enthusiasm.
“Well, I hope it’s all good.” Devlin winked.
“Oh yes, you’re pretty famous.” A sharp glare from my mother silenced me.
Our small conversation was drawn away by the serving of food and I sat in fascination, listening to the snippets of discussion. I didn’t understand a lot of what was being said, but I loved the way Devlin’s voice sounded. My crush was developing as each moment passed.
I couldn’t stop staring, watching the way he talked with his hands and the fact I’d yet to see him take a bite from his plate. When the servers were in front of him, he’d helped himself to the thinly sliced roast beef. He’d even poured some thick brown gravy over it, but it remained untouched.
“Don’t you like your food?” I asked when I couldn’t stand the suspense any longer. He’d pushed it around a few times and at one point even cut a small portion off. Earlier, when Anne and I had talked about my meeting him, we’d debated over whether vampires ate. I didn’t want to go home without this vital piece of information.
“Darcy!” My mother exclaimed, briskly shaking her head.
“It’s okay, Lynn.” Devlin intervened. “I’m sure the food is delicious. I guess I don’t have much of an appetite right now.” I took it as code for ‘this isn’t my preferred meal’ and barely concealed my cringe when his gaze rested briefly on my neck.
My shudder wasn’t missed by his observant eye and he chuckled softly as he beckoned for the nearby staff member. He whispered something into the person’s ear before they hurried away. He gave me a cheeky wink and I felt my face flush. I could definitely understand now why he seemed to have a legion of swooning followers. He was a flirt.
“Your mother tells me you’ve never met a vampire before. I’m flattered to be your first.” His hand played with the empty wine glass in front of him, rolling the stem between his fingertips. He looked so relaxed, while I was a bundle of nervous energy. He broke eye contact with me long enough to offer a ‘thank you’, when the server returned with his request.
I gasped out loud, my eyes wide, horrified. The server gave me a curious glance before continuing to pour Devlin a drink, a very red, very thick liquid that I just knew was blood. Reality hit me hard. I was sitting at the table with a vampire. One that was now draining his glass in one long, gulp. He didn’t even sip it. One moment his glass was full and now it rested back on the table, a few droplets left inside.
My heart pounded in my ears. My throat was instantly dry and I couldn’t get rid of my sweaty palms. I let out a strangled groan when the server poured Devlin another. I couldn’t tear my focus away from the way he tipped back the glass, his throat moving as he swallowed, or the flick of his tongue capturing a stray droplet. He enjoyed every last bit of the drink and I was confused when the table suddenly burst into laughter.
“Was that really necessary?” Vivien chuckled, my mother joining in. I stared at them, and then back at Devlin, who was now wearing a large grin.
“You do know you’ve probably traumatized her. Look!” It was then that I realized how rigidly I’d been sitting, my hands wrapped protectively around my neck. “Honey, it’s okay.”
“You’re fine with him drinking blood in front of you?” My question only made everyone explode into more hilarity.
“You best answer, Devlin,” Vivien deferred, shaking her head and gesturing toward me. “You’ve terrified her.”
I stared at him and caught his regret. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. See?” He held up the glass and slanted it toward me. “It looks like blood, but it’s really tomato juice. I was just teasing and didn’t mean to shock you.” He came around the table and kneeled down beside me. “Can you forgive me?”
I’ll never forget the sight of seeing a strong vampire at my feet, earnestly looking up and apologizing. “So it was just a
“Well, I hope it’s all good.” Devlin winked.
“Oh yes, you’re pretty famous.” A sharp glare from my mother silenced me.
Our small conversation was drawn away by the serving of food and I sat in fascination, listening to the snippets of discussion. I didn’t understand a lot of what was being said, but I loved the way Devlin’s voice sounded. My crush was developing as each moment passed.
I couldn’t stop staring, watching the way he talked with his hands and the fact I’d yet to see him take a bite from his plate. When the servers were in front of him, he’d helped himself to the thinly sliced roast beef. He’d even poured some thick brown gravy over it, but it remained untouched.
“Don’t you like your food?” I asked when I couldn’t stand the suspense any longer. He’d pushed it around a few times and at one point even cut a small portion off. Earlier, when Anne and I had talked about my meeting him, we’d debated over whether vampires ate. I didn’t want to go home without this vital piece of information.
“Darcy!” My mother exclaimed, briskly shaking her head.
“It’s okay, Lynn.” Devlin intervened. “I’m sure the food is delicious. I guess I don’t have much of an appetite right now.” I took it as code for ‘this isn’t my preferred meal’ and barely concealed my cringe when his gaze rested briefly on my neck.
My shudder wasn’t missed by his observant eye and he chuckled softly as he beckoned for the nearby staff member. He whispered something into the person’s ear before they hurried away. He gave me a cheeky wink and I felt my face flush. I could definitely understand now why he seemed to have a legion of swooning followers. He was a flirt.
“Your mother tells me you’ve never met a vampire before. I’m flattered to be your first.” His hand played with the empty wine glass in front of him, rolling the stem between his fingertips. He looked so relaxed, while I was a bundle of nervous energy. He broke eye contact with me long enough to offer a ‘thank you’, when the server returned with his request.
I gasped out loud, my eyes wide, horrified. The server gave me a curious glance before continuing to pour Devlin a drink, a very red, very thick liquid that I just knew was blood. Reality hit me hard. I was sitting at the table with a vampire. One that was now draining his glass in one long, gulp. He didn’t even sip it. One moment his glass was full and now it rested back on the table, a few droplets left inside.
My heart pounded in my ears. My throat was instantly dry and I couldn’t get rid of my sweaty palms. I let out a strangled groan when the server poured Devlin another. I couldn’t tear my focus away from the way he tipped back the glass, his throat moving as he swallowed, or the flick of his tongue capturing a stray droplet. He enjoyed every last bit of the drink and I was confused when the table suddenly burst into laughter.
“Was that really necessary?” Vivien chuckled, my mother joining in. I stared at them, and then back at Devlin, who was now wearing a large grin.
“You do know you’ve probably traumatized her. Look!” It was then that I realized how rigidly I’d been sitting, my hands wrapped protectively around my neck. “Honey, it’s okay.”
“You’re fine with him drinking blood in front of you?” My question only made everyone explode into more hilarity.
“You best answer, Devlin,” Vivien deferred, shaking her head and gesturing toward me. “You’ve terrified her.”
I stared at him and caught his regret. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. See?” He held up the glass and slanted it toward me. “It looks like blood, but it’s really tomato juice. I was just teasing and didn’t mean to shock you.” He came around the table and kneeled down beside me. “Can you forgive me?”
I’ll never forget the sight of seeing a strong vampire at my feet, earnestly looking up and apologizing. “So it was just a
Similar Books
