11. A Vampire Romance

Chapter 11

A Vampire Romance

Vanessa

" I am sorry about that," Victor said the moment he came back to the table to find half my coffee gone. He then retook his seat, once again getting in close next to me.

"No problem. So, you have a brother?" I asked, because I didn't know what else to say.

He grinned, as if he found my question funny, and I honestly couldn't imagine why.

"Yes, he is my twin in fact," he replied, making my mouth drop, unable to help myself.

"What?" he asked, because my face must have been a picture.

I decided to be honest and tell him my thoughts.

"Wow, now that is a dangerous thought."

"How so?" he asked, raising his brow in that sexy way of his.

"Two of you in the same room must have the ladies reaching for their smelling salts," I teased, making him laugh.

"Hardly," he replied, and I nudged his arm with my shoulder,

"Oh, come on, I bet there is a fan or two. Or are there full-on fainting fits? Perhaps they just throw their panties at you with their cell numbers written on… oh yeah, that must be it," I said, feeling good when he started laughing again, like I had achieved something great.

"I think you exaggerate our prowess greatly."

"Ha! Yeah right. Woman, remember?" I said, raising my hand, and the smirk he gave me was smoldering. Especially when his eyes raked down the length of me as if I were something delicious he wanted to eat.

Jesus, why was I suddenly burning up in this simple gray T-shirt? He made me feel like I was sitting here in my damn underwear, for Christ sake.

"An unforgettable fact, indeed," he replied smoothly, making me blush.

"Well, I am not giving you my panties with my number on them if that's what you're angling for," I blurted out before I could stop myself, and he nearly choked on the sip of coffee he was taking.

Of course, he recovered like a pro, unlike me, whereas I would have most likely snorted the froth and end up looking like some rabid dog. He merely had to use a napkin to calmly wipe his lips.

"You're funny," he stated as if surprised, as if he didn't know that a woman could be… like I was some mythical being.

Well, if he liked that, then sign me up for stand-up comedian school. I didn't think there was much I wouldn't do for that smile of his, because damn, but I could easily see myself falling for this guy. Only, that knowledge, admittedly, also scared the shit out of me.

But more troubling than that was the whole question of if I liked Victor so much, why couldn't I get my thoughts off the Vampire? Like the both of them were going head-to-head in my mind, battling it out for supremacy. I tried to shake myself free of this madness and focused back on our conversation.

"You seem surprised," I replied to the funny comment he made.

"I must confess, it is not an endearing quality I have found in a woman, thus far."

"Thus far? You don't sound like you're from around here," I said, teasing him, and his reaction was to tense slightly.

"My brother and I have lived in many places but tell me, does the way I speak bother you?"

I realized I might have come across as insulting, so my natural reaction was to grip his arm and tell him,

"No, no, not at all. I am sorry, I mean I like it, or should I say, on the contrary, I think it's great."

His dark brown eyes widened momentarily before they landed on where my hand gripped his arm. I was so embarrassed that I started to remove it but before I could, he covered my hand with his own, stopping me from retreating.

"There is never a need to apologize for speaking your mind and never for touching me, Vanessa," he said, his voice dropping lower with this last part as he squeezed my hand for emphasis. I swear this man was trying to turn me into a puddle of incoherent goo. I practically melted inside.

"Are you originally from New York?" he asked as he took my hand in his and started playing with my fingers, stroking along them in a sensual caress. I couldn't think. I swear he had asked me a question.

"Erm… sorry what did you say?" I replied, feeling my cheeks getting hot. He didn't laugh at me, but that knowing smirk was back in full force.

"Where were you born?" he asked again, and this time I was the one to tense. Something he felt, considering he was touching me.

"I am from a small town called Milford, in Pennsylvania, but moved here as soon as I turned eighteen," I told him, despite feeling like I had given him too much information. Usually, I didn't share anything about my past.

"With your sights set on the big city?" he commented, making me laugh nervously.

"Something like that," I replied wryly, wishing we were off the subject. So instead of asking where he was born, I asked him about his work.

"I never really got it out of you, are you a cop or not?"

His expression to this wasn't surprising because he didn't at all look like a cop… not in that expensive suit and having a chauffeur driven car.

"My apologies if I gave you the impression that I was," he said, making me frown a little before asking the obvious.

"Why did you?"

He released a small sigh before admitting, "Because I wanted you to feel at ease with me."

I nodded in understanding because, in all honestly, I had barely even had the chance to process what could have happened. No, I was too focused on Victor. And he was right, as soon as I thought he was a cop, I had felt safer around him.

"You certainly knew how to handle that guy with the gun," I said in hopes of prompting him to explain how he did know what to do. Although I ended up being disappointed because he simply replied,

"Let's just say that I know how to handle myself in a fight."

"Yeah, you can say that again. I think the punk will think twice before trying to mug a guy in a suit next time."

He laughed at that.

"I am just thankful I was there," he told me, his fingers doing magical things when they continued to dance along my skin, now moving over the inside of my wrist.

"Me too, because let's just say he wouldn't have been too happy with what he found in my purse." I inwardly winced as I highlighted the vast difference between us and no doubt why, in reality, anything between us would never work. It was obvious we were from two different worlds. And as if to make my point, he asked,

"Why is that?"

I swallowed down my pride and decided to voice the obvious difference between us. I needed to be honest here.

"A cheap outdated phone with a crack in the screen and a single bank card that is one withdrawal away from chewing up the plastic. Yeah, not the payday the guy was banking on, pun intended," I said, laying it out and waiting for him to then say, "goodnight, it was nice knowing you." However, he didn't do this, instead he surprised me.

"It is often said that the lack of money is the root of all evil, so I admire anyone who does not let their situation in life take such a toll on their soul by letting it diminish or tarnish their good nature."

I was shocked by this because it was such a nice compliment that it made it hard to hold back the tears. Of course, to look at him, I wanted to ask what he knew about poverty, but I didn't want to be rude. However, my look of shock must have given away my thoughts.

"Don't let the suit fool you, sweetheart, I was not born into wealth, for my family at one time knew the hardships of poverty well enough."

Okay, so I knew I should have been focusing on the fact he had not been born into money, but I couldn't help my thoughts from lingering on the sweetheart bit. Had he really called me that?

"Well, I admire anyone who can turn their lives around and do it without forgetting where they came from," I replied, making him grin. Then to lighten the mood, I shrugged my shoulders and told him, "Plus, it could also be worse… and I'm lucky."

"How so?" he asked as if he was genuinely interested.

"I have a great friend who let me move in with her a few years ago and charges me hardly any rent because she inherited the place. I also have a job I love, so I know I will get back on track one day," I told him as I used my free hand to brush my hair back, tucking it behind my ear.

"What is it you do?" Again, another question aimed my way, making me wonder if he didn't like talking about himself? Or was he really curious about my simple life? In fact, I wondered what he would have thought had I told him just how un-simple it recently turned after what happened to me last night. He would have thought I was crazy like most people would.

"I work in a bookstore at the Fulton Market Building."

"Then you must have a love for literature," he surmised and once again, I nudged his shoulder and teased,

"It's a good assumption, yes."

Damn, that grin of his was starting to become the center of my universe.

"And what is it you love to read?" he asked, and for some crazy, insane, ridiculous reason, I blurted out the most embarrassing thing yet.

"Vampire romance novels."

He coughed as if choking back a swallow of shock, his hand gripping mine tightening for a quick second before relaxing.

"I honestly don't know why I just told you that," I admitted shamefully, reaching for my coffee that held nothing but froth at the bottom. And yes, the irony wasn't lost on me after what I experienced last night.

Then why aren't you wearing a silver cross and stuffing fistfuls of garlic in your mouth, Nessa? I secretly chastised myself.

But then he said, "You will get no judgement from me, for I was merely surprised."

"Why?" I asked, unable to help myself.

"Are they not thought to be wild, blood sucking monsters?" he asked, making me laugh this time.

"Not in the books I read, no."

He raised a brow in question, so I put down my empty cup and told him, "Blood sucking, yes, monsters, no. In fact, they are usually the hero of the story."

Of course, I now knew about the blood sucking part far more intimately than I would have liked and, Jesus, why was I even talking about this? It was like opening a bloody can of worms. Upon hearing this, he cocked his head slightly to the side as if what I had said was surprising. But once I started, it was like I just couldn't stop…

"They are fierce and often frightening but the romantic side is what I like. The way a character can turn the complete opposite as soon as they meet their love interest. How protective they are and how gentle they can be with the heroine, when with others they are not. I think take out the blood sucking element and it's what every woman wants at heart."

He was shocked enough to jerk back a fraction.

"And what is that?" he asked incredulously, and I released a breathy sigh before I continued to tell him my thoughts.

"The proof that their love has the power to change someone for the better."

Again, his eyes widened before narrowing enough to make him look lost in thought, as if what I said had struck a chord deep within him.

"And this is truly what a woman wants?" he asked as if needing it clarified once more.

"With the right man, yes. To know they matter and bring out the best in a person, not the worst. Of course, I am no expert because it is yet to happen to me personally, but I do think that it is one of the main reasons that women love these type of books… that and the sex."

I winked at him, wondering where the hell my bravery in flirting had just come from. It was as if the old me was peeking up at this handsome stranger as he beckoned it out from within its hiding place. Of course, his reaction was the same as usual, his eyes widened in surprise before he burst out laughing.

"You surprise me yet again."

"Something that I see rarely happens… perhaps you're dating the wrong women and Vampire novels are where it's at… of course, you know what this means, don't you?" I was happy when he started to play along.

"What is that?"

"Book clubs! Yes, that is where you need to find women to date."

His lips quirked and he was quick to ask, "And which book club may I find you part of?"

Now this made me really blush, but because I didn't want our banter to end, I told him, "Sorry, no book club for me."

"Then perhaps I will need to look elsewhere after all… say, a bookstore in the Fulton Market Building?"

Again, my cheeks felt far too hot, embarrassed by the knowledge that my skin was most likely showing it.

"Have dinner with me," he said, dropping the game now and getting straight to the point of what he wanted. My heart skipped a beat.

"I…"

"Tomorrow night," he added before I could protest again about this evening.

I wanted to have dinner with him, of course I did. I would be insane if I didn't. But I was still so guarded with men after my last relationship, and I knew that Victor was the type of man I could really fall for. Harder than ever before, which would mean he would have even more power to destroy me.

But even as I opened my mouth to tell him no, he lifted up my hand, bringing the inside of my wrist to his nose and breathing me in deep. His eyes with their flecks of amber looking up from my skin were penetrating me with his dark gaze.

"Say yes to me," he said boldly, and for some insane reason I did just that.

"Yes."

He hummed in pleasure, a deep sound like a lion's purr.

"Good girl," he then praised, and my insides did a back flip, while my sex would have started panting had it the ability to do so.

After this, he kissed the inside of my wrist before letting me have my hand back. The tingles of where his lips had just been felt as if I had just been branded.

And now I only had one question left to ask myself…

Would my lips be next?