Hot Blooded

to it she was very, very
satisfied.
    Grace wanted to hit him.
    He knew about her ferocious adolescent crush, of course. He'd been kind and
pointedly avuncular about it when she'd been sixteen, but she suspected he was
trying to take ruthless advantage of that old infatuation now. And she didn't
dare let him. The man was a human crack pipe; one kiss, one taste, one ride on
that thick cock, and she'd be unable to stop until it was too late. She carried
Merlin's Gift in her genes, and allowing Lance to come too many times within her
body would trigger it.
    Oh, the Gift sounded like a great package to the unwary; immortality, the
ability to manipulate Mageverse energies that modern physicists didn't even know
existed, not to mention that secret, romantic battle to save mankind from
itself. There was the increased stroke risk, too, of course, since a Maja was
genetically programmed to produce more blood than she needed in order to
accommodate vampire needs. You had to either donate or allow a Magus to feed
from you in order to avoid putting your health at risk. But since Magi liked to
feed from their partners during mind-blowing sex, that wasn't exactly a
hardship.
    Unfortunately, it all came at a very high price Grace had no intention
whatsoever of paying. She didn't think her sanity was up to it. And she didn't
want to end up like Clarice.
    Lance was looming subtly now, looking down into her eyes, surrounding her
with muscle and strength and that curious heat Magi always seemed to radiate.
His eyes were fixed on her mouth in an unblinking gaze that made her think of
wolves and ancient hunger, sensuous and devouring. His lips parted. She saw the
tips of his fangs.
    Her nipples peaked.
    I've got to tell him to get out
. Any woman would have had a hard
time saying no to Lancelot, but those of the Line were especially vulnerable.
There was no way to suppress her body's instinctive response to the exotic Magus
pheromones he exuded. She could already feel herself going hot and ready for
him.
    To make matters worse, Lance wasn't just any Magus—he was a Knight of the
Round Table.
The
Knight of the Round Table, Lord Lancelot du Lac,
vampire assassin and High Court seducer. The High Council sent Lance out when
they wanted a man dead or a woman Gifted. And Grandmother Morgana, one of the
leaders of the Council, badly wanted Grace Gifted.
    The thought made her spine stiffen. "Get out."
    Â 
    LANCE cursed silently. He could taste Grace's hunger in the air, a hot,
subtle musk. Despite her resistance, she was creaming, readying for him. Behind
that uniform shirt and thick, businesslike bra, the nipples of her full breasts
were erect, begging for his ringers, his mouth, his flicking tongue.
    Her pulse throbbed under the thin, fine skin of her long throat, waiting for
his fangs. Latent as she was, she would taste as rich and intoxicating as any
vampire's dream. The young girl he'd once pitied and befriended had grown into a
lush, lovely feast, both for his famished body and for that something within him
that was even more endlessly hungry. And he had no intention of being denied.
    Oh, he'd never use force, Morgana's blessing notwithstanding—the idea of
making Grace a victim was nauseating. Luckily, he wouldn't have to. She had one
weakness most Majae did not: she wanted him more than she wanted power. And
she'd be even hungrier before he was through.
    "You don't want me to go," he said, pitching his voice to the low, velvet
register that never failed.
    Grace wasn't his usual Latent prey. Her crystalline eyes glittered. "Oh, yes
I do. Get out, Lance."
    But to his delight, her stomach picked that moment to growl. Ignoring her
demand, Lance smiled slowly and eased a little closer, making sure his scent
flooded her sensitive nose. "Sounds like your body has other ideas. And I worked
so hard to prepare this lovely meal, too."
Of which you are the main course
.
"Won't you at least let me watch you enjoy it?"
    Grace bared her teeth. "You've obviously mistaken me for somebody polite."
    That surprised a laugh out of him. "You do make a point of not playing by the
usual rules, don't you?" Taking a chance her desire was stronger than her
temper, Lance reached out to caress her jaw. Her skin felt so warm and soft
under his fingers, he couldn't wait to bare her breasts. "I wonder—is that
because you like it out on the edge?" The velvet rumble was beginning to
degenerate into a