chose was higher than the gallery building by two floors, which gave them an elevated viewpoint. The building had a supermarket and gym on the first floor, a dance studio on the second and apartments on the remainder. The apartments made it easy to gain access to the roof. Damian showed Riley how simple it was to dazzle one’s way into gaining access into buildings and public areas of almost any building in New York with a bit of charm and a lot of very sincere lying.
Once they were on the roof, Damian selected the best vantage point, then called Nicholas on his cell phone. “And bring food,” he said curtly, before dropping the phone back inside his jacket. He glanced at Riley. “By the time he gets here, it will have been four hours since you last ate. You’ve worked your body hard today. I won’t have you pass out on me from low blood sugar.” He turned back to watching the roof of the gallery below.
Riley was sitting on an air-conditioning vent. Now she pulled her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her legs. “You’re pissed at me.”
“No.” He spoke with his back to her.
“You’re angry about something.”
“You’re trying to give me human emotions. My reactions to day-to-day petty concerns are not the same as yours any more. Do not make the mistake of trying to think of me as a man. I’m not.” His face was in profile to her and he looked for all the world like he was disinterested.
“Bullshit, Damian. You think I don’t know how fragile the male ego is? This happens to be something I do know about.” She put her feet down and stood up, wanting the authority the height would give her. “It bothered the crap out of you I wouldn’t let go back there, and now you’re pouting.”
Damian turned to face her, a startled expression on his face.
But Riley wasn’t finished yet. “I don’t give a shit how old you are, and you can shove that ‘being above petty concerns’ lie over the ledge you’re leaning against because I don’t believe it for a second—not for this instance, anyway. You’re hiding behind it because you just don’t want to talk about it. Again .”
“ Jesus ,” he breathed. “You and Tally. Straight for the gut. No quarter given.”
She flinched at the mention of her mother’s name. “Did you ever fuck her?” she demanded.
He drew in a breath, a sharp one. “No,” he said quickly. “I was with Nicholas then. Once she met Carson, there was room for no one else. She saw no one else. They were obsessed about each other.” He dropped his head, staring at his hands where they lay palm up on the concrete edging of the balcony. “They were only together for six years before Carson was killed by Lirgon, but those six years were lived so intensely…” He shook his head. “It was almost as if they knew they would not have long together and they squeezed as much as they could into the time they had. There was no room for anyone else, really. Just the small handful of friends they trusted with their lives and that was all.”
“The opposite of what you do, in fact,” Riley said dryly.
Damian grimaced. “I suppose…yes. Our race does become complacent about emotions. Time gives you that luxury.”
“That’s what you’re doing now,” Riley told him. “You’re avoiding me.”
He turned to face her, leaning back against the edge, spreading his arms along either side. He smiled. “Relentless, aren’t you?”
“When it’s important,” she agreed.
“Is it important, Riley?” His tone was cool.
Her heart jumped. “Don’t try to get around me that way.” She stood up. “If this was simply just sex, just passing time, then you wouldn’t be so put out about what happened back there.” She came toward him. “I’m not centuries old like you, Damian. But I’m not an idiot, either. Don’t treat me like one.”
His gaze never wavered. “I apologize,” he said evenly. “Such a simple tactic would work with a great many others. I’ve
Once they were on the roof, Damian selected the best vantage point, then called Nicholas on his cell phone. “And bring food,” he said curtly, before dropping the phone back inside his jacket. He glanced at Riley. “By the time he gets here, it will have been four hours since you last ate. You’ve worked your body hard today. I won’t have you pass out on me from low blood sugar.” He turned back to watching the roof of the gallery below.
Riley was sitting on an air-conditioning vent. Now she pulled her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her legs. “You’re pissed at me.”
“No.” He spoke with his back to her.
“You’re angry about something.”
“You’re trying to give me human emotions. My reactions to day-to-day petty concerns are not the same as yours any more. Do not make the mistake of trying to think of me as a man. I’m not.” His face was in profile to her and he looked for all the world like he was disinterested.
“Bullshit, Damian. You think I don’t know how fragile the male ego is? This happens to be something I do know about.” She put her feet down and stood up, wanting the authority the height would give her. “It bothered the crap out of you I wouldn’t let go back there, and now you’re pouting.”
Damian turned to face her, a startled expression on his face.
But Riley wasn’t finished yet. “I don’t give a shit how old you are, and you can shove that ‘being above petty concerns’ lie over the ledge you’re leaning against because I don’t believe it for a second—not for this instance, anyway. You’re hiding behind it because you just don’t want to talk about it. Again .”
“ Jesus ,” he breathed. “You and Tally. Straight for the gut. No quarter given.”
She flinched at the mention of her mother’s name. “Did you ever fuck her?” she demanded.
He drew in a breath, a sharp one. “No,” he said quickly. “I was with Nicholas then. Once she met Carson, there was room for no one else. She saw no one else. They were obsessed about each other.” He dropped his head, staring at his hands where they lay palm up on the concrete edging of the balcony. “They were only together for six years before Carson was killed by Lirgon, but those six years were lived so intensely…” He shook his head. “It was almost as if they knew they would not have long together and they squeezed as much as they could into the time they had. There was no room for anyone else, really. Just the small handful of friends they trusted with their lives and that was all.”
“The opposite of what you do, in fact,” Riley said dryly.
Damian grimaced. “I suppose…yes. Our race does become complacent about emotions. Time gives you that luxury.”
“That’s what you’re doing now,” Riley told him. “You’re avoiding me.”
He turned to face her, leaning back against the edge, spreading his arms along either side. He smiled. “Relentless, aren’t you?”
“When it’s important,” she agreed.
“Is it important, Riley?” His tone was cool.
Her heart jumped. “Don’t try to get around me that way.” She stood up. “If this was simply just sex, just passing time, then you wouldn’t be so put out about what happened back there.” She came toward him. “I’m not centuries old like you, Damian. But I’m not an idiot, either. Don’t treat me like one.”
His gaze never wavered. “I apologize,” he said evenly. “Such a simple tactic would work with a great many others. I’ve
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