controlling her and would do so again if given the chance. It had seemed to her to be in her best interests to be sure he couldn’t. A much humbler Jackie had approached her father on returning home. She’d told him everything, and as she’d hoped, he’d known what to do. He’d called Bastien Argeneau at once and the vampire had come to their home to talk over the matter.
Jackie had been terribly embarrassed at the time, but looking back, Bastien had been extremely kind. He’d assured her that all of his kind did not look down on mortals as Cassius did, and that she hadn’t been foolish or stupid, that Cassius had used his abilities to control her behavior and she shouldn’t now feel embarrassed at anything she may have done. Then he’d assured her she needn’t fear Cassius getting the chance to control her again. They would send her away for a while to keep her safe while he dealt with the matter.
Jackie had found herself on a plane to Europe the next morning. She’d gone to University at Oxford for a year before returning to take a job at her father’s company again. She’d never asked what had been done about Cassius. From what Jackie had pieced together over the years, she knew he’d suddenly found it desirous to move out of New York. She alsoknew he’d been warned off of ever bothering her and her father again.
Jackie dropped onto her bed with a sigh. The memory of those few short weeks in her life no longer caused the pain it once had. She’d been crushed at the time, heart sore and humiliated as she tried to sort out what—if any—of her feelings and passions had been her own and which had been planted by Cassius. She was pretty sure her initial attraction to him had been real. Even now she could acknowledge that Cassius was a handsome man. But his words had made her doubt everything else she’d experienced. Had any of the overwhelming passion been hers? Or had he placed it in her mind, controlling her with it?
To this day, Jackie didn’t know the answer to that question. All she knew was that vampires were a dangerous lot, able to subvert a mortal’s will. And she’d spent years struggling to strengthen her mind against their abilities to read her thoughts, knowing the entire time that in the end, if they really wanted to, they would easily break down her defenses and not only read but control her mind. That knowledge made her instinctively fear them. Which, in turn, made her angry.
Bastien Argeneau was the only vampire Jackie had even come close to trusting since then. But then, he’d always treated her with gentle respect, and he was even now engaged to a mortal. Jackie really believed that he didn’t look down on her people. She was less sure about the rest of his kind, however, so stayed on the defensive with them all. It just seemed the safest way to deal with things.
And, Jackie decided, she would continue to handle it thusly. She had to keep her defenses up, especially now thatshe was living in the same home as Vincent. She was not going to risk another humiliation like the one Cassius had visited on her. Jackie had to harden her heart against Vincent. It was a simple matter of self-preservation.
Four
Vincent rolled over, opened his eyes and peered at the bedside clock, a frown drawing his eyebrows together as he saw the digital reading. Eleven forty-eight. Dear God, it wasn’t even noon. He usually slept until six or later to avoid as much sunlight as possible.
Eleven forty-nine. Vincent glowered at the changing digital reading. Something had obviously woken him. His sleepy mind was just trying to sort out what that might be when the sound of voices came muffled through his bedroom door. Frowning, he turned to peer toward it. It was two men’s voices, growing louder as the speakers drew nearer. He tensed as they reached his door, then they apparently continued on down the hall because the voices began to fade again.
“What the hell?” Tossing his blankets and sheets aside,
Jackie had been terribly embarrassed at the time, but looking back, Bastien had been extremely kind. He’d assured her that all of his kind did not look down on mortals as Cassius did, and that she hadn’t been foolish or stupid, that Cassius had used his abilities to control her behavior and she shouldn’t now feel embarrassed at anything she may have done. Then he’d assured her she needn’t fear Cassius getting the chance to control her again. They would send her away for a while to keep her safe while he dealt with the matter.
Jackie had found herself on a plane to Europe the next morning. She’d gone to University at Oxford for a year before returning to take a job at her father’s company again. She’d never asked what had been done about Cassius. From what Jackie had pieced together over the years, she knew he’d suddenly found it desirous to move out of New York. She alsoknew he’d been warned off of ever bothering her and her father again.
Jackie dropped onto her bed with a sigh. The memory of those few short weeks in her life no longer caused the pain it once had. She’d been crushed at the time, heart sore and humiliated as she tried to sort out what—if any—of her feelings and passions had been her own and which had been planted by Cassius. She was pretty sure her initial attraction to him had been real. Even now she could acknowledge that Cassius was a handsome man. But his words had made her doubt everything else she’d experienced. Had any of the overwhelming passion been hers? Or had he placed it in her mind, controlling her with it?
To this day, Jackie didn’t know the answer to that question. All she knew was that vampires were a dangerous lot, able to subvert a mortal’s will. And she’d spent years struggling to strengthen her mind against their abilities to read her thoughts, knowing the entire time that in the end, if they really wanted to, they would easily break down her defenses and not only read but control her mind. That knowledge made her instinctively fear them. Which, in turn, made her angry.
Bastien Argeneau was the only vampire Jackie had even come close to trusting since then. But then, he’d always treated her with gentle respect, and he was even now engaged to a mortal. Jackie really believed that he didn’t look down on her people. She was less sure about the rest of his kind, however, so stayed on the defensive with them all. It just seemed the safest way to deal with things.
And, Jackie decided, she would continue to handle it thusly. She had to keep her defenses up, especially now thatshe was living in the same home as Vincent. She was not going to risk another humiliation like the one Cassius had visited on her. Jackie had to harden her heart against Vincent. It was a simple matter of self-preservation.
Four
Vincent rolled over, opened his eyes and peered at the bedside clock, a frown drawing his eyebrows together as he saw the digital reading. Eleven forty-eight. Dear God, it wasn’t even noon. He usually slept until six or later to avoid as much sunlight as possible.
Eleven forty-nine. Vincent glowered at the changing digital reading. Something had obviously woken him. His sleepy mind was just trying to sort out what that might be when the sound of voices came muffled through his bedroom door. Frowning, he turned to peer toward it. It was two men’s voices, growing louder as the speakers drew nearer. He tensed as they reached his door, then they apparently continued on down the hall because the voices began to fade again.
“What the hell?” Tossing his blankets and sheets aside,
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