Poison Kissed by Erica Hayes

mine, his arousal slow but definite in the way he pressed against me, slid his body slowly across mine. Hot body, for a human, strong and male, hard-muscled in all the right places. Not too gay to have a hard-on. They said he was careful and considerate in bed. I even liked him, sort of.
    I hadn’t been with a man in a long time, and my sparkle-parched body itched at me to act. I wasn’t taken, not really. In my dreams, maybe. But Vincent had a girlfriend, a pretty blue water fairy named Flora. She was my friend, too. Did I care? “Vincent—”
    “You’re so beautiful, Mina.” He dipped to tease warm lips along my jaw. “Bet he never tells you that.”
    Curiosity and temptation chewed through my reason, and I sighed and sank my fingers into his fragrant hair, drawing him gently on. It felt so good to be touched. He nuzzled me, kissing just below my ear, where my pulse thudded. Sparks danced over my scalp, forcing pleasured melody from my lips. My eyelids flickered and threatened to close.
    I crept my hand to his chest, where his heartbeat beckoned. The tense, steady thump of his pulse spread over my palm, sank through my flesh into my bones, teasing me like hot spicy music. I murmured, and I felt him smile, his whisper tempting. “You like that. I knew it. We’re meant to be, Mina. We don’t need Joey tellin’ us what to do.”
    Lightly he caressed the sensitive place at the small of my back. I shivered under those delicate fingertips. I crushed his hair in my fist as he kissed his way back along my jaw. His lips lingered at the corner of my mouth, his sweet bourbon flavor a rich lure, the shy bitter taste of his loneliness drawing me closer than rash seduction ever could have.
    My lips parted, anticipating his kiss, a deep satisfied purr ready in my throat. I should go with him. Forget sparkle, memory, revenge. Just go with him, taste him, feel his desire rise with mine, pin his hot male body down beneath me and share some meaningless warmth and pleasure, before we had to wake up and remember how insignificant our sad little lives were.
    No one’d ever know. Joey didn’t have to find out.
    His lips hovered an inch from mine, a final question laced with bourbon and intoxicating hope. But it wasn’t right. I wanted those lips to taste of venom, wanted to feel shifting flesh roil under my hands, inhale the hot melting scent of mint. I wanted the hair wrapped around my fists to be blond.
    I yanked Vincent’s head back to glare into his eyes. “Stop right there and I won’t kick your skanky ass into next week.”
    He groaned and tugged away, scowling. “Dunno what you think you’re saving yourself for.”
    “And you can leave that right alone, smart-ass. I should tell the boss everything you just said.” My body still ached, and I dragged my hair straight, my face hot. Infuriating, that he’d crept under my skin so effortlessly.
    “Think he’ll believe you after tonight?” A sly glint ignited in his eyes, and the truth nagged at me, irritatingly transparent.
    All part of Vincent’s plan. Seduce me while I was weak and needy. Blackmail me into helping him. Fix it so I couldn’t tell without seeming like I was to blame all along.
    Icy anger spiked, and a deep furious hum built in my lungs. “You cunning little shit. I don’t want any part of it. Fuck off.”
    That wounded look again. “Think about it, Min. He’s using both of us. We’re worth more than that.”
    Laughter sputtered, it was so ridiculous. “Vincent, you’re just a human! You’re not even faeborn. No one takes you seriously. What you gonna do against Diamond? Ange Valenti, the toughest vampire son of a bitch in town? Kane, for fucksake? You start playing with the big kids, and they’ll tear your eyeballs out—”
    “Joey’s never gonna want you!” Bitterness splintered Vincent’s tone flintsharp, his handsome face tight. “You think you’re special ’cause you’re a girl? Because once he took pity on you? You’re just a