Dalton, Tymber - Love and Brimstone [Brimstone Vampires 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Tymber Dalton

her life and you…haven’t.” Telling her now of Matthias’ ten-year crush might not be the wisest choice.
    Matthias hesitated, then sat in Tim’s vacated chair.
    Then he looked her in the eye and smiled.
    Oh, Jesus, that smile! It took her breath away and started a deep, longing ache inside her. No one ever made her feel like that. What were they talking about again?
    Matthias waited for her eyes to settle and focus on him, his voice so soft she had to carefully tune her full attention.
    “Anastazia,” he whispered. A delicious shiver ran up her spine and spread through her very core. “Are you all right?”
    She slowly nodded, unable to pull her gaze from him.
    She didn’t want to.
    “I know this is difficult to believe. We understand you’re upset. We never wanted you to find out like this. This wasn’t the plan. But I have to protect you.”
    “I can protect myself.”
    “Of course you can.”
    “Don’t patronize me, Matthias.”
    He paused. She didn’t miss the satisfied smirk Robertson shot Matthias. “I’m not patronizing you, Anastazia. There is a lot for you to learn. You must get past this initial shock, and then we can get started.”
    Taz fought the urge to lean over and kiss him. He wasn’t wearing cologne. He never did, but he smelled like bath soap and laundry detergent, his deodorant, and something else that made her want to reach over and…
    She blinked. Holy crap, what is wrong with me? “You can’t convince me you all aren’t seriously whacked.”
    Matthias nodded. “I know.”
    She looked at them again. “You’re all crazy.”
    He shook his head. “We’re not crazy. This situation, yes, is crazy.”
    Robertson used a handkerchief to pick up the knife and carefully handed it to Matthias. She noticed they kept the cloth between their flesh and the weapon. Matthias showed it to her, and when she reached out to touch it, he pulled it back. “No. Never touch a demon’s knife with your bare hands.”
    She looked. Made of metal, it resembled stainless steel, but darker. Several large, maroon stones were embedded in the rough handle, which was wrapped with a strange leather cord. It radiated a horrible feeling, a sick heat.
    She turned away, unable to look at it. “No.”
    Albert took it away. Even though he hadn’t actually touched the metal, Matthias wiped his hands on his pants. “There are a lot of things we must teach you. I can’t begin to explain it all.”
    “What about his other…stuff?” She motioned to the briefcase and papers on the table.
    “I’ll get them,” Robertson said, clearing the table.
    “It won’t hurt him to touch that?”
    “It’s just their tools,” Matthias explained. “The forged items you cannot ever touch. Or the demon itself, until you’re strong enough to fight.”
    She still had trouble processing all of this. But she felt a little calmer.
    “Vampire?” she asked him.
    He nodded.
    “Let me see your teeth.”
    He suppressed a laugh and opened his mouth.
    “You don’t have fangs.”
    “Hollywood myth.”
    She looked at Albert and Robertson. “Vampire?”
    Matthias nodded.
    She fell quiet for a long moment. “I don’t feel so good.”
    “That’s understandable,” Matthias said. “This has been quite a shock for you.”
    She watched them, and they didn’t interrupt her thoughts. Finally, in a soft voice that didn’t sound like her, she said, “Why are you doing this to me? Why are you putting me through this?”

    * * * *

    Matthias wanted to reach out and hold her. He also knew if he did, it would send her running. Just to be this close to her and have the secret out, despite the circumstances, was a relief.
    Tim, sensing her mood, stepped forward again. “Taz, we never wanted this to happen,” he said from behind Matthias. “This isn’t how we wanted you to find out. We were going to ease you into it, reveal things slowly, and once we had shown you many things, put a name to it.”
    “You go out in the daytime. I