food in his home, and this smelled strongly of cotton oil and broccoli.
Though he hadn’t made a sound, Cassandra straightened, her head whipping around out of reflex. Gone was the temptress from his dream, replaced with an almost wholesome side of Cassandra that he had not thought to see before. Dressed in a silk camisole and her jeans from the night before, she couldn’t have been more sexy, but it was the way she looked, the way her pulse was visible in her throat and her eyes went wide, searching for some threat, that captured him. That this beautiful creature lived in such fear that it had become reflex broke his heart. The night before she’d warmed to him, or at least it had seemed as though she had. Perhaps it had just been the shock of the attack, of all she had learned, that had left her vulnerable to him. That bothered him more than it ought.
“I hope you don’t mind. Your assistant brought this all for me.” She motioned at the coffee table turned buffet. “There’s plenty here if—”
His stomach turned at the thought. “No, I do not—”
“Of course.” She blushed, closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m getting used to this whole…”
“Vampire thing?” He forced himself to relax. The food would not attack him. He took a seat on the sofa, warily eyeing the bounty on the table. “I must remember to thank Anthony for his thoughtfulness.”
After a long, uncomfortable silence, during which Cassandra sipped from a soft drink and Viktor furiously tried to think of a way to reenter the easy conversation they’d had the night before, she suddenly spoke. “Your friend left early this morning.”
If it had not already been so, Viktor’s blood would have run cold.
“It’s fine, I’m not…weird about stuff like that.” Cassandra picked up a box of noodles and stabbed at the contents with a pair of chopsticks, not willing to meet his eyes. “I guess it would be pretty hypocritical of me, in my business.”
“I fear you might misunderstand. He is merely someone I feed from.”
“I saw you together.” She blushed again, her pale skin glowing with proof of her embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spy on you. I woke up in the night and I thought maybe you would be awake too. I honestly would never—”
He lifted his hand to stop her. “It was wrong of me to entertain guests while you stay in my home. Think nothing of it.”
“Well, I do think something of it.” She frowned and dropped her chopsticks into the box. “I have to know, are you… I thought when you kissed me…”
“I have lived a long time, Cassandra.” He groaned inwardly at the poor excuse that was. “That is no excuse for my rudeness toward you. I merely wish for you to understand, once a person lives as I have and has seen all I have, certain distinctions no longer matter as they apply to companionship and feeding.”
“So, you’re not gay? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?” It made sense for her to be so incredulous, but it would have been much easier if she would simply believe him.
Another tortured silence fell between them. Viktor wanted to rush to reassure her that what she’d seen meant nothing, but the sentiment would seem cheap. “There are not so many open-minded persons in this city as you might think. If I cannot find someone to feed from, I am not above bringing them here under false pretenses.”
“You mean, he didn’t want you to feed from him?” She looked truly horrified by what she heard.
“As I am sure the chicken in that carton would rather you not feed from it.” He smiled to soften the harsh truth of his reply. “I did not hurt him, and he will not remember what happened to him but that he visited a client and enjoyed the service he provided. I doubt you can say as much for the chicken.”
She pursed her lips. “It’s not the same thing.”
“No, it is not.” He studied her face. There was something of Melina there, in her defiance,
Though he hadn’t made a sound, Cassandra straightened, her head whipping around out of reflex. Gone was the temptress from his dream, replaced with an almost wholesome side of Cassandra that he had not thought to see before. Dressed in a silk camisole and her jeans from the night before, she couldn’t have been more sexy, but it was the way she looked, the way her pulse was visible in her throat and her eyes went wide, searching for some threat, that captured him. That this beautiful creature lived in such fear that it had become reflex broke his heart. The night before she’d warmed to him, or at least it had seemed as though she had. Perhaps it had just been the shock of the attack, of all she had learned, that had left her vulnerable to him. That bothered him more than it ought.
“I hope you don’t mind. Your assistant brought this all for me.” She motioned at the coffee table turned buffet. “There’s plenty here if—”
His stomach turned at the thought. “No, I do not—”
“Of course.” She blushed, closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m getting used to this whole…”
“Vampire thing?” He forced himself to relax. The food would not attack him. He took a seat on the sofa, warily eyeing the bounty on the table. “I must remember to thank Anthony for his thoughtfulness.”
After a long, uncomfortable silence, during which Cassandra sipped from a soft drink and Viktor furiously tried to think of a way to reenter the easy conversation they’d had the night before, she suddenly spoke. “Your friend left early this morning.”
If it had not already been so, Viktor’s blood would have run cold.
“It’s fine, I’m not…weird about stuff like that.” Cassandra picked up a box of noodles and stabbed at the contents with a pair of chopsticks, not willing to meet his eyes. “I guess it would be pretty hypocritical of me, in my business.”
“I fear you might misunderstand. He is merely someone I feed from.”
“I saw you together.” She blushed again, her pale skin glowing with proof of her embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spy on you. I woke up in the night and I thought maybe you would be awake too. I honestly would never—”
He lifted his hand to stop her. “It was wrong of me to entertain guests while you stay in my home. Think nothing of it.”
“Well, I do think something of it.” She frowned and dropped her chopsticks into the box. “I have to know, are you… I thought when you kissed me…”
“I have lived a long time, Cassandra.” He groaned inwardly at the poor excuse that was. “That is no excuse for my rudeness toward you. I merely wish for you to understand, once a person lives as I have and has seen all I have, certain distinctions no longer matter as they apply to companionship and feeding.”
“So, you’re not gay? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?” It made sense for her to be so incredulous, but it would have been much easier if she would simply believe him.
Another tortured silence fell between them. Viktor wanted to rush to reassure her that what she’d seen meant nothing, but the sentiment would seem cheap. “There are not so many open-minded persons in this city as you might think. If I cannot find someone to feed from, I am not above bringing them here under false pretenses.”
“You mean, he didn’t want you to feed from him?” She looked truly horrified by what she heard.
“As I am sure the chicken in that carton would rather you not feed from it.” He smiled to soften the harsh truth of his reply. “I did not hurt him, and he will not remember what happened to him but that he visited a client and enjoyed the service he provided. I doubt you can say as much for the chicken.”
She pursed her lips. “It’s not the same thing.”
“No, it is not.” He studied her face. There was something of Melina there, in her defiance,
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