Bittersweet Blood by Nina Croft Page B

around Tara and peered through the spy hole. “Yup, just checking, he’s still there. And Tara…” She put her eye to the hole. “…he’s huge.” She straightened. “Sorry, but honestly, it’s not often you have a hunky billionaire standing outside your door.” She glanced down at herself. “And I am just so not dressed for this.”
    “It doesn’t matter,” Tara said. “Look, I have to go away for a few days—”
    “You’re going away with him?” Chloe nodded in the direction of the door.
    “Yes. I hired him again and we’re going up to Yorkshire, to my old house, to see if we can find something out up there. I wondered if you would care for Smokey while I’m away.”
    “No problem, but are you sure you’re all right with this? You’ve only just met this guy, and now you’re going away with him. All alone.” She scrutinized Tara. “Are you okay, you look a little strained?”
    “It’s just been a long night, but I’m fine, and Christian’s been a real gentleman. He just wants to help me find out about my past.”
    “Hmm, I look at him and I’ve got to be honest, the word gentleman is not the one that springs to mind.”
    Tara wanted to ask what word did spring to mind, but maybe she was better off not knowing. “Perhaps not, but appearances can be deceiving.”
    “Does Jamie know about this?”
    “No, we just decided tonight. But it doesn’t have anything to do with Jamie.”
    “No, I suppose not. You know we’ve sort of been seeing each other. Jamie and me, I mean.”
    “Really? That’s fantastic. I—”
    A tap on the door interrupted her. Obviously Christian. Tara considered ignoring him, but the tap came again. Harder this time. “We’re coming,” she shouted. “Have a little bloody patience.”
    Chloe raised an eyebrow. “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you swear.”
    “Probably the company I’m keeping,” Tara said darkly.
    “I thought he was a gentleman?”
    “He is. Now, are you going to come up so I can show you where everything is?”
    “Hell, yes.” Chloe said. “I want to meet Christian Roth.” She gave her outfit one more disgusted glance and shrugged. “Let’s go.”
    Tara opened the door. Christian was hovering just outside. “Back off,” she said.
    He took a step back but smiled.
    “Christian, this is Chloe, a friend. Chloe this is—”
    “Christian Roth.” Chloe held out a hand. “I’ve read all about you, Mr. Roth.”
    “I doubt that,” Tara said.
    Christian took Chloe’s hand. “Please call me Christian. Any friend of Tara’s is a friend of mine.”
    Tara rolled her eyes. How corny could you get? But Chloe seemed to lap it up. Leaving them holding hands, she headed up the stairs, let herself into the apartment, and called Smokey. He appeared out of the living room, purring and weaving between her legs. As she reached down to stroke him, he hissed and streaked away, disappearing back from where he’d come from. She turned to see Christian and Chloe standing in the open doorway.
    “Are you going to invite us in?” he asked.
    “Come in.”
    He stepped over the threshold.
    “Just a minute.” Tara peered around the sitting room door as Smokey’s tail disappeared behind the sofa. She frowned. Smokey was normally a very friendly cat, at least with people. Could he sense Christian’s true nature? That made her wonder if vampires could drink animal blood. Ugh! She made a mental note to ask him.
    When she turned back, he was watching her.
    “You wait here,” she said. “I’ll show Chloe where the cat food and so on is. Then pack a bag. I’ll be back in a minute, okay?”
    “No problem.”
    She dragged Chloe into the kitchen and shut the door behind them.
    “I distinctly remember you telling me he wasn’t gorgeous,” Chloe whispered. “Are you mad?”
    “Probably.” She didn’t want to talk about Christian. “Right, he has two meals a day—”
    “Who? Christian?”
    “No Smokey, of course. It’s all in