When she emerged from the bathroom, her entire body flushed with heat. Laid out on the bed were two sets of her bras and panties, her black leggings, two sweaters, her jeans, socks, and a sweatshirt. He’d gone through her things. Touched them. She wasn’t sure why that left her so…flustered. He’d obviously seen her mostly naked.
But as she hooked the clasp on the red lace bra, she remembered his sculpted chest. The feel of his arms around her. And suddenly she wondered exactly what his intentions were. Or what hers were. She was still dying. And Declan…well…he was still a vampire.
Get it together, Riley. You’re not seriously considering having aflingwith a vampire, are you?
She didn’t know what she was considering. Not really. But dragging the sweatshirt over her chest made her nipples tighten and tingle, and her core heat. This…wasn’t normal. Not for her, and definitely not for all she’d been through in the past thirty-six hours. Shock. It had to be shock. Pretty soon, she’d realize just how insane all this was and probably have a breakdown.
But at least for the moment, she was starving. Opening the bedroom door, she scented something rich and buttery. “Declan?”
With a rustle of air and a dark blur on the stairs in front of her, he appeared at her side. “How are you feeling?”
Riley took a quick step back, hit the door, and started to fall, but Declan caught her and set her gently back on her feet. “Shit. You move so…fast. I…wasn’t expecting…”
His sapphire eyes darkened, turning almost midnight black as his lips pressed into a thin line. “My apologies. I forget myself. I have not spent significant time among humans in many years. Will you forgive me?”
“Um…sure.”
Relief softened his features, and he offered her his arm. Reluctantly, Riley wrapped her fingers around his elbow. It was like holding onto granite. Cool, hard granite.
“I should have asked you what you wanted to eat,acushla, but I left too quickly. If this does not sate you, I will go back out. There is still a bit of time before sunrise.”
Vampire. Remember. He’s a vampire.
Riley gawked at the lavish furnishings of a study, a formal dining room, and a large kitchen. These rooms hadn’t been on the tour. Despite their cleanliness, they looked…lived in. The desk held stacks of papers and several books, and in the dining room, one chair was askew.
“How long have…you…um…lived here?”
Declan’s gaze turned cool and hard. “I took over the castle from my sire when his children united to destroy him. That was a little over two hundred years ago.”
“What?” Riley squeaked and yanked her hand away. “You…killed the previous owner?”
“I ended his existence. Killed is not an appropriate term.” Gesturing to an ancient table in the corner of the kitchen, Declan nodded. “Sit. I have coffee, wine, and water. Which would you prefer?”
His tone left little room for discussion, and she stammered, “C-coffee, please.”
Wrapping her arms around herself, she curled against the back of the chair as moved soundlessly, pouring coffee into a mug, setting it in front of her, and pulling a tray from the antique oven.
For a brief moment, she thought she saw his eyelids flutter as he inhaled the steam rising from the food, and when he’d transferred several pieces of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and what looked like creamed spinach onto a plate, he looked like a starved man, almost salivating.
But as soon as he put the plate and silverware down in front of her, the moment passed, and he leaned against a massive island a few feet away. “Is this…acceptable? There is also apple pie.”
“There’s not much I wouldn’t eat right now,” Riley said as she picked up the fork. “But this looks great.”
After a few bites spent with him watching her, she frowned. “You don’t…eat?”
“No.”
Straightening her shoulders, Riley met his dark gaze. “Did I do something wrong? You’re angry. And I don’t understand why you’d be angry at me when youtoldme to stay here. All I did was sleep and take a shower.”
Declan seemed to crumble under the weight of her words, and he turned back to the coffee pot on the stove and poured himself some of the dark brew. “No. You did nothing wrong. I am an idiot, Riley.”
“Is that supposed to be an apology?” The coffee fueled her, gave her the strength to stand up to him, even though her heart felt like it was about to jump right out of her chest.
With the mug cupped protectively in his hands, Declan approached slowly. “May I sit?”
“It’s your house.” Her retort made him flinch, and she quickly added, “Go ahead.”
He stared into the bottom of the mug like it held the answers to all the questions in the known universe. “Coffee does not affect me like it does you. But occasionally, I brew a pot. To try to remember what it was like to be…human.”
