outward
sign of the waves of nervous anticipation that rolled through her
every time she looked at Max.
In the sink area she re-applied her lipstick
and ran cold water over her wrists. After a few deep breaths she
decided it was time to get back to work. As she slung her purse
strap over her bare shoulder, one of the toilet stalls opened and a
woman sauntered out.
She was beautiful in an exotic way with
almond shaped eyes of jade green and long black hair. She smiled at
Erica, showing her flat human teeth as she took her place in front
of the wide mirror.
“You’re new,” the woman said as she leaned
forward to brush her long lashes with an unnecessary touch of
mascara.
Erica nodded.
“He told you not to talk to anyone,
right?”
She nodded again and smiled demurely. What if
she spoke to this woman? Maybe ask if she’d seen Elena? What would
Max do to her?
“Don’t worry. This room is soundproof. He
won’t know you’ve said anything. I’m Vera Nighe. I belong to Benton
Carlisle.”
“I’m ... Ricki. I ... belong to Max Hart.”
The emotional tumult that followed her reply left Erica dizzy.
She’d promised Max she would speak to no one. Should she have told
this woman she was here with him? Did it matter? Why did it give
her pleasure to say she belonged to the handsome man waiting for
her outside the door?
“It’s nice to meet you, Ricki. I hope you
enjoy yourself here.”
“Thank you.”
Vera smiled, finished touching up her perfect
makeup and left. Erica waited a few more minutes while two halves
of her psyche battled each other in her head. The logical side of
her brain wanted out of this entire situation right now. She still
had time to escape with her dignity intact and salvage her
precarious self-image. The other, darker side of her mind was
shamelessly begging for release. She pictured herself strolling out
of the bathroom and baiting Max with a defiant look that would
challenge him to put her in her place. She replayed the moment in
her apartment, when, clutched in his arms as he siphoned her blood,
she’d silently wished for him to tear her dress off and make love
to her.
That part of her could not be allowed to take
over. If she gave in to those abnormal desires, she’d be lost.
She’d never find Elena if she became enthralled by a vampire.
The answer was simple. She had to get away
now. Max would take her home if she asked him to--he’d probably be
relieved by the request.
She’d almost reached the bathroom door when
she heard the sound. The tinny, distant melody of voices trickled
through the ductwork. That, by itself, wasn’t unusual. Restrooms in
public buildings often had excellent acoustics. She remembered back
in grammar school when she and Elena were taught in separate
classrooms, sneaking into the first floor girls’ bathroom while her
twin hid in the one on the second floor. They would whisper into
the heating vents and share gossip and secrets.
Drawn by the memory, and the voyeuristic
spirit that had awakened in her unexpectedly the night before,
Erica moved toward the air conditioning duct. Covered with an
ornate gold grillwork, it looked more like a wall sculpture,
designed to blend effortlessly into the décor.
She listened just for a moment and what she
heard made her blood run cold.
“I need you to help me. Ricki, I need you to
help me.”
Chapter Nine
Max crossed his arms over his chest and
leaned against a marble pillar next to the indoor fountain. It had
probably been sixty years since he’d waited on a woman this long.
In his London years, if a female had kept him waiting longer than
ten minutes, she’d have found her own way home.
He tapped his foot. Was Erica playing with
him? He’d seen that galvanizing flash of mischief in her eyes and
it made him want her that much more. As frightened as she was, as
focused on finding her sister, there was a part of her that enjoyed
the game. He’d seen it once too often to believe it was a fluke.
She
sign of the waves of nervous anticipation that rolled through her
every time she looked at Max.
In the sink area she re-applied her lipstick
and ran cold water over her wrists. After a few deep breaths she
decided it was time to get back to work. As she slung her purse
strap over her bare shoulder, one of the toilet stalls opened and a
woman sauntered out.
She was beautiful in an exotic way with
almond shaped eyes of jade green and long black hair. She smiled at
Erica, showing her flat human teeth as she took her place in front
of the wide mirror.
“You’re new,” the woman said as she leaned
forward to brush her long lashes with an unnecessary touch of
mascara.
Erica nodded.
“He told you not to talk to anyone,
right?”
She nodded again and smiled demurely. What if
she spoke to this woman? Maybe ask if she’d seen Elena? What would
Max do to her?
“Don’t worry. This room is soundproof. He
won’t know you’ve said anything. I’m Vera Nighe. I belong to Benton
Carlisle.”
“I’m ... Ricki. I ... belong to Max Hart.”
The emotional tumult that followed her reply left Erica dizzy.
She’d promised Max she would speak to no one. Should she have told
this woman she was here with him? Did it matter? Why did it give
her pleasure to say she belonged to the handsome man waiting for
her outside the door?
“It’s nice to meet you, Ricki. I hope you
enjoy yourself here.”
“Thank you.”
Vera smiled, finished touching up her perfect
makeup and left. Erica waited a few more minutes while two halves
of her psyche battled each other in her head. The logical side of
her brain wanted out of this entire situation right now. She still
had time to escape with her dignity intact and salvage her
precarious self-image. The other, darker side of her mind was
shamelessly begging for release. She pictured herself strolling out
of the bathroom and baiting Max with a defiant look that would
challenge him to put her in her place. She replayed the moment in
her apartment, when, clutched in his arms as he siphoned her blood,
she’d silently wished for him to tear her dress off and make love
to her.
That part of her could not be allowed to take
over. If she gave in to those abnormal desires, she’d be lost.
She’d never find Elena if she became enthralled by a vampire.
The answer was simple. She had to get away
now. Max would take her home if she asked him to--he’d probably be
relieved by the request.
She’d almost reached the bathroom door when
she heard the sound. The tinny, distant melody of voices trickled
through the ductwork. That, by itself, wasn’t unusual. Restrooms in
public buildings often had excellent acoustics. She remembered back
in grammar school when she and Elena were taught in separate
classrooms, sneaking into the first floor girls’ bathroom while her
twin hid in the one on the second floor. They would whisper into
the heating vents and share gossip and secrets.
Drawn by the memory, and the voyeuristic
spirit that had awakened in her unexpectedly the night before,
Erica moved toward the air conditioning duct. Covered with an
ornate gold grillwork, it looked more like a wall sculpture,
designed to blend effortlessly into the décor.
She listened just for a moment and what she
heard made her blood run cold.
“I need you to help me. Ricki, I need you to
help me.”
Chapter Nine
Max crossed his arms over his chest and
leaned against a marble pillar next to the indoor fountain. It had
probably been sixty years since he’d waited on a woman this long.
In his London years, if a female had kept him waiting longer than
ten minutes, she’d have found her own way home.
He tapped his foot. Was Erica playing with
him? He’d seen that galvanizing flash of mischief in her eyes and
it made him want her that much more. As frightened as she was, as
focused on finding her sister, there was a part of her that enjoyed
the game. He’d seen it once too often to believe it was a fluke.
She
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