from Berkley Sensation) Read Online Free PDF Page B

sexy guy. And she’d always known she’d have to make sacrifices for her job.
    She slipped out of her robe and flung it away from her.
    In the name of investigative reporting, she’d offer herself up on the altar of doing-whatever-it-takes. She’d force herself to run her hands over that incredible chest, touch his male nipples with her tongue, and put her mouth wherever her lips felt the need to wander.
    She unbuttoned her shirt and let it slide to the floor.
    No matter how grueling the investigation process was, she’d carry on until she had every last sordid detail. It would be tough work exploring all those out-of-the-way spots on his muscular body. But hey, her readers would want to know the texture and the exact degree of firmness of his magnificent butt cheeks.
    She reached for her pants’ button.
    No one could say she didn’t throw herself into her work. Oh, the sacrifices she made for the sake of her art. She paused with her fingers still on the button. Oh, the lies she told. Who was she trying to kid? What she wanted to do with Taurin would never appear in print.
    Kristin let her fingers linger on the button a little longer as she slid her gaze the length of his body. Hmm. “Tell me you’re not wearing a blue metallic swimsuit with gold suns, moons, and stars.”
    “Holgarth’s. It was either this or nothing at all.”
    He glanced away and she would’ve sworn he looked embarrassed. This touch of human weakness made her feel all soft and mushy inside. “Personally, I would’ve come down on the side of nothing.”
    “Hmmph. A real man wouldn’t stand around talking everything to death. When are you gonna get to the good stuff? I don’t have all night.” The grouchy male voice came from one of the darkened corners.
    Kristin gasped and quickly bent down to retrieve her shirt. Taurin cursed as he spun toward the voice. How the hell had someone gotten in without him knowing?
    “Jeez, close the damn cape, man. Lookin’ at a mostly naked vampire gives me hives.” The fluffy white Persian cat stepped from the shadows and stared up at Taurin from big round blue eyes.
    “Who’re you?” Taurin hoped he scared the crap out of the cat. He bared his fangs to emphasize how pissed he was. A few more minutes and Kristin would’ve been naked in his arms. He’d wanted that.
Really
wanted it.
    “That cat talked to you.” Kristin stood clutching her shirt, eyes wide with shock.
    “Yeah, but he won’t be talking much longer, because I’m kicking his furry ass out of here.” Taurin glared at the cat.
    The cat ignored Taurin’s threat in favor of staring at Kristin. “Lookin’ good, babe. If I were in my human form, the action would’ve started long ago.”
    “It’s talking to
me
now.” Kristin seemed stuck on that one thought.
    Taurin forced himself to calm down. Heaving a shape-shifter from the dungeon might involve a battle, which would upset Kristin even more than she was now. “You haven’t answered my question.”
    “I’m S.O.B., and you bloodsuckers are a bunch of wusses. I’m a real man. I control the remote, and I leave the toilet seat up if I damn well feel like it. Women love a man who takes charge and doesn’t put up with crap from anyone.” He seemed to puff up right before Taurin’s eyes. “Women need a strong man to tell them what to do.”
    “Whoa, there, kitty.” Kristin might be in shock over a talking cat, but she was still able to react to the red flag S.O.B. unwisely waved in her face. “You might be all cute and fluffy, but beneath all that fur beats the heart of a sexist jerk.”
    She cast Taurin a panicked glance. “Tell me I’m not arguing with a cat.”
    “S.O.B.? Is that a character judgment?” Taurin took a step toward the cat.
    The cat ignored him. From the glitter in his eyes, Taurin figured he was totally pissed.
    “Don’t call me cute and fluffy, woman. I’m a mean, fighting machine. My enemies run screaming when they see me coming. I eat chunks of