Page 4 of Crimson Everlasting (The Crimson Vampire Coven #18)

T rent was at the restaurant waiting for Emrys well before seven.

He'd done some research, hoping to get a better insight into the man, but there was very little out there on Mr. Emrys Tarquin apart from date and place of birth and associations with the real estate and finance communities.

His age would suggest that he was a newcomer in both areas, but the information suggests a considerable track record.

He didn’t know what to make of it and thought there would be more, considering real estate was basically all marketing and getting one's face out there often.

He found information on the cousin who left him the property.

John Murphy was a long-time resident of New York, dying at the age of eighty-three.

He left everything to Emrys, which included a fat portfolio that was liquidated shortly after being inherited.

Everything was sold apart from the two hundred acres in Crimson, Virginia.

There were very few pictures of John, but the one he was able to find was a long shot from a bridge, a considerable distance away.

The face struck him as familiar, and even though it looked very much like an elderly man, there was a youthfulness that showed through.

There were many thoughts running around in his mind, a lot of loose ends looking for completion, but he didn’t know what he was actually looking for. Something wasn’t adding up, and he was confident that in time, he would figure it out. In the meantime, he had a chosen to romance and claim.

Whoever Emrys was and whatever his plans or intentions were, they were secondary to the fact that he was Trent's chosen, and nothing would stand in the way of him completing their connection. Emrys was obviously human, so it would take a bit longer to explain himself, considering he’d probably lived his whole life without the knowledge of the supernatural.

It was a touchy subject with some people, but he had a hunch that Emrys was a bit more open-minded than most. He wasn't sure how he knew this, but he was pretty certain.

His friendly attitude about finding Trent on his property and the easy way he conversed suggested that he was a man not easily ruffled. He might be deluding himself, but Emrys struck him as calm and reasonable and hopefully not put off by things considered supernatural.

The moment Emrys entered the room, Trent could feel his presence.

Emrys was an absolutely gorgeous man. His red hair and emerald green eyes were enthralling, and the way he moved was hypnotic.

Trent couldn’t take his eyes off him. He stood, having already secured a table, and smiled when their eyes met.

Emrys was dressed in a light gray knit sweater with a black shirt beneath and black pants. He looked fantastic.

Trent held his chair for him and soon they were seated and ordering drinks as they looked over the menu. “Did your superior take it well when you told them that I would not be selling?" He asked casually, his eyes going from the menu to Trent and then back to his menu.

“They were fine with the news.” Trent smiled. “They wish you well and look forward to meeting you.”

“Friendly neighbors?” He teased.

“Absolutely.” Trent winked, and Emrys chuckled.

Dinner was pleasant, and Trent learned a little more about his chosen.

He, too, resided primarily in New York and had worked for his cousin John Murphy as a broker.

Emrys was very knowledgeable in the real estate industry.

He also explained that he wanted to get away from New York and maintain a quieter life for a while, at least. Trent was on board as long as it meant that Emrys was staying in the area.

"Crimson has a lot to offer. I think you will be happy here." He told him, and Emrys agreed wholeheartedly. It seemed they were saying many things without actually saying many things, and Trent was loving the banter.

“I am very happy so far.” He teased. "Have you lived in Crimson your whole life?"

“Yes, and I’ve worked for Crimson Corporation since an early age. I’ve held different positions within the security department. I am now part of a specialized team under Tobias Yates, who is under Cullen Volakis, who is under Alexander Stone, the CEO of Crimson Corporation.

“You work there, and you live there. It must seem like you are forever working and have very little time to yourself."

“It’s a great place to live and to work. I look forward to showing you the Corporate Mansion and introducing you to my superiors.”

“I look forward to seeing it.” He responded without sarcasm; his interest was genuine. He leaned over the table and took Trent's hand. "I want to see more of you, Trent, and I hope you feel the same."

“I absolutely feel the same, Emrys. I want to get to know you better, and I want you to know me.

" The night could not have gone better. Their dessert arrived, and Trent topped off their wine, and just as they began, someone unknown to Trent but familiar to Emrys charged over to their table. He’d obviously had a few too many and was running on liquid courage.

The minute he got into Emrys's face, Trent grabbed him by the nape of the neck and jerked him backward. Trent stood and held the man away from Emrys and their table. The man was flailing around, demanding release and throwing a variety of curse words at Emrys.

Trent slapped his mouth and told him to shut up. Blood dripped from his bottom lip, and still he tried to shake free. Emrys looked uncomfortable. "I'll deal with this," Trent said and hauled the man out of the restaurant and out into the lobby, handing him off to security.

"Make sure he doesn't come back." He stated firmly, and they assured him the man would not be returning. Trent wanted to lay him out for the disgraceful way he’d treated Emrys, but this was a human establishment, which would have led to complications and an uncomfortable explanation.

He would keep an eye on him and deal with him at a later, less public time.

Trent went back to the table and apologized for the upset. "That was not your fault," Emrys stated. “Mr. Grant has a lack of self-control. I will give his employer a call in the morning.”

“Mr. Grant needs to be beaten within an inch of his life and then maybe he will learn a few manners.” Trent was sharp and serious, but Emrys chuckled.

“I have to agree.” He said with a wink. He was flirting, and Trent was eating it up.

"Would you like to come to my room. I have some hundred-year-old whiskey that would top our evening off perfectly.” He smiled that smile that included a teasing twinkle in his eyes, and how could Trent say anything except yes?

"It's the least I can do for someone who so valiantly stepped in and saved me from that ruffian.”

“I will always save you.” Trent had the words spoken before thinking.

But there was that twinkle again lighting up Emrys' face, and Trent felt the breath leave his lungs and his heart start to hammer against his ribs.

"I'd love to see your room." With that, they stood, paid, and hurried to the elevator.

Emrys was impressed with his handsome date, and the way he handled Mr. Grant was riveting.

There was something about Mr. Trent Wells that stirred something deep in Emrys's mind and body.

He'd had interests before and even maintained a relationship for nearly a year once, but never did he feel such an intense sense of home and connection as he felt with Trent.

He'd considered dinner would hopefully lead to a night together, but hadn't thought beyond that at the time.

Now he was thinking of how to keep Trent in his life, how to entice him and convince him that he belonged with Emrys.

It had been only a few hours, and yet Trent had moved into his heart and completely taken over his thoughts.

Trent put his arm around Emrys's waist as they rode the elevator to the fourth floor, and Emrys gloried in the heat of his touch. He recalled the look on Trent’s face when Mr. Grant first rushed their table and came at Emrys.

His face took on a sudden hard edge, and there was fire that flashed in his eyes, red-hot.

Emrys remembered the look, it was the look of a vampire, either angered or excited, and the set of his jaw clenched and fierce spoke to anger.

The strangeness he felt with Trent was his supernatural aura.

Emrys was nearly ninety percent sure that Trent was a vampire, and the Crimson Corporation was in fact the Crimson Coven.

He normally avoided the paranormal, not wanting to become an oddity in their midst, but Trent was a different story.

There was no way he would avoid this man.

Trent had a hold of him, and Emrys was going to see where it went.

The elevator stopped, and they stepped out.

Trent tightened his hold and turned Emrys in his arms and bent to place a kiss on his lips.

It was both sweet and demanding in equal measures.

Trent wanted more, and Emrys was eager to give.

Trent's lips searched and plundered, and Emrys reciprocated by cupping the hard bulge so prominent in the front of Trent’s black pants.

He felt rather than heard Trent’s soft moan as it vibrated against his lips. Emrys squeezed a little harder, and the kiss became more ravenous. They abruptly broke apart when voices could be heard coming down the hallway.

"Come with me, sweetheart." With an easy smile, Emrys took Trent's hand and hurried him to the last door on the left, and soon they were inside and free to explore all their desires.

Emrys' excitement was palpable, and as soon as the door was closed, he began to pull at Trent's jacket, forcing it down and off his shoulders.

He heard a chuckle, and then Trent was taking over.