Page 18

S aintcrow loosed a string of epithets when Eleni appeared in his living room at sundown the following night.

There was no denying that she was a beautiful woman, her skin pale and flawless, her hair a rich auburn, her eyes the color of spring grass, her figure perfectly outlined in a long, red dress that left nothing to the imagination.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

“Most people knock,” he said irritably. He didn’t have time to play games with his sire. Every moment spent with Eleni was a moment he might have spent holding Kadie or looking for Sasan.

“I’m not most people.”

“That’s for damn sure,” he muttered. “So, what do you want to do?”

“First, I’d like to go dancing.”

“And after that?”

“Let’s play it by ear, shall we?”

A muscle twitched in Saintcrow’s jaw as she laid a possessive hand on his arm.

Moments later, they were standing inside a lavish nightclub in the heart of New York City.

The interior lighting was subdued. The walls were off-white, the booths fine leather, the tables covered with dusky-blue cloths the same shade as the seat coverings.

There was a large dance floor in the back where several couples dipped and swayed.

Glancing around, Saintcrow’s first thought was to bring Kadie here when she was herself again.

Eleni glared at him as they were seated. “You are not to think of her when you are with me.”

It pricked her pride, Saintcrow mused. She wasn’t used to being ignored and she didn’t like it. “Yes, master,” he said, his voice thick with sarcasm.

Eleni ordered a bottle of the most expensive wine the house had to offer. “Only the best for us tonight,” she murmured, letting her gaze move possessively over him. “I want to dance.”

Biting back a sharp retort, Saintcrow rose and reached for her hand. “I don’t know what you expect to get out of this,” he said, as he took her in his arms.

“Whatever I want,” she replied. “Don’t you love this song?”

“Not really.”

“You just won’t play the game, will you?”

“I’m more worried about keeping Kadie alive than making you happy.”

“Keeping me happy pays wonderful dividends,” she said, her voice tight. “For one thing, it’s keeping your woman alive.”

There was no mistaking her meaning, no doubt that she was fully capable of carrying out her threat.

They danced until the club closed for the night. Saintcrow had hoped that would be the end of the evening, but she insisted they go hunting. On the west coast.

“There’s no place like California,” she remarked as they strolled down Hollywood Boulevard. “Day or night, prey is everywhere. And such a variety. Anything you want. Chinese, African, Italian, French. Male or female or in-between, old or young. The choice goes on and on.”

Saintcrow huffed a sigh when she set her sights on a young couple walking toward them.

How about Japanese?” Eleni murmured as, with a wave of her hand, she mesmerized her chosen meal for the evening and led them into the shadows between a movie theater and a sushi bar.

Feeding took only a few minutes.

He was relieved when Eleni sent the couple on their way, still breathing.

Linking her arm with his, she said, “Let’s go home,” and willed the two of them to her place. She kicked off her heels, ran her fingers through her hair, and then draped her arms around his neck.

A muscle throbbed in Saintcrow’s jaw. “I’ll do whatever you want,” he said, his voice tight. “Go with you wherever you want to go. But no sex, remember?”

She looked up at him from beneath long, dark lashes. “Won’t you even kiss me good night?”

Resigned, he pulled her closer and kissed her.

Her lips were smooth and inviting, her breasts warm and soft against his chest, her hands eager as she reached under his shirt to caress his back.

Unable to bear her touch a moment longer, he pushed her away.

“You’re wasting your time,” he said flatly. “Go find someone who wants you.”

“You want me,” she hissed.

“I want a lot of things,” he said, “but you’re not one of them.”

“But I want you.” She glared at him, her voice icy as she jabbed her finger into his chest.

“What you want doesn’t matter at all. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

Hoping he hadn’t pushed her too far, Saintcrow willed himself home. Sitting there in the dark, he wondered if his refusal to make love to Eleni had put Kadie’s life in further danger.

Dammit. What the devil was he going to do if his sire wouldn’t take no for an answer? He couldn’t betray Kadie’s trust. Nor could he let Eleni destroy the only woman he had ever loved. Would ever love. Hell and damnation, talk about a rock and a hard place. What was he going to do?

Eleni wanted to go to the movies the following night, dancing again the next. On the fourth night, she had a yearning to see Chicago on Broadway, so they returned to New York City.

Eleni stared at the stage, but her thoughts were focused on the man beside her.

She didn’t understand Rylan Saintcrow at all.

For centuries, men had vied for her attention, whether it was their own idea, or hers.

She was a beautiful woman. She knew it, and she flaunted it.

And yet Saintcrow looked at her as if she had just crawled out of a garbage can.

Anger and jealousy and a need to hurt him as his disdain hurt her raged in her heart. And then she smiled a grim smile. If he hadn’t made love to her by the end of the week, she would destroy him. And the woman, too.