When Gamboa crossed to Kaderin as though spellbound, she murmured to him, "Take me somewhere private."
His jaw slackened. "Of... course." He hastily drew away to order his car brought round, and Kaderin took the chance to murmur to Cindey as she passed, "Why didn't you just sing?"
"Five hundred men in here would hear my song," she impatiently answered. "Besides, I'd prefer not to have the head of the most powerful drug cartel in the world violently captivated with me for the rest of his life. But I really hope it works out for you two kids."
Right after she whirled away, Gamboa joined Kaderin again. As they walked out, she saw Sebastian leaning over one of the nymphs, his eyes black. He cast the Colombian a killing look, then stared Kaderin down. The nymph gave Kaderin a triumphant smile and clutched Sebastian's arm.
If Sebastian was trying to make her jealous... he'd succeeded. Was he still hard after their encounter? What would he do to the nymph when he was heated with Kaderin's blood and aroused from her body? Trace the tramp somewhere and begin forsaking Kaderin?
When Gamboa put his hand on her lower back, she turned from Sebastian, forcing herself to look straight ahead. She didn't glance back even when she slid into Gamboa's plush limo and they started away.
Inside, her emotions simmered. Gamboa was talking to her in a low-toned, accented voice, but she wasn't hearing a word.
Sebastian's bite still throbs...
She faced Gamboa, interrupting him to say, "Give me your opal ring, or I'll kill you."
He only smiled, even white teeth standing out against his tanned face. "Only the opal, mi cariña?" He glanced at a huge diamond ring he also wore, but she didn't follow his gaze. "You won't even look at the diamond?" he asked.
She raised an eyebrow. He already knows. "And why do you want me to?"
"Just to see if the rumors are true."
Kaderin exhaled. "You know what I am?"
He nodded. "My mother was a demon. I know all about the Lore."
"If you knew, then why did you let me go on?" she asked in an exasperated tone.
"Because I was curious why the opening of my club was filled with Lore beings."
"It's the Hie. The ring's a prize - a high-value prize. There were competitors and probably a score of local spectators."
He twisted the opal ring on his finger. "I've dreamed of seeing a Valkyrie all my life. This stone was predicted to bring one of your kind to it."
She didn't doubt that. Yet another example of the hand of fate at work. "Here. Behold the Valkyrie." She held out her palm. "The opal."
"It won't be that simple."
"Didn't figure you'd be the one drug dealer with a heart of gold."
"Why should I give it to you," he asked in a reasonable tone, "for nothing in return?"
A sudden thought arose. "It's not me you want. You just want a night with a Valkyrie, right?"
His eyes seemed to darken. "That's always been my fantasy."
"Then I will send another Valkyrie down here. One who's single." I'm not? "Her name is Regin the Radiant. She's a wild child. She glows. More important, she's a-sure-thing."
"How can I trust that you'll actually do this? Send her, and I'll give her the ring."
"I have to have that ring - now. And I'll vow to the Lore that she'll be here," she said, then amended that by saying, "Actually, I can't really vow that she'll sleep with you. And I would not recommend kissing her. But other than that, she's a party girl."
When he actually seemed to be considering the trade, she hid her surprise and said, "Just take the deal, Gamboa. I don't want to break your heart, or maul it, or pummel it tonight."
After a hesitation, he said, "How can I contact this Regin?"
Remembering that Regin had locked the Crazy Frog ring tone into Kaderin's favorite phone, she said, "How about I give you her private cell phone number?" Turnabout's a bitch, Regin.
He promptly handed her a card, and on the back she scratched down the area code and Regin's number - aptly, it was eight, six, seven, five, three, oh, nine. When Kaderin gave it to him, he removed the ring. He leaned closer, brushing her skin as he handed it to her. The touch did nothing for her, though he obviously thought it would. He should think that. Any woman would consider him sexy, and yet Kaderin felt no spark, no attraction.
"Tell the driver to stop the car at the next light."
"I'd give you the diamond as well if you'd stay tonight, cariña."
She should stay with him tonight. Sebastian was probably giving a nymph one of his fierce, heated kisses right now.
Instead, Kaderin murmured, "This sees me content."
Why not take the hot half-demon to bed? Because she wanted to go to her room. And cry.
30
Sebastian had hardly slept or drunk since the night in Colombia. For the last week, he'd struggled to get Kaderin out of his mind.
Nothing worked.
He was becoming obsessed with her. He gave a bitter laugh. Becoming? He was already obsessed with her.
Even after everything, he still wanted her.
Kaderin had gone to that club dressed for seduction, had f**ked that male all night for all he knew - but at every opportunity, she'd told Sebastian she would never sleep with him.
For all his intentions, Sebastian hadn't touched another female, couldn't even imagine taking a woman who wasn't her. With that bite, he might have felt as though he were claiming her, but she'd claimed him as well. There was no way he was living his life without having it again.
No, he'd decided he'd settle for none but her. He needed to touch the body she withheld from him. He needed to hurt her as she'd hurt him.
She'd convinced him that her aversion to him wasn't merely because he was a vampire. And how could he not believe that, when he'd fared no better as a human?
Goddamn it, what is it about me?
That night all those years ago with the frigid widow had shaken him, crushed his already battered confidence. And even now it affected him. He hadn't been able to penetrate her. He was large, and she'd been completely cold. There'd been no arousal. No wonder - she wouldn't let him touch her body, not even her br**sts. Just lifted her skirt in the bed without touching him, either.
She'd hissed in pain with each try, then finally beat against his back, screaming, "Enough, you bumbling oaf!"
He'd been twenty-three and bewildered by her sudden disgust. "Then... why?"
Every word enunciated, she'd said, "I lost a wager... "
Now, Kaderin, the woman he wanted more than he'd ever wanted anything, desired him just as little.