“Oh. That must be… hard,” she offers.
“You have no idea.” I shake my head.
“Well. You’re all set now. And I know you’re a strong man. I have full confidence everything will be fine. But you know, there’s no shame in asking a human to keep their distance from you.”
I nod, knowing all this from my mandatory training classes the government requires of all vampires, periodically. As if they know the first thing about it. Although, things have gotten better over the years, as more vampires have started directly working on creating the content.
“See you soon,” I grumble as I stand to leave.
Carly starts to roll back down her shirt sleeve. “Not too soon, I hope.”
“You and me both,” I laugh, and then head from the room, needing suddenly to get far away from every living human and escape back to my mansion.
***
Tressa has become an unexpected distraction that I can’t stop thinking about the entire ride home. Her sun-kissed skin, her makeup-free face, her quiet unassuming beauty. Her mouth. God, her mouth makes me want to do wicked, wicked things.
But it’s not Tressa that I find when I return. In the circular driveway in front of my home, my brother’s white Porsche is parked haphazardly in front of the fountain with its cherubic angels.
“Where have you been?” he asks, stepping out of the car.
“Out.”
He nods once, removing his sunglasses and pocketing them inside his sport coat. I’ve never seen Alastair dressed in anything other than a suit. Well, that’s not true. Once I saw him in a bathing suit, but that was from a photograph when he visited the Playboy mansion.
“I couldn’t get a hold of you.”
“I’m not available twenty-four hours a day. I’m not a damn ATM machine.”
He tips his chin. “Hm, someone’s cranky.”
“How was your visit to the establishment?” I ask, lifting one eyebrow in his direction.
A slow smile uncurls on his mouth. “Eventful.”
I lead the way to the front door with Alastair following closely behind. I know I have no chance of hiding Tressa from him, but his reaction as we cross the threshold to the front door is immediate.
He stops and tilts his head, cocking it to the side. His lips part and he just pauses there like that for a moment.
He can smell her sweetly delicious blood from here. Interesting. So, it’s not just me.
“Is someone here, brother?”
I open my mouth to respond, but Alastair gets his answer as Tressa begins descending the curved staircase. She’s dressed in a black pencil skirt, black tights, and a crisp white button-up blouse. She looks delectable. Very much like a buttoned-up librarian.
“My, my,” he says low under his breath. “Is this the lovely creature who’s kept you from answering your phone for the last few days?”
In a manner of speaking.
I haven’t even thought to bring my phone on my trip away, but regardless, yes, Tressa is the reason for my sudden departure and unintended silence.
“Behave,” I growl in warning to Alastair as Tressa takes the final few steps and approaches us in the foyer.
The uncertainty on her face is unmistakable. She looks perplexed as her gaze dances between the two of us. Something about her expression leaves me feeling unsettled.
It hadn’t occurred to me to be worried about leaving her unattended at my home, although maybe it should have. If Alastair decided to drop by… I inhale sharply. That could have been utterly disastrous.
Though he had just fed the day she arrived, and when he visits the local establishment for female company, it’s not out of the ordinary for him to spend two or three days indulging in all varieties of carnal pleasures. Feasting in more ways than one. Not that the females working there mind much. My brother is something of a legend. He should be sated for now.
Maybe.
“And who is this beautiful creature you’ve been hiding from me?” Alastair says with a wolfish smirk. His gaze slides sensually over her body and the sudden and unrelenting urge to punch him flares inside of me.
“Alastair,” I say stiffly, nodding toward where Tressa is waiting, “This is Miss Porter. Miss Porter, this is my brother, Alastair. He was just leaving.”
“And miss all this?” He chuckles darkly. “Nonsense. Miss Porter, it’s a pleasure.” He extends his hand to her, but rather than return the requested handshake, she takes a step back. Smart girl. Her self-preservation instincts are strong. That should serve her well around Alastair.
“Hello,” Tressa says cautiously. Her eyes flick to mine. “You’re back.”
“I am.
“How’s the project coming along? Did you need something?”
She nods once. “It’s going fine. Moving right along. But I did have a question about something.” Her gaze drifts to Alastair. “Whenever you’re free. There’s no rush.”
Alastair watches our exchange with an amused expression.
I better see what my brother wants and get this over with. Otherwise, he’s bound to overstay his welcome.
“I’ll have Mrs. Potts send for you when we’re through.”
Tressa nods politely and I lead Alastair into the den adjacent to the master suite on the second level. It’s my man cave, as they call it nowadays, my TV room, the place I go to relax. Only right now, I’m not very relaxed, because I can tell my brother’s in the mood to be a pain in the ass.
He helps himself to a glass of the Scotch in the beverage cart Mrs. Potts keeps stocked for his visits.
“Well, she’s a tempting little number, isn’t she?” my brother says, bringing the glass to his lips.
I ignore him and inhale slowly in an effort to calm myself.
“Have you fucked her yet?”
My breathing falters. “Alastair. She is my employee. Hired to oversee my library. That is all.” The words come out halted in short awkward phrases. Great, this is what I’ve been reduced to—she’s been here less than a week, and I can’t even string together a complete sentence.
“Pity,” he murmurs darkly, draining the rest of his glass.
“And how is this any of your business?” I snap, unable to keep my composure.
He shrugs. “I’m intellectually promiscuous.”
“You are not to lay a finger on her, is that understood?” She’s human and she’s not mine, but the idea of Alastair touching her makes me unhappy.
Jealous, even.
Alastair rolls his eyes. “For now.”
Chapter 7
Reign
A few hours later, once I rid myself of my needy brother, I have Mrs. Potts send for Tressa. Ten minutes later, she joins me on the back veranda, looking uncertain as she all but tiptoes across the deck.
“Evening, Miss Porter,” I say as she approaches the seating area under the cedar pergola. The views from this side of the property are outstanding, and Tressa’s reaction doesn’t disappoint as she moves closer, her gaze sweeping up.
Colorado is known for its big sky views, and the stars tonight don’t disappoint. The moon is bright enough to see the gloomy peak of Mt. Gabriel in the distance.
“Good evening,” she says as she approaches.