The hunger, the hunger began to burn in her gut, refusing to be ignored, demanding to be known, and as hard as she tried, she simply couldn't deny it. The spice of his scent was beyond appetizing, and she ached to taste him.

     "Just a sip."

     "Please don't!" He begged.

     The tendons of his neck stood out as he strained against Arden's steely hold, his heartbeat pounding out its sumptuous rhythm like some fleshy dinner bell. Blood, the rich scent of his blood filled the room, hot, sticky, and most certainly sweet, spiked with adrenaline and fear.

     Famished, Arden licked his lips as his eyes wandered slowly to meet Kathleen's anxious gaze, his voice deep and eager.

     "If you don't take him, my love, I will."

     "NO!" She snapped. "HE'S MINE!"

     Then she turned her flashing olive eyes back to Mike, who was trembling violently now and feeling that this must be how the fly feels as the spider draws ever closer. With a feminine moan, she made a show of tasting his scent in the air, savoring it as one would savor the tempting aroma of a hot and sticky fruit pie, blood cherry red.

     Moving in closer, she drew back her lips and slowly lowered to his throat, and closing his eyes tight, Mike braced himself as best he could for the sting of her bite. Behind him, his fingers curled into tight fists, and he winced as he felt the tips of those tiny pearl daggers graze across his skin. She then began to lick teasingly above his racing pulse, and despite his horror, he found the rough feel of her tongue strangely erotic.

     A white numbing began to creep into his mind, the spell of her hunger, but with much effort he managed to keep his head clear. What was it about these creatures that overwhelmed the senses so and made one desire to be consumed? It was as though a part of him wanted to surrender to her deadly thirst, actually wanted to appease her hunger with his very life. He fought to remain focused.

     She was purring, purring like a cat, and as she pressed herself to him, he could feel the vibrations of that feline rumble welling outward from beneath her breasts, an odd yet darkly thrilling sensation. The vampire behind him was purring as well, deeper, heavier, purring in anticipation of spilt blood, purring in his own vampiric arousal as his head filled not only with her delicate scent, but with the scarlet heat of his man he held so tight.

     Taking Mike by a shoulder, she kissed along his throat to his ear . . . tiny wet kisses, then lifted her face to Arden, searching his sterling eyes before bringing her mouth to his and teasing her tongue along his full red lips. She found the tips of his fangs, and her surprising touch stole away the vampire's breath, and with a savage groan, he immediately increased the pressure, returning her kiss passionately, desperate for her satin attentions.

     Still holding Mike's shoulder, she placed her other palm softly upon Arden's cheek as she penetrated him deeply, probing him with all the lusty skill of a biblical harlot. Her touch was so intense, so aggressive, that Arden melted beneath her ruby lips and went dizzy with the feel of her hungry mouth upon his. He hardened to steel in an instant, which only added to Mike's discomfort as he was pressed tightly between the nuzzling and purring vampires.

     Before Arden thought to draw blood from her lips however, she pulled away, gazing longingly into his fervent eyes a moment more before returning to the feast at hand.

     "Share." A hot male whisper.

     "Of course."

     Through bedroom eyes, heavy and swollen with a vampire's insatiable desire, Arden watched as she moistened her lips and prepared to feed.

     When would the bite come? Held between the two blood drinkers, Mike stood rigidly, trapped and feeling like a chocolate-covered strawberry in the bed of two lovers. He was going to die. He didn't want to die . . . especially not like this.

     "Michael."

     A deep, decadent whisper, dark like mocha, smooth like fudge, she cooed, giving his earlobe a teasing nip before brushing her lips along the side of his throat. This was it. He was certain, and with a painful swallow he shuddered as his flesh chilled beneath her cooling breath. She positioned herself to pierce him, and trying not to whimper, he was determined to at least go out like a man.