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“We get along.”
“Are you attracted to each other?” he asked.
The muscle next to my eye twitched. “That’s none of your business.”
“You like each other. You’re attracted to each other. You spend time together. Face it, Lorelei, you have yourself a boyfriend.”
“We’re too old for that word.”
“Paramour? Inamorato? Leman? Will any of those suffice?”
“Now you’re just practicing Scrabble words. Speaking of which, should we play?”
“After dinner. Perhaps I’m leaning too archaic. Sweetums?”
“Does the prince of hell strike you as a sweetums?”
“I don’t judge. Terms of affection are a nice way to connect to a loved one.”
“You assume he’s a loved one.”
“I understand. You’ve yet to have the discussion. Why delay the inevitable?”
I bristled. “What’s the rush? We haven’t known each other very long.”
“You’ve been alone a long time, my friend, and so has he. Wouldn’t it be nice to be in a relationship?”
“I could say the same to you.” I’d only known Otto since I moved to Fairhaven, but the curmudgeonly vampire had become one of my closest friends. Life was full of surprises.
“Are you afraid?” Otto asked.
“Afraid of what?”
“Of getting involved with a prince of hell. I can understand your trepidation. You try to keep a tight lid on your abilities, whatever they may be, and someone like Kane Sullivan could make you lose control. You might descend into darkness together.”
His assessment was uncomfortably accurate. “I’m not sure I’m capable of going full darkness.”
“Of course you are,” Otto said. “In fact, I’d argue it’s what you fear the most.”
I glanced at him. “What makes you say that?”
“Come now, Lorelei. You’re smarter than that. You’re the one who told me you won’t touch a piano or sing those pitch-perfect notes.”
“Because they remind me of the loved ones I’ve lost.”
“And?” he prompted.
“And what? That’s not enough for you?”
“We’ve all suffered losses. Every living being on the planet. You think a vampire who’s been alive as long as I have hasn’t suffered loss? I lost my vision due to a curse, or have you forgotten?”
Years ago, Otto was cursed to die if he drinks even a drop of human blood. Blindness was an unexpected side effect.
“Maybe you’ve found a way of dealing with it that works for you. Some of us prefer to avoid emotional pain by not engaging in the activities that would allow those feelings to surface.”
“Nonsense,” he scoffed.
“I don’t criticize the way you choose to live. Why are you criticizing me?”
