"You taste so good," he murmured against her lips, the words low and velvety-and as sobering as if the rain falling on them had suddenly turned to sleet.

She pulled away, blinking at him. What was she doing?

He stared back at her, his golden eyes hooded, dazed. He started to reach for her again, but she stumbled backward, her heel catching on a grate in the sidewalk. Sebastian caught her, but dropped his hand as soon as she was steadied.

"I should go home," she said, surprised her voice sounded so calm.

Sebastian stared at her for a moment. Then he nodded. He glanced up at the sky. The rain fell in big fat drops, splattering loudly on the concrete. He gestured to a storefront with a large striped awning.

"Wait under there until I find a cab."

She nodded numbly, automatically doing as he asked. She watched as he strode to the curb, waiting for a cab to pass. Even though she was shaken, she couldn't help noticing how beautiful he was, standing in the rain, his clothes clinging to his tall, muscular body, his hair wet and tangled.

Her body ached, but she forced herself to focus on the rain, the passing cars, the buildings surrounding them. Anything but that man and her desire.

Finally, he flagged down a taxi and gestured for her to join him. She did, still feeling like her body wasn't her own. Once in the car, she slid to the other door, putting as much space between herself and Sebastian's big body. Sebastian didn't close the space, staying against his door. They were both silent.

"I'll walk you up," Sebastian offered once they reached her apartment, but Mina shook her head, opening the cab door.

"No. I'm fine," she managed to say, surprised how calm her voice sounded. She was anything but fine, her legs were trembling, her hands... She was a mess.

She started to step out onto the curb, when his fingers caught her wrist, the contact making her breath catch. She looked at him, knowing her eyes were wide, anxious. But that simply wasn't something she could disguise. She was far too overwhelmed by him.

He smiled in a way that he meant to be comforting, but it just made her all the more aware of how beautiful he was.

"Mina," he said softly. "I'll come here to get you tomorrow night."

She nodded, unable to speak. His quietly stated intent wasn't said to sound ominous, but it sent another chill through her.

"Night," he said, releasing her. She nodded again, and half-scrambled, half-fell out of the taxi. She didn't look back to see if he was chuckling over her gracelessness. Her only thought was to get into her apartment to where she could think.

Once locked inside her empty home, she collapsed on the sofa, dropping her head into her trembling hands.

What the hell had she been doing? She couldn't feel this way about him. She had agreed to the bargain he'd proposed, but only to learn how to better stop vampires like him. To avoid telling the Society she had failed. And to maybe go back and tell them that Sebastian Young had been converted to one of them.

Not to fall into his arms.

She thought of that kiss. She couldn't let that happen again. He was still the enemy, although it was getting harder and harder for her to remember that fact.

She had to remember that the Society had picked Sebastian as a dangerous vampire for good reason.

"It was the rain," she stated to herself. That had to be the reason she'd reacted to him so completely. He'd helped her overcome something that she'd thought would always haunt her. She'd just... reacted. Well, her body had.

But her body had misled her before. She had to remember that. And she also had to remember she wasn't that same young girl she'd been. She could handle this situation with Sebastian. She could keep control. She could.

Chapter 11.

When Sebastian arrived at Mina's apartment the next night, he half-expected her to be gone. But as he walked down the characterless hallway with its beige walls and dark carpet that might have been blue at one time but was now a murky gray, he sensed her. The scent of lily of the valley and something inherently Mina reached him, and suddenly the antiseptic surroundings seemed far more interesting.

Last night, he'd been stunned by the intensity of his need for her. He knew he'd wanted her, but he was shocked how quickly his desire had spun out of control. He wanted her more than any woman he could recall for a long, long time.

At first, he'd found his loss of control unnerving. He just didn't lose control like that. Then he decided it wasn't totally unexpected. Mina presented a challenge, and he loved a challenge. That was really all there was to it. That simple.

He was looking forward to tonight.

He knocked on the door, and it opened immediately as if she'd been waiting for him. Although her narrowed eyes behind her ever-present glasses and her bow-shaped lips drawn tight didn't exactly state she was pleased to see him.

Okay, maybe she wasn't waiting in excited anticipation.

"Hello," he said and couldn't help adding. "Couldn't wait for me to get here, could you?"

She gave him a wry look of her own, but moved back for him to enter the small apartment. He noticed right away that her black hair was in braids, and his eyes strayed down her body to see if she was wearing a naughty little Catholic schoolgirl outfit. No such luck. A simple pale pink shirt and faded jeans.

"Come on in," she said, "since you've been here already, I guess I don't need to show you around."

Sebastian smiled at her as he passed. "Someone is cranky tonight."

She followed him into the living room and waited for him to sit, before she said, "Not cranky. Serious."

Sebastian groaned. "That's almost worse than cranky. Mina, has anyone ever told you that you are altogether too serious?"

"Well, someone has to be," she said, although she sounded a little insulted at his observation. That had to be a good sign. There was a naughty schoolgirl in there somewhere. Although he'd be happy with a real smile tonight. Or a laugh. But best not to get his hopes up.

"Sebastian," she started, and he smiled.

"What?" she demanded, when she saw his pleased expression.

"That's the first time you've said my name."

She gave him a look that stated that she thought he was a lunatic.

"Go on," he said, relaxing against the sofa cushions.

She stared at him for a moment, but her eyes were unreadable. Although that could just be the damned glare of the lamplight off the lenses of her glasses. "Sebastian," she started again. "Why do you wear those glasses? I've never heard of a vampire with myopia." She paused, her frown returning. "What?"

"Your glasses. You don't need them."

"No," she agreed. "I like them." She took a breath and started again on the important thing that Sebastian could tell she was geared up to tell him.

"I want you to know that-"

"Do you have to wear the glasses tonight?"

Her mouth snapped shut, then she said flatly. "Yes. I do."

"Okay," he agreed. "But you can't know unless you ask, right?"

She frowned at him as if she was trying to decide if he really wanted an answer. Obviously deciding he

didn't, she started her announcement again. "I want you to know that I fully intend to-"

"I like your hair tonight," he said. "I like the weird, messy ponytail things too."

She stopped again, giving him a look that said she thought he was mad. "Has anyone ever told you that

you are rather annoying?"

"You know, you'd be surprised how often I've heard that."

"No," she stated, "I don't think I would. Are you done now? Can I speak?"

He nodded, trying to look properly contrite. Although he was thoroughly enjoying himself. He loved how

easily he could get to her-it sort of made up for how easily she aroused him. He straightened against the sofa cushion as if he planned to be a good boy and listen.

She watched him for a few moments, then when he was settled, she asked, "Are you ready now?"

He nodded.

"Okay, I fully intend to keep the deal with you, but I think we need a few ground rules."

Rules. Okay, now she really did have his attention and not in a good way. He didn't like rules. In fact, all his plans for her were about breaking rules. Did no one understand that was what vampires were supposed to do? Break rules. Exist outside normal conventions.

But he didn't speak. He wanted to hear the rest of this nonsense.

"My first rule is no flirting."

Oh no. These rules were so not going to work for him.

"Also no touching. No holding hands. No... well, no contact, period."

Sebastian stood up at that request, his action smooth and sudden. Mina immediately moved back, even

though he wasn't near her. Fear instantly permeated the air.

Sebastian frowned, but kept his tone calm. "Why not?"

She stared at him for a moment, then stated coolly, "Because I don't like it."

Sebastian nearly laughed. She was lying, and they both knew it. "You didn't like my kiss last night?"

For a fraction of a second, her gaze dropped to his mouth, then she met his eyes. "No. I didn't."

He knew she wasn't telling the truth; he'd felt her desire for him, tasted it on her lips. Even now, tiny

flares of her need mingled with her nervousness. She wanted him, and he wanted her. It was that clear and simple. But her denial bothered him far, far more than it should have. Her distant expression bothered him, too.

"Are you making up these silly rules because you don't like me? Or because you are afraid you might like me too much? After all, it wouldn't do to actually like the Society's Number One enemy." He stepped toward her, and again she backed up a step. More fear pulsed in the room, but somehow this alarm felt different. He wondered if he'd come close to the truth.

But instead of denying or confirming his suspicions, her gaze fell to the floor. "You aren't the Number One enemy."

Sebastian slowly approached her, but stopped a few inches away. "Mina, I'm not your enemy, period." She looked up at him, and for just a moment, her expression was torn somewhere between hope and uncertainty. Her dark eyes, heartbreaking. But then the emotions disappeared, her pale features unreadable, doll-like.

He hated that empty look. He wanted the woman who'd allowed herself to enjoy the rain. The woman who looked aroused and dazed by his kiss. Even the woman who gritted her teeth and glared at him. He started to reach for her, but caught himself. She said she didn't want his touch, and he would abide by that. But he had a rule of his own.

"Okay, I'll agree to your rules."

Her eyes brightened.

"But I have one of my own."

She hesitated. "What is it?"

"I can ask to touch you. You can say no, and I won't. But I can ask."

Mina frowned, surprised by his compromise, wondering if she could really trust him to keep to his word. Of course, he hadn't done anything aggressive to her yet. Actually given what she'd tried to do to him, he'd been surprisingly kind. Even the times he'd lost his temper with her, he'd not stayed mad more than a few moments. Even when she publicly insulted his personality. Even when he'd discovered her attempts to harm his club.

She studied his features, trying to see any deception there. His golden eyes regarded her back, waiting for her agreement.

"Okay," she said, and he smiled, those sinfully full lips turning up, one corner a tad higher than the other.

Lord, he was beautiful.