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a groan at her blatant teasing. It seemed that Gabriel Thorne would be spending a great deal of time with the unforgettable, gorgeous Cassandra Chase whether he wanted to or not.

Chapter Five
    C assie slicked on a final coat of gleaming ruby red lipstick and admired herself in her compact mirror. Her thick winged eyeliner was flawless, her orange-red locks piled in a tousled updo, a thin gold circlet resting on her head. That was the funny thing about Kith clubs, the thing Cassie loved most: you could leave all conventional dress behind and truly dress to impress, regardless of what might be appropriate for a normal human club.
    She wasn’t entirely thrilled with the Vampires who ran Bellocq, mostly because their monthly disappearances during the new moon had stuck her in the Manor with Gabriel for four days straight. Neither Cassie nor Gabriel were patient to begin with, it seemed, but the lustful tension blooming between them was becoming unbearable.
    Even now, with Aeric sitting between her and her would-be mate, Cassie could smell nothing but Gabriel. She could smell his skin under his clothes, each time he shifted in his seat in the car. The fact that she knew that it was Gabriel’s skin, specifically his skin, was more off-putting than Cassie could possibly express.
    And tonight, they would have to talk, touch, and work as a team. How the hell was that going to happen?
    The Oracle stirred within Cassie, perhaps reacting to her ill ease. She took a deep breath and tried to think positive thoughts, sending positive vibes to the Oracle. The last thing Cassie needed right now was to go all possessed and flame-eyed, then start spewing cryptic prophecies about how the car’s occupants were going to suffer and die. When the Oracle spoke, the revelations were rarely comforting and joyful.
    Cassie sighed and looked out the window as Duverjay pulled the SUV around Lee Circle in New Orleans’ Central Business District, checking out the elegant white column in the center of the roundabout. Robert E. Lee stood there, looking out over the highway. He wasn’t one of Cassie’s favorite people, but he did make a memorable monument.
    “That’s it, there on the right,” Cassie said, pointing out a squat olive green building.
    “Not much to look at,” Rhys rumbled from the front passenger seat. He nudged the Guardians’ butler, their driver for the evening. “Let us out over here, Duverjay.”
    Duverjay pulled over, waiting for Cassie and the Guardians to get out in front of the Hotel Modern, something of a chic hot spot in its own right. It was ten thirty, just the right hour to find plenty of New Orleans social activity. At the moment a number of people were sitting on a patio at the hotel’s front entrance, sipping drinks and chatting; a full third of them stopped and stared as Cassie, Gabriel, Rhys, and Aeric exited the SUV.
    Cassie smoothed her hands down her backless gold Aidan Mattox gown. The floor-length dress fit like a glove, clinging to all the right places, the intricate gold beading shimmering in the moonlight. The beading spread out from her waist in a sunburst pattern, flattering her figure beyond belief. She looked like a flame-haired Venus rising from the sea, three model-handsome men in tuxedoes following her every step.
    No wonder people were staring. Cassie kept the amusement from her face, sweeping past the hotel patrons. Gabriel was right behind her, and Cassie knew he was getting at least as much attention as she was, if not more. His Burberry tux fit so well that Cassie could barely bring herself to glance in his direction, too afraid she’d actually start to drool.
    Gabriel was built , that was for certain. His ass in that tux was a crime against humanity.
    “Where’s the entrance to the club?”
    Cassie shot the man in question a look as he cut into her lascivious train of thought.
    “This way, through the courtyard,” she said, turning a corner and leading them into a huge candlelit seating