blood from a long-stemmed glass when we reached him. He raised his drink up in greeting and led us to an empty corner.
“Did you have a nice dance?” he said. “Any plans form in your mind?”
“Yes,” I said. “And no.”
“Plans for what?” Alex asked.
Khalil quirked a dark brow up.
“We can trust him,” I said.
The vampire gave him one last wary look before turning to me. “If you vouch for him, I suppose that’s good enough for me. Nevertheless, the walls do have ears. A statement that can be quite literal in the homes of some of the oldest European vampires, but that’s a topic for another time.”
“Really?” said Alex. “You’re going to trust me just because she says so?”
“No, I’m going to trust her ,” said Khalil, flashing me a wink. “What are partners for?”
“Partners?”
“For now,” I said, looking away so Alex couldn’t see me smile. Khalil was too suave, even disregarding the supernatural charm.
“Now you’re just teasing me, my dear,” he said. “Would you consider keeping me around if I told you I had an idea on how to get you a private audience with our illustrious host? Or, perhaps you were serious about your previous offer? Because if that’s the case, I’d be happy to be sent away after the fact.”
We looked into each other’s eyes a moment, enjoying the feeling that came with being privy to something no one else knew. Alex cleared his throat and stepped closer to me. Actually, he stepped in front of me, but only for a second, because I moved him back to my side right away.
“What have you got for me?” I said, ignoring Alex’s affronted look.
“Nothing.” Khalil gestured up and down my body. “You’ve got it all.”
“You know what…” Alex trailed off, waving his hand at Khalil.
“Oh, right. Sorry, guys,” I said. “Alex, this is Khalil – just Khalil, like Cher – my…partner for this job. Khalil, this is Alex Campbell, my–”
“Boyfriend,” Alex finished aggressively, holding his hand out. “Nice to meet you.”
The way Alex said the word made it feel like a noose around my neck. I may have been an amateur at this committed relationship stuff, but I’m sure that wasn’t the feeling I was supposed to have. Ugh, I need more wine.
“Likewise.” Khalil shook the offered hand, cocky smirk firmly in place. “What were you going to say before?”
“I was just wondering if you did anything else besides attend fancy parties and hit on my girlfriend.”
I looked out the window. We were high enough that the fall could kill me. That or I’d be a puddle on the ground until I fully regenerated. Both options sounded tempting.
“I would take it as a compliment if others found my romantic partner attractive,” Khalil said, an edge in his eyes. “In this case, however, my comment was more for business than pleasure. Franklin is a pig.”
I snorted at his declaration. “I thought the walls had ears.”
“And every one of them knows I speak the truth. Just go up to the man and be charming. It shouldn’t take long for you to get his attention. Once you have it, ask to speak with him alone.”
“We’ve spent all of five hours together,” I crossed my arms. “What makes you so sure I’m capable of being charming enough?”
“Being able to read people is important in my line of work.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment, then. But how am I supposed to get a blood sample?”
Khalil shrugged. “You could try staking him.”
“We’re supposed to be inconspicuous.”
“Aren’t vampires the ones who take blood from humans?” said Alex. “What’s with the one-eighty?”
“We’ll discuss it later,” I said, barely sparing him a glance before focusing on Franklin. Sure, I could have sounded less, well, bitchy, but his chauvinistic territorial thing was getting on my nerves. Plus, it was embarrassing. Khalil’s probably laughing his ass off at me, a grown woman, being overshadowed by my boyfriend.
Alex nodded
“Did you have a nice dance?” he said. “Any plans form in your mind?”
“Yes,” I said. “And no.”
“Plans for what?” Alex asked.
Khalil quirked a dark brow up.
“We can trust him,” I said.
The vampire gave him one last wary look before turning to me. “If you vouch for him, I suppose that’s good enough for me. Nevertheless, the walls do have ears. A statement that can be quite literal in the homes of some of the oldest European vampires, but that’s a topic for another time.”
“Really?” said Alex. “You’re going to trust me just because she says so?”
“No, I’m going to trust her ,” said Khalil, flashing me a wink. “What are partners for?”
“Partners?”
“For now,” I said, looking away so Alex couldn’t see me smile. Khalil was too suave, even disregarding the supernatural charm.
“Now you’re just teasing me, my dear,” he said. “Would you consider keeping me around if I told you I had an idea on how to get you a private audience with our illustrious host? Or, perhaps you were serious about your previous offer? Because if that’s the case, I’d be happy to be sent away after the fact.”
We looked into each other’s eyes a moment, enjoying the feeling that came with being privy to something no one else knew. Alex cleared his throat and stepped closer to me. Actually, he stepped in front of me, but only for a second, because I moved him back to my side right away.
“What have you got for me?” I said, ignoring Alex’s affronted look.
“Nothing.” Khalil gestured up and down my body. “You’ve got it all.”
“You know what…” Alex trailed off, waving his hand at Khalil.
“Oh, right. Sorry, guys,” I said. “Alex, this is Khalil – just Khalil, like Cher – my…partner for this job. Khalil, this is Alex Campbell, my–”
“Boyfriend,” Alex finished aggressively, holding his hand out. “Nice to meet you.”
The way Alex said the word made it feel like a noose around my neck. I may have been an amateur at this committed relationship stuff, but I’m sure that wasn’t the feeling I was supposed to have. Ugh, I need more wine.
“Likewise.” Khalil shook the offered hand, cocky smirk firmly in place. “What were you going to say before?”
“I was just wondering if you did anything else besides attend fancy parties and hit on my girlfriend.”
I looked out the window. We were high enough that the fall could kill me. That or I’d be a puddle on the ground until I fully regenerated. Both options sounded tempting.
“I would take it as a compliment if others found my romantic partner attractive,” Khalil said, an edge in his eyes. “In this case, however, my comment was more for business than pleasure. Franklin is a pig.”
I snorted at his declaration. “I thought the walls had ears.”
“And every one of them knows I speak the truth. Just go up to the man and be charming. It shouldn’t take long for you to get his attention. Once you have it, ask to speak with him alone.”
“We’ve spent all of five hours together,” I crossed my arms. “What makes you so sure I’m capable of being charming enough?”
“Being able to read people is important in my line of work.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment, then. But how am I supposed to get a blood sample?”
Khalil shrugged. “You could try staking him.”
“We’re supposed to be inconspicuous.”
“Aren’t vampires the ones who take blood from humans?” said Alex. “What’s with the one-eighty?”
“We’ll discuss it later,” I said, barely sparing him a glance before focusing on Franklin. Sure, I could have sounded less, well, bitchy, but his chauvinistic territorial thing was getting on my nerves. Plus, it was embarrassing. Khalil’s probably laughing his ass off at me, a grown woman, being overshadowed by my boyfriend.
Alex nodded
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