It was a gift that was beyond price.
He lowered his head in a gesture of profound respect.
“Thank you.”
Chapter Eleven
Sally managed to eat through most of the menu before she at last shoved aside the plates, sighing in relief.
Or at least she told herself that it was the vast mounds of food that had lightened her mood and caused the strange flutters in the pit of her stomach.
Otherwise she’d have to admit that Roke’s unexpected glimpse into his tormented past had broken through her defenses with an ease that should terrify her.
She didn’t want to ache at the thought of him being haunted by the memory of the woman who had sired him, or blaming himself for her death.
And she certainly didn’t want to feel the prickles of electric excitement at his casual touches. Really was there any need to brush a stray crumb from her finger, or tuck a curl behind her ear?
It was much better to pretend that nothing had altered between them.
As if to mock her ridiculous decision, Roke reached across the table, his fingers a soft caress as they touched her face.
“You have some color back in your cheeks,” he murmured, a satisfied smile curving his lips.
With a sudden need to distract her odd mood, Sally slid out of her seat and deliberately glanced toward the window.
“It won’t be long until dawn. Shouldn’t we be finding someplace to stay?”
The silver eyes studied her with a hint of puzzlement as he rose to his feet.
“I called the local clan chief before we reached the café and he offered us a safe house not far from here.”
She wrinkled her nose. She’d been on the run most of her life, so it wasn’t like she wasn’t used to going for weeks without a hint of luxury. That didn’t mean, however, she had to like it.
“Another safe house?”
“I have hopes this one will provide a few more amenities,” he said in sympathy. “Are you ready?”
She shrugged, rubbing her hands up and down her upper arms as a growing sense of restlessness tingled through her.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Tossing money on the table, Roke led her out of the café and toward the car parked in the center of the lot.
“Pathetic,” he muttered, shaking his head.
With a jolt of surprise, Sally realized that she’d fallen a step behind Roke, her gaze glued to his rock-hard ass shown to perfection in the faded jeans.
Cursing her increasingly strange mood, she jerked her head up and prayed he hadn’t noticed her lingering stare.
“What’s pathetic?”
“This . . .” He waved a slender hand toward the car. “Piece of shit.” He gave another soulful shake of his head. “We need a new ride.”
She arched a brow. “Are you one of those men who need an expensive ride to make him feel macho?”
With a fluid motion he turned, his hand cupping her chin as he studied her upturned face.
“I’ve never had a problem with macho, but I do have a problem with riding around in a tin can.” His gaze lowered to her unsteady lips, perhaps realizing she’d lost track of his words. Awareness sizzled in the air, sending a dangerous, melting heat through her blood. Then, with a hiss, Roke’s attention shifted toward the nearby trees. “Get in the car.”
She didn’t hesitate.
Dashing around the hood of the car, she yanked open the door and slid inside. She managed to get the door shut, but she was still struggling with her seat belt when Roke had the motor started and was shoving the car into gear.
She clenched her teeth as they bounced through potholes large enough to swallow the tiny car.
“What is it?”
“Fairies.”
She shivered, shifting to peer out the back window. “Are they following us?”
“No, they’re watching from the woods,” he muttered, pulling onto a narrow path instead of the main road. “At least for now.”
They jolted down the pathway at a speed that threatened to rattle the car into scrap metal, but Sally didn’t complain. She was as anxious as Roke to reach the protection of the vampire lair.
Roke took two more turns, each one taking them farther from civilization. Just as Sally was about to accuse Roke of refusing to admit he was lost, they came around a corner to halt in front of a large log cabin nearly hidden in the trees.
“Wait here,” Roke murmured, sliding out of the car and disappearing among the shadows.
It took him less than five minutes to make a complete sweep of the area before he was returning to the car and leading her into the house.
Keeping a watch on the nearby trees, Sally hardly noticed the wide terrace or the heavy steel door that swung open after Roke had punched in a series of numbers.
It wasn’t until she’d stepped over the threshold that she took stock of the actual house.
Her eyes widened as she took in the large great-room that was paneled in a dark, glossy wood. The floors were made of flagstone, matching the fireplace that towered toward the twelve-foot ceiling. Heavy leather sofas and chairs were arranged throughout the long room with a chandelier made from some sort of antlers spilling a soft glow over the entire space.
And peering down from the walls were a half dozen stuffed animal heads mounted on wood placards.
Yeesh.
It looked like a hunting lodge for one of the Rich and Famous, not a supersecret vampire lair.
“This is a safe house?” she demanded.
He shut and locked the door. “Most vampires enjoy their comforts, although there are a few who still prefer isolated caves and a ban on all technology.”
She turned her attention to watch as he moved through the room, touching a keypad on the far wall that turned on the monitors that were obviously connected to the security system.
Although he was dressed in modern jeans and a heavy motorcycle jacket, there was something raw and untamed about his dark beauty.
It was etched into the stark features that were framed by the silken ebony of his hair and the feral grace of his movements.
And those astonishing eyes . . .
He was a hunter who would never be entirely civilized.
“Including you?”
He sent her an exasperated glance. “Why do I sense you’re convinced I live in a teepee in the middle of the desert?”
She frowned. Was he offended? Impossible. His skin was as thick as a rhino’s.
“You don’t seem the type to feel comfortable being surrounded by . . .” She waved a hand around the large room. “This.”
He wrinkled his nose. “I’ll admit I prefer less wood. And I try to avoid dead animals staring at me from the walls.”