The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo (Love at Stake) by Kerrelyn Sparks

looked up as he moved to stand beside her.
    He leaned forward, his nostrils flaring, then he straightened, his mouth curling into a slight smile. “How are you?”
    “Fine.” She paused. “How are you?”
    “Well, thank you.”
    She fiddled with her plastic fork. If only she could come up with something brilliant to say. Would he want to hear about the research she did for her doctorate degree? Probably not. “Would you like something to eat?”
    “I had a bottle when I wakened at sunset.”
    “Right.” He doesn’t eat, dummy . She slapped herself mentally. Her gaze drifted to the window, where she could see the basketball court outside and the game still in progress. “I recognize Angus, Roman, and Tino, but who is the man they’re playing with?”
    Dougal glanced at the window. “That’s Carlos. He’s a were-panther.”
    “Another killer cat?”
    “We could give him a CAT scan to be sure.”
    She winced.
    With a sigh, he shifted his weight. “I doona have the gift of blarney.”
    Did he feel socially awkward, too? “I was never good at meaningless chatter, either,” she muttered.
    Time stretched out as he eyed her intently. What on earth was he thinking? She filled the awkward pause by taking a bite of her salad.
    “Then perhaps we should say something meaningful,” he said softly.
    She swallowed her salad without tasting it. “Meaningless is safe.”
    “If ye wanted safety, ye would have run away.” He sat in the chair beside her. “Why did ye decide to stay?”
    “Many reasons.” But mostly you . She sipped some water. “I have an opportunity to save lives. It would be cowardly of me to refuse that, don’t you think?”
    “Ye’re a brave lass, to be sure.”
    Her heart swelled. Not only did he compliment her but he also did it in a way that sounded like sweet music. She picked up her plastic knife to saw on one of the grilled chicken strips. “Another reason—as a scientist, I’m naturally curious about this new world I’ve stumbled into.”
    “Curious enough to venture into the basement while I was sleeping?”
    Her plastic knife snapped in two.
    “It was you, aye?” He leaned an elbow on the table as he twisted to face her. “Ye unbuttoned my shirt.”
    She shrugged, feigning indifference in spite of her pounding heart. “Any number of people could have gone downstairs.”
    “I recognize yer scent of jasmine. ’Tis verra nice.”
    Busted . Her cheeks grew warm. “Fine. I went to check on you. I was concerned. I am your doctor now, you know.”
    His mouth twitched. “So ye had a medical reason to see my chest?”
    She huffed. “I wanted to see if you had a heartbeat. You didn’t. I have no idea how you can be dead for hours and then magically resuscitate yourself just because the sun went down.”
    “ ’Tis the way it is.”
    “It doesn’t make sense.”
    His eyes softened and he leaned close to her. “Does everything have to make sense?”
    Her skin chilled with goose bumps. No, it made no sense that she was so drawn to him.
    “I’d like to spend some time with you so we can get to know each other.”
    He wanted to date? How could she date a vampire? It was impossible, even if a small part of her was thrilled. “I-I don’t think it’s wise to date anyone where I work.”
    He looked away, frowning, then turned back to her. “ ’Tis business. Right now, ye’re surrounded by vampires ye doona trust. And ye canna trust us until ye know us better. So getting to know me will help you work more efficiently.”
    Did he expect her to buy that leap in logic? Still, it was sweet that he was trying so hard.
    His gaze lowered to her mouth, then returned to her eyes.
    She swallowed hard. Was he thinking about kissing her?
    “Will ye give me a chance?” he whispered. “I’ve waited so long for you.”
    Her heart lurched.
    “We’re back,” Abby announced as she plunked down a plate filled with fried chicken strips and French fries.
    Dougal straightened and looked out the