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Alice opened her mouth to reply, but a woman stepped into the room. White teeth flashing, she wasn’t the one who’d applied their masks, but she wore the same collared shirt that declared her a spa employee. “How are we doing back here?”
“We’re good, thanks,” Alice said. Had the woman overheard?
“Another ten minutes and we’ll be back to remove the masks and start the pedicures. Can I get you anything? Coffee? A magazine?” she asked.
“No, thanks,” Alice replied, wishing the woman was a little worse at her job.
She nodded and disappeared back the way she’d come, leaving the door only partially shut.
“So you found blood?” Cindy asked, pitching her voice even lower.
Alice groaned. “I walked in and saw him drinking from his shampoo bottle,” she muttered as quietly as she could manage.
“Gross!”
“Right? He didn’t see me see him. But I checked it when I took a shower. I knew he smelled like my shampoo. He’s probably been using mine. And I snuck a peek in his bag. He brought a ton of product with him. Cologne, hair gel, stuff like that. ”
“The man doesn’t seem to use any of it. ”
“Exactly. I guess I should have suspected it sooner. ” And maybe she should have. But the idea of vampires being real was something she still struggled with. Granted, Olivia had proven her powers and showed off her fangs to her, Cindy, and Andrew. But now, months removed from her demonstration, it all seemed too surreal.
Cindy shrugged and examined her freshly manicured nails. “Why would you? Olivia was very clear on that. Vampires are really rare. Meeting one in a lifetime is a statistical improbability, she said. And running into another one who is totally unrelated to the first? I’m sure she’d have something to say about those odds. ”
Alice sighed. “I miss her. The way she talked. Who would have guessed we’d meet a vampire and she’d be such a—”
“Nerd?”
“Cindy,” she said, suppressing a laugh.
“What? She’s a total nerd. ”
Cindy was right. But somehow, the smart little vampire had seemed like such a perfect match for their athletic, outgoing brother. “How is Andrew doing?” Alice asked, good humor draining from her as she remembered the last time she’d seen her big brother. “I knew he’d have a hard time with the wedding, but I can’t believe he didn’t show up. ”
Cindy leaned back in her chair and fanned herself with the spa’s brochure. “He said he’s fine. And he claimed he had to work. I say he’s full of it. Getting left at the altar…” She shook her head. “That’s not something you get over quickly. And it’s only been six months. ”
Alice shook her head, not sure what to say. Andrew had always been closer to Cindy, and if he wouldn’t open up to her, he certainly wasn’t likely to open up to anyone else. Olivia had hurt him deeply, even if he refused to admit it. Nothing else would have kept him from his younger sister’s wedding.
“So how do you feel about the whole vampire thing?” Cindy asked.
Alice shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me. Why should it? We’re just neighbors. ”
Cindy’s eyebrows flew up. “Oh, really?”
“Yes. I thought maybe we could be friends, but I’m not even sure we can be that. ” And she wasn’t. Not after that kiss.
“Uh-huh. That man doesn’t look at you like a friend, and you practically have to wipe the drool off your chin around him. ”
Alice gasped. “That’s not true! I mean, sure. He’s not bad to look at—”
Cindy snickered.
“But that doesn’t mean I’m drooling over him. And even if I was interested in him—which I’m not—he’s out of my league. ” That Noah was a vampire made the fact even clearer. Noah, the man, was quite a catch; Noah, the vampire, had to send all women’s hearts aflutter.
“He is not! You don’t give yourself enough credit. ” Cindy’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t follow it with a strike at Brent like she would have a year ago. The whole situation had to be awkward for her. She had disliked Brent intensely, even before he’d hurt Alice. But he was her soon-to-be husband’s brother. Robert was a good man, too good. And he saw only the good in other people; he didn’t see the selfishness in Brent Cindy saw.
“Regardless, I’m not ready for anything like that yet. ” She wasn’t ready for something serious. And no matter how cool she played it with Cindy, she couldn’t contemplate a simple short-term thing with Noah, no matter how tempting the idea was. And contemplating letting anyone close enough to use her again turned her stomach.
“Well, maybe it’s for the best. ”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because if a vampire as nice as Olivia could leave Andrew at the altar, maybe they’re all a bunch of heartless bastards,” Cindy said.
Cindy’s worried movements suddenly made sense, and Alice forced down the urge to defend Noah. Cindy was right to be concerned. She didn’t know Noah well enough—not really—to declare his motives pure. Even though, strangely, she felt like she did.
“Are you going to tell him you know what he is?”
She shrugged. “Why bring it up?”
“You should ask about his family, for your genealogy hobby. Just to see him fumble around for an excuse. ”
Alice snickered. “It’s his secret. If he doesn’t want me to know about it, well, then I guess I’ll pretend I don’t. ”
“I guess that’s fair. ” Cindy took a deep breath. “I tried to get Robert to leave Brent off the guest list. ”
Alice started at the change in subject. “Cindy! You shouldn’t have done that. ”
Cindy scratched at the corner of her mask and avoided meeting Alice’s gaze. “I can’t stand him—and it kills me that you have to see him again after what he did to you. ”
“But he’s Robert’s brother. ” Her heart swelled and she blinked back tears. The mask would be a dead giveaway. But her sister, her tough little sister, had fought for her. It meant a lot.
“Yeah. That’s what Robert said. And I know he’s a little…blind to Brent’s faults. ”
“Well, don’t try to step between them for me. I’m just fine. But—thank you. ”
They finished their beautifying and Alice headed back to her shared room. Not much time remained to get ready for dinner, and she wanted to make sure she was as close to a knock out as she could get tonight. If she wasn’t, Brent and Kristen were sure to show up. And despite all the feelings Noah stirred in her, she still cared about showing Brent what he was missing. Annoyance flashed through her at that realization, but it didn’t change the fact that she cared.
She opened the door as quietly as she could, but Noah sat up on the loveseat as she entered the room. His hair was smooshed and ruffled in a very enticing way, and he stared at her in confusion before his features settled into their normal polite smoothness.
She tugged on her fingers, suppressing the urge to run them through his mussed hair. His lips were parted slightly, and she knew a very clever tongue waited behind them. As if sensing her desire to smooth his hair, he ran his own hand over it. His hands were so strong, large, and a little rough, as if he actually worked with them occasionally. Maybe he did.
She really didn’t know him all that well. For all she knew, he was a master craftsman. Heck, he could dig ditches for fun and she’d have no idea. But she knew what those hands felt like on her arms, against her back. And she could almost feel them on her stomach, and teasing her breasts.
He opened his mouth to say something, then cocked his head to the side. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she said, and heat rushed over her cheeks. She spun quickly to avoid his knowing eyes, and hit her own suitcase with her big toe.
“Shit!” she said. Noah appeared at her side, his arm already under hers. She tried to hobble away, not sure if she could resist tearing his clothes off
if he kept touching her. But he ignored her meager efforts to escape—if he noticed them at all—and he half-carried her to the bed and helped her sit.
“That sounded like it hurt,” he said, kneeling in front of her and taking her foot into his hand.
“It’s fine. I’m just a klutz. ” Her toe throbbed slightly, calling her a liar with every beat of her pulse.
He grinned at her red toe. “You didn’t seem like a klutz on the volleyball court today. I think you were trying to hide your blush. No doubt, terribly perverse thoughts about me were flying through your head. ”
She gaped at him.
“Your toe is fine,” he announced, but he didn’t release her foot. He looked up and met her eyes, and the intensity of his gaze swept over her. Desire hit her like a bag of bricks, a swift blow that robbed her of her breath and made her whole body ache.
“I was thinking no such things,” she said, wishing her breathlessness didn’t give her away.
“Liar. ”
“We aren’t right for each other. And what happened last night isn’t happening again. ” It wasn’t. It couldn’t. There was no way she’d be able to stop things again like she did the night before. Not if he kept looking at her like that. And he was a vampire, just like Olivia. And she’d run off after swearing to love her brother forever. What would stop Noah from doing the same? Vampires weren’t normal people. She had to remember that.
“You’re right. We aren’t right for each other. ”
Anger flashed through her, fanning her desire in a most annoying way. The greatest defense is a good offense. “We’re not. In fact, I can’t think of anyone less suitable for me. ”
“Oh?” He quirked an eyebrow at her and she ignored it. How could he look so scrumptious and be so annoying at the same time?
“No. Besides, I’m not looking to be tied down. ”
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