there is no side effect?”
“I’m not sure,” Alex said.
Sebastian leaned forward. “You said there were no side effects, love.”
“Stop scowling, sweetie. I just want to do some tests and make sure,” Alex assured her.
“If I may. How is Sebastian getting the serum from your bloodstream and into hers?” Gaylen asked.
Alex blushed and said nothing as she concentrated on her wineglass. Gaylen waited, not understanding. He looked across the table at Sebastian, who said with a smirk, “Use your imagination, Gay.”
Gaylen cocked his head, then grinned. “I see. Hence the ‘love’ and ‘sweetie’ nonsense. How utterly naughty of you, Sebastian. So when do I get a bite?”
Sebastian scowled deeply as she glared at him. Gaylen pouted. “You’re not sharing?”
“I am not.”
Alex blushed to her roots and wondered if she could slip under the table.
Gaylen laughed. “You always were somewhat on the possessive side, darling.”
He glanced from blushing mortal to scowling vampire. “Now I understand the urgency for the laboratory.”
Chapter 6
“Why not use the cellar?” Alex asked as she lazily swirled her fingers around Sebastian’s breast.
Sebastian took a deep breath and stared into the darkness. She put her hands behind her head. “That’s possible, the laboratory could go down there and—” She stopped abruptly when she heard the giggle. She looked over at Alex. “What are you giggling about?”
“Lab or atory,” Alex mimicked in a haughty English tone. “You sound like some English—”
“I am English.”
“No, you’re Romanian,” Alex countered with a laugh.
“I lived in England for nearly a hundred years. One tends to pick up the vernacular and accent after such a short time,” Sebastian said sarcastically. “Now keep still. I think the cellar is a good idea. There’s plenty of room. Getting the equipment we need should be no problem.”
“How so? Sebastian, this is a medical and health issue. We have to tell the Health Depart—”
“Tell them what? That we’re doing tests and we need fresh blood so your vampire lover will survive the dawn?”
Alex thought about it and understood Sebastian’s point. Marcus Windham had money and a respected name. “You needn’t be so sarcastic.” Alex pulled away. “I’m only thinking logically.”
“Logic? How wonderfully human. There is no logic to this, for heaven’s sake.” Sebastian felt her anger rising. “I’m a vampire. Gaylen is a vampire. And now I’ve got you into this and you want to call the Health Department.”
Alex got out of bed, threw on her robe, and tied the satin sash. She wasn’t sure how this got to be such an argument, but there was no turning back now. “Look, don’t get mad at me. You’re the undead, not me. I—”
Sebastian sprang from the bed, threw on her shirt, and struggled into her slacks. “That’s exactly what I mean,” she said loudly and stormed over to the window. She whirled around to see Alex standing there with her hands on her hips. “If you’d only listened to me back in Chicago, you’d never have gotten into this. You’d still be—”
“How dare you. Who found the serum, you ungrateful ghoul?” Alex yelled and swept the red curls from her face. “If I’d have listened to you, Leigh would have destroyed you and anyone else she wanted.”
Sebastian tried to control her rising anger. She took a step toward Alex, who stood her ground.
“Don’t give me the Sebastian Scowl. You don’t scare me.”
“Alex, don’t,” Sebastian said in a low voice. She felt the fangs protruding, the muscles tighten and expand.
Alex defiantly walked over and stood in front of her. She heard the low guttural breathing and felt the heat radiating from Sebastian’s body. Alex looked up, fighting the idea that Sebastian somehow looked taller. “Don’t tell me what do to. You may have the power in the vampire community, but…” She stopped. What am I doing? she thought,
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