She lowered her head and struggled for control.
“Hey.” Craig lifted her chin and smiled at her. His eyes weren’t tinged red, nor were his fangs exposed. “It’s okay, Evie. You’re doing great.”
“You don’t seem to have any trouble resisting.” She was frustrated. Why did he have better control?
He leaned down until his lips were almost touching her ear. “That’s because I give myself something else to think about. Something more powerful than the bloodlust.” His tongue stroked the curve of her ear and suddenly she didn’t crave blood anymore, she craved Craig.
Damek cleared his throat. “I think you both should drink. As I said before, small amounts regularly at first will help you learn to control the bloodlust.” He handed both of them a half-filled glass and waited patiently while they drank.
Evie wanted to lick the glass but refrained. “So what you’re saying is that most of what we think we know about vampires is fiction.”
“Some, but not all.” He took the crystal glasses from them and went behind the bar to place them in a compact dishwasher. “There is a kernel of truth, but vampires are all different.
Some are stronger when made, some are weaker. All have improved senses and need blood to live, but we all have different abilities.
Craig put his arm around her and guided her toward the other sofa.
Knowing resistance was futile, she followed. She wanted Damek to keep talking. The more information she had, the better.
“I want you to try something,” Craig said to his friend. “Try to get past the barriers of my mind.
“I don’t wish to hurt you, and that will happen if you resist.” Damek’s distress at the thought of hurting Craig was very real. Something inside Evie relaxed. No matter what happened to her, Damek would make sure Craig was safe. That was all that truly mattered to her. They might not have known one another very long, but Craig had gotten under her skin and worked his way closer to her in that short time than anyone else ever had. They’d connected on a deep emotional level that frightened Evie even as she craved it.
“We’ll stop if that happens, but I want to test my limits,” Craig continued.
“I can’t find them and improve them if I don’t have a starting point.”
“You and your analytical mind.”
Damek’s gaze flickered to hers and then back to Craig. “We will start slow.”
Craig nodded. “I’m ready.”
Damek’s gaze narrowed and Evie could feel power building in the room.
The air grew thicker.
“Harder,” Craig demanded.
The glasses on the shelves behind the bar rattled. Neither man gave an inch. Evie’s eyes darted from one to the other. Both looked determined. One crystal goblet shattered. It was quickly followed by the one next to it and the next, until every glass exploded in a row.
Both women gasped and instinctively ducked, but neither man moved. Craig winced but didn’t back down.
“Stop,” Evie yelled. She pulled on Craig’s arm. “Stop this right now.” The walls were practically moving and the front door began to buckle under the pressure.
“Damek. Stop,” Sonia implored.
The pressure backed off immediately. Evie gave a fearful cry when she saw blood dripping from Craig’s nose. “What have you done?”
Evie yelled at Damek, not caring the other vampire could crush her like a bug.
“I thought he was your friend.” She lifted the tail of her blouse and used it to stem the flow of Craig’s blood. For once, the scent of it didn’t make her crave it. If anything, seeing Craig hurt curtailed her need for blood.
“He is.” Damek rose and came toward them. Evie wanted to jump in front of Craig to protect him but knew that was a stupid idea. Damek could easily move her if he wanted to.
The older vampire shoved the laptop to one side and sat on the coffee table in front of Craig. The two men stared at one another and then the corner of Damek’s mouth quirked up in a smile.
Craig’s answering smile made his entire face light up. Evie dropped back on the sofa and shook her head in disbelief.
Men were idiots. Evie now had tangible proof. Damek had almost fried Craig’s brain and now the two of them were smiling at one another. Evie glanced toward Sonia who seemed just as bemused as she was. Yup, women were obviously the smarter sex of the species.
“You did well, my friend,” Damek praised. “I only caught a glimpse of your thoughts at the very end. You have a very strong mind.”
“Good. I thought the walls I built would hold, but I couldn’t be sure.”
Craig suddenly raised his head. “Dawn in four minutes.”
Damek glanced at his watch, his smile growing. “Another talent?”
Craig laughed. “Yeah, I can tell time without a watch.”
“A useful skill.”
Evie had had enough. “Laugh all you want. I’m going to bed.” She’d had enough of idiot men—no, make that idiot male vampires—for one night. She stalked off toward the bedroom, but she could still hear the conversation behind her. She stripped off her clothing and climbed into bed, turning her back to the door.
“I’ve started some searches, but I’ll keep working tomorrow night. I’ll find something,” she heard Craig promise.
Then he said goodnight to their hosts.
Evie knew the moment he entered the room. The brush of fabric against skin as he removed his jeans sounded very loud.
She tensed when he climbed into bed next to her.
“Don’t be mad, Evie.” He ran his fingers over her bare shoulders. “I have to test my limits if I’m ever going to learn and grow.”
He was right. She knew he was right.
She’d done the same thing herself after she’d escaped from Vladimir, venturing out at dawn, retreating quickly when the light burned her skin. But this was different. “He could have seriously hurt you.”
Craig turned her over and pulled her into his arms. “No, he would have stopped long before it got to that point.
Besides, I kept him out.”
She could hear the pride in his voice and didn’t know whether to praise him or yell at him. She did neither, and two seconds later, Craig went still in the bed, his breathing all but stopped. The sun was up and he was in a deep sleep, his heartbeat almost nonexistent.
Evie looked around the room and fiddled with the covers. She wasn’t tired, but there was nothing else to do.
She sat up and studied Craig’s still form.
He was asleep and she wasn’t. A slow smile crossed her face. She hadn’t realized not every vampire could stay awake during the day. This was something she could do that he couldn’t.
Now she didn’t feel quite so inadequate. If she could figure out a way to go outside during the day she might have a huge advantage over the creature who’d made her. Maybe she should try going out on a cloudy day. She’d only tried it once and during full sunlight.
Maybe if she was wearing a hat, coat and sunglasses, she could be outside on a dull day.
She’d have to talk to Damek about that and find out how common this ability of hers was. She hoped it was rare.
Craig looked handsome lying there with his hair tousled. Even relaxed, the muscles of his arms and torso were hard.
She touched them, running her fingers over his biceps. Her breasts began to tingle so she stopped. No point in torturing herself when there was nothing Craig could do about it.
Evie settled against Craig and pulled his arm around her. She’d try to sleep.
That would help the time pass faster.
Vladimir Drake lay in his bed in the basement of the Victorian mansion he owned here in the city. The room was in the basement, but it certainly didn’t feel as though it was. It was sumptuous with its king-sized bed and damask curtains.