I felt my cheeks flush. “Let’s get one thing straight, buddy. We are a pretend married couple. Fake!”
He arched a brow. “Yes, but we might as well enjoy our roles.”
He had to be kidding. “What is that? Part of your method of deduction?”
“Actually, yes.”
“Well, quit it. I’m off-limits.”
“Pity,” he said, as if he meant it.
For a moment, I felt like more than a meal. It was as if he noticed me. He wanted me.
But it was impossible. I’d always be on the outside. I’d learned that back with my pack.
“You said all weres were eternal life-diggers.”
“I didn’t ask you to marry me.”
A flicker of warmth caught my stomach. “Then what exactly are you asking?”
A long beat passed between us.
“Forget it.” I rushed to say something—anything—before he did. “I don’t want to know.”
He didn’t want me anyway. He couldn’t.
I retreated through the kitchen, my bare feet slapping against the chilly ceramic floor. “Where’s the luggage? I’m going to bed.”
I could hear his easy strides behind me. “Clothing and personal items were delivered to our bedroom this afternoon.”
Our bedroom? I halted at the foot of the stairs. “Listen, fang breath, I sleep alone.”
“Shocking.” He trailed me up the stairs.
“Isn’t it, though?”
We arrived at a master bedroom suite, large enough to house a family of eight. It was done up in gold and burgundy, with antique furniture and ornate lamps scattering warm yellow light.
“That is the biggest bed I’ve seen in my life.”
“You won’t even notice I’m there,” he said behind me.
“Of course not because you’re sleeping in there.” I turned and pointed to a well-appointed room across the hall.
He didn’t even bother to look. “Vinny is sleeping across the hall.”
“Then take one of the other five bedrooms.” I didn’t care.
It was a shame, though. I was used to being both respected and shunned by the pack. Nobody had ever wanted me. Now the one man who might, also happened to want to eat me.
I couldn’t win.
Lucien braced his hands on the door frame, filling it completely, and I had the horrible sensation of wanting to close the distance between us.
He gave a sexy smile, as if he knew. “We need to feel comfortable around each other if we’re going to maintain our charade.”
Luckily I was not vapid or stupid, even if Lucien would prefer it. “Kissing you was not in the contract.”
He moved his mouth dangerously close to mine. I felt strangely vulnerable as he brushed his fingers along the edge of my jaw. His thumb found the curve of my chin. “You could use a good kiss.”
I didn’t doubt that. But I didn’t need it from him.
He broke the contact and I nearly slithered to the ground with relief. If he’d tried to kiss me at that very moment, I wasn’t sure what I would have done.
He brushed past me, toward the bed, which gave me time to press my legs together tightly and try to forget I’d ever met a vampire named Lucien.
He stretched out over the bloodred bedcovers, his back against the antique headboard. God, he was a solid piece of man. And I’d seen a lot of well-built weres.
I couldn’t let Lucien get to me. “What do you really want?” I demanded. But I was already in trouble. I’d never been so aware of my body—or tempted to learn the god-awful truth.
Darned if the vampire didn’t know what I was thinking. “You’re not about to use your power on me.”
“Of course not,” I snapped.
“Then why are you tilting your chin down?”
“My chin?”
“Back in the crypt, you lowered your chin a fraction right before you began the interrogation.”
Interesting. I’d never been aware I did that. I tried to imagine interrogating someone and realized he was right.
Lucien went cold. “Don’t you ever interrogate me.”
“There’s no need,” I said. “Is there?” I ignored his scowl. “It might not even work on your kind.” Although I believed it would.
“Nevertheless,” he said, “I’ll question the vamps. You question the wives.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Fine.”
I had a feeling I was going to be doing the heavy lifting.
His phone beeped. Lucien eased it out from his back pocket and checked the screen. “After you speak with Tia, I think you should question the vulture. She seems a likely suspect.”
“Agreed. Where will you be tomorrow?” He certainly couldn’t sleep in the bedroom. It had three bay windows.
His expression didn’t give anything away. “The Vampire Council has made certain provisions for me.”
“But you won’t tell me what or where?”
His pointed look said it all.
“Way to go, partner.” I should have known. “You’ll hop into bed with me just so long as I don’t know where you sleep.”
He patted the mattress next to him. “Must you make things difficult?”
“Actually, refusing to sleep with you will make things a lot simpler. And while we’re at it, let’s lay down some ground rules. Number one: no bed sharing.”
Lucien scowled.
“Number two: no kissing.”
“I think you’d like it.”
“That’s beside the point,” I snapped, reddening when I realized what I’d said. “Number three,” I said a little louder, ignoring his smug expression. “No bloodsucking.”
“Those are not very good rules.”
I didn’t ask for his approval, just as he hadn’t asked for mine. “They’re my rules.”
“Agreed,” he said. “Now I have one more.”
“Lay it on me.”
He gave me a long look. “Never use your truth powers on me.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” I asked just to tick him off.
He didn’t even have the courtesy to take the bait. “Agreed?” he asked.
“Agreed,” I said, slipping out of the room.
This was going to be a long three days.
CHAPTER 4
I smelled Vinny before I heard him. “Wake up, cupcake.” He still had that odd mix of old wood and grass going for him. Only now, he had the body of a French maid from the Playboy Mansion.