Lucky for Andrei—but mostly for Spencer—the man had stayed in control. His rational human mind had reminded him picking a fight with a hundreds-of-years-old vampire would get him killed at best, served up on a spit with an apple shoved in his mouth at the dinner party at worst. Well, he could think of worse things, but that was a path he wouldn’t allow his mind to go skipping down. No sense in imagining himself as the star of a horror movie.
Of course, living in The Underworld around all those demons, Lilith was probably used to—expected—men to fight over her. Spencer didn’t have it in him to throw the first punch, though. If Andrei started something, he would do his damnedest to finish it, but so far, it seemed the old vampire was just trying to get a rise out of him.
Or had it been a test? Had Lilith orchestrated the encounter to see what kind of man Spencer was? If she was looking for an alpha, she would be disappointed.
Don’t be ridiculous, asshole.
Surely a woman of Lilith’s age and prominence wouldn’t play games like that. She’d either have to accept him as he was or find someone else to toy with. His feathers ruffled beneath the surface at the thought of her finding someone else. No, Lilith had to be his. He would just have to find a way to convince her that she needed a nice guy in her life.
A soft knock sounded from the hallway, and he cleared his throat. “Come in.”
Lilith’s angelic face appeared as she cracked open the door. “The sun will be setting soon. Would you like to see the gardens now?”
“I’d love to.” He followed her through a long corridor lit with electric lamps, their sconces made to look like torches. When Lilith was here the first time, actual torches probably illuminated the hallway…the entire castle. They made a left, another left, and then a right before descending a narrow servants’ staircase and exiting onto the back porch.
“You know your way around the castle well.”
She pulled the door shut and gestured for him to walk with her. “I lived here for a time when I first turned Andrei. He and I… He needed guidance.”
He stopped at the edge of the pavement and fisted his hands, the green-eyed monster trying to claw its way to the surface again. “You were lovers.”
She tilted her head, studying his eyes. “Yes, we were.”
“And now?”
“I’m here with you, am I not?” She slipped her hand into his and guided him toward a pristine garden with a bubbling stone fountain. A topiary shaped like a wolf stood on one side of the structure, a crescent moon-shaped bush on the other. The sun sank behind the mountains in the distance, the waning light casting a purple glow on the clouds.
Her hand felt cool wrapped in his, and as she twisted her palm to lace their fingers together, warmth spread through his chest. She was there with him, and he couldn’t think of anywhere he’d rather be.
“Why did you break up?”
She was silent for a moment, her jaw working like she couldn’t find the right words. “Times were different then. Even though I sired him, I’m a woman, so I was considered less-than. Andrei was a typical brute of the time, and I enjoyed him for a while. Until he began to assert dominance, to ‘put me in my place,’ so to speak.”
“He wanted to control you.”
“Yes, he did.”
“I can imagine that didn’t go over well.”
She shrugged. “All men were like that, but I will never agree to a subservient position in any relationship. No woman should.”
“You’re absolutely right. I can’t imagine trying to dull your shine.”
She let out an embarrassed laugh, and if a vampire were capable, she would have blushed. “What about you? Tell me about your life before Hollywood.”
“I grew up in Arizona. My mom never married, so it was just her, my sister, and me. When I was old enough to get a job, I worked at my dad’s feed store, lugging fifty-pound bags of horse food, keeping the stockroom organized. I stayed there into my late twenties.” He laughed. “My life’s not nearly as interesting as yours.”
“It sounds quaint.” She raised her brows. “And absolutely boring.”
“It was. I enrolled in the audio/video program at the local community college, learned how to operate a camera, and headed to L.A. to add some excitement to my life. I worked odd jobs on indie shows until I landed a spot on Expedition Excitement, and well…Rebecca said she told you the rest.”
She nodded. “This blacklist you’re on. It makes it impossible for you to find employment in the industry?”
He nodded. “Which is why this expedition is so important. If our show gets canceled, I’ll have to move back to Arizona. I don’t have any other skills, and lugging feed doesn’t pay nearly enough to afford an apartment in L.A.”
“I will do my best to provide the footage you need. Real evidence. No glamour.”
“Thank you.” He stopped walking and faced her, resting his hand on her hip. “I mean that.”
