kept talking. “That’s why I’m so glad to have Haley as my protégé as well as my progeny. I’ve been so bored these last couple of years that I was afraid I was becoming positively dull. But training Haley has reinvigorated me.”
“Are you sure that’s all that’s reinvigorated you? Training her?” Ilona asked coyly. “Or has your little fledgling also rekindled some heat in your pants?”
I knew the vampiress was laying a trap, but I really didn’t know which way to jump. If I lied and said that Haley and I were lovers, would that enrage Ilona or dissuade her from harassing me further?
“I’m surprised at you, Miss Firenze,” I said, allowing my voice to carry a hint of judgment. “I never knew that you were the type of vampiress who wanted to put a label on everything. I always believed you enjoyed life being more fluid than that.”
I caught her off guard for a moment, but she quickly recovered. “Well, well, well,” she exclaimed. “My how things have changed. It’s hard to believe that you’re the same vampire as the sniveling mess that was crying on my two-thousand thread count sheets just mere weeks ago.
“I wasn’t sniveling,” I protested.
“Dorian,” she said, reaching over and squeezing my knee. “I’m the one who had to listen to you drone on and on for half the night. I can assure you, there was sniveling.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Why are you really here, Ilona?”
“I have some business to attend to,” the vampiress insisted. And then she feigned hurt. “You act like you're not happy to see me.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth,” I assured her, patting the hand that was still clutching my leg.
“Good.” She gave me a smoldering look. “And if you’re really not with Haley, then I think we should head upstairs. After all, I remember there was a time when we used to have quite a lot of fun together.”
Ilona was a beautiful woman. She had obviously been quite attractive as a mortal and that beauty had been amplified by her transformation into the undead. But the thought of lying with her was repellent to me. I’d seen too much beyond the red lips and full breasts. She was dangerous and hateful in a way that was unique to the undead. And maybe a few special people in Hollywood. Plus there was Haley. I knew that it was unlikely that Haley and I would ever be together. But somehow lying with somebody else felt like a betrayal. My heart belonged to my scion and I guess that meant my body did too. I was ashamed of the way I had behaved on my recent stay in Europe, even though I was trying to forget her.
“I love you for asking,” I said to Ilona. “But I feel like that would be taking advantage of my aunt’s hospitality. You know how I hate to be rude.”
The vampiress sniffed. “I thought you were entitled to your fair share of this pile of rocks. Isn’t it part of your legacy?”
“True, but I stay here so infrequently that I almost feel like a guest.”
Ilona leaned forward, searching my eyes. “What’s happened to you, Dorian?” she asked. “You used to never shy away from a quick romp in the sheets. It’s like you’ve transformed from Casanova into a monk.”
I gave a casual laugh. “Oh Ilona. You always did have a flair for the dramatic.” She was trying very hard to get my goat and I was trying desperately hard not to let her.
“Well if the old Dorian is still in there, then take me upstairs now,” she insisted. “You can work off some of that frustration you were feeling over your scion.”
“Yes, but that’s all over with now,” I said, countering her again. “And I’m expecting Haley any minute. Don’t you think it would be a little crass for her to discover us?”
“Not if she wanted to join in,” Ilona insisted, her eyes practically boring into me.
“I told you,” I said, trying to force my voice not to sound tight. “It’s not like that between us.”
“I know what you said. But are you sure your
“Are you sure that’s all that’s reinvigorated you? Training her?” Ilona asked coyly. “Or has your little fledgling also rekindled some heat in your pants?”
I knew the vampiress was laying a trap, but I really didn’t know which way to jump. If I lied and said that Haley and I were lovers, would that enrage Ilona or dissuade her from harassing me further?
“I’m surprised at you, Miss Firenze,” I said, allowing my voice to carry a hint of judgment. “I never knew that you were the type of vampiress who wanted to put a label on everything. I always believed you enjoyed life being more fluid than that.”
I caught her off guard for a moment, but she quickly recovered. “Well, well, well,” she exclaimed. “My how things have changed. It’s hard to believe that you’re the same vampire as the sniveling mess that was crying on my two-thousand thread count sheets just mere weeks ago.
“I wasn’t sniveling,” I protested.
“Dorian,” she said, reaching over and squeezing my knee. “I’m the one who had to listen to you drone on and on for half the night. I can assure you, there was sniveling.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Why are you really here, Ilona?”
“I have some business to attend to,” the vampiress insisted. And then she feigned hurt. “You act like you're not happy to see me.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth,” I assured her, patting the hand that was still clutching my leg.
“Good.” She gave me a smoldering look. “And if you’re really not with Haley, then I think we should head upstairs. After all, I remember there was a time when we used to have quite a lot of fun together.”
Ilona was a beautiful woman. She had obviously been quite attractive as a mortal and that beauty had been amplified by her transformation into the undead. But the thought of lying with her was repellent to me. I’d seen too much beyond the red lips and full breasts. She was dangerous and hateful in a way that was unique to the undead. And maybe a few special people in Hollywood. Plus there was Haley. I knew that it was unlikely that Haley and I would ever be together. But somehow lying with somebody else felt like a betrayal. My heart belonged to my scion and I guess that meant my body did too. I was ashamed of the way I had behaved on my recent stay in Europe, even though I was trying to forget her.
“I love you for asking,” I said to Ilona. “But I feel like that would be taking advantage of my aunt’s hospitality. You know how I hate to be rude.”
The vampiress sniffed. “I thought you were entitled to your fair share of this pile of rocks. Isn’t it part of your legacy?”
“True, but I stay here so infrequently that I almost feel like a guest.”
Ilona leaned forward, searching my eyes. “What’s happened to you, Dorian?” she asked. “You used to never shy away from a quick romp in the sheets. It’s like you’ve transformed from Casanova into a monk.”
I gave a casual laugh. “Oh Ilona. You always did have a flair for the dramatic.” She was trying very hard to get my goat and I was trying desperately hard not to let her.
“Well if the old Dorian is still in there, then take me upstairs now,” she insisted. “You can work off some of that frustration you were feeling over your scion.”
“Yes, but that’s all over with now,” I said, countering her again. “And I’m expecting Haley any minute. Don’t you think it would be a little crass for her to discover us?”
“Not if she wanted to join in,” Ilona insisted, her eyes practically boring into me.
“I told you,” I said, trying to force my voice not to sound tight. “It’s not like that between us.”
“I know what you said. But are you sure your
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