Edge of Twilight by MAGGIE SHAYNE Page A

you?”
    â€œMmm-hmm.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThis.” He rose from the pew, walked slowly toward her, holding her eyes with his. She didn’t move away,didn’t even think about it. He pressed his palms to hers, at her sides, pressed his body to hers, rubbing, and she didn’t pull back. No, she stood firm when he pressed himself against her, even, maybe, pressed back a little. He tipped his head to one side, she tipped hers to the other, and he lowered his mouth slowly, slowly closer to hers. Just before his lips touched her, he whispered, “Of course, I won’t collect until I’ve delivered on my promise.”
    He started to lift his head away. And Amber heard herself saying, “The hell you won’t.” She tugged her hands from his and pressed them instead to the back of his head, pulling him to her, kissing his mouth. She felt his lips trying to pull into a smile as she kissed them; then they trembled and parted, and his arms slid around her waist and pulled her even closer. He pushed her mouth wider, digging inside with his tongue and feeding from her like a man starved to death. She heard a moan, wasn’t sure if it was his or hers, and felt as if her very blood were blazing—molten lava crawling beneath her skin.
    Finally, when the shaking was so intense she could barely stand and her mind was spinning, he lifted his head away and whispered, “God, Alby, I could eat you alive.”
    The words, combined with the blazing hunger in his eyes, sent a jolt of fear through her. She’d never been bitten by a vampire before. She had no idea what it would be like, but she knew he could easily lose control and drain her to the point of death.
    His hand pushed her hair from her face. “No, Alby. That’s not what I meant.” He shrugged. “Though that would be good, too. I’ll do both before I’ve finished with you.”
    She swore under her breath at the rush of desire his words shot through her. “I have…I have to go.”
    â€œBut you’ll come…here…tomorrow night,” he told her. Then he smiled slowly, devilishly. “I promise.”
    Blinking, Amber turned and went to the window, leaped out, landing hard on the ground, and then ran all the way back to the house.
    Â 
    Edge had, the way he saw it, two options. He could screw the woman’s brains out and wait for her and her friends to get a line on Frank Stiles, then follow them to the man. Or he could screw the woman’s brains out and move forward with his plan to leak word of her presence in the Salem area to some of the underworld figures he knew, using her as bait to lure Stiles right here.
    Either way, he was going to have her. He’d intended to seduce her all along, from his very first glimpse of her. But what he hadn’t foreseen was the fire in her and the impact it had on him. By God, he’d never wanted like this. He hoped she was as strong as she claimed to be, because otherwise, he was liable to hurt her. Having her would be an unplanned bonus. Might feel almost as good as killing Stiles was going to feel.
    He wondered if he should wait just a few days. Give her friends time to do their digging. Give himself more time to explore every inch of her, fulfill her every fantasy and violate her every inhibition. If he had to use her as bait, it would, after all, put her at some risk. He didn’t care, of course. His goal was all that mattered to him.
    And to prove that, he had to move and move now. But he would be sure he nabbed Stiles before the man got within a mile of Amber Lily. It would be a crying shame if anything happened to her before Edge had his fill.
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    The house was quiet. The sun had risen half an hour ago, and everyone except for Amber had slipped quietlyinto the comalike day sleep of the undead. Even Will had gone to bed. Amber looked in on him, sleeping soundly beside Sarafina in their queen-size bed. It gave Amber