professionalism had vanished. Hellfire couldn’t have been hotter at that moment in time than she was…in more ways than one. How would she react if he wrapped his arms around her and attempted to kiss her senseless?
Before he could find out, she gouged at him again, warning flashed in her fierce glower. “Fix it, or I’m finished here!”
Alex sailed from the room, an offended, regal queen, leaving a stunned hush of unworthy peons in her wake. Cole stared after her, then turned burning eyes back to skewer the gawking men.
Aiming an unholy flash of his icy blue glare at the laughing drummer, Cole bared gleaming fangs, and snarled. Styx’s laughter choked off and his eyes widened as he sat straighter in his chair.
Cole stalked from the studio. He went to her room first, spent almost ten fruitless minutes cajoling and pleading with her door before he stopped to think. Tipping his head back, he drew a deep breath, realizing by the faded scent trail she wasn’t on the other side. Raking a frustrated hand through his hair, cursing his band to Helheim, he stomped down the hall toward his study.
She’d better be there, because the only other 88
place he could think to check was the garage.
And if she’d gone there… Well, he wasn’t all together certain he wouldn’t drag her back, willing or not. He’d deal with the band later.
Wild honey beckoned him as soon as he rounded the corner, just past the Monet. Her scent enveloped him in a warm cloud of longing.
Soaring music poured out of his study, drifting down the hallway on the tender, passionate strokes of a haunting melody—one he didn’t recognize. It grew and grew. Anger began building in the notes, and the music hit a staggering crescendo. Then the notes fell away and the melody faltered, insecure and heavy with heartbreaking uncertainty.
Cole paused in the doorway of his study. The poignant notes tugged at him until his arms ached with the need to offer her solace and protection. He didn’t move, didn’t speak, staring at her with his heart on his sleeve.
Her head tilted back, her eyes closed, the arch of her neck a pale column in the shadowed room. Those notes flowing from her fingers through the piano had never seen paper. He was as sure of that as he was of the fact that strolling on the Santa Monica Pier at dawn would be detrimental to his health. This music was instinctual, pure, straight from the heart. She was composing it as she played. Floored, he took a step forward, drawn by the emotion swelling in the room.
The music died on an abrupt, discordant note, and Cole reached a hand toward her. The sudden loss of her music a stake in his heart.
Painful. Lethal. She didn’t look at him though.
Instead, she sat with her fingers poised above the keys and her eyes closed, as if finishing the piece in her mind. Once she’d regained her composure, 89
she swiveled on the bench and stared at him. Her hands folded serenely in her lap.
Cole stared back, lost. He couldn’t read her, and it was killing him. What was she thinking?
There was so much more to this woman than he’d ever imagined. Until he’d met her yesterday, she’d only been a talented Human female, albeit a sexy one, he hadn’t been able to shake from the fringes of his mind. Then he’d seen her in her room last night, sleepy and wantonly tumbled, and he’d begun obsessing over her.
Truly obsessing.
Until last night, he hadn’t known the meaning of the word.
When he’d walked in the studio and seen her with Danny and Zack, jealous rage had burn through him, raw and unmistakable. Jealous rage—him! He’d never been jealous of a female in his entire existence. And a Human female—a Mortal female—by Odin, it was unthinkable.
Jealous, possessive instincts of that magnitude in a Vampyre could only mean he’d found his…
No!
He ruthlessly shoved that thought away faster than a Leprechaun could hide his gold, cringing from the possibility as he would a
Before he could find out, she gouged at him again, warning flashed in her fierce glower. “Fix it, or I’m finished here!”
Alex sailed from the room, an offended, regal queen, leaving a stunned hush of unworthy peons in her wake. Cole stared after her, then turned burning eyes back to skewer the gawking men.
Aiming an unholy flash of his icy blue glare at the laughing drummer, Cole bared gleaming fangs, and snarled. Styx’s laughter choked off and his eyes widened as he sat straighter in his chair.
Cole stalked from the studio. He went to her room first, spent almost ten fruitless minutes cajoling and pleading with her door before he stopped to think. Tipping his head back, he drew a deep breath, realizing by the faded scent trail she wasn’t on the other side. Raking a frustrated hand through his hair, cursing his band to Helheim, he stomped down the hall toward his study.
She’d better be there, because the only other 88
place he could think to check was the garage.
And if she’d gone there… Well, he wasn’t all together certain he wouldn’t drag her back, willing or not. He’d deal with the band later.
Wild honey beckoned him as soon as he rounded the corner, just past the Monet. Her scent enveloped him in a warm cloud of longing.
Soaring music poured out of his study, drifting down the hallway on the tender, passionate strokes of a haunting melody—one he didn’t recognize. It grew and grew. Anger began building in the notes, and the music hit a staggering crescendo. Then the notes fell away and the melody faltered, insecure and heavy with heartbreaking uncertainty.
Cole paused in the doorway of his study. The poignant notes tugged at him until his arms ached with the need to offer her solace and protection. He didn’t move, didn’t speak, staring at her with his heart on his sleeve.
Her head tilted back, her eyes closed, the arch of her neck a pale column in the shadowed room. Those notes flowing from her fingers through the piano had never seen paper. He was as sure of that as he was of the fact that strolling on the Santa Monica Pier at dawn would be detrimental to his health. This music was instinctual, pure, straight from the heart. She was composing it as she played. Floored, he took a step forward, drawn by the emotion swelling in the room.
The music died on an abrupt, discordant note, and Cole reached a hand toward her. The sudden loss of her music a stake in his heart.
Painful. Lethal. She didn’t look at him though.
Instead, she sat with her fingers poised above the keys and her eyes closed, as if finishing the piece in her mind. Once she’d regained her composure, 89
she swiveled on the bench and stared at him. Her hands folded serenely in her lap.
Cole stared back, lost. He couldn’t read her, and it was killing him. What was she thinking?
There was so much more to this woman than he’d ever imagined. Until he’d met her yesterday, she’d only been a talented Human female, albeit a sexy one, he hadn’t been able to shake from the fringes of his mind. Then he’d seen her in her room last night, sleepy and wantonly tumbled, and he’d begun obsessing over her.
Truly obsessing.
Until last night, he hadn’t known the meaning of the word.
When he’d walked in the studio and seen her with Danny and Zack, jealous rage had burn through him, raw and unmistakable. Jealous rage—him! He’d never been jealous of a female in his entire existence. And a Human female—a Mortal female—by Odin, it was unthinkable.
Jealous, possessive instincts of that magnitude in a Vampyre could only mean he’d found his…
No!
He ruthlessly shoved that thought away faster than a Leprechaun could hide his gold, cringing from the possibility as he would a
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