The Vampire's Mail Order Bride
Her mouth bunched to one side. “I don’t sleep with men I’m not committed to.”
He straightened. “I never thought…no, of course not.” He frowned. “Is that what happens these days? Relationships have turned into friends with benefits?”
She shrugged one shoulder and went back to watching the crowd. “For some, I guess.”
The server returned with their wine. It took her a couple of minutes to set everything up and pour them both a glass after Hugh approved it. Once he’d signed the check and they were alone again, he took Delaney’s hand.
“Listen to me.”
She set her wine glass down and turned to him. “Yes?”
“I’m not looking for benefits of any kind unless it’s a mutual decision. As far as commitment goes—”
“I know. You’re not looking for it.” She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I wasn’t trying to pressure you into anything or make you feel like—”
He cut her off with a kiss, not caring that they were in public and the rumors it would start. He lingered over her mouth, allowing himself a long, languid taste of her. When he finally released her, she seemed a little breathless. “You drive me mad, Delaney. I haven’t felt like this in a very long time, and the truth is, it frightens me a little.”
It frightened him a lot. Her future with him could be a very short one.
She leaned her head to one side. “What are you afraid of? Getting hurt? That’s part of life.”
He just shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it here.”
She studied him, the look in her eyes shifting to sympathy. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t even live here. And now that your grandmother knows the truth about me, I guess the thirty-day deal is off.” She eased her hand out of his. “I should probably think about what I’m going to do next.”
“Stay.” He’d said it without hesitation.
She blinked. “Why? You don’t want a serious relationship. And I’m not interested in being your live-in…whatever that would make me.”
“Maybe…maybe I don’t know exactly what I want except for you to stay.”
She bit her lip. “Do you really feel that way or are you doing this out of pity for me and my situation?”
He picked up his glass of wine. “Keeping you safe has a lot to do with it, but it’s because of the way I feel that I care about keeping you safe. Say you’ll stay. Let’s drink to it.”
Her wine stayed on the table. “I can’t just stay here indefinitely.”
“Why not?” Indefinitely sounded just fine to him. Permanently sounded better.
“I don’t live here.”
“You could.”
“I need a job.”
“I can help you find one.” Or he could just take care of her, but he had a feeling that suggestion wouldn’t go over well. “Also, Captain loves it here.”
She frowned, but there was a sparkle in her eyes. A second later she laughed and picked up her wine glass. “Bringing my cat into this is playing dirty.” She clinked her glass against his. “You’re a hard man to argue with.”
“And I like to get my way.”
“Gee, that doesn’t remind me of your grandmother at all.” She sipped her wine. “We need to set some rules if I’m going stay.”
“Such as?”
“Honesty always. We started off with lies. No more of that.”
“Agreed. What else?”
“We give this—us—a shot. A real shot.”
His eyes narrowed. “What are you asking me for exactly?”
She hesitated. Gathering her courage perhaps. “That we both put our baggage aside and give this relationship a fighting chance. Otherwise, what’s the point? We’re doomed to fail if we don’t.”
He nodded. “I can…try.”
“Good.” She leaned in, beaming at him with the kind of naughty grin that curled his toes. “Because if you’re willing to do that, then I think we can talk about adding some benefits.”
Delaney enjoyed Hugh’s stunned, open-mouthed response to her suggestion. She sipped her wine and took it all in, amazed that she could get that kind of response out of a centuries-old vampire.
Huh. Her boyfriend was a vampire.
He finally cleared his throat and found his voice. “What kind of benefits are you talking about?”
“Yeah, what kind of benefits?” Julian plopped down on the sofa next to them. He waved at one of the servers. “Hey, gorgeous, can you bring us another glass? Thanks.”
With a grin, he put his feet up on the table and sat back. He gave Hugh a very pointed look. “Look at you, out at Insomnia of all places. And with a date.”
Hugh’s expression went stony. “I thought you preferred the human clubs, Julian.”
Julian shrugged. “Even I need a break once in a while. Besides, I like to dip my toe into both sides of the river, if you know what I mean. Human, supernatural, I like ’em all.”
Hugh grimaced. “If only it was just your toe you were dipping.”
Delaney rolled her lips in to keep from laughing.
The server brought another glass and poured wine for Julian. He lifted the glass to them. “Here’s to the happy couple then.”
“We were just going home, actually,” Hugh said.
Julian ignored the hint. “Before you do, I thought you should know I ran into Piper.”