photographer the image of a haughty, mysterious vampire with a flash of sensuality here and there.
“Eef only there vas a woman,” Anton said, dropping his camera on its neck band. He stomped his foot. “We need someone for him to seduce.”
She took a step forward but stopped short. What the hell was she doing? Her gaze met Drake’s, and those amber eyes called her forward. The warm tingle of his call lured her to him. The emotional tug was almost overwhelming. She had to wrap her arms around her stomach to control the impulse to run into his arms.
“Just a minute.” Felix’s voice broke the trance, and Talia blinked. He hurried into the darkness.
A second later, more fog crept in and a stately woman strolled forward. She wore a burgundy velvet gown that swept the floor and kicked up puffs of mist. The dress had long fitted sleeves, but the neckline draped off the shoulders and into deep V’s at the front and back. Her long brown hair was styled in ringlets, gathered in a mass of curls on top of her head and trailing down her back to her waist.
Talia’s breath caught in her throat. It was Gerri. She was gorgeous. Talia couldn’t help a glance at her own size A breasts, insufficient to fill out that dress the way Gerri did. Felix returned and grinned. Gerri strode toward Drake, their gazes locked. Anton snapped away, moving side to side to catch every angle.
Gerri and Drake inched toward each other, staring intently. Finally, chest to chest, he raised his hands and gripped her upper arms. The ruby of a gold signet ring flashed red on his left pinkie. Her head drifted back and her eyes closed as he slowly lowered his head until his lips rested on the curve of her neck.
Talia gasped and realized she’d been holding her breath. Her heart thumped, and she had to force herself to stand still. The urge to rush and pull Gerri away from his arms almost overpowered her. She wanted to be the one he held. To feel those cold lips on her skin.
Felix shook her arm and the spell broke. “What’s wrong?” He stared at her like she’d turned into an alien or something.
“What do you mean?” She dragged her eyes from the scene.
“You looked like you were in some kind of trance. I was talking and you didn’t even hear me.” He glanced at Drake and back to her. “Is there anything you want to tell me?”
She slapped a hand against her chest and sucked in a deep breath. Drake had power to entice people to him. She’d felt it before. When she crawled in the trash in that alley, she’d wanted him to draw her into an embrace. Some man she didn’t know, curled beside a dumpster. It hadn’t mattered. A vampire trick to lure in his prey.
“Stop them,” she hissed to Felix, afraid for Gerri.
He stared at her a moment then rushed onto the set. Drake had swept Gerri into a full embrace, bending her backward as he focused on her throat. He bared his teeth. Felix yanked her friend from the vampire’s hold. Drake retreated a step, his amber eyes glowing. He glared at Talia then strode from the set.
“What eez going on?” Anton planted a hand on one hip. “Zis was fantastic. Why are we stopping? I need more shots.”
Gerri straightened and blinked rapidly. “What happened?”
Talia hurried after Drake. Her assistant had assembled a makeshift dressing room in an area off to the side. Large candles in glass jars scattered the area and cast yellow flickers about the room. Drake stood at the center, his back to her, hands clenched at his sides.
“Drake?” she whispered, pausing in the doorway.
After a moment, he faced her. Lines of grief marked his pale features, and his eyes drooped in anguish. “This isn’t going to work.”
She took a step closer. “Of course it will. Why are you upset?”
“You don’t trust me.”
“I, I, I do. Really.”
“No, you don’t. You thought I was going to bite her.” He pressed his lips into a thin line. “You think I’m a monster.”
“You…I….um.” She
“Eef only there vas a woman,” Anton said, dropping his camera on its neck band. He stomped his foot. “We need someone for him to seduce.”
She took a step forward but stopped short. What the hell was she doing? Her gaze met Drake’s, and those amber eyes called her forward. The warm tingle of his call lured her to him. The emotional tug was almost overwhelming. She had to wrap her arms around her stomach to control the impulse to run into his arms.
“Just a minute.” Felix’s voice broke the trance, and Talia blinked. He hurried into the darkness.
A second later, more fog crept in and a stately woman strolled forward. She wore a burgundy velvet gown that swept the floor and kicked up puffs of mist. The dress had long fitted sleeves, but the neckline draped off the shoulders and into deep V’s at the front and back. Her long brown hair was styled in ringlets, gathered in a mass of curls on top of her head and trailing down her back to her waist.
Talia’s breath caught in her throat. It was Gerri. She was gorgeous. Talia couldn’t help a glance at her own size A breasts, insufficient to fill out that dress the way Gerri did. Felix returned and grinned. Gerri strode toward Drake, their gazes locked. Anton snapped away, moving side to side to catch every angle.
Gerri and Drake inched toward each other, staring intently. Finally, chest to chest, he raised his hands and gripped her upper arms. The ruby of a gold signet ring flashed red on his left pinkie. Her head drifted back and her eyes closed as he slowly lowered his head until his lips rested on the curve of her neck.
Talia gasped and realized she’d been holding her breath. Her heart thumped, and she had to force herself to stand still. The urge to rush and pull Gerri away from his arms almost overpowered her. She wanted to be the one he held. To feel those cold lips on her skin.
Felix shook her arm and the spell broke. “What’s wrong?” He stared at her like she’d turned into an alien or something.
“What do you mean?” She dragged her eyes from the scene.
“You looked like you were in some kind of trance. I was talking and you didn’t even hear me.” He glanced at Drake and back to her. “Is there anything you want to tell me?”
She slapped a hand against her chest and sucked in a deep breath. Drake had power to entice people to him. She’d felt it before. When she crawled in the trash in that alley, she’d wanted him to draw her into an embrace. Some man she didn’t know, curled beside a dumpster. It hadn’t mattered. A vampire trick to lure in his prey.
“Stop them,” she hissed to Felix, afraid for Gerri.
He stared at her a moment then rushed onto the set. Drake had swept Gerri into a full embrace, bending her backward as he focused on her throat. He bared his teeth. Felix yanked her friend from the vampire’s hold. Drake retreated a step, his amber eyes glowing. He glared at Talia then strode from the set.
“What eez going on?” Anton planted a hand on one hip. “Zis was fantastic. Why are we stopping? I need more shots.”
Gerri straightened and blinked rapidly. “What happened?”
Talia hurried after Drake. Her assistant had assembled a makeshift dressing room in an area off to the side. Large candles in glass jars scattered the area and cast yellow flickers about the room. Drake stood at the center, his back to her, hands clenched at his sides.
“Drake?” she whispered, pausing in the doorway.
After a moment, he faced her. Lines of grief marked his pale features, and his eyes drooped in anguish. “This isn’t going to work.”
She took a step closer. “Of course it will. Why are you upset?”
“You don’t trust me.”
“I, I, I do. Really.”
“No, you don’t. You thought I was going to bite her.” He pressed his lips into a thin line. “You think I’m a monster.”
“You…I….um.” She
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