night, but the room was dark beyond the faint glow of the lamp on the bedside table. Closing her eyes, she tried to go back to sleep, but it was no use. She was wide awake. Maybe a glass of warm milk would help her relax.
Slipping out of bed, she went into the kitchen. She ran her hands along the wall, searching for the light switch. It wasn't until she opened the refrigerator and saw several plump plastic bags filled with red liquid that she remembered where she was.
Grimacing, she quickly closed the refrigerator door, thinking how bizarre it was that the condos at the Vampire Arms had functional kitchens, complete with ovens and dishwashers. But then, some of the vampires had human lovers, so maybe it wasn't so odd after all.
After turning off the light, she made her way into the dark living room.
A muffled "oomph!" escaped her lips when she bumped into something. She let out a shriek when a hand reached out to steady her.
"Do not be afraid." Santiago's voice poured over her like hot chocolate.
Murmuring a quick, "I'm sorry," she backed away from him and cried out as she hit the back of her leg on a corner of the coffee table.
Once again, his hand was there to steady her. "Stay here."
A moment later, the lights came on and she found herself looking up at Santiago. "I couldn't sleep," she explained, unsettled by his steady gaze. "I was going to get some hot milk, you know, to help me sleep even though I'm not really tired, but…" A rush of heat burned her cheeks. She was babbling like a fool.
"It is late morning, Regan."
"How can that be?" She stared at him, her eyes wide. "You're… you're awake."
He shrugged. "So are you."
"You know what I mean. Why aren't you asleep in your… why aren't you asleep?"
He grinned, obviously amused by her reluctance to mention the traditional place where vampires took their rest. "I am not yet tired."
She glared at him. Stubborn man. He knew very well what she was asking. And she didn't believe for a minute that it was morning. Everyone knew that vampires were, you should pardon the expression, dead to the world until the sun went down.
Moving past him, she went to the heavy black drapes that covered the room's only window and pulled one back, just a little, in case he was telling the truth. After all, she didn't want him to burst into flame right in front of her eyes.
She squinted against the bright light of the sun, then glanced at Santiago over her shoulder. "How can you be awake?"
He backed further into the room's shadows. "Maybe someday I will tell you."
"Another secret?" she asked dryly.
He nodded.
"I guess you have a lot of them."
"More than you can imagine." He jerked his chin toward the window. "Do you mind?"
"What? Oh, sorry." She dropped the heavy drapery back into place, shutting out the morning light, her curiosity growing by leaps and bounds. She had thought she knew all there was to know about vampires. Apparently, she had been wrong.
"I regret I cannot offer you breakfast," he said with a wry grin. "Would you like me to order you something from Sardino's?"
"Spaghetti and meatballs for breakfast?" she muttered dubiously. "I don't think so." Although it was far more preferable than what he dined on.
His laugh was warm and rich as he picked up the phone, punched in the number for the restaurant, and handed her the phone. "Order whatever you wish. Tell Sardino to charge it to my account."
She didn't like the idea of eating in front of Santiago again and was thinking about telling him that she really wasn't hungry when her stomach growled, embarrassingly long and loud. With a sigh, she turned her back to him and ordered a waffle, bacon, coffee, and orange juice.
"Would you care to shower while you wait?" he asked. "There are clean towels in the bathroom."
A shower sounded heavenly. In Flynn's apartment, she wouldn't have hesitated, but Flynn didn't affect her the way Santiago did. And Flynn wasn't a vampire.
Santiago was watching her. Though his
Slipping out of bed, she went into the kitchen. She ran her hands along the wall, searching for the light switch. It wasn't until she opened the refrigerator and saw several plump plastic bags filled with red liquid that she remembered where she was.
Grimacing, she quickly closed the refrigerator door, thinking how bizarre it was that the condos at the Vampire Arms had functional kitchens, complete with ovens and dishwashers. But then, some of the vampires had human lovers, so maybe it wasn't so odd after all.
After turning off the light, she made her way into the dark living room.
A muffled "oomph!" escaped her lips when she bumped into something. She let out a shriek when a hand reached out to steady her.
"Do not be afraid." Santiago's voice poured over her like hot chocolate.
Murmuring a quick, "I'm sorry," she backed away from him and cried out as she hit the back of her leg on a corner of the coffee table.
Once again, his hand was there to steady her. "Stay here."
A moment later, the lights came on and she found herself looking up at Santiago. "I couldn't sleep," she explained, unsettled by his steady gaze. "I was going to get some hot milk, you know, to help me sleep even though I'm not really tired, but…" A rush of heat burned her cheeks. She was babbling like a fool.
"It is late morning, Regan."
"How can that be?" She stared at him, her eyes wide. "You're… you're awake."
He shrugged. "So are you."
"You know what I mean. Why aren't you asleep in your… why aren't you asleep?"
He grinned, obviously amused by her reluctance to mention the traditional place where vampires took their rest. "I am not yet tired."
She glared at him. Stubborn man. He knew very well what she was asking. And she didn't believe for a minute that it was morning. Everyone knew that vampires were, you should pardon the expression, dead to the world until the sun went down.
Moving past him, she went to the heavy black drapes that covered the room's only window and pulled one back, just a little, in case he was telling the truth. After all, she didn't want him to burst into flame right in front of her eyes.
She squinted against the bright light of the sun, then glanced at Santiago over her shoulder. "How can you be awake?"
He backed further into the room's shadows. "Maybe someday I will tell you."
"Another secret?" she asked dryly.
He nodded.
"I guess you have a lot of them."
"More than you can imagine." He jerked his chin toward the window. "Do you mind?"
"What? Oh, sorry." She dropped the heavy drapery back into place, shutting out the morning light, her curiosity growing by leaps and bounds. She had thought she knew all there was to know about vampires. Apparently, she had been wrong.
"I regret I cannot offer you breakfast," he said with a wry grin. "Would you like me to order you something from Sardino's?"
"Spaghetti and meatballs for breakfast?" she muttered dubiously. "I don't think so." Although it was far more preferable than what he dined on.
His laugh was warm and rich as he picked up the phone, punched in the number for the restaurant, and handed her the phone. "Order whatever you wish. Tell Sardino to charge it to my account."
She didn't like the idea of eating in front of Santiago again and was thinking about telling him that she really wasn't hungry when her stomach growled, embarrassingly long and loud. With a sigh, she turned her back to him and ordered a waffle, bacon, coffee, and orange juice.
"Would you care to shower while you wait?" he asked. "There are clean towels in the bathroom."
A shower sounded heavenly. In Flynn's apartment, she wouldn't have hesitated, but Flynn didn't affect her the way Santiago did. And Flynn wasn't a vampire.
Santiago was watching her. Though his
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