“I’ll be right back.” The bed dipped. What was he doing? Getting a toy? I wouldn’t mind that, though I wasn’t into pain. Or at least the old Glory hadn’t been. Alesa whispered that whips and chains and all sorts of erotic tortures were worth trying. I ignored her. The bed sagged again.

“Keep your eyes closed. Now open your legs. No matter what you feel, don’t look.”

“You trying to scare me? Not easy anymore, my friend.” I smiled and opened my legs, excited and, okay, scared. I gasped when something cold slid inside me, followed immediately by the warmth of his flicking tongue. The thrill startled a shriek out of me, and I jerked against Rafe’s steadying hands on my hips.

“Hands. Whew. For a minute there I thought you’d shifted into a snake or something.” I shut up when I felt another jolt of cold. Ice? Soft, not hard. Whatever, it was crazy exciting. I quivered, and his clever tongue went to work again. Oh. My. God. So incredibly, um, good. Tremors shook my hips. One of Rafe’s warm hands pressed on my tummy to keep me from bucking like a bronco. His mouth, so insanely talented. Chill, heat and I lost it, tossing my head and keening as I came.

“Keep your eyes closed and open your mouth,” Rafe ordered, sliding up my body and wrapping my legs around his waist so that his hard cock teased my unbelievably sensitive cleft.

Since I’d forgotten how to form words, I did what he said. Cold again but against my tongue. I tasted . . . My eyes popped open.

“Strawberry!”

“Strawberry ice cream. Figured you’d be off chocolate after what Simon pulled.” He slid a spoonful into my mouth, grinned, then drove into me.

I swallowed, grabbing his hair to give him a kiss that would have devoured him if he hadn’t been giving as good as he got. He tasted delicious, of sin and danger and everything a woman bound for hell could ever want. He rammed into me, the headboard banging against the wall. I wanted him, needed him, needed . . .

I inhaled. Oh, yes. My hands still in his hair, I jerked his head aside and struck like a cobra at that vein pulsing in his neck. I tore into it, not caring if I hurt him, and sucked at his life force. The hot jolt of energy pushed me over the edge again, and I released his hair to dig furrows into his back with my nails as I came, screaming his name in my head.

The heat and force of his release inside me finally brought me down to earth. I gasped and let go, dropping back to the bed to stare at his ruined throat in horror. Dear God, I think I would have killed him if I hadn’t stopped just then.

“Rafe, I, I’m sorry.” I waited to see how he’d react, what he would do.

His hair was damp, his face pale as he opened his eyes and gazed down at me. Blood dripped from his wounded neck, and it was smeared across his shoulders. Then he grinned, those dimples deep and begging to be kissed.

“Damnation, Glory. I believe that was the best sex I’ve ever had in my life.”

“You can’t mean it.” I reached up with a shaking hand. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“Hell, yes, I mean it.” He kissed my fingertips. “I told you I like it wild. A little of your healing touch, a rare burger and I’ll be good to go.”

I pressed my fingers to his wound, sealing the edges and thinking healing thoughts. He needed blood—and not decorating his body. The rare burger and a shower were definitely in order.

He glanced at the clock. “Hop in the shower. We’ll have to hurry if we want to get out to the lake by midnight.” He stood and held out his hand. “Or maybe we should make Destiny wait.”

I enjoyed the view. Totally sexed out, aching in spots, sticky where I shouldn’t be and still I wanted to smear the ice cream I could see melting in a bowl on the night stand all over his perfect body and lick it off. Mmmm.

“Tempting.” I pulled him down to give him a deep and thorough kiss. “That was incredible for me too.”

He grinned and nuzzled my breast. “So we ditch Simon?”

“No, better get this over with. Lots of wedding stuff coming up. Aggie’s lingerie shower for Flo is tomorrow night. Got to keep Simon happy, so he’ll leave things alone. With luck we can knock out this charade tonight, and that’ll be that.”

“Quit giving me hot looks, then, lady.” Rafe grinned. “Clean up. I’m eating first, showering next. For some reason I’m feeling a little weak.” He pulled me out of bed, slid his hand down to my bottom and squeezed, then aimed me at the bathroom.

I watched him strut toward the kitchen. Oh, yeah, he was feeling pretty proud of himself. Can’t say I blamed him. I stuffed my hair into a shower cap and stepped under the warm spray. Best sex he’d ever had.

I sagged against the tile wall. Oh, God. Jerry. Jeremiah. Couldn’t blame steam from the ancient water heater for the room blurring before I pressed my face into a washcloth to muffle my sobs. How many times had Jerry and I made love? A thousand? Two? Ten thousand times? On furs in front of a fire in a cave in the Highlands. In a luxury suite in Paris on silk sheets. The place never mattered. To Jerry I was always a goddess, his beloved.

No beloved here. Not a single word of love had been spoken on that bed where we’d gone at it like animals. I scrubbed my aching thighs and heaved the washcloth across the bathroom where it landed in the sink. Luck was with me, and it didn’t break anything, or Rafe would have come running. What had I done? Sure I loved Rafe. He was a friend who’d always been there for me.

Get a clue, Glory. There was a paycheck involved, and he wanted what Jerry was getting.

I turned the water to cold and punished myself, holding my face under the spray to reduce the swelling on my eyes. Makeup would have to do the rest. I was going to have to untangle myself from this mess I’d made of my life. Nice if I could blame the impulse that had made me invite Rafe into my bed on “The Devil made me do it.” Would Jerry buy it? Not in a million years. To be honest, I’d been attracted to Rafe and sending “Come and get me” signals long before Alesa jumped on board.

And what about Rafe? Would he be willing to go back to friendship now? Pretend this “fling” as I’d called it to Flo had never happened? He was more likely to take the murder route.

I was so screwed. And not in the super-cool multiorgasmic way either.

“I should have known you’d figure out a way to spoil the afterglow. Toss the halo, numbnut, and join the dark side. You just had a sample of the fun here.” Alesa gave a throaty chuckle. So she’d gotten her rocks off too. I grabbed my toothbrush and attacked my teeth, wondering if I’d ever feel clean again.

Eighteen

We were about to head out to the lake when my cell phone rang.

“Rehearsal is canceled. It’s raining at the lake, and I don’t want my camera equipment to get wet. I’m sending you a copy of the script. Look it over and get back to me.” Simon didn’t wait for my response, just hung up.

“Well, that’s a relief. No rehearsal.” I smiled at Rafe.

“You want to come with me to the club? I’ve got plenty to do there.” Rafe leaned against my dresser while I brushed my hair.

I glanced at the clock. Still hours till dawn. Why not? I had an idea for the bachelorette party and wanted to talk to some of his hired help. It would also do me no good to avoid Rafe. I had to figure a way to wiggle out of this friends-with-benefits deal while keeping the friendship. I slapped on a smile along with some “Kiss and Tell” lipstick.

“Okay. I’m almost ready. Would you grab a bottle of synthetic for me out of the fridge while I do something with this makeup?” I reached for my eye shadow.

“Got to warn you. Ray will probably be there, rehearsing and getting a feel for the stage.” Rafe watched me for a reaction.

“Have to face him again sometime. Better in a private setting and not at the wedding, don’t you think?” I never missed a beat and moved on to eyeliner. I was a star-quality actress. Inside, my gut knotted. Showing up on Rafe’s arm was bound to trigger a scene. Rafe just nodded and headed for the kitchen. Maybe I was giving myself too much credit. Ray was probably all into Nadia now.

I finished my makeup, downed the blood substitute while trying not to cast longing glances at Rafe’s neck, then left for the club. The rain had stopped here, and Austin’s Sixth Street had been washed clean. I glanced in the shop window. Everything was locked up tight like it should be on a Sunday night.

We walked around to the back of N-V and heard the deep bass of one of Ray’s rock hits. So he was here practicing. Rafe unlocked the back door, and we eased inside, keeping to the edge of the dance floor and enjoying the music as Ray and the band tore into it. Colored lights pulsed with the beat. Nice effect. The song ended with a final crash of drums, and the small work crew clapped and whistled.

“Thanks!” Ray waved, then turned to confer with the band members before they began packing up their gear. “Roll out the piano before you leave, Steve. Then take off too. It’s late.”

“No problem.” Steve, with the help of another of Ray’s road crew, pushed out a baby grand piano then walked off the stage.

Ray sat on the bench and played a few chords before he turned and pinned Rafe and me with a sober stare.

“Knew you were there from the moment you hit the door. Didn’t think my guys needed to hear this.” He slammed down the lid on the piano.

“My guys don’t either. Come into my office.” Rafe gestured to a room next to the stage.

“Why not?” Ray stood and walked in that direction.

“Listen, you both need to cool off.” Understatement. I could feel the heat of Ray’s anger from the twenty feet separating us. Rafe’s was starting to catch up.

Ray stopped and turned to smile at me. That turned the thermostat down, way down to glacier level. “We’re cool, Glory. Just need to clear the air. You want to wait out here?”

“No way in hell.” I stalked up to him. “Don’t you try to start something with Rafe, Israel Caine. Who I do or don’t do is nobody’s business but mine.”