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Oliviajoltedawakeatthe ringing of the doorbell. It was the same sound as the one from her apartment in Tucson. For a moment, she was completely discombobulated because she clearly wasn’t in her bedroom.
Then last night returned to her in bits and pieces.
Marek.
Olivia sat up, supporting her weight with her right hand. Sometime during the day, she’d climbed into bed, snuggled up to him, and fallen asleep. Touching him had been the only thing that soothed the throbbing ache in her chest.
He hadn’t moved an inch, but his leg had regenerated up to his ankle. The previously burnt skin on his arm was smooth and perfect. His face looked so serene she expected him to open his eyes any second.
Stop,she scolded herself before grief swallowed her.You’re better than this. Go see who’s at the door.
Olivia slid off the bed and checked herself in the mirror. She straightened her clothes and brushed her hair with her fingers. Nothing could be done about the bags under her eyes. She wouldn’t win any beauty awards, but she didn’t look worse than any college student staying up all night to finish their term paper.
Leah greeted Olivia with a tense smile. “Hi, I wanted to check to see how you’re doing.”
“Uh, I’m fine.” Even to her own ears, she didn’t sound fine.
The other woman’s expression softened with sympathy. “Trust me. I know what you’re going through. Would you like to go out and get some fresh air? I understand if you want to stay with him.”
More than anything, Olivia wished to remain by Marek’s side. And do what? Watch and pine after him? She’d done enough of that already.
“Tristan said you’re mated to Mr. Blackmore?” she asked. “As in Julian Blackmore?”
“The one and only.”
Olivia had only seen Vegas’ terrifying vampire ruler on video before. Even then, he scared the living daylights out of her. She couldn’t imagine him mated to anyone, much less this sweet, charming lady who looked like she laughed often. No wonder Darren had vacated the premises so quickly last night.
She threw a quick glance back at the bedroom. Marek wouldn’t wake for another few hours. Leah was the only other vampire mate she’d met, and a human too, for the other woman exuded none of the vampire’s innate magnetism and allure.
“If I come with you, will you answer some questions?”
Leah nodded. “I promise to do my best.”
“Okay. Let me grab my purse.”
“Sure. Take your time.”
Olivia returned to her room for her phone and purse. The tablet beside her phone flashed with an email notification from Dr. Casava. Only one reason for the email. Whether she got the job or not, she didn’t have the emotional bandwidth to deal with either news. Instead, Olivia banished it from her mind, changed into new, clean clothes, and did a quick morning routine. No need to walk around looking like a zombie.
“Thanks for waiting,” she said once she met Leah in the hallway. “Where are we going?”
“I figured we can visit the galleria first. Do you like shopping?”
“I only go when I need something.” Shopping was like eating. Something done out of necessity.
“Ah, so you’re one of those people.” Leah gave her a wide smile. “That’s okay. I’ll shop enough for the both of us.”
The woman made good on her promise. A car picked them up from downstairs and dropped them off at the mall. Leah knew everything about every brand and maintained an inane chatter about clothes and gossip in the fashion industry. Normally, Olivia wouldn’t hang out with someone like Leah, preferring to keep to her lab and solitude, but Leah had been right. She needed the distraction, even if only for two hours.
Every store manager, whether human or vampire, seemed to know Leah and welcomed them. While Olivia debated over every piece, for example, wondering where she would ever wear a silky blue cocktail dress, Leah tried on everything that caught her fancy and bought the items she loved without hesitation.
At one store, Olivia picked a glittering one-shoulder purple dress off the rack and immediately put it back when she saw the price tag. It cost more than a month of her salary.
“Try it on. It’ll look beautiful on you,” Leah urged.
“Nah. I can’t afford it.”
Leah pushed it at Olivia. “No harm in trying it on.”
