The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo (Love at Stake) by Kerrelyn Sparks Read Free Book Online

world.
    A third man moved into view, and her breath caught. He was large, his shoulders easily taking up half the entrance. A kilt. Another security guy? Why was he blocking the door? Did he know she was about to make a break for it?
    Her gaze lifted past his wide chest and impossibly broad shoulders to his face. His eyes. He was looking straight at her. Straight through her as if he could see her soul. He shrugged his right shoulder.
    She turned away.
    Who was he? Her back tingled as if she could feel his green eyes boring right through her, sharp emeralds slicing through her defenses till she was laid completely bare. The thundering in her ears grew quiet. A strange sense of calm stole over her, a sense of inevitability, as if her entire life had ticked away slowly for the sole purpose of arriving at this one moment in time. She knew without a doubt who he was. She’d felt him watching her all evening.
    He was the man behind the camera.
    D ougal winced inwardly. Leah Chin had taken one look at him and turned away. He rolled his shoulder once again where the damned tattoo continued to sizzle with warmth.
    “Dr. Lee and Roman think it’s going well,” Laszlo said.
    Wishful thinking . She was ready to bolt. Dougal could see the tension in her stance, feel the aura of desperation radiating from her. She was a brave lass, but her courage was being taxed to its limit. It made him want to pull her into his arms, though he doubted she’d accept comfort from a Vamp. “Ye doona think it is wrong to drag her into our world?”
    Laszlo twisted a button. “We need her help. She’s absolutely brilliant in her field of expertise.”
    “She speaks Mandarin, too,” Gregori added. “In case we need to go back to China.”
    Dougal stiffened. “Ye would take her on a mission? She shouldna be put into a dangerous situation because of our problems.”
    “Relax, dude,” Gregori told him. “As long as we’ve got the prisoner in the silver room, she’ll be able to work here.”
    Laszlo nodded. “I’m looking forward to working with her.”
    With a grin, Gregori elbowed the short chemist. “Admit it, bro. You’re crushing on her big time.”
    Laszlo blushed. “Well, she is a genius. Very pretty, too.”
    Dougal’s prosthetic hand fisted, and he hid it behind his back. Release, dammit ! Unfortunately, Leah chose that precise moment to glance at him. She looked away quickly before he could wipe the angry scowl off his face. Bloody hell. She would think he hated her, when in truth—what was the truth? He desperately wanted her to be the girl he’d lost almost three hundreds years ago? It was impossible. And an insult to this lass who was brave, bright, and beautiful in her own right.
    “I could give you a few pointers,” Gregori offered.
    Laszlo tugged harder at the button. “I—I’m not sure if she would welcome any attention from me.”
    “Dude.” Gregori frowned at him. “If you want her, you gotta go for her.”
    The button popped off and clattered onto the marble floor. When Laszlo bent over to retrieve it, his unruly hair flopped over his eyes. He pushed his hair back and stuffed the button in his pocket.
    Gregori patted him on the back. “Don’t worry, bro. I’ll get you ready for her.”
    The hell you will . Dougal tensed, his hand still fisted. Should he declare his intentions? What intentions? If it were up to him, he’d let the poor girl escape.
    “What you need, dude, is a makeover,” Gregori announced. “I’ll set you up with Wilson over at the Digital Vampire Network. He’s the one who makes regular Vamps look like TV stars.”
    “H-he can make me look good?” Laszlo asked.
    “He does my hair.” Gregori smoothed a hand over his perfect hair. “He’ll update your wardrobe, too. No offense, bro, but you’re looking . . . well, like a nerd.”
    Laszlo glanced down at his plaid shirt, plastic pocket protector, and khaki pants belted high at the waist. “Something’s wrong with my