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He shrugged, the simple movement more elegant than it should be. “Simple curiosity. Depending on your reason, I might like you more, or less.”

Sipping from her glass, Olivia considered her options. Should she tell him the truth? Why not? She had nothing to hide.

“VB saved my father,” she replied, her chest squeezing whenever she thought of the past. “When I was in middle school, Papa and I were in a bad car accident. Our car had flipped over on the freeway and the front was crushed. Somehow, I walked out without a single injury. Now I know it’s my bracelet.” Touching it, she smiled, gaining some strength for the familiar movement.

“Papa was trapped. He was dying when the paramedics pulled him out. Even without them telling me, I knew, I knew I would lose him.”

“Olivia,” he muttered when her voice shook.

“I’m fine.” Olivia stood up from her seat and paced a few feet away, the movement steadying her insides. She inhaled deeply, wondering why it was affecting her so much to tell this to him. Usually, she left her emotions out of this story. “Anyway, a vampire had seen the accident and he gave Papa his blood. Papa recovered within minutes like nothing had happened. It was a miracle.” She met his gaze again, hoping he could see the truth. “Because of that, when I had to choose a profession, I decided to study VB. I want to make it safe for medical use so no one had to suffer like I did.”

His tone was surprisingly gentle when he said, “I’m glad a vampire saved your father, but death is part of life. Vampire blood can’t change that.”

She scoffed. “Easy for you to say, Mr. Immortal. I don’t want to cheat life; I just want to give people more time with their loved ones.” She swallowed and pushed away the image of Papa dying of cancer, his life whittling away little by little. “I’m eternally grateful for the mysterious vampire who saved Papa. I wouldn’t support Zylotech if I’d known.”

His lips set in a thin line. “Or your obsession is exactly what might lead you to overlook Zylotech’s actions since they support your research.”

Stubborn vampire!

“What would it take for you to believe me?”

“I’ve asked my staff to dig deeper more into your background. She’ll find something to determine if you’re telling the truth.”

“Like what?”

“Something. Money, or emails, or texts. If there’s a paper trail, she’ll find it.”

“And if she proves I’m innocent? Will you let me go?”

His face was unreadable, though her skin warmed under his scrutiny. His voice was low and seductive when he said, “Even if you are innocent, you will still need my help with your sister.”

“We’ll see.”

She might be out of her depth with vampires, witches, and magic, but she was confident in her abilities to figure it out. It couldn’t be more difficult than raising a rebellious, grieving teenager.

Having help would be nice.Olivia brushed away the treasonous whisper. Yes, it’d be nice not to go about things alone, if she could trust Marek, which she didn’t.

The plane tilted, then jolted up and down. Olivia lost her footing and fell backward with a surprised yelp, her arms flailing widely to catch hold of something.

Crap!Her eyes squeezed shut as she braced for impact.

It never came. Her right cheek pressed against a stone hard chest. Steel arms locked around her. Without opening her eyes, she knew it was him. Who else could it be? He smelled good, and maybe she lingered a second longer than necessary to inhale that scent deep within her.

She opened her eyes as he straightened them. His mesmerizing face almost touched hers. Her heart stopped before going into overdrive. The intercom came on, but she only heard buzzing as she fell into him.

His lashes were so long and so thick. Up close, everything about him seemed softer, even those angled cheekbones. Her hands itched to trace the shallow of his cheeks. Would they feel like skin or like the marble countenance he portrayed?

The plane jerked again. On instinct, she clung to him, plastering herself against him. Something dark and hungry flashed in his gaze. A ravenous craving rose within her in response. Her blood heated with need. Olivia leaned forward and licked her lips, her fingers digging into his muscled back.

“Olivia,” he whispered her name like a prayer, like she was the only woman in the world.

Had anyone ever said her name with such unbearable longing?

Her mouth watered for a taste of him, and she couldn’t have said which one of them closed the final distance. Fire streaked through her, setting her aflame. His kiss was hard, demanding. Something wild and uncontrollable erupted inside her, an unquenchable need she hadn’t known was possible.

She trembled against him, shocked a simple kiss could unleash such a maelstrom of sensations. She forgot about Betsy, about her safety, about everything except his taste and the sweep of his tongue against the seam of her lips.

Never had a kiss driven her mindless with lust. When his hands gripped her buttocks and dragged her closer, she moaned at the feel of his erection. Her hips ground against his, seeking satisfaction. And he would satisfy her. There wasn’t a sliver of doubt within her that if they fucked, Marek wouldn’t leave her hanging.