The Girl & the Vampire (The Embassy #1) (3 page)

And, if not, it had only been a day, and I was sure that she could round up more if three had answered on such short notice.

Not that I wanted any of them to reject me, of course. As I looked—mute, and likely as attractive as a fish—from one to the other, I felt the usual unease that was always present when I had to meet new people rise at the back of my mind. And they weren’t just any people—they were vampires, and try as I might to sound brave to Rachel, right then I was very aware of the fact that I was pretty much their natural prey.

Although, none of them looked particularly like a predator, or even threatening. The one to my left looked young, maybe twenty, twenty-two, but I was sure that he had a couple of decades on me. No human guy that age had ever seemed so patient and calm that I could remember. Even his eyes looked calm, and while his dark skin had a grayish tint to it that took me a moment to identify as just another version of the fabled pallor, he was on the attractive side of average. Of the three, he was definitely the most approachable guy and could easily have blended in at any college. If I’d been there to find someone to talk to, he would have been my first choice.

But talking was not what had my fingers bunched in the skirt of my dress, so after a hesitant smile I turned my head to study the man right in front of me.

I couldn’t say why, but he seemed to exude age and gravitas that the other two simply lacked. Maybe because he’d been older when he’d been turned, or there was something to that myth that even humans could pick up on the power whammy that supposedly came with age for vampires, but there was something sophisticated and classy about him that made him seem wise beyond his years. He was dressed the part, too, in a tailored shirt, pants, and suit jacket, his tie neatly knotted at his throat. While the entire image he presented was delectable, there was something about him that made me want to keep my distance rather than approach. And for once in my life, I was happy to rely on my gut instinct and move on.

One look into vampire number three’s face—that incidentally made me catch his gaze—and I knew that I wouldn’t need to ask Emily for an extension.

Some people claimed that vampires had the ability to ensnare humans with some weird kind of magic, but that was not what made it impossible for me to look away. He also wasn’t that terribly handsome, like I’d heard people describe vampires before. His face wasn’t quite symmetric, and there was a light scar on his chin visible through his five-o’clock shadow of a beard, the dark brown matching his hair and eyes. When he gave me the hint of a smile, I saw that one of his lower front teeth was slightly crooked. Don’t get me wrong—he was still quite the looker, and likely what I would normally have guessed above my level, even if Rachel would have slapped me for thinking like that. There was just enough imperfection to him to make his obvious attractiveness a little more… human, although the word was likely the wrong one.
 

It certainly made me want to jump him right away, and while I felt terribly shallow with my split-second decision, I knew that I wouldn’t change my mind tonight.

Either I must have started to salivate, or everyone else in the room was a lot more observant than I preferred, but it only took a minute for Emily to herd the other men out of the room, telling me to call if I needed anything and leaving us to our own devices. No good-byes, and, come to think of it, not even introductions. My mind was reeling from the speed of how things were progressing, even if parts of my body were complaining that they weren’t progressing quickly enough. I didn’t even know his name.

“Lewis,” he said and offered me his hand, derailing my train of thoughts.

Staring at his hand, I hesitated a moment before I shook it. It was the perfect kind of handshake, firm and just long enough to have meaning, with no crushing or icky sweating involved. What I couldn’t ignore was how cool his skin felt, as if he’d spent too much time out in the cold.

Or had no working circulation to speak of, but right then that was one more thing I didn’t know about vampires that wasn’t burning a hole into my mind.

“Can you read my thoughts?”

His smile widened just enough to let me catch a glimpse of fang, if only for a moment.

“Only those so obvious on your face that even a blind man could catch them,” he replied, a hint of laughter in his tone. “But even if I could, which I cannot, the contract forbids any kind of mind control or even influence, and I think sifting through someone’s most intimate mental workings is included in that rule.”

“Can you do that? Influence people?”

The words were out before I could hold them back, making me blush immediately. Great—now he had to think that I was a bumbling idiot.

Lewis shrugged as he leaned back, draping one arm over the back of his chair in a casual gesture.

“Most women consider me more than average as far as attractiveness goes, which makes them act much more favorably toward me. Beyond that…”

He trailed off there and gave me another one of those fang-y smiles, leaving me with the sudden impression that he was playing with me.

“Let me guess… most of that gets quickly negated when they realize what a cocky bastard you are?”

I got a much brighter—and strangely less intimidating, even if it showed both of his fangs—smile for my trouble.

“Pretty much. See, you can do it, too—watch people, judge them, react to their reactions. No mind control needed.”

“So giving straight answers isn’t sealed in the contract, I presume?”

He went on grinning, but looked away in what I realized was an attempt not to laugh at—or rather, with—me.

“Let’s just get some things out of the way before we waste each other’s time, okay? I’m happy to answer any questions that you may have, but if talking is all you have in mind, I’ll do the rude thing and just go.”

His rebuke made me self-conscious rather than angry.

“Sorry. I always babble when I’m nervous. Some people call that endearing, but I hate when it happens. Like right now. Sorry.”

It was easy to shut up when he leaned forward, then reached out toward me so he could press one cool finger gently against my lips.

“I’m sure we can find ways to shut you up. Either by alleviating your fears, or, you know, the obvious, really crude suggestion that goes with that really bad pick-up line.”

Despite my embarrassment, his words made me smile, and I really liked how that got his eyes focusing on my mouth and remaining there for a little longer than was strictly decent. He withdrew his finger then as he leaned back, but seemed as reluctant about it as I felt at the loss of contact.

“Talk first?” he suggested, settling back comfortably into his seat. With his jeans and leather jacket, that was an easy feat to pull off, and I didn’t try to imitate him as I crossed my legs and put my hands atop my knee.

“I do have a few questions first,” I admitted, then wondered if I should have written them down as I’d come up with them throughout the day.

“Shoot.”

I had no idea where to start, but the fact that he didn’t seem in a hurry made me feel a little better about drawing things out a little.

“Is there anything specific that you require of me? Like that I shower first, or eat or drink something? I know that you have heightened senses, and I guess something like sugar or alcohol would show up in my blood…”

Now it was my turn to trail off, and for a moment his amused grin actually pissed me off. Before I could tell him to wipe it off his face if he wanted to get any, he did so unbidden, but the twinkle in his eyes remained.

“If you’re hungry or thirsty, call room service. If you want to shower or take a bath, do so, but I’m impartial to all of that. I do intend to do things to you that make you hungry, thirsty, and in dire need of a shower, though, if you were wondering.”

I didn’t know whether to blush or get irritated at that.

“Is the reason why you use the Embassy the fact that you utterly rebuke women with comments like that?”

He graced me with another smile, and I had to admit, I started to like drawing those out of him.

“It might have come up in conversation that I’m a taste to be acquired, and many don’t take the time. I can tone it down if I actually make you uncomfortable, but judging from the fact that your heart rate has evened out over the past few minutes and you don’t look quite as ready to bolt as you did when Emily left, I think I’m on to something here.”

This time I didn’t mind admitting that he was right.

“Why don’t we take this somewhere more private?” he suggested when I didn’t come up with another inane question. “Unless, of course, you have a thing for fucking in conference rooms. I hear sex standing up against a window is a turn-on for some people.”

“I’m afraid of heights, so I’d rather not,” I admitted, unable to hide neither my smile or blush. “I think that whole getting bitten during sex is thrill enough for me.”

“There’s also having sex with a virtual stranger,” he pointed out. “Hot one-night stand without consequences—who’d balk at the idea of that?”

“People with commitment requirements?” I proposed, but didn’t protest when he offered me his hand again and pulled me to my feet.

“Right, that might get a little weird for them. Not an issue here, right?”

I shook my head, not sure how to reply, seeing as my mind was so very aware of his skin still touching mine, the soft scent of cologne teasing my nose.

We left the room and retraced the path the receptionist had led me along earlier to the elevator banks. While I waited, he called the elevator, then punched the button for the top floor. There was a certain concerted ease to his motions that made me want to ask just how many times he’d been here before, but I’d sworn to myself that this was one question I wouldn’t pose. Some answers I neither needed nor wanted to have.

As the elevator cabin ascended, I studied our reflections on the burnished doors in front of me—and yes, he had one, too. We looked so normal, just two people riding up together. I was maybe a tad overdressed, but the tall, dark, and handsome thing he had going on negated some of the casualness of his outfit. I certainly couldn’t wait to see what he was like underneath, and the very idea of touching him sent shivers down my spine.

With a light “ding” the elevator doors slid open at the top floor, spilling us out into a wide, plush carpeted hallway. There were nine doors leading into rooms, four left, four right, and one straight ahead. He led me toward the third on the left and opened it with a key card that he withdrew from his jeans pocket after giving me a lopsided grin.

“It’s all very regulated,” he whispered, close enough to make the hair at the nape of my neck stand up straight. “They make it seem like a hotel, but they have more gimmicks installed than most maximum security prisons.”

That made me frown, and I instinctively looked around for cameras. I couldn’t make out any, but that didn’t mean anything.

“Inside the rooms, too?”

He gave a noncommittal shrug as he slung his arm across my lower back and gave me a gentle push through the door. The position put his mouth right next to my ear, turning his next words intimate as hell.

“Does the idea that anyone but me will see you thrill or intimidate you?” He paused just long enough to let that sink in, then went on, his voice a little less sultry. “Besides, they can’t protect you if they can’t see what’s going on, right?”

I wanted to protest that I hadn’t signed up for this, but then I remembered that one weirdly phrased clause in the contract that made me realize that yes, in fact, I had. For a moment, insecurity spread throughout me, but then leveled out when reason kicked in. Safety first; I would worry about the rest if it ever became an issue. Considering how much the Embassy valued discretion, I doubted that day would come.

Once he’d led me into the main room of the suite, Lewis stepped away from me so I could look around on my own. The decor matched the color theme from downstairs, although with the carpet, sofa, and comforter all cream-colored, it looked a lot more friendly and inviting. The amenities seemed to include everything I guessed a luxury hotel would have—not that I knew firsthand—and only the thick drapes currently pulled away from the windows hinted that the room was anything but that. To my right I could see another room that looked more like an office, and a hallway that must be leading on to the bathroom. One entire side of the suite was all glass, looking out over the lights of the city. The ambient illumination inside was the same as downstairs, just light enough to be comfortable, but likely dim enough not to hurt light-sensitive eyes.

Inadvertently, my eyes kept zooming back to the bed. It was a grand affair, larger than any king-sized bed I’d ever seen. Black sheets peeked out from underneath the pillows and comforter, not quite breaking the color theme, but they kept drawing my gaze. The thought alone about why they were in a color that wouldn’t show blood made unease run up my spine.

“Drink?” Lewis offered from over by the small mini-bar, pouring himself a glass of Scotch.

“No, thank you,” I declined, although I really could have used the distraction right now. “I’ll go freshen up, if you don’t mind?”

His lips quirked up in a slow smile.

“As I said before, be my guest. I’ll be waiting here, right between you and the door, should you decide to bolt.”

“No intention of that,” I assured him, wishing that may voice sounded a little less close to cracking.
 

The thick carpet muffled the sounds of my steps completely, and I almost shrieked when I walked into the bathroom and my heels struck the marble floor overly loud. Groaning at my antics, I hurried to take care of business, then spent an extra minute washing my hands as I stared at myself in the mirror. I looked frazzled, a little like the deer caught in the headlights. For a second, I wondered if that was part of the appeal for vampires, but then shook the notion off. Lewis had been nothing but nice—if a little cocky—and could have spooked me on more than one occasion in the few minutes we’d spent together.

Was Rachel right? Was this really the worst decision of my life?