Within minutes, a buxom redhead wearing a low-cut, skintight green dress and three-inch heels sashayed toward him, her bright green eyes slightly unfocused.
“Hi,” she purred in a soft, Southern accent.
“Hi, yourself.” He smiled as he ran his fingertips over the inside of her wrist. He could feel the blood flowing just below the skin, hear the nervous beat of her heart.
She returned his smile, moving closer so that her thigh brushed his. “Buy me a drink, handsome?”
“Sure, honey.” Grabbing a bottle one of the bartenders had left on the bar, he took her by the hand. “Come on, let’s go someplace where we can be alone.”
“Whatever you want, sugar.”
Zack chuckled as he led her up the stairs to his private suite.
Whatever I want, he thought as he closed and locked the door.
She had no idea.
Chapter 10
Kaitlyn woke to the bothersome sound of her phone ringing. Her first thought was that it was Zack, until she realized she had never given him her phone number, an oversight she planned to remedy as soon as possible.
She smiled when she said hello and heard her father’s voice on the other end of the line.
“Kaitlyn, is everything all right?”
“Of course,” she said, surprised by the worry in his tone. “Why do you ask?”
“It is probably nothing, but there are rumors circulating—”
“What kind of rumors?”
“At the moment, they are vague, with no way to ascertain if there is any truth behind them. All I know is that Nadiya’s name has been mentioned a few times, and that her son, Daryn, hasn’t been seen lately.”
“So you had to call and check up on me,” Kaitlyn interjected, smiling.
“You are my only child, after all.”
“Well, I’m not hiding Daryn, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Nadiya was one of her grandfather’s many wives; Daryn was her son. Kaitlyn had only met Nadiya once, but once was enough. She had never met Daryn.
Her father’s laughter reminded her of home and of how much she missed it. And him.
“Seriously, I’m fine, Dad.”
“You are comfortable there?”
“Of course. The cabin is wonderful, the view is terrific. I was going to go back to my apartment in L.A., but I’m thinking of staying here indefinitely.”
“I see.”
“What do you see?”
“Your mother is listening. She thinks there must be a man involved.”
Kaitlyn grinned. She had never been able to put one past her parents. “As a matter of fact, there is. But I just met him, so don’t go making any wedding plans yet.”
Her father growled on the other end of the line.
“I’m kidding, Dad.” Even though her father had lifted the ban forbidding their people to marry mortals, she knew he hoped she would marry one of the Romanian vampires.
“Kaitlyn, are you still there?”
“What? Oh, yes.” She chewed on her lower lip as she pondered the best way to ask the question that had been niggling at her since last night. “I was wondering—is there a way for me to tell if a man is one of us?”
“You think this man you are seeing is a vampire?”
“I don’t know. But last night, I would have sworn I felt a surge of preternatural power coming from him.” Her father had the ability to detect those of his own kind when they were near; unfortunately, she hadn’t inherited that power.
“Explain.”
She quickly told her father about the events at the casino the night before.
“What is this man’s name?”
“Zackary Ravenscroft. Have you ever heard of him?”
“No. If he was of our blood, I would know it.”
“Maybe I just imagined it,” Kaitlyn murmured. But she didn’t believe that for a second.
“Perhaps. Your mother wishes to say hello. Take care of yourself.”
“I will. Love you, Dad.”
“I love you, too.”
Kaitlyn heard muffled whispers and then her mom’s voice came over the line.
“Kaitlyn, how are you, sweetie?”
“I’m fine, Mom, really. I love it here. I wish you and Dad could have stayed longer.”
“Me, too, but I guess we’re stuck here at the Fortress for a while until your father gets to the bottom of these rumors.”
“You don’t think one of the other vampires is planning a coup, do you?”
“I hope not. I was here for the last one, and believe me, it wasn’t a pretty sight. Your grandmother sends her love.”
Kaitlyn grinned. Her grandmother, Liliana, wasn’t fond of telephones and refused to use them.
“Listen, sweetie, I’ve got to go. Call if you need anything.”
“I will.”
“All right. I love you.”
“I love you more. Give Dad a hug for me. And give Aunt Katiya and Uncle Andrei my best.” Though Kaitlyn had other aunts and uncles, Katiya and Andrei had always been her favorites.
“Consider it done. And keep us informed about your young man.”
Kaitlyn was smiling when she ended the call. Her young man. She very much liked the sound of that.
Shortly after sunset, Kaitlyn drove to the small convenience store her mother had told her was located on the other side of the hill. “Handy for when you’re in a hurry,” her mother had told her, and added that there was a supermarket in the city.
Kaitlyn only needed a few things tonight. She moved up and down the aisles, quickly picking up the items on her list. She exchanged a few pleasantries with the clerk, thanked the boy who bagged her groceries, and headed for the door, a sack cradled in each arm, only to have a man stumble in front of her, jarring her shoulder and causing one of the sacks to slip from her grasp.
The man was immediately apologetic. “I’m sorry,” he said, offering her a winning smile. “I wasn’t looking where I was going. Of course, if I’d known how pretty you are, I would have run into you on purpose. Here,” he said, when she began gathering her groceries, “let me do that.”
He quickly scooped up the bread, bananas, cheese, and candy bars and dropped them into the sack which had, miraculously, remained intact, and handed it to her.
“Thank you.”
“Eddie,” he said, smiling again. “Eddie Harrington.”
“Kaitlyn,” she replied, and took a step around him.
“Hey, hold on a minute. The least I can do is buy you a cup of coffee.”