“Good morning, mi vavli.”
Spencer’s heart skipped a beat. What language was that, anyway? His voice had always been sexy, like cold, hard, naked ice that could make you shiver for the very best reasons, but ever since he started speaking in that Latin-sounding language of his, well…
She saw his gaze slowly dip down and knew without looking that he could only be staring at her breasts, which had not only grown heavy and swollen at the first sound of his voice but now sported shamelessly erect nipples as well.
Etienne watched Spencer’s cheeks turn pink as she quickly crossed her arms over her chest. Too late, he thought. Much, much, too late, after what her roommate Kiernan had unknowingly let slip in his hearing.
“Stop staring at me like that,” Spencer muttered. “So it’s obvious I find you sexy. It’s no big deal.”
Things would be much easier if it were true, Etienne thought. But it wasn’t, and sometime soon, he would need to figure out what to do about her…feelings, if they turned out to be real.
“Everyone thinks you’re sexy.” Spencer knew she was blabbing, and even though she hated herself for it, she just couldn’t stop herself. “I’d be weird if I didn’t—” She bit back a yelp when long, hard fingers suddenly twined with hers.
And then Mr. H started walking, fast, and she had no choice but to catch up or have her boss drag her along with him.
“Will you please let go?” Before I do something I regret, Spencer thought worriedly, like getting turned on just because you’re holding my hand.
But her boss only smirked. “Make me.”
She let out a gasp. “That’s unfair.”
“Being born a Caro has nothing to do with fairness, mi vavli.”
And there went her heart again, she thought with a mixture of irritation and giddiness. Why did his voice always end up sounding a hundred times sexier whenever he spoke that unknown language of his? She had actually tried getting Google to translate it last night, but absolutely nothing had come up.
“What does it mean?” she could no longer keep herself from asking as they descended the stairs of her apartment.
“Nothing you’d like to know,” he said smoothly, “for now at least.”
“You just said that to drive me crazy, didn’t you?”
“Does it?”
“You know it does,” she growled.
“Good.”
“No.” And because she was just stubborn that way, she tried tugging her hand out of his hold again.”It’s not—”
“I enjoy driving you crazy,” Etienne murmured. “But if you do not like the way I’m doing it right now, then there are, of course, other ways…”
She caught his gaze flicking to her mouth. Oh no. “Actually,” she said quickly, “I think I’m good with this.”
Etienne’s lips swiftly pressed together as he literally heard Spencer start gnashing her teeth, the sound of which oddly complemented the way her heart was pounding faster and harder against her chest.
If it had been any other woman, he would have dismissed these things as mere signs of lust. But because this was Spencer…
Could the other girl’s words be true then?
Was Spencer truly in love with him?
But if she was…why had she chosen to sell her virginity instead of giving it to him?
Spencer noticed her boss suddenly start frowning. “What?”
“Have you ever had any lovers before me?” he asked abruptly.
Whoa! Spencer literally tripped over her own feet at the suddenness of his question. “Where did that come from?”
“Have you?”
“None of your business.”
Dark eyes blazed at her. “You’re my woman—”
Don’t get excited about that, Spencer! Don’t!
“Everything about you is now my business.”
A couple of possible comebacks to this immediately sprang to mind, but when she saw that they were about to step out of her apartment building, panic immediately kicked in, and she yanked him back. “Wait!”
Etienne stiffened, seeing the frantic expression on her face. “What is it?”
“The s-sunlight,” she muttered jerkily. “Won’t it…hurt?”
Ah.
He could see how hard she was struggling not to look concerned for him, but the haunted look in her eyes completely gave her away. And that was when he knew.
Spencer couldn’t help feeling self-conscious about the way her boss was staring at her again. “Okay, fine, I’m concerned. But again, it’s no big deal. Okay? I may be a bitch, but I’m not completely without feelings—”
“Spencer.”
“I just don’t want you to go up in flames for no reason—”
“Will you please shut up?”
In a blink of an eye, she suddenly found herself backed against the wall, her body locked within the muscular cage of his arms. This close, she could feel the rough heat of his breath and see every sleek, sinewy curve of his biceps. This close, it was impossible not to remember that they were different. That he was not human. That he had fangs and drank blood to survive.
This close, it was impossible not to remember just how in love she was with him…