“Syrupy?” she echoed indignantly, outraged at the accusation. “I never sound syrupy.” Her large eyes flashed a warning at him, daring him to pursue his point.
He dared to. “Oh, yes, you do.” He clasped his hands together and made a face, his voice rising an octave as he simpered. “Oh, Marie, the flowers are so beautiful. Thomas Ivan gave them to me.” He rolled his eyes as he mimicked her.
“I did not say that! And I never act that way. For some reason, you just can’t bring yourself to admit you like Ivan’s games. It must be some macho kind of nonsense, although a lot of men play them and enjoy them.”
“They are pure trash,” he insisted. “And there is not a grain of truth or sense in any of them. He romanticizes vampires. It would be interesting to see what he thought if he was introduced to one.” It was a veiled threat, nothing less. Aidan fairly purred with satisfaction at the mere thought of it.
Alexandria was horrified. “You wouldn’t dare! Aidan, I mean it, don’t you even think about doing something so evil.”
“Was it not you who said there was no such thing as a vampire?” he inquired innocently, his white teeth very much in evidence.
His mouth again. She found herself staring up at it, fascinated. His smile had softened its lines into pure sensuality. She blinked to bring perspective back into her life. He should be outlawed.
His smile widened, dispelling any hint of cruelty, and he leaned close to her. “Remember, I can read your mind, piccola.”
Her blue eyes flashed at him, and one small fist thumped the middle of his chest. Hard. “Well, stop it. And don’t flatter yourself. I wasn’t exactly giving you compliments.”
“No?” His hand touched her face tenderly. “Keep fighting, Alexandria. It will not do you any good, but if it makes you feel better, go ahead.”
“Arrogant, primieval ape,” she sniffed, turning away before he could read her need of him in her eyes. She deliberately went to the telephone. “I believe you have Thomas’s number?”
He reached around her, his arm brushing her shoulders, his scent enveloping her. Any of his kind would recognize his brand, would know she belonged to him just from his scent on her. The human, however, would never notice. Irritated by the thought, Aidan found the business card beneath the phone and handed it to her.
“Call him,” he dared softly.
Her chin went up. She was human. She would be human. Even if she wasn’t, this… this creature, whatever he was, would not rule her life. Defiantly she stabbed at the buttons on the phone.
To Alexandria’s amazement, Thomas himself answered. It seemed so out of character. “Thomas? This is Alexandria Houton,” she said hesitantly, not certain, now that she had him, what to say. “I hope it isn’t too early to call.”
“Alexandria! Thank God! I was beginning to think that man had you locked up in a dungeon somewhere. Are you all right? Do you want me to come and get you?”
Thomas sat up, pushing at the hair falling across his forehead. The sheets had wound around him so tightly for a moment, he had to fight just to move.
“No, no, I’m fine. Well, still a bit shaky, and I have to rest a lot, but I’m doing much better. Thank you for the roses. They’re beautiful.” She was acutely aware of Aidan standing close to her, listening to every word, listening to the tone of her voice. She had an impulse to try for syrupy. The man had no right monitoring her personal conversations.
“I’m coming over, Alexandria. I have to see you.” Thomas said it almost belligerently, determined not to be denied.
“I believe I have an interview with a couple of detectives this morning,” she said in a gentle reprimand.
Beside her Aidan stirred restlessly. Her voice was far too soft for his liking. Far too sexy. She was a Carpathian now, with all the sensuality and the mesmerizing effect on humans of one born to his kind.
Aidan’s subtle, possessive movement brought his body even closer, and she could smell his scent. It invaded her very being, sending liquid warmth pooling unexpectedly in her midsection. Alexandria hunched her shoulders and stepped away, backing up against the antique cherry-wood piece the phone rested on.