There'll be Hell to Pay (Hellcat Series Book 6) by Sharon Hannaford Page A

and wipe the
first bright red drops across the inside of his lower lip. Then she
readied herself. She’d got better at doing this over the past few
months, but there was still an element of risk involved. She had to
be quick—really, really quick—if she didn’t want his fangs in her
flesh before he was fully conscious. If a Vampire bit you with the
right intentions, it was the most erotic, sensual experience Gabi
knew of, but they could also cause agonising pain if they wanted to
or if they weren’t aware enough to help themselves. And being
brought out of daysleep unnaturally left even the most senior
Master Vampire dazed and confused for a few minutes.
    Knowing how
much blood was enough to rouse him was a work in progress. If she
got it just right, she would avoid both her physical pain and his
mental anguish at having hurt her. If she got it wrong…well…it was
nothing a little of his blood and a couple of hours wouldn’t fix,
but right now she needed to be one hundred percent on her game.
Their mental connection was her secret weapon. She made sure to
pull down the mental walls that had become her second skin, opening
herself to him, waiting for the tiniest signal that his
consciousness was returning.
    One more smear
of the blood that still trickled from her hand and she felt the
emergence of the familiar warmth deep inside her mind. The presence
that was Julius. Gentle as a feather, but solid as granite. She
leapt from the bed, retreating from him, her back to the bedroom
door, her hand outstretched to yank the door open if she needed to.
She’d already cleared the few remaining Werewolf staff from the
mansion. That way, if he chased her naked through the house, she
wouldn’t be forced to dig any of the females’ eyes out afterwards.
Under other circumstances it could’ve been an extremely
entertaining start to the evening.
    And then Julius was a rush of air and masculine scent
barrelling directly for her. She let out an undignified squawk and
yanked open the door to tumble out into the hallway, barely keeping
her feet. Razor’s warning hiss mingled into the confusion as Gabi
hurled one thought at Julius across their link. It’s me, it’s me, it’s me.
    Julius caught
her wrist in a bruising grip, yanking her towards his chest and
knocking the wind from her as she collided with him. “Shit,” she
wheezed, trying to draw breath into her empty lungs. Just when
she’d thought she was getting better at this.
    And then Julius
stilled. “Lea?” he growled, confusion tainting his voice, a man
emerging from a dream. Her bleeding hand was just millimetres from
his mouth, and his fangs glistened, large and prominent, as he drew
in her scent through his open mouth.
    “ Yes, it’s me,” she gasped, still trying to refill her airways.
He brought her hand to his mouth and licked the small stab wound,
closing his eyes as he savoured the taste.
    “ You woke me for an emergency, I assume?” he asked, his words
slow and measured, regret already tinging them.
    “ Of course.” She coughed a little and automatically snapped her
mental defences back into place before he could read the riot of
emotions engulfing her.
    “ Gabrielle.” Julius released her wrist and plunged his hands
into her hair, turning her face up to his, concern narrowing his
eyes. “What is it?”
     
    Anxiety rode
Gabi hard, the constant flow of adrenalin was causing her chest to
tingle and her stomach to knot. She barely noticed the sting of the
self-inflicted bite wound in her lower lip, but she was aware
enough of the three Vampires in the room with her that she made an
effort not to draw blood again. Being still was physically
impossible.
    Pace, pace,
pace…
    Exactly six and
a half paces and then she had to turn.
    Pace, pace,
pace…
    In the
comfortable, informal space they called the entertainment room,
Julius stood with his arms folded, outwardly calm and just two
steps from the centre of her pacing track, close enough that she
didn’t