Bite Me (5 page)

I decided to hang back and ask later, perhaps after he had another drink and was feeling a bit more mellow. Or after I had another drink and I was feeling more relaxed and less intimidated.

We briefly discussed the menu. He gave me recommendations but did not say a word when our server asked for my selections. I smiled at him after we had chosen our courses.

Feeling a bit more comfortable, I leaned back in my chair. “What should I know about you, Conner?” I asked. I had discovered years ago it was better to let my dates volunteer information rather than ask tons of questions. Not only did it make both of us more comfortable, what they chose to volunteer told me a great deal more about them then answers to generic questions.

Conner grinned at me. “I own several businesses, enjoy good food and drink, and find myself very intrigued by you.”

I felt heat rise up my neck at the directness of his last words. “Intrigued?” My voice caught in my throat, so I sipped from the glass of water the waiter filled earlier.

Obviously enjoying himself, Conner tapped his fingers on the table. “Yes, I find you very intriguing.” He didn’t continue.

I wanted to ask him why but it felt a bit too much like fishing for compliments, so I changed the subject. “What kind of businesses do you own?” I asked.

“I own a nightclub, several apartment complexes, and a construction firm.”

My eyes widened. “That’s very impressive, especially since you’re, what, thirty-two, thirty-three?”

Somehow I had said the wrong thing because Conner seemed to withdraw. “You could say that.”

“I’m sorry, Conner, I only meant that you have accomplished a lot for someone so young.”

A light seemed to start behind his eyes, making them glow. “But I’m not that young. Don’t let appearances fool you.”

He was referring to his assertion that he was a vampire. I had honestly forgotten. He seemed so normal during the last half hour that I assumed he realized that I wasn’t going to fall for such a crazy idea and had decided to drop the charade. I felt myself getting a little angry and also a little frightened. I had never seen anyone’s eyes change the way his did moments before. Surely he was wearing contacts or it was some trick of the light.

I drained what was left of my champagne. Fine, I would address this head on.

“Okay, how old are you really?” I asked.

He stared at me for a moment and I could practically see him weighing his responses, deciding what to say. “The truth?” he asked.

I nodded.

“I am three hundred and forty years old, give or take a year or two. I never learned the exact year of my birth.”

I was still trying to decide how to respond when the server arrived with the bottle of wine that Conner requested. His gaze stayed level on me as the wine was opened and poured. Unable to meet his eyes any longer, I smiled at the waiter and took a healthy sip of excellent white wine.

When we were alone again, I finally looked at Conner. I doubted he’d moved a single centimeter. He also looked a little angry. That was fine. I was a little angry too.

“Why are you still pitching this?” I asked.

He cocked his head to the side. “Pitching?”

I sighed. “Pitching, pushing. Why should I believe you’re a vampire?” I gestured to his scotch. “Vampires aren’t supposed to be able to eat. Or drink anything other than blood. And what about sunlight? If you come out in the daytime don’t you burst into flames or something?”

Suddenly Conner laughed. I stopped speaking, stunned. I realized I had never heard him laugh before, and I liked it. A lot. I felt the sound wash over my skin like water, leaving goose bumps in its wake.

He was still smiling widely when he responded, “Where did you get these ideas?”

Now I felt really uncomfortable. “Books, television, movies. I mean, I always thought that myths had a kernel of truth in them.”

Conner leaned forward, his eyes serious now. “That is true. Most myths do have a core of reality. But not the ones you mentioned.”

I barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes. Of course those wouldn’t be true according to him. I was back to wondering what the hell I was doing on a date with this guy. Oh yeah, stupid hormones.

“Donna, I told you I wouldn’t push you on this, but it seems that you are the one pushing me.”

“This seems crazy to me. I realize that some people are turned on by the whole vampire thing, but not me. I just want to meet a decent man, get married, have babies, and fight about who has to wash dishes.”

We just looked at each other as the waiter returned with our first course. I wanted to cry. Until just a few moments ago, it had been one of the best dates of my life. Now I just wanted to go home and eat a pint of ice cream while I watched chick flicks.

Conner’s hand covered mine, warm and strong. “We can continue the discussion later. I will tell you whatever you want to know.”

I slid my hand from beneath his. “Maybe I should call a cab.”

His face grew distant and cold again. “If you would like to go home, I will take you.”

“I’m not comfortable with that, Conner.”

For a moment, I thought he looked hurt before his face became earnest. “I realize we don’t know each other well, Donna, but the last thing I want to do is hurt you. I would never do anything to harm you.”

I sucked in a breath, trying to sort out my thoughts.

Conner leaned back in his chair. “Why don’t we talk for a while? You can keep asking me questions if you like. I’ll answer all of them. Please don’t leave.”

I toyed with my fork, still unsure of what to do. I had never experienced anything like this before and Conner didn’t strike me as the type to compromise so quickly. It made me curious. I decided to chalk this up to the weirdest date in history. As strange as he seemed, I also thought Conner was being as honest as he was capable of without admitting he believed he was a mythical being. Also, he seemed close to pleading, which was completely at odds with his confident bearing.

“Okay. I’ll stay, and I will ask a lot of questions.”

I was surprised to see that Conner looked relieved. “Good. I will answer all of your questions if I can. There are some things I can’t tell you but mostly about the rest of my kind.”

He picked up his fork and I did the same. As we ate our first course, I discovered several things about Conner. First, he had impeccable table manners. He was also from Scotland, as I had previously thought. I tried not to show my interest in his heritage. I had always been a sucker for historical romance novels set in the Highlands of Scotland. I did love a man in a kilt. I also learned that Conner had a wicked sense of humor, one I appreciated.

He had a dry wit and seemed to enjoy sarcasm, which made me all the more attracted to him as sarcasm was like a second language to me. It really was too bad that I probably wouldn’t be going out with him again. I steered away from too many questions that would have him talking about vampirism, though I was very curious how far his delusion extended.

As we ate our second course, the conversation shifted. I told Conner a little about my past as an advertising executive and how I came to be working at the lounge. He actually laughed twice more as I told him stories about my co-workers at the bar and some of the patrons.

By dessert, I had relaxed slightly. The Conner that seemed normal was back. He spoke and reacted like a man I would have found attractive and wanted to spend more time with. After he paid the bill, he looked at me closely.

“Would you prefer to call a cab, Donna? Though I do not want you to, I will understand. I want you to feel safe with me.”

The Donna of my college days, the one who made bad decisions regarding questionable men, reared her head for the first time in years. Okay, so maybe she had come back days ago when I agreed to go to dinner with him. “I’ll let you take me home.”

Though I almost immediately regretted my words, he smiled, and I couldn’t take them back. I rose from the table. “First, I need to freshen up,” I said.

I walked to the ladies room and pulled out my phone. I texted Ricki, the most aggressive of my girlfriends, and told her I was on a date. If I disappeared or she didn’t hear from me in a few hours, she wouldn’t hesitate to go to the police to file a missing person report. She also would hound the detectives to be sure they kept looking for me.

Ricki, of course, wanted details, but I put her off with a promise of a phone call when I got home later in the evening. I did tell her Conner’s name and that he had taken me to Concord. Strangely, she knew of Conner since her brother was in construction and had worked with his construction company several times in the past. That made me feel slightly better. Maybe I wasn’t the queen of bad decisions after all.

After I finished the mad texting rush with Ricki, I checked my make-up and ran a comb through my hair. Even though I didn’t plan on going out with Conner again, it didn’t mean that I couldn’t look good. Another little tidbit my girlfriends said all the time, “Always keep them wanting more.”

When I returned to our table, Conner rose. “Ready?”

I nodded and let him guide me outside again. As we waited for the valet to bring his car around, Conner studied me for a moment. “You seem calmer.”

I decided to be honest. “I texted a friend of mine while I was in the ladies’ room. After the way this evening began, I thought it best if someone knew where I was and who I was with. When I told her your name, she had heard of you. Her brother has worked with your construction firm before.”

He nodded. “Smart girl. I don’t blame you. I knew it would be difficult to get you to understand who and what I am, though I underestimated your stubbornness. I’m glad you talked to your friend.” He paused. “Do you feel a little less frightened of me?”

It was my turn to search for words. I really wasn’t afraid of him, just extremely wary. He had never threatened me. Hell, he’d actually protected me. “I’m not exactly frightened of you, Conner. I just think maybe you have issues only a great deal of therapy and several types of antipsychotics can fix.”

Conner threw his head back and laughed. This time I could swear I saw a flash of fangs and it made a chill race down my spine. I didn’t want to think about the alternatives if he wasn’t actually delusional. Vampires real? I couldn’t fathom it. Damn, I was beginning to worry that if I spent too much longer in Conner’s company I would start believing in vampires too. Like a group hallucination.

The valet pulled up with the car, and Conner opened my door. As the attendant came around the hood, I saw Conner slip him a rather large tip. The attendant’s eyes grew huge, and he stammered a thanks. Minutes later we were on our way to my apartment. Now that we were well and truly alone, I couldn’t seem to stop myself from wanting to ask a million questions.

“Conner, you said I could ask you anything about vampires. Did you really mean that, or were you trying to placate me?”

He glanced at me sideways. “I meant it.”

“Okay,” I drawled. “If you really are a vampire, can you go out in the sunlight?”

Conner nodded. “I can. Because of the changes in my eyesight, however, bright sunlight is uncomfortable, so I tend to avoid it.”

“Changes?” I asked.

His lips quirked. “My vision sharpened and my ability to see at night improved greatly when I was changed. Now I can see much better in the darkness, which makes me a better hunter. It also makes me more sensitive to bright lights.”

“What about food? You ate more than I did tonight.”

He seemed to relax as I kept asking him questions rather than tensing up. “I don’t eat often. I don’t need more than one meal every day or two. Even then I can skip them, but I do love the tastes and textures of well-prepared meals. A lot of us give up eating completely after a century or so, but I still find a fine meal enjoyable.”

Okay, that made sense, sort of. Though the idea of a vampire foodie was a bit unsettling. I’m sure I would think of other questions about his eating habits later. However, there were more important things on my mind now. “What about you’re fangs? I didn’t’ see them earlier, but outside the restaurant, when you laughed…” I trailed off. Here I was inviting him to sink deeper into his delusion, but if he honestly wanted me to believe he was a vampire, he was going to have to jump through some major hoops to prove it. Oh, who the hell was I kidding? If he was really a vampire, I didn’t know if I would be scared to death or think it was the coolest thing ever.

Conner pulled into my parking lot and slid into an empty spot near the front door. Slowly he turned to me. “Are you sure you want to do this, Donna? Once you know and believe, which I know you will, there is no going back.”

I tried to keep the skeptical expression off my face, but didn’t quite manage it. Conner sighed and shook his head. I recognized that look. It was the same one every man in my life got when they thought I was being a stubborn pain in the ass. A little miffed, I crossed my arms over my chest.

“All right,” he murmured. “Watch closely.”

In the dim light of the street lamps, he leaned forward a little, still facing me, and opened his mouth. I watched in disbelief as his slightly pointer than usual, but normal looking, canines gradually extended until they were twice as long and extremely sharp. It couldn’t be real. It had to be a trick.

I met his eyes, forcing myself not to flinch when I realized they were glowing the way they had the night we met. Glowing as though the light was coming from within Conner himself. I raised a hand, moving slowly so he could see my intention. Very lightly I touched the tip of my finger to one of his fangs. I must have pressed harder than I intended because I felt a sharp pain and saw blood beading on my fingertip.

“Ouch,” I hissed.

I was about to pull my hand away when Conner’s lips closed around my finger. His tongue slid across the wound as he sucked. I felt chills erupt on my skin. My entire body reacted to the feeling of his mouth around my finger. The light in his eyes intensified until I could barely meet his gaze. Finally, he released my hand.

I fell back against the door of the car, staring at Conner with wide eyes. I was panting and my nipples were so hard they hurt.