First Taste of Darkness Read Free

shoulders. 
    “Fucking beautiful,” he growled. 
    Then he kissed her again.  She wasn’t holding anything back, and she kissed him with a wild hunger, because that pleasure—
she wanted more.
    But then Jess realized that the vehicle had stopped moving.  She wasn’t even sure how long it had been still, and she pushed, frantic, against Blake’s shoulders.
    His head lifted. His eyes glinted in the darkness.  “Like I said,” Blake rasped, “unexpected.” 
    She couldn’t draw in a deep breath. She could only manage some extremely unsophisticated pants as she fought to get oxygen into her lungs.  “That was…um…”
    “The beginning.” Flat. “That was the beginning for us.”
    A beginning? The end would come in less than ten hours. 
    And…his fingers were still inside of her.
    Jess felt her cheeks flame.  Okay, so the darkness could be a good thing. 
    Very, very slowly, he pulled his hand away from her sex. A moan caught in her throat because even as he left her, his touch still felt so good. 
    But it wasn’t just his hand that was leaving her.
    He took her panties.
    She grabbed his wrist. “What are you doing?” 
    “You won’t need these tonight.” 
    He eased the panties down her legs and over her high heels, then he tucked them into the pocket of his coat. Seconds later, he smoothed down her dress. “I told you that I’d take you someplace safe…we’re here.”
    And she was supposed to just get out of the limo and walk around people, acting normally, as if she hadn’t experienced the best orgasm of her life seconds before?
    He opened the door. Exited the vehicle. Offered his hand to her.
    Yes, that’s what I’m supposed to do.
    But when she managed to climb from the limo, she saw— “We’re at my hotel,” Jess said as she stared up at the glittering lights of the Imperial Magic Hotel.
    “No,” he corrected her as his fingers curled around her hand. “We’re at
my
hotel.”
    Her brow furrowed.  She was squeezing her legs together, and she had the unnerving sensation that she could actually still
feel
him touching her sex. “J-just how many hotels do you own?”
    “In Vegas? Or overall?”  He started to lead her toward the brightly lit hotel entrance.
    “Never mind,” she muttered. “I don’t want to know.”  Knowing would just remind her that she was playing
way
out of her league.
    “Mr. Landon! Over here!”
    A bright flash lit the night.  A photographer had just snapped a fast picture of them. 
    Blake didn’t slow down. He kept heading for the hotel’s entrance, and he kept his  grip tight on her arm.
    A security team rushed to meet them. As soon as they crossed the threshold of that hotel, with its lavish decorations, the team closed in. 
    “Sir, I personally just confirmed that your suite is secure.” A man with dark blond hair gave a firm nod. His gaze was so dark it appeared nearly black, and that hard stare reflected no emotion. “Your private elevator is waiting to take you upstairs.” He motioned to the right, toward the elevator that was flanked by two guards.
    “Thanks, Carson.  Now get over to the Landon Hotel and find out how the hell that guy got passed the guards there.” 
    Blake guided Jess onto the elevator.
    Not another one…
Her stomach tightened.
    Before the doors could close, Carson threw up his hand and stopped them. “Sir, are you sure she’s safe?”
    Her eyes widened.  The man—Carson—was staring at her with suspicion in his dark gaze.
    “Don’t worry, Carson,” Blake murmured. “I’ve already searched her. Jess is clear.”
    That burn was back in her cheeks.
    Carson gave a grim nod, but he cast one more suspicious glance her way before he finally stepped back.
    When the elevator doors closed, Jess immediately rounded on Blake. “What the hell was that about?” She demanded. “You
searched
me?” Was
that
what they were going to call it?
    “Um.” He smiled at her. The man didn’t have dimples. He had deep,