eyes, glittering and black, looked right into her, as if he was trying to figure out the answer to that one himself.
“I failed to properly introduce myself as your host,” he said, finally. “It is an unforgivable offense, one I wish to rectify.”
“Well, you just have, so we’re good. It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Masterson.”
Suddenly, he was there, in front of her. She had no idea how he managed to move so quickly, or what had happened to his cat. One exceptionally long, well-manicured finger caught her beneath her chin and lifted her eyes to his. She drew in a breath; it was impossible to look away. Glittering black eyes, infinitely deep, bore into her own. At that moment, she couldn’t think of any reason why she would want to look away.
“I did not get to dance with you, Ana,” he said, his words a soft caress up and down the length of her spine. “And I so wish to dance with you...”
Her eyes grew heavy and her body began to ache in very specific places. Voices, familiar ones, intruded on her pleasant fog, calling as if from far away.
“Ana! Hey, Doc! You back there?!”
“Tell them you are with a patient,” Vlane commanded softly.
“Yeah, I’m with a patient,” she called out without breaking eye contact.
“You will be done shortly.”
“I’ll be out in a bit. Feel free to raid the fridge.”
“Cool,” one of the boys responded. From the examination room, they heard the brutes moving through the waiting room toward Ana’s private living space.
“Come with me, Ana,” he breathed, moving even closer.
She wanted to, but something was holding her back. What was holding her back? “I...can’t.”
“You must,” Vlane said, cupping her face, brushing his lips lightly over hers.
His lips were so cool, so very soft. She reached for more, but he pulled back slightly, denying her that which she so craved. “I must?”
“Yes. Just for a little while, Ana. Just one dance.”
* * *
D ani dropped her backpack on the kitchen floor and grabbed a Rockstar from the fridge. Because of her high metabolism, the energy drink had no more effect on her than a regular Coke would on a normal teenager. For some reason, the sickeningly sweet taste really appealed to her.
“Where’s Ana?” she said, poking her head into the living room. Food covered every available surface and the brutes were knee-deep in a game of Mortal Kombat.
“In the back with a patient,” Derrick answered without looking up.
“No, she’s not. I was just back there.”
Cal looked up and frowned. “She was there when we got here about fifteen minutes ago. Said she was finishing up and would be out soon.”
Dani went out to the reception desk and picked up Ana’s appointment book. “Her last appointment was over two hours ago.”
“So? Maybe it was a long one.”
Dani shook her head. The hair on the back of her neck prickled; something didn’t feel right. “No. It was only a checkup. And it was Mrs. Conroy. I saw her in town just a little while ago when I was waiting for the bus.”
“A walk-in, maybe?” Cal offered.
The boys put down their controllers and followed Dani into the exam room. It was empty; nothing appeared out of order. Dani walked straight to the other side of the room and pushed open another door to the surgical area. She did that through the entire facility, going from room to room in a big circle until she came back to the waiting room.
“Are you sure she didn’t come into the house?”
Derrick and Cal didn’t think so, but they checked it out anyway. Kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom — nothing. Everything looked as it should.
Her instincts told her that something wasn’t right. Dani lifted her nose and sniffed, picking up faint traces of feminine perfume, weiner dog, a feline of indeterminate breed, and something else. Vampire .
“I’m calling Matt.”
Chapter 14 – Into the Vampire’s Lair
W ith only a slight bit of coaxing, Ana had followed him out the
“I failed to properly introduce myself as your host,” he said, finally. “It is an unforgivable offense, one I wish to rectify.”
“Well, you just have, so we’re good. It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Masterson.”
Suddenly, he was there, in front of her. She had no idea how he managed to move so quickly, or what had happened to his cat. One exceptionally long, well-manicured finger caught her beneath her chin and lifted her eyes to his. She drew in a breath; it was impossible to look away. Glittering black eyes, infinitely deep, bore into her own. At that moment, she couldn’t think of any reason why she would want to look away.
“I did not get to dance with you, Ana,” he said, his words a soft caress up and down the length of her spine. “And I so wish to dance with you...”
Her eyes grew heavy and her body began to ache in very specific places. Voices, familiar ones, intruded on her pleasant fog, calling as if from far away.
“Ana! Hey, Doc! You back there?!”
“Tell them you are with a patient,” Vlane commanded softly.
“Yeah, I’m with a patient,” she called out without breaking eye contact.
“You will be done shortly.”
“I’ll be out in a bit. Feel free to raid the fridge.”
“Cool,” one of the boys responded. From the examination room, they heard the brutes moving through the waiting room toward Ana’s private living space.
“Come with me, Ana,” he breathed, moving even closer.
She wanted to, but something was holding her back. What was holding her back? “I...can’t.”
“You must,” Vlane said, cupping her face, brushing his lips lightly over hers.
His lips were so cool, so very soft. She reached for more, but he pulled back slightly, denying her that which she so craved. “I must?”
“Yes. Just for a little while, Ana. Just one dance.”
* * *
D ani dropped her backpack on the kitchen floor and grabbed a Rockstar from the fridge. Because of her high metabolism, the energy drink had no more effect on her than a regular Coke would on a normal teenager. For some reason, the sickeningly sweet taste really appealed to her.
“Where’s Ana?” she said, poking her head into the living room. Food covered every available surface and the brutes were knee-deep in a game of Mortal Kombat.
“In the back with a patient,” Derrick answered without looking up.
“No, she’s not. I was just back there.”
Cal looked up and frowned. “She was there when we got here about fifteen minutes ago. Said she was finishing up and would be out soon.”
Dani went out to the reception desk and picked up Ana’s appointment book. “Her last appointment was over two hours ago.”
“So? Maybe it was a long one.”
Dani shook her head. The hair on the back of her neck prickled; something didn’t feel right. “No. It was only a checkup. And it was Mrs. Conroy. I saw her in town just a little while ago when I was waiting for the bus.”
“A walk-in, maybe?” Cal offered.
The boys put down their controllers and followed Dani into the exam room. It was empty; nothing appeared out of order. Dani walked straight to the other side of the room and pushed open another door to the surgical area. She did that through the entire facility, going from room to room in a big circle until she came back to the waiting room.
“Are you sure she didn’t come into the house?”
Derrick and Cal didn’t think so, but they checked it out anyway. Kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom — nothing. Everything looked as it should.
Her instincts told her that something wasn’t right. Dani lifted her nose and sniffed, picking up faint traces of feminine perfume, weiner dog, a feline of indeterminate breed, and something else. Vampire .
“I’m calling Matt.”
Chapter 14 – Into the Vampire’s Lair
W ith only a slight bit of coaxing, Ana had followed him out the
Similar Books
