Read Online All Others (Vampire Assassin League Book 27) by Jackie Ivie - Free Book Online Page B

an alternate reality...and nobody is even aware of it. Or if they are, they’re pretty silent. Probably because they’d get sent to the nearest loony-bin.”
    “Why?”
    He slid a sidelong glance at her. Her heart stuttered again. His did the exact same thing. She wondered if he noticed.
    “The Beethan group was after you, weren’t they?”
    “I think they just got lucky. The Ramsay Mansion is a safe place for us. I’m not the only one that uses it.”
    “Us? Did I hear that right? Us? There are more of you?”
    “Yes and no.”
    He blinked again. Then he sucked in his cheeks as he regarded her. “That answer is extremely ambiguous. And provocative. Makes me wonder if I even want to know the specifics.”
    “The yes part means that there are more of us. I belong to a league of vampires.”
    “A league.”
    It wasn’t a question. She didn’t answer it as one. “There are more vampires. I don’t know how many. Perhaps hundreds.”
    “Hundreds.”
    “Yes.”
    “Oh. Please. Go on. This can’t get much better.”
    “The no part refers to my new status. I am part of an elite group. I’m mated now. A vampire has to be very lucky for that to happen.”
    His eyes went wide. His eyebrows rose. He mouthed a word. She thought it was mated. She nodded.
    “This is getting a little out of hand, sweetheart.”
    He called her the endearment again. Tessa’s heart sent a flood of warmth through her. Everywhere.
    “I think I’m going to need you to explain. And put it in really basic terms, okay?”
    “I love you.”
    He choked. Looked away for a moment. When he returned to her gaze, his was a bit wary. Unsure. “Tessa. Please. That isn’t possible. We just met.”
    “You are my mate, Cameron Preston. I knew it the moment I touched you.”
    “Granted, you are the sexiest thing I can imagine. Something about you sends my heart into overdrive. My temperature into fever range. My emotions into a tizzy. But, come on. There is no such thing as love at first sight.”
    “You are my mate, Cam.”
    “Improbable.”
    “My heart started beating. My senses returned. And I can
feel
again. That’s how I knew.”
    “Implausible.”
    “I love you,” Tessa replied.
    “Impossible.”
    “Is it?”
    “We. Just. Met.”
    He broke it into three indelible words. As if that made a difference. Tessa nearly giggled.
    “Are you saying you feel nothing?” she asked.
    He cleared his throat. Looked away. And the slightest rose shade appeared on his lower jaw before moving up his cheeks. “Tessa. Please. I think I could easily fall for you. It’s not that. I just don’t have room in my life for a girlfriend. I’m a loner. It goes with the territory. I’m a paranormal researcher, remember? We’re called pseudoscientific by most of our peers. That means we’re tolerated, but pretty-much avoided. I don’t mind. I compete in sports events for the challenge and personal satisfaction. I don’t stay for the accolade or camaraderie. Nobody knows me. My neighbors don’t even know who I am, except by sight. And I like it that way.”
    “Girlfriend?”
    The word carried her laughter. He didn’t seem to appreciate that. He put both hands on her shoulders to lift her away and to one side. And then he sat up. He was probably trying to look stern. She’d never seen anything so stirring. Tessa blew him an air kiss. He rolled his eyes.
    “You know, I should probably return to the twenty-first century. Or the Ramsay Mansion. I left some very expensive equipment there. Do you have phone service? So maybe I can call a cab?”
    “You can’t leave the Dark Plantation. Not now, anyway.”
    “Why not?”
    “We’re mated.”
    He grunted. Cleared his throat. “Give me another reason.”
    “You don’t have any clothing.”
    He shoved the sheet aside and stood up. Walked a couple of feet from her. And then stretched. Tessa gave an appreciative sigh. He had the finest back. Buttocks. Thighs.
    “Well. I can probably solve that little issue.