Surprisingly, yes. Mostly.

A whimper escaped her throat before she could stop it.

A little blinking light appeared in the bottom-right corner of my vision.

I kept my fist tangled in her hair, her head tilted back, her body off balance, and her throat exposed, while I forced myself to maintain an expression of stern confidence.

I had no illusion that she couldn't escape. She was here because she chose to be. That was the only thing I had going for me right now. I needed to keep the pressure on.

For a long moment, neither of us said a word.

I looked down at her, trying to project control I wasn't sure I actually possessed. Her expression seemed caught between the dominance she was accustomed to and the submission that promised to give her what she wanted.

Finally, she gave the tiniest nod.

That was all I allowed her. Any hesitation now would break the spell.

I leaned down and bit her neck - not hard enough to draw blood - then dragged my teeth slowly across her skin.

She shivered.

My lips closed over the cool flesh and she moaned. I pulled back, captured her mouth, and kissed her deeply.

Her tongue met mine, instinctively fighting for dominance. That was clearly her natural state.

Tonight, I wasn't going to give her the luxury. I did everything I could to show her who was in charge. My hand moved slowly over her body, sliding across her stomach and up over her breasts, grazing one nipple before settling around her throat.

I didn't squeeze. I barely applied any pressure at all, but it was enough.

Her tongue surrendered.

“Good girl.” I let the words roll out in a deep purr.

She shuddered.

The hand tangled in her hair released its grip and slid down her back, across her hip, then slowly climbed her side again. I deepened the kiss as my fingers closed around her breast, kneading it through the fabric of her dress.

She whimpered when I found her nipple and pinched it.

I broke the kiss and watched her chest rise and fall rapidly beneath my touch. “Do you want an audience?” I asked, keeping my voice low and growling. “Or should we send your thralls away?”

Her eyes met mine. For the first time, confusion gave way to understanding. She looked toward the blonde, brunette, and redhead as though she were seeing them for the first time.

“Leave us.” Her voice carried no room for argument. “And take those two with you.”

“No.” I growled the word. “They stay. Make them turn around if you must.”

Her eyes narrowed.

I tightened my grip on her throat and pinched her nipple again.

A moan escaped her. When she recovered, she amended the order. “They stay here. The rest of you go.”

“Good girl.”

She shivered at the words.

The three vampires hesitated. They looked confused by their mistress's sudden submission, but none seemed willing to disobey her. When no further command came, they faded into the darkness.

I was rock hard. I was also reasonably certain that the kind of man I was pretending to be would have pushed her to her knees and demanded a blowjob. And I had no doubt the blowjob would have been incredible.

There was, however, absolutely no chance in hell I was willingly putting a body part engorged with blood into a vampire's mouth.

Instead, I released her throat. “Strip.”

Her claws tore through the dress, ripping the thick fabric apart and exposing the flawless porcelain skin beneath. She was smooth and hairless, the firelight moving hypnotically across her pale body.

I pulled my shirt over my head.

Her eyes immediately locked onto the bloody slash across my side where one of her spawn had caught me during the first attack.

“You'll have to be a very good girl if you want a taste,” I told her. “A very good girl indeed. Can you do that?”

She nodded.

“Good.” I gestured toward my cloak, still lying on the ground where I'd left it. “On your back.”

A strange thought crossed my mind. Her comfort wasn't supposed to matter. The persona I was pretending to be wouldn't care whether she was comfortable. But there were some things about myself I apparently couldn't change.

She backed away without taking her eyes off me, then lowered herself onto the cloak. Her legs parted without a word.

I lowered myself over her, pressed another kiss to her mouth, and grabbed her breast.

Her fingers immediately went for my belt.

I caught her hands and pushed them away.

Her glare returned. For one terrifying moment, I wondered if I'd pushed too far again.

I couldn't hesitate. “Not yet.” My voice was hard. “You do as I say, when I say. That's what good girls do.”

She leaned back and nodded, some of the anger leaving her expression.

“Good girl.” I almost cooed the words.

Goosebumps spread across her skin.

I kissed her again, my hand returning to her breast.

She moaned into my mouth.

I trailed kisses along her cheek and down to her neck. I closed my lips around her flesh and marked her.

The act stirred strange memories. I hadn't done anything like that since I was a teenager, yet somehow it felt like the right thing to do here.

With the hickey firmly in place, I kissed my way down her body until I reached her breasts. I took one nipple into my mouth and lavished it with attention while my hand moved from her other breast to her throat.

I applied only gentle pressure.

Her back arched. She cried out. Her hips rose to meet mine, pressing against the hard length still trapped beneath my clothes. Wetness soaked through the fabric of my pants.

I increased the pressure around her neck.

Her hips bucked harder.

A few moments later, I released her.

She collapsed onto my soaked cloak, chest rising and falling rapidly, her eyes squeezed shut.

I stared at her. Pale skin flushed with pleasure. Hair tangled around her face. That unnatural beauty somehow made even the messiness of the moment seem perfect.

I shook myself out of it. I could watch her all night if I let myself. But I couldn't. Valentia and Ami were still in danger.

“You're not done, are you, pet?”

Her eyes fluttered open. She met my gaze and shook her head weakly.

“Good. I would hate to be disappointed by someone of your beauty.” I lowered myself along her body again, dragging my tongue over her skin and teasing her with kisses and small bites.

Goosebumps followed wherever I touched her.

I avoided her most sensitive places for now, concentrating instead on her thighs. I kissed and nipped at the insides of them, leaving little reminders of myself behind. When I reached the bottom of one leg, I switched to the other and worked my way back up.

When I reached the place where her thighs met, I stopped. My breath drifted across her skin.

Her hands caught my hair and pulled my face toward her.

I turned my head at the last second, letting my chin brush against her instead of my lips. Then I slapped her hands away. “Good girls don't take what isn't offered.”

Her hands immediately released me, but her glare returned.

I leaned back. “I'm starting to think you're not such a good girl after all.” My hand closed around her throat. “Good girls do as I say, when I say. And yet you keep breaking that one simple rule.”

Her eyes rolled back as her fingers closed around my wrist.

“So tell me…” I lowered my voice until it was barely more than a whisper. “What do good girls do?”

Her eyes fluttered before settling on mine. “They do what you say, when you say it.” The words came as a breathless moan.

“And are you a good girl?”

She nodded.

“Then say it.”

Her breath caught. Then she exhaled sharply. “I'm a good girl.”

I increased the pressure around her throat and leaned closer. “And whose good girl are you?”

“I'm yours!” Her hips jerked as another wave of pleasure passed through her.

If this was what women liked… maybe I was starting to understand why they went for men who weren't me.

I moved down her body again, trailing kisses and bites along one leg before moving back up the other. When I reached her womanhood again, her hands slammed into the ground, claws digging into the earth.

Her hips jerked. She fought against the instinct to move.

I grinned. “Good girl.”

She shuddered.

I teased her slowly, careful not to give her too much too quickly.

She whimpered and twitched, fighting desperately to remain still.

My hand returned to her breast as I continued.

She bucked, nearing the edge.

I pulled away. I planted a few kisses along her thigh while she calmed. Then I returned.

Again she approached the edge. Again I withdrew.

Her head lifted. She glared at me.

I met the glare without blinking, daring her to break the rules again.

She gritted her teeth and lowered her head.

Again. I brought her almost to the edge, then stopped.

A growl escaped her throat, but she said nothing.

Finally, I decided she'd earned her reward. When I brought her to the edge again, I didn't stop.

Her orgasm hit with enough force to tear a scream from her. Her hips rose from the ground and jerked uncontrollably.

I kept going until the trembling gradually became smaller, weaker aftershocks. Then I finally pulled away.

I stared down at her.

Her face and chest were flushed. Sweat glistened across her pale skin. Her eyes remained closed while she struggled to catch her breath.

In the faint pre-dawn light, she almost seemed to glow.

Pre-dawn light.

I froze. This was it. I'd made it. A few more minutes and-

Her eyes snapped open. They met mine. Her breathing stopped. Before I could react, her hand closed around my throat. She stood in one smooth motion and lifted me from the ground until my feet dangled an inch above it.

“Do you think me so foolish as to lose track of time, mortal?” Her voice was a hiss now. There was no warmth left in it.

I gripped her wrist as I swung helplessly from her iron grip.

Then she dropped me.

I hit the ground hard and rolled onto my side.

“Still…” Her eyes bored into mine. “You were a good diversion for the night.” The corner of her mouth lifted into a smile. “Perhaps we'll do it again sometime.”

She turned and walked into the forest. I watched her disappear between the trees, her body dissolving into the first tendrils of morning mist.

Only when she was gone did I finally breathe.