Five
Damek stared at her and she was unable to pull her gaze away. Her bottom lip quivered as she returned his stare. “You,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
He stopped a few feet from her and inclined his head. “You wished to see me, Ms. Agostino.”
She shook her head and he arched a dark brow at her. Sonia wanted to smack him, which shocked her to her core. She’d never been a violent person, never had the urge to hit anyone because of how they made her feel.
Sonia felt as though he’d stripped her naked and seen deep inside her to her darkest fantasies and deepest hopes. Then reality settled in. The sun hadn’t gone down yet. Damek couldn’t be a vampire.
And how had her instincts been so off? They’d started buzzing the first time she’d seen an article on Inhibitions and had eventually led her here to Chicago. She’d been so sure that Damek would end her lifelong search to find a vampire.
Disappointment ate at her, making her stomach ache. She hadn’t realized just how desperately she’d wanted him to be one.
“Sonia?” The way he said her name, with the hint of a European accent, made her heart clench.
He was beside her in a moment, his strong arm around her waist as he led her toward the hallway and whatever lay beyond. She went without protest, even though her research was a bust. There was something about Damek, something dark and compelling, something that made her want to be next to him.
She almost snorted aloud. Of course she wanted to be next to him, the guy had featured prominently in her erotic dream last night. And that was totally impossible. She’d never met him before. There’s no way she’d have forgotten him.
He was even more dynamic in person than in her dream. He was only a few inches taller than her but he seemed much larger. An aura of power surrounded him, making her second guess her earlier assessment. Maybe he wasn’t a vampire, but he was definitely something out of the ordinary, maybe a mage or a shapeshifter of some kind.
A sense of relief hit her. Her instincts weren’t defective. They were still working as well as they always had. She’d simply misread them and allowed her own wants and desires to cloud them. Desires. Not a good word to use after last night. Time to be rational and clinical about Damek. She took a good look, studying him now that her initial shock had faded.
The suit he wore hadn’t come off any rack but had been tailored to fit his lean form to perfection. She knew that because it looked too much like the suits her brother Stefano wore, and he was very particular about his clothes. Damek’s shirt was black silk and he wore a Rolex on his left wrist. Shoulder-length black hair was pulled away from his face and tied neatly at his nape with a leather thong. His features were strong, his skin pale. Masculine strength seemed to leak from his pores, permeating the air around him.
“Where are we going?” she finally thought to ask. Really , she had to get a grip on herself. Dream or no dream, she was here to get answers.
The corners of his mouth turned up in amusement. “My lair.” His low voice made her nipples tighten and an ache began to pulse low in her belly. She dug in her heels to stop herself from going any farther. What in the hell was she doing, going off with a man she didn’t even know? She should stay in the main part of the club where it was better lit and there were more people around.
Damek halted beside her, his arm still around her back and his hand pressed against her side, not pressuring her to continue. “I did not mean to frighten you.” His black eyes grew darker even as shadows seemed to creep across the floor toward them. “My office, Ms. Agostino. I thought you’d prefer to talk there. Alison will bring coffee.”
Now she just felt stupid, and she hated feeling that way. “Of course.” Damek was a businessman, not a killer. Heck, he wasn’t even a vampire. In all the reading and research she’d done,
Damek stared at her and she was unable to pull her gaze away. Her bottom lip quivered as she returned his stare. “You,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
He stopped a few feet from her and inclined his head. “You wished to see me, Ms. Agostino.”
She shook her head and he arched a dark brow at her. Sonia wanted to smack him, which shocked her to her core. She’d never been a violent person, never had the urge to hit anyone because of how they made her feel.
Sonia felt as though he’d stripped her naked and seen deep inside her to her darkest fantasies and deepest hopes. Then reality settled in. The sun hadn’t gone down yet. Damek couldn’t be a vampire.
And how had her instincts been so off? They’d started buzzing the first time she’d seen an article on Inhibitions and had eventually led her here to Chicago. She’d been so sure that Damek would end her lifelong search to find a vampire.
Disappointment ate at her, making her stomach ache. She hadn’t realized just how desperately she’d wanted him to be one.
“Sonia?” The way he said her name, with the hint of a European accent, made her heart clench.
He was beside her in a moment, his strong arm around her waist as he led her toward the hallway and whatever lay beyond. She went without protest, even though her research was a bust. There was something about Damek, something dark and compelling, something that made her want to be next to him.
She almost snorted aloud. Of course she wanted to be next to him, the guy had featured prominently in her erotic dream last night. And that was totally impossible. She’d never met him before. There’s no way she’d have forgotten him.
He was even more dynamic in person than in her dream. He was only a few inches taller than her but he seemed much larger. An aura of power surrounded him, making her second guess her earlier assessment. Maybe he wasn’t a vampire, but he was definitely something out of the ordinary, maybe a mage or a shapeshifter of some kind.
A sense of relief hit her. Her instincts weren’t defective. They were still working as well as they always had. She’d simply misread them and allowed her own wants and desires to cloud them. Desires. Not a good word to use after last night. Time to be rational and clinical about Damek. She took a good look, studying him now that her initial shock had faded.
The suit he wore hadn’t come off any rack but had been tailored to fit his lean form to perfection. She knew that because it looked too much like the suits her brother Stefano wore, and he was very particular about his clothes. Damek’s shirt was black silk and he wore a Rolex on his left wrist. Shoulder-length black hair was pulled away from his face and tied neatly at his nape with a leather thong. His features were strong, his skin pale. Masculine strength seemed to leak from his pores, permeating the air around him.
“Where are we going?” she finally thought to ask. Really , she had to get a grip on herself. Dream or no dream, she was here to get answers.
The corners of his mouth turned up in amusement. “My lair.” His low voice made her nipples tighten and an ache began to pulse low in her belly. She dug in her heels to stop herself from going any farther. What in the hell was she doing, going off with a man she didn’t even know? She should stay in the main part of the club where it was better lit and there were more people around.
Damek halted beside her, his arm still around her back and his hand pressed against her side, not pressuring her to continue. “I did not mean to frighten you.” His black eyes grew darker even as shadows seemed to creep across the floor toward them. “My office, Ms. Agostino. I thought you’d prefer to talk there. Alison will bring coffee.”
Now she just felt stupid, and she hated feeling that way. “Of course.” Damek was a businessman, not a killer. Heck, he wasn’t even a vampire. In all the reading and research she’d done,
Similar Books
