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Peri was caught off guard by the question. Probably because she’d known from the second she’d walked through the front door of Maya’s coffee shop that she’d found her home. And in nine years, she’d never thought about leaving.
“Maya and Skye are my family,” she said with a simple honesty.
“And what about a romantic partner?”
Peri’s heart skipped a beat. Logic warned her to tell him that it was none of his damned business. And never would be. Vampires were trouble she didn’t need. Her mouth, however, was no longer connected to her brain.
“I have plenty of romance in my life,” she bluffed.
With a coiled grace, Valen leaned forward. Like a snake preparing to strike. “Do you?”
Peri’s heart continued to skip and skid as her breath lodged in her throat. He was close enough she could see the smooth perfection of his skin and shards of black at the center of his silver eyes. And his power…
It churned and swirled around her, stoking her hunger until she had to clench her hands to keep herself from reaching out and yanking him on top of her.
“I have all the romance I want,” she muttered.
Valen dismissed her blatant lie, his gaze focused on her mouth. Was he thinking about kissing her? Would she spontaneously combust if he did? Heady anticipation heated her blood.
“Do you have a personal aversion to relationships or are you waiting for Mr. Right?” he demanded.
Peri licked her dry lips, watching his eyes darken to charcoal. “How do you know it’s not Ms. Right?”
“Is it?”
She forced herself to push back into the soft leather seat. Now wasn’t the time to have her mind clouded with visions of a naked Valen. She wasn’t sure there wasevera right time for that, but certainly not when they were in the back of a limo driving into the cramped streets of the French Quarter.
“I’m not interested in being trapped,” she told him.
He stiffened, as if startled by her words. Or maybe it was the sincerity in her voice.
“Is that how you see a relationship? As a prison?”
“Not a prison.” She shook her head. “At least not exactly.”
“Then what?”
Peri considered how to explain her reluctance to commit herself to another. “I’m a mage.”
“Yes. A very powerful mage.”
“Which means human men are out of the question.”
“Naturally.” His tone wasn’t snobbish, it was just a statement of fact. Demons considered humans to be another species. And while mages were technically human, they were too powerful to remain a part of the normal world.
“And any demon is searching for a bloodline that will increase the power in their children,” she continued, stating the obvious.
Valen studied her as if he thought she was joking. “Trust me, any demon would be eager to mate with a mage who has your magic.”
She grimaced. “No thanks. I have no ambition to become a broodmare.”
“Not all demons are looking to boost their social standing,” Valen protested. “There are a few who choose to wed for love.”
“That’s worse.”
Valen slowly sat back, his gaze sweeping over her as if he was trying to pinpoint what was wrong with her.
“Are you truly that cynical?”
