“You like playing mind games?” Razor hooked a finger under her sunglasses and flicked them away so nothing shielded her from those metallic eyes of his. This close, she could just make out the shape of his irises behind the veil of magic and they bore into her.

     “I meant no offense, Kinsman,” Karma said as naturally as she could with the tightness of his grip over her vocal cords. “I wished only to anticipate your desires.” This time she did add a hint of sexual coloring to her meaning. Better to end this risky encounter with her virtue sullied than with her vital organs displaced from her body.

     She relaxed mentally to let him feel the truth in her. That was even harder than trying to force her body to relax despite the fight or flight response that dumped adrenaline into her bloodstream and made her bones tremble. Not knowing how powerful he was telepathically she carefully forced her mind open, like trying to unball a fist when it gripped the ledge of a cliff and the drop was deadly. It wasn’t a natural thing to do. When she thought she’d exposed her thoughts long enough for him to see her sincerity, Karma tugged experimentally on her telepathic probe to see if he’d release the connection. No dice. His mental jaws tightened, keeping her firmly inside his controlled upper layer of consciousness.

     Razor’s focus lowered to his hand at her throat. Adjusting his grip, his fingertips settled over her pulse. Despite her outward attempt to project calm, her blood slammed with fear under his touch.

     His other hand tugged her shirt out of her slacks in a long, slow pull that made the soft fabric of her blouse rub tantalizingly over her stomach even as panic froze Karma’s muscles. Razor slipped his hand beneath her shirt and palmed her breast, enclosing it completely, which spoke to the size of his hands because she was fairly well proportioned up top. With a squeeze that pinched her nipple between his thumb and the side of his finger the terror that had been coiling inside her shattered as a spike of desire shocked her entire body. Karma hadn’t been able to suppress her cry of pleasure. A roll of thunder cascaded first across her skin and then through her muscles and finally vibrated through her bones like the rhythmic beating of a base drum. It was as though her own natural attraction was being soaked up by Razor’s telepathic power, amplified and projected back into her a hundredfold. Instantly, her entire being softened with sexual heat. Writhing against the wall, Karma bent her knee and stroked it up the outside of Razor’s thigh. Forgetting why she had her hands at her sides, she reached up and explored the rocky terrain of his hard stomach.

     Razor smiled wide, exposing his fangs. “I’ll make you a deal. If you do to me what you promised and keep my thoughts from roaming from sex to blood, I won’t kill you before sunrise.”

     Sunrise was in less than an hour.

     She didn’t have to ask what promise he referred to. Her own image echoed in his mind of her head moving in a bobbing motion over his lap. His desire flavored the memory, making her lick her lips in anticipation. Even though Razor was a big, scary vampire, his barbaric domination thrilled her. He was a man used to taking what he wanted and the fact he wanted her made her wet and ready to surrender. If only she could trust him. “And after sunrise?”

     “One step at a time.” He said in a manner that seemed to indicate he didn’t think that would be an issue. That would have frightened her but Razor rolled her nipple with his thumb, rocketing a fresh surge of need through her that was already more explosive than any orgasm she’d ever had. The need was so massive that she knew he was magnifying it with his own telepathy. But her body didn’t care and she squirmed and heaved against his palm. It wasn’t merely her survival instinct that led her to agree. “As you wish, Kinsman.”

     “Razor.” He released her neck but kept his hand on her breast. “Say my name.” Looming tall over the top of her, he didn’t need to physically pin her to make her feel trapped and at his complete mercy. The solid heat of his body closed around her, invading her space and her body. Every breath was heavy with his masculine spice. Deadly handsome, any woman would disintegrate with longing just to be on the receiving end of his lustful attention.