“How were the kids?” he asks.
“Great!” I gush far too enthusiastically.
For fuck’s sake. I am a human. A young one. Working as a nanny. I am fond of kids. I’m not an old man, absolutely delighted to get to know his great-great grandkids. If I mess this up and get fired, my life might as well be over. I’ll have nothing left to live for.
“Their behavior was great!” I amend lamely. “And they went to bed with no fuss at all.”
Morgan raises one eyebrow. “Did you ensorcell them or something?”
I almost say, ‘No,’ sulkily, because I did not glamor them. I simply used my vampire strength to play withthem energetically all day and tired them out the good old-fashioned way.
“I wish I had that power,” I manage to say instead.
Morgan chuckles, and the crisis is averted.
“What would you like to drink?” he asks.
“Whiskey,” I reply.
He nods and drifts over to his drinks cabinet. I listen to the quiet sounds of clinking glass and pouring liquid. It’s soothing. Almost homely.
Morgan walks back to me and hands me a cut-glass tumbler. I take it very carefully, ensuring that our fingers do not touch. I don’t think I could cope with that.
I knock back a mouthful of my drink, and flavors explode over my tongue.
“Flipping heck! I didn’t expect you to crack open the good stuff!” I splutter.
Morgan gives me a quizzical look.
“Dalmore?” I ask.
He smiles, “Dalmore twenty-five. You know your whiskey.”
I return his smile and take a far more appreciative sip of the expensive whiskey. God, it is perfection. Full of depth and character.
“Most young people don’t like whiskey,” says Morgan.
I snort in agreement. Ain’t that the truth. The younger generations are all Philistines.
Oh shit. I look up at him in horror. “I…um…my uncle got me into it.”
Morgan simply nods. “Your uncle soundslike a good man.”
“He was,” I reply absentmindedly as I stare at Morgan’s incredibly handsome face. I can’t see any suspicion or alarm. It looks like I got away with it.
“Is he no longer with us?”
I blink and try to focus on the conversation. Hells, my uncle has been dead for eighty years.
“Umm…no, sadly not.”
“And the rest of your family?” His dark eyes are so kind. I could fall into them forever.
“All gone,” I say. “It is just me left.”
And the three children sleeping upstairs.
“I’m so sorry to hear that.”
