vampire to destroy her defenses? Damn him. She had to pull herself together and be realistic. Falling for a vampire was stupid and impossible. Crazy. Out of the question.
Chapter 13
“Where’s Drake?” Felix handed Talia a bottle of wine with a big red bow. He hurried on to the living room.
“What’s this for?” She followed him, holding the bottle out in front of her, inspecting the label. Yum, Stag’s Leap cabernet.
“For siding with Gerri last night.” He crossed his arms.
“Bitch.” She carried it into the kitchen and poured them each a glass. “Don’t ever disagree with me again or I’ll make sure you’re transferred to the mailroom.”
“You can’t do anything on your own, so your threat does not terrify me at all.” He took his glass and clinked it against hers. “So where’s Drake? Not up yet?”
The doorbell rang, and she waved toward the entrance. “That’s probably Gerri. Get it will you? I’ll check on Drake. He should be up by now.”
Her assistant headed for the door and Talia went to Drake’s room. She knocked softly.
“Come in.”
She opened the door and took a step into the shadowy room. Lights from outside peeked through cracks in the curtains and provided a slight illumination that met the glow from the hall. “Drake?”
“Up here.”
She looked up to find her vampire, crawling across the ceiling. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I just found out I could do this. Cool, huh?” He did a flip and landed on his feet in front of her, a big smile on his face. He wore drawstring pajama bottoms, but his torso was bare, pale skin shining in the light from the hall.
She swallowed, remembering her resolution. She’d act like last night never happened. “Oh, yeah, walking on the ceiling is super cool. Now get some clothes on. We’re going to Coney Island.”
Dragging her eyes from his perfectly chiseled torso, she headed to the living room. Gerri and Felix drank wine and laughed over some joke she didn’t dare ask about.
“Drake’s getting ready.” She took her wine glass from the coffee table.
“Did you hear from Anton?” her assistant asked.
“Yes. He asked a lot of questions I had to evade, but he got some great shots.”
“Good. I can’t wait to see them,” he said.
Drake strode in wearing jeans and a burgundy sweatshirt with a navy down vest over it.
She blinked. How did he do that so fast? “Great. Hurry next time.”
“I’m ready for a hotdog,” Gerri said. “Let’s go.”
They rode down the elevator, conversation buzzing about which rides they liked and what Coney Island foods were best. They reached the lobby and piled into a cab, still laughing and joking.
Stress eased from Talia’s shoulders. Drake hadn’t mentioned last night, and he joked with the others. Maybe he would let her escape a conversation about it. She hoped so.
The cab dropped them at the corner of Stillwell and Surf Avenues, right in front of Nathan’s hotdog shop. They bustled inside and ordered Coney Island dogs. Drake watched as they devoured them, an amused smile on his lips. Talia ate a bite of hers and threw the rest away.
“Seriously, guys, blood is a lot better,” he said.
“No way, dude. Hotdogs are manna from heaven.” Felix licked a glop of mustard off his bottom lip.
“I want to ride the Ferris wheel.” Gerri raised a fist in the air. “Who’s with me?”
“I’m in,” Talia said. A wave of joy splashed over her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done something other than work. It felt good.
“Let’s go, then.” Her assistant headed out the door.
They entered a line at the base of the wheel, and a giddy swirl of happiness kicked up in Talia’s tummy. She had to grin. Felix and Gerri took a car, and she and Drake got in the next. They swung higher and higher. She couldn’t stop laughing.
The wheel stopped with their car at the top. Twinkling, multicolored lights spread out below them, and Drake leaned over so far looking
Chapter 13
“Where’s Drake?” Felix handed Talia a bottle of wine with a big red bow. He hurried on to the living room.
“What’s this for?” She followed him, holding the bottle out in front of her, inspecting the label. Yum, Stag’s Leap cabernet.
“For siding with Gerri last night.” He crossed his arms.
“Bitch.” She carried it into the kitchen and poured them each a glass. “Don’t ever disagree with me again or I’ll make sure you’re transferred to the mailroom.”
“You can’t do anything on your own, so your threat does not terrify me at all.” He took his glass and clinked it against hers. “So where’s Drake? Not up yet?”
The doorbell rang, and she waved toward the entrance. “That’s probably Gerri. Get it will you? I’ll check on Drake. He should be up by now.”
Her assistant headed for the door and Talia went to Drake’s room. She knocked softly.
“Come in.”
She opened the door and took a step into the shadowy room. Lights from outside peeked through cracks in the curtains and provided a slight illumination that met the glow from the hall. “Drake?”
“Up here.”
She looked up to find her vampire, crawling across the ceiling. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I just found out I could do this. Cool, huh?” He did a flip and landed on his feet in front of her, a big smile on his face. He wore drawstring pajama bottoms, but his torso was bare, pale skin shining in the light from the hall.
She swallowed, remembering her resolution. She’d act like last night never happened. “Oh, yeah, walking on the ceiling is super cool. Now get some clothes on. We’re going to Coney Island.”
Dragging her eyes from his perfectly chiseled torso, she headed to the living room. Gerri and Felix drank wine and laughed over some joke she didn’t dare ask about.
“Drake’s getting ready.” She took her wine glass from the coffee table.
“Did you hear from Anton?” her assistant asked.
“Yes. He asked a lot of questions I had to evade, but he got some great shots.”
“Good. I can’t wait to see them,” he said.
Drake strode in wearing jeans and a burgundy sweatshirt with a navy down vest over it.
She blinked. How did he do that so fast? “Great. Hurry next time.”
“I’m ready for a hotdog,” Gerri said. “Let’s go.”
They rode down the elevator, conversation buzzing about which rides they liked and what Coney Island foods were best. They reached the lobby and piled into a cab, still laughing and joking.
Stress eased from Talia’s shoulders. Drake hadn’t mentioned last night, and he joked with the others. Maybe he would let her escape a conversation about it. She hoped so.
The cab dropped them at the corner of Stillwell and Surf Avenues, right in front of Nathan’s hotdog shop. They bustled inside and ordered Coney Island dogs. Drake watched as they devoured them, an amused smile on his lips. Talia ate a bite of hers and threw the rest away.
“Seriously, guys, blood is a lot better,” he said.
“No way, dude. Hotdogs are manna from heaven.” Felix licked a glop of mustard off his bottom lip.
“I want to ride the Ferris wheel.” Gerri raised a fist in the air. “Who’s with me?”
“I’m in,” Talia said. A wave of joy splashed over her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done something other than work. It felt good.
“Let’s go, then.” Her assistant headed out the door.
They entered a line at the base of the wheel, and a giddy swirl of happiness kicked up in Talia’s tummy. She had to grin. Felix and Gerri took a car, and she and Drake got in the next. They swung higher and higher. She couldn’t stop laughing.
The wheel stopped with their car at the top. Twinkling, multicolored lights spread out below them, and Drake leaned over so far looking
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