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I blushed. “Look, Chad, I’m sorry. I really wouldn’t---”
“Excuse me, ma’am,” the paramedic interrupted. “He really needs to get to the hospital.”
I stepped aside. “Oh, of course. Sorry.”
Erica joined me as they loaded him into the ambulance. “Where are you going to stay?” she asked. “You can’t stay here. You should come back with me to Vance’s.”
I shook my head vehemently. “No, Eri. I can’t. I can’t even look at him without getting nauseous. I think I’m just going to go back to Leo’s.”
Erica looked sad. “Well, I guess you couldn’t be in a safer location considering nobody knows where the hell he lives. Vance placed wards around his house though if you ever change your mind. No uninvited guests would even make it up the driveway.”
“Thanks for the offer. I’ll just meet you in the morning, okay?”
“When and where?” she asked.
“At Leo’s club. In his office. I’ll be there by nine. We have a lot to talk about.”
Vance and Leo returned from inside just then. Vance turned to Erica and said, “Erica, I’m sorry but I’m going to be tied up for quite a while. Tara should be here any minute. We’re going to stay with Forensics and then head back to the station.” He looked at Leo. “I don’t suppose you’d mind taking her back to my place?”
Leo took Erica’s hand and kissed the top. “Of course not.”
Erica blushed and said, “Wow, K, you weren’t kidding. His touch does make you shiver in a good way.” She realized her faux pas and looked at Vance. “Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to blurt that out.”
Vance’s jaw tensed as he glared at Leo, who looked amused. Vance walked up to Erica and framed her face with his hands. “You be careful, okay?” he said to her as he pulled her in for a bear hug.
“Okay,” she replied with a little twinkle in her eye.
Huh? Okay, seriously what was going on between those two?
Twenty-two
The investigators had sealed my apartment up as a crime scene so Leo and I went straight back to his place.
“Are you hungry?” he asked when we finally got downstairs.
“Not really,” I replied. “I suppose I should try eating something though since I haven’t had anything all day.” I looked down the long corridor. “This place is a maze.”
Leo chuckled and grabbed my hand. “Follow me, my love.”
He led me down the long polished stone hallway into the grand hall where he’d confessed all of his sins about Maria. I didn’t think this room would ever fail to amaze me. It was just so large, like nothing I’d ever seen in someone’s home before. It reminded me of something out of a book. Speaking of books, I needed to get my ass back in Leo’s library ASAP.
He took me to the far right and through a large, stone archway. All of a sudden, we were standing in probably the most luxurious kitchen I’ve ever seen.The pine cabinets stretched throughout the entire width of the room in a giant U-shape, with a large island in the middle. They were topped in golden marble with matching tiles covering the floor. On the back wall was a ceiling height hearth, with a commercial grade stainless stove/oven combo beneath it. The backsplash consisted of a beautiful tiled depiction of a small village overlooking the sea, lined with white buildings, some with bright blue domed roofs. I knew without a doubt this was Leo’s childhood home in Greece. This room was simply breathtaking. Even the most discerning chef would be honored to cook in here. “Why in the hell would someone who rarely eats food and never has guests even bother building something like this?”
He shrugged. “Because I enjoy cooking and as you know, I will not settle for mediocre.”
Huh? Who’d ever heard of a vampire who cooks? “I’m sorry; I don’t think I heard you correctly. Did you just say you enjoyed cooking?”
He nodded. “Yes, my love. I did. I learned to perfect my craft many years ago while I was waiting for countless sunsets. Just because I don’t eat very often, doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the process involved in creating a masterpiece. I make food for the staff upstairs.”
Wow, who would’ve thought Leo would be so domesticated? “This is weird. Are you ever going to stop surprising me?” I asked.
He led me to a stool and sat me down. “I certainly hope not,” he said with a smile.
I sat drinking a delicious Chardonnay as I watched Leo work. He was preparing butternut squash ravioli with a white cream sauce. From scratch. Pasta included. I was awestruck by how comfortable he was in the kitchen. He seemed more content than I’d ever seen him. He seemed so normal. Well, let’s face it; Leo will never be anything less than extraordinary, but seeing him so at ease with domesticity made me see a different side of him. Dare I say someone with whom I could build a life? This man in front of me was not the playboy that I’d become accustomed to: an owner of several establishments who’d participated in acts of questionable morality. This was a man who would give up that lifestyle in a heartbeat for his chance at love, and family. He would give anything to provide an honorable life for them—a life that his father, of whom he spoke so lovingly, would approve of. Wow...who’d have thought?
He smiled as he placed the dish in front of me. “Bon appetite, my love.”
I took a bite and was instantly in culinary heaven. “Oh man, Leo. I didn’t think it was possible, but this tastes even better than it looks!”
