Embrace the Heat by Cassandra Lawson Page B

you.”
    Rand was smart enough to know why Simon
wanted him to go home and started to leave right away. He hesitated
at the door. “Maybe training should be postponed.”
    “Fuck this! In fact, fuck vampires,” Layla
snapped. “I’ll go home and shower.”
    What the hell? Layla was never that
volatile. Sure, she had a temper, but this was different.
    Danny started to go after her, but Simon
stopped him. “I’ll go. This is my fault. Something is obviously
bothering her, and I pushed too much about the way she smells.”
    Danny hesitated. “Maybe, I should go. She’s
been kind of bitchy, and you don’t know her as well as I do.”
    That statement really annoyed Simon. Maybe
Danny had known her longer, but Simon knew Layla very well. “Set up
sparring teams while I’m gone,” he said. “Rand, I really do want
you and Mitchell to leave until I can figure this mess out.”
    Without waiting for a reply, Simon raced
after Layla.
    As her cute little ass stormed down the
street, every male vampire she passed stopped to inhale deeply. The
single ones eyed her with obvious hunger. The ones with significant
others looked confused and guilty. This was the last thing he
needed while Connor was away.
    “Wait up, Pixie!” he called out.
    “What do you want?” she snarled without
turning around or slowing her pace. Snarled was the only way to
describe her tone.
    Simon picked up his pace and easily caught up
with her. He walked alongside her. “Sorry about embarrassing you
back there,” he said a little uncomfortably. He wasn’t
uncomfortable with the apology, but his pants were crushing the
erection he’d had since catching Layla’s scent. Chasing her had
only made the problem worse, and now his cock was throbbing against
his zipper. The vampire in him screamed out to grab her and do all
sorts of inappropriate things now that he’d caught her.
    “Why are you following me?” she finally asked
and walked faster. “If I smell so disturbing, then you should stay
away from me.”
    “Layla,” he growled. His voice was rough, and
she must have finally gotten the hint that he was chasing her
because she froze. “That’s better,” he said. “You need to calm
down.”
    When she spun around to glare at him, her own
nostrils flared and she looked down at his pants. Her large brown
eyes widened with shock, and she just stared at his cock for a long
time.
     
    There was no missing Simon’s erection. It was
just there and very big. In fact, she should be rethinking her
attraction to Simon. Instead, she was more aroused than she’d been
after any dream. Stifling her moan took a lot of effort. Layla
decided that the best way to deal with it was to remind herself of
the many reasons she couldn’t be with Simon. “How can you be
aroused after a night with two wood nymphs?” she asked without
looking up.
    Simon’s voice took on that silky quality only
he could achieve, and she knew his full lips were curled up into a
sexy grin. “You know what happens when vampires chase someone,” he
purred. “You made me chase you. Even if you hadn’t, whatever is
going on with your scent is arousing every male vampire you pass.
I’m not the only one chasing you right now.”
    Layla looked up at Simon with wide eyes. She was the reason Simon was aroused. Her blood heated, and
her body tightened. Okay so maybe she wasn’t the reason in the way
she’d like to be. His arousal was caused by the way she smelled and
the fact that Simon had chased her. Still, her body didn’t seem to
care what the reasons were.
    Simon groaned. “Don’t look at me that way,”
he said. “This is not going to happen. I don’t screw humans.”
    Layla flinched at his intentionally crude
words. This was Simon trying to push her away. “Don’t worry,” she
said with a condescending smile. “If I need a vampire, I’m sure I
can find one to take care of things for me.”
    Simon’s upper lip curled back to reveal his
fangs, and he gripped her upper arm.