My Wicked Vampire by Nina Bangs

smile, and Dacian‘s interest rose.
    “You mean her soft, soft bed.”
    “What?”
    She waved the comment away. “An inside joke. And I don‘t need a vampire protecting me from anything. I don‘t even know if I believe this Airmid exists. Sparkle would tell me anything to keep me here.”
    He didn‘t know why. What could a woman who grew plants have to offer Sparkle? But he didn‘t really care. “Doesn‘t matter. She says to protect you, so I protect you.”
    She drew those sexy lips into a thin line of disapproval. “I already have Asima keeping an eye on me.”
    He got up, opened the door, and made a big production of looking up and down the hall. “Talking cat gone. I‘m here. I‘ll stay here until someone takes over at dawn.”
    “A vampire is not staying in my room with me. You want to guard me, you can do it from outside the door.” She studied him closely. “Other than being a little pale, you don‘t look like a vampire. Not like you did down in the dungeon.”
    “I‘m glad you find me almost human.” He walked back to the couch and lay down. “That way you‘ll be able to forget I‘m even here. Oh, and I‘ve fed, so you‘re safe.”
    He watched the horror bloom in her eyes. “Bottled blood.” Sort of a before-dinner cocktail. He‘d go hunting for his main course tomorrow night. “No bellboys died in the making of my meal. And no, I‘m not going tocurl up outside your door. If you want to take a shot at bashing my head in, go for it. But it won‘t do any good.”
    Cinn was ready to suggest that she sleep outside her door. Or maybe at the hotel down the street. “I can‘t sleep in the same room with you.” Was that wimpy voice hers?
    For a moment she could‘ve sworn bitterness shone behind those blue eyes, but then he smiled. Not the same kind of sexy smile as a few minutes ago.
    “You‘ll sleep if you‘re tired enough.” He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a key. He swung it back and forth. “The key to the greenhouse. Sparkle said I could let you work there at night as long as I stayed with you.”
    She took a deep breath. Sparkle knew exactly what buttons to push. Cinn would accept the devil himself if he got her into that damn greenhouse. Jumping up, she grabbed the clothes she‘d peeled off a few hours ago and headed for the bathroom. “I‘ll be out in a minute. I need to see my plants.”
    Cinn didn‘t glance back for his reaction. Once inside the bathroom, she leaned her forehead against the closed door and shut her eyes. The cool smoothness of the wood grounded her. This was really happening, so she‘d better accept it. All that mattered now was making sure her plants were happy and comfortable. She‘d come to terms with her vampire protector later.
    Straightening, she quickly dressed. The longer she put this off the harder it would be. A few minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom and looked around. Maybe he‘d left. Maybe he‘d never existed. Maybe she was just crazy. Right now, crazy would be a good thing.
    She found him by the window, looking into the night. He turned when he heard her.
    “You seem pretty anxious to go out into the dark withan insane bloodsucking abomination.” He said the words with no inflection.
    Cinn raised one brow. “Insane bloodsucking abomination?”
    “One of my kinder titles.”
    “Do you want me to be afraid of you?”
    He seemed to think about her question as he moved back into the room. “It makes things easier. No false expectations.”
    She sighed. “I‘m too tired for this garbage. Okay, consider yourself feared. Now, let‘s go see my plants.”
    Without comment, he led her from the room. He didn‘t take the elevator. As she followed him down the winding stone staircase, she allowed herself to really see him for the first time without her sight being clouded by terror.
    She already knew he was tall and muscular. Even in the midst of her panic down in the dungeon, she‘d noticed that body. Her