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“Yes, why?”
“It’s the chains. You feel, I don’t know, distressed.”
He sighed. “Pay no attention. I’m trying to take my own advice. It’s not easy to let go, not with the extinction weapon hanging over our heads like an ax ready to fall.”
The door opened. “I feel exactly the same way.”
He shifted in her direction, then stood up.
This wasn’t the same woman.
She was Claire but more.
He’d forgotten how beautiful she was, her skin like cream, her lips full. And she was smiling. Despite her situation, Claire smiled, and he really liked this quality in her. She not only made the best of things, she tended to brighten the space around her as well.
She’d added a little makeup that seemed to enhance her unusual light-brown eyes. The dress fit her like a glove, revealing a beautiful line of cle**age, a narrow waist, and a soft curve of hips. She’d chosen a pair of four-inch stilettos so that if he took her in his arms, she’d hit him just right. He was a big man and by human standards, Claire was tall for her species—somewhere near five-eleven.
He opened his mouth thinking words would follow, but nothing came out.
* * *
Claire left the bathroom but didn’t get very far. Lucian looked at her with his mouth slightly agape, but that wasn’t what stopped her. He wore a blue silk, long-sleeved shirt, tailored slacks, and looked like a million bucks. She blinked a few times, trying to gain her bearings. It was one thing to have brought a wounded vampire out of the Dark Cave system, and quite another to be staring into the smoky-gray eyes of one of the handsomest men she’d ever known.
Her heart raced. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. When Lucian had said that they should pace themselves, he’d made a lot of sense. But she hadn’t counted on this sudden, overwhelming attraction she experienced.
Essentially, she now saw him in an entirely new light, as a potential boyfriend, which of course was ridiculous. The man wasn’t just a man, he was a vampire, living in a different culture, one that could never mesh with her deep need and desire to return to her life in Santa Fe.
Regardless, she’d agreed to go with him to see Rumy’s band.
Reorienting herself yet again, she held her hands wide. “So, how do we do this? Would it be possible to walk to the club from here?”
Lucian shook his head. “Not exactly.” He glanced down at her feet. “And definitely not in those shoes. Our room is at least a mile from the club. We’ll have to fly.”
She put a hand to her stomach. “Oh, no.”
But he smiled. “It won’t be bad at all. I’ll take it really slow for you. I promise, you’ll be fine. You won’t feel a twinge.”
“I suppose I’ll have to take your word for it.” She then glanced across the room at the shimmery red tickets. “Does it make me a bad person to say I’m just a little curious?”
He laughed. “No, not at all, and I don’t blame you.”
“Have you seen the show before?”
“A couple of times. Not sure if it would be the wisest move, but we could step in at the back for a moment so you can have a look.”
She shook her head, heat climbing her cheeks. “I’ve never done anything like that before, but Rumy has mentioned Eve several times.”
“She’s a wonderful person, just very different from what you’re probably used to.”
At that, she sighed. “Like everything else I’ve experienced over the past three days.”
He crossed the room and slipped the tickets into his pant pocket. “We can decide later.” Moving back to her, he held his arm wide. “Ready?”
“I am.” When she balanced her brand-new shoes on top of his expensive footwear, and he pulled her tight against his side, there was nothing for it but to slide her arm around his neck and hold on.
But for just a moment, as his gaze caught and held, she felt a powerful sensation of really being in trouble with this man. She didn’t know what it was, but something about Lucian just got to her, as though on a deep level his soul spoke to hers and she was listening.
He cleared his throat and looked away. “It might be easier if you closed your eyes.”
She agreed. “Eyes closed. Fly at will.”
She felt the shift to altered flight and what followed, as he began flying them through solid stone, felt like soft hands barely reaching for her and touching her. She made use of telepathy. Just tell me when we’ve arrived.
Will do.
As promised, the flight didn’t take long at all.
He landed her in a space that reminded her of a large hotel foyer with a number of people coming and going, all dressed up. The walls were decorated with extraordinary walls of crystals, all in huge swathes of different colors, violet, light blue, sea green. She could hardly take it in, it was so beautiful.
Off to the left a long counter made of exquisite burl wood served as an information center, guiding visitors to the various venues in Rumy’s extensive club complex. At least a dozen women and men served behind the counter answering questions.
“This is amazing,” she said, stepping off his foot. “I had no idea.”
“I thought it might surprise you.”
“To say the least.” She glanced down and saw that the floor held an opalescent shimmer. She had no idea what kind of stone it was, but again the design stunned her. She had to do a quick mental realignment: This wasn’t just a frightening vampire culture, but an entire civilization.
She glanced at Lucian once more, taking him in and feeling vulnerable yet again. In the back of her mind, she wondered if maybe this had been Rumy’s plan all along, to get her to see Lucian and his world in a different light. Rumy had made no secret of the fact that he thought her power could benefit their world, and he wanted her to stay and help their cause.
“Everything okay?” he asked, frowning.
She shook her head, blinked some more. “I’m overwhelmed.” The next moment the music started up, though at a distance, with a strong bass beat, very bluesy and sexy.
“I think you’ll like this.” He held out his arm. She slid hers around his elbow, once more having the weird feeling they were on a date, yet not on a date.
She took a deep breath, hoping to stay centered as he led her down a long hall that turned to the left for a couple dozen yards then opened up into an enormous cavern. On the other side of the vast space, the band was on stage, wearing silver-studded black leather outfits, cut to display muscular arms and chests.
