“I guess there have to be some perks to this crazy psychic thing,” Trish said, trying to hide her unease. The whole energy draining thing the vampires did really weirded her out, which was funny since she didn’t find the blood drinking thing nearly as creepy. Granted, they took a supplement now so they didn’t have to drink blood. Most of them didn’t even have fangs anymore. She was pretty sure she wouldn’t be bothered as much by the blood drinking even if they still had to, probably because books and movies made drinking blood seem exciting and sexy.
“What are you thinking about?” Alek asked.
“Do you still have fangs?” she asked, focusing on his mouth.
“No,” he said. “I was one of the first people to have Justin remove them. Retractable fangs are more of an annoyance than you might think. It’s not like they only pop out when you want them to, so it’s easy to bite yourself with them. Then there’s all the maintenance and cleaning involved. It’s a huge relief to have them out, and I don’t know why any of us refused the surgery.”
“Wow!” she said.
“Wow?” he asked with one raised eyebrow.
“I had no idea someone could make vampires sound so boring,” she said. “I’m suddenly very sorry I asked about the fangs.”
Alek chuckled. “I know what you’re doing.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“You’re nervous about letting me give you energy, so you’re starting this crazy conversation about fangs to delay it.”
“Not true!” she insisted before ducking her head. “Okay, maybe it’s a little true. Honestly, I wasn’t trying to change the subject at first. I was just thinking about how the idea of you drinking blood doesn’t bother me as much as the idea of you taking people’s energy. That led to the fang discussion, and now I’m rambling like Lydia.”
“Come over here, honey,” Alek said with an outstretched hand.
Despite her nerves, Trish walked toward Alek, placing her hand in his. It was then that she realized how little she knew about this man. While she’d noticed the calluses on his hands many times, she’d never asked him about them. These were the hands of a man who worked, not a man who lived a life of leisure, or even one who spent hours in an office.
“Your hands are rough,” she said before realizing how lame that sounded.
Alek chuckled. “Yes, they are. I like to work on motorcycle engines,” he explained.
“Really?” she asked, looking up from his hands.
“Yes,” he said. “That’s my current hobby. I’ve built furniture. At one point, I fancied myself a sculptor, despite my obvious lack of talent.”
“I’m having trouble picturing you as an artist of any sort,” she said.
He shrugged. “It was just a phase. Are you less nervous about this now?”
“I’m not nervous,” she said, then realized how ridiculous it was to lie. “I might be a little nervous.”
“There’s nothing to worry about. It won’t hurt,” he assured her. “Are you ready?”
“I guess,” Trish said nervously.
Alek gently pulled Trish onto his lap. “Are you doing okay?”
“You weren’t lying about this hurting, were you?”
“I wasn’t lying,” he assured her with an amused grin.
“Why is my question so funny?” she asked.
“I’m surprised one of your friends hasn’t told you all about it,” he admitted with a shrug. “They do seem to share quite a bit with you.”
“Honestly, I think they’ve both intentionally kept the psychic stuff to themselves because they knew I was feeling left out,” Trish explained.
“Guess, they won’t have to worry about you feeling left out anymore,” he said as his hand stroked her back.
“Lucky me,” she said under her breath. “Sorry,” she added with a smile. “I can’t believe a couple of days ago I was feeling sorry for myself because I was just a normal human with no psychic ability, and now I’m feeling sorry for myself because I’ve got some crazy psychic talent.”
“Your new ability probably isn’t what you were picturing,” he said.
“Not in a million years,” she said with a laugh.
“What ability would you have wanted to have?”
She thought for a moment. “It might be fun to make plants grow like Lydia.”
“No moving objects with your mind?” he asked.
“That would be exciting, but I’d end up hurting myself,” she admitted.
“Are you more relaxed now?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, surprised that she felt so relaxed sitting on Alek’s lap, waiting for him to do some freaky energy transfer with her. “Okay, let’s get this over with before I lose my nerve.”
Alek’s hand on her back stilled, and warmth spread through Trish’s body. There was a strange tingling, and heat pooled between her legs along with a steady throbbing. Any other time, she might be embarrassed by her arousal, but at the moment, she was too caught up in the sensations running through her body. The ache in her head was subsiding, and she felt wired, edgy, and on the verge of climaxing.
“Better?” Alek asked in a rough voice.
It was then that Trish noticed Alek’s erection under her backside. “I didn’t know the energy exchange thing was arousing for you.”
Alek cleared his throat. “I’m pretty sure it was the noises you were making that caused my current predicament.”
“Noises?” Trish asked, because she didn’t recall making any noises.
“Yes,” Alek said, staring at her with an intensity that increased the throbbing between her legs. “I need you to stop looking at me like that, honey.”
“Why?” she asked with a sweet smile, intentionally wiggling on his lap.
Alek groaned. “I meant what I said to Ivy about taking care of you.”
“I’ve got something you can take care of for me,” she said, and even she didn’t recognize the sexy purr coming from her own lips.
Visibly struggling with his desire, Alek set Trish on the sofa beside him and stood. With one hand covering his face, Trish barely heard him mutter, “You could tempt a saint.”
Trish bit her lip to keep from smiling. This was good news for her. She still had every intention of seducing Alek, and it wasn’t going to be hard, even with his new resolve to avoid taking advantage of her.
“How is your head?” Alek asked.
“Much better,” she said. She didn’t feel completely healed, but she was sure she would have needed days to get to this point without Alek’s help. Rolling her shoulders, she was relieved that the stiffness was gone. “Thanks,” she said as she stood. “I’m starving. Just so you know, I’m not one of those women who pretend to be a light eater.”
Alek stood and held out a hand. “Good. I hate being the only one eating at the table. It makes me feel like I’m on display.”
“I’ll bet you’re on display whether or not you’re eating,” she assured him.
Alek’s eyebrows rose. “You’ve become something of a minx since your head injury.”
Trish giggled. “Minx? Sometimes I forget how old you are.”
“You have no idea how old I am,” he reminded her.
While that was true, she knew he was older than Aiden, which meant he was more than three-hundred years old, a thought that made her frown.
“Stop thinking about what an old man I am,” he admonished playfully.
“Or what?” she asked, placing her hand in his and allowing him to help her to her feet.
“Or I won’t feed you,” he said.
“You do realize that I am capable of cooking for myself, right?” she asked.
“Ah, but you don’t cook as well as I do,” he challenged.
“So, what are you making me for dinner?”
“I have steaks marinating in the fridge. While I was disappointed that you don’t have a grill on the patio, I picked up a cast iron grilling pan for them. I also have fresh broccoli and the ingredients fo
r chili lime potatoes.”
Trish’s mouth was quite literally watering. It’s not that she wasn’t a good cook, but she had to admit she was a lazy cook. Her mom had a tendency to drop by with extravagant meals for her, and she lived on reheated leftovers most of the time. “Okay, feed me. Then we can go to the spot where my dad died.”
Alek gave her a stern look. “We’ve already agreed to wait at least until tomorrow.”
“But my head feels much better after that energy thing. Why wait? I’m a nervous wreck about doing this, and it would be nice to get it over with.”
“I understand why you want to go now,” he said. “But it’s already getting dark. I’m not saying we won’t go, just that it would be best to wait until morning. I also think it might be best if we brought Ivy with us.”
“Because you think I’m going to have a break down and need a shrink?” she asked irritably.
“Having someone more experienced in matters of a psychic nature could be useful,” he said.
“Then we can bring Caitlin,” Trish said. “I’m sure she’ll come whenever I need her.”
“I’m also worried you’ll have problems dealing with all of this,” he admitted. “This has nothing to do with how strong I think you are. You’re hoping to see into the past and watch your father die. How do you think that will affect you? If this works out the way you want it to, you’ll either be watching your father take his own life, or watching his murder.”
“Okay, you’re right,” she relented because she knew he wasn’t going to back down. “I’ll call Ivy while you fix dinner and ask her to come out there with me tomorrow morning.” No reason to mention that she planned to go with or without Ivy. “I’ll also need to order new glasses. My only pair was destroyed in the accident.”
“You don’t have a spare?” he asked.
“I don’t have vision coverage, so I have to pay full-price for my glasses. I could only afford one pair. Besides, my eyes keep getting worse, so what’s the point of buying two pairs when I’ll need to replace them in a few months?”
“Good point,” he said, and she loved the fact that he wasn’t giving her that pitying look her friends always gave her. That’s when he ruined the moment. “I could buy your glasses.”
Snatching her hand from his, Trish glared at him. “Yes, I’m sure you could buy a dozen pairs of glasses.”
“And now you’re mad at me,” he said, and there was no missing the amusement in his voice. “Before you get any angrier, try to understand that I’m accustomed to women who want me to buy them things that are much pricier than a pair of glasses.”
She knew she was overreacting, but she was still annoyed— not so much about his offer to buy the glasses as his mention of the many women he’d been involved with. “You must date a lot of shallow women.”
“I don’t date,” he said simply.
That was true; Alek Draksel slept with women, but he wasn’t looking for anything more than that. For the first time in her life, that worked out well for her, and she smiled.
“I’m not sure I want to know what brought about that smile,” Alek said wearily.
“Then go cook dinner while I call Ivy,” she said.
Chapter Nine
Alek hadn’t been nervous about having dinner with a woman in more than two-hundred years. That is until tonight. He was so on edge, he almost lost a finger dicing an onion. Women did not make him act this way. Then again, Trish wasn’t just any woman. She’d been turning him inside out since the moment he’d set eyes on her. In all his years, he couldn’t remember ever wanting a woman this much, but he was determined to take care of Trish and not take advantage of her.
Still, even knowing he couldn’t have Trish, Alek was in the kitchen trying his hardest to impress her. Crazy is what he was. If he were a different man, he could pursue her as more than a fling, but he hadn’t been that type of man in a very long time.
“I’m not sure that pepper is going to get any cleaner,” Trish said from behind him.
Alek turned and gave her his charming smile, the one he’d used to get many women into bed. Tonight, it was more of a shield to avoid having Trish see too much. Later, he’d probably laugh at his own foolishness. Aleksandr Draksel, playboy extraordinaire, was shaken by a woman.
“Give me that poor pepper.” Trish snatched the vegetable in question from his hand. “I’ll help you cook. What are you planning to do with this pepper?” Trish let out a giggle.
“What do you find so amusing?” he asked, loving the way her smile lit up the room.
“You,” she answered, lifting one shoulder in a half-shrug. “Who would have guessed you’d be acting nervous around me? I mean, I’m usually the one stammering like an idiot while you flirt. Now, what do you want done with this pepper?”
“Diced,” he said. “I was thinking about the absurdity of my reaction to you as well. In all honesty, I’ve been acting differently around you from the moment I saw you.” Alek concentrated on starting the potatoes, careful to avoid looking at Trish.
Trish snorted. “Yeah, right. I’ve heard all about your ultimate man-whore ways. You probably flirt with anything with boobs.”
“Only if they’re nice boobs,” Alek retorted, turning to watch the pretty blush spread across Trish’s cheeks. That’s when his self-control deserted him, a common occurrence when Trish was nearby. Gliding across the floor, he knew he was being an ass, but that seemed to be his coping mechanism with this woman.
Instead of looking uncomfortable, Trish abandoned the pepper and turned to face him. “How would you say mine compare?” she asked with a coy smile that made his heart skip a beat.
For a very tense moment, Alek simply stared at her. The temptation to kiss her was strong, and he wasn’t sure where he found the strength to resist that temptation. Finally, he cleared his throat and moved across the room. “I’d better get back to work or you’ll never have dinner.”
“Thank you,” Trish said.
That got his full attention. “For what?” he asked, looking at her over his shoulder.
“For trying so hard to be a gentleman,” she explained without looking up from the pepper she was cutting. “It’s kind of funny that you’re trying to be a gentleman when I don’t want you to.”
“Did you ever want me to?” he queried, keeping his expression as blank as possible.
“I don’t really know,” she said after a long pause. “I mean, I thought I wanted you to act like a gentleman. Your flirting made me uncomfortable, but not in the way most guys do. There were plenty of times I was more than a little tempted by you, but I’ve never been into casual sex.”
That was the reminder Alek needed. Trish was a woman who wanted and deserved the real thing. She was a woman who deserved better than him. It was quite a while before either of them spoke again, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. On the contrary, cooking dinner with Trish felt natural, even if they weren’t talking.
“I need to stop letting you feed me,” Trish said as Alek filled her plate.
“This is a perfectly healthy meal,” he said.
“I get that you guys don’t put on any weight, but carbs are not my friend,” she said. “If my backside gets any bigger, I won’t be able to find jeans.”
Alek worked hard to resist the temptation to check out the sexy backside in question— a backside he was quite fond of. “You worry too much. The women of my kind have higher than average metabolism rates too.”
“Good for them. Need I remind you that I’m not one of your kind?” Trish asked before taking a bite of her potatoes.
“We both know you’re going to get plenty of offers to change that,” he pointed out and instantly regretted it when he saw the look of panic in her eyes. “Don’t worry,” he quickly added. “You’re still considered under my brother’s protection, so no one will pressure you.”
“But the single men of your kind will be sniffing around,” she said. “I know that sounds crude, but it’s how it feels when I ha
ve men hitting on me.”
“Trish, I promise I won’t let any of the men in my family harass you.”
“What about the other families?” she asked.
“My father alienated most of them centuries ago, and that rift still exists. You’re unlikely to have problems with them. Only Justin and Sofia associate with the other families, and I doubt either is going to share details about you.”
“You’re probably right,” Trish agreed with a sigh of relief. “Justin would be afraid of upsetting Caitlin, and Sofia hardly seems the type to encourage conversation about another woman.”
Alek chuckled. “You understand Sofia pretty well.”
“Yeah, she scares me most of the time,” Trish admitted.
“That’s a healthy reaction to Sofia,” he said. “What did Ivy say?”
“She’ll meet us there tomorrow. I hope this doesn’t turn out to be a huge waste of everyone’s time.”
Alek let out a long breath before speaking. “I have a feeling it won’t, and that worries me.”
“Why does it worry you?” she asked.
“I don’t want you to witness your father’s death,” he said. “If there were a way to talk you out of this, I would.”
“I need to know what happened,” she said.
“I know,” he conceded in frustration. “For the record, I’m not telling you not to do it. If I were in your position, I’m sure I’d do the same thing. I mean, if I’d had a decent father. My father’s death should be marked with an annual parade. That did not come out the way I intended it to.”
“It’s not exactly a secret that your father wasn’t well-loved by the family,” Trish assured him.
“I didn’t mean that,” he said. “The way I said that made it sound like I was competing for best sob story. We’re talking about you, and only a complete dick would turn it into a talk about his rough childhood.”
“Alek,” she said, reaching out to place a hand on his bare forearm, an act that sent a jolt of lust through his body. How was it that this woman made him want her no matter what she did?
“Are you listening to me?” she asked, shaking his arm.
“No,” he admitted. “My apologies, but I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Wanton With a Vampire Page 5
