With a laugh, he gestured toward his door so that she could lead them to the garage.
They got into Delilah and headed toward the modest home Amandine was renting not far from Forsyth Park.
“This is rather underwhelming for someone who is the heiress of a vampire dynasty. Don’t you think?”
Luke shrugged. “You never know. I live in an apartment above a garage that gives my mother hives whenever she visits. Some of us don’t need all the bells and whistles.”
He had a point. “Why do you live in a small apartment?” She would think he’d be more at home in a grand palace or mansion.
“It’s convenient and I don’t want to draw attention to myself.”
She couldn’t stop the mad laughter that exploded from her.
Luke turned his head to give her an annoyed glare. “What was that?”
“Oh, yeah, ya blend,” she said, imitating Marisa Tomei from My Cousin Vinny. “Do you own a mirror? You’re nine feet tall, exceptionally handsome and wear a black leather coat in the dead heat of summer. Dude! You do nothing but stick out.”
“Dude?” he repeated.
“It’s one of my favorites. I know it annoys many people so I try to limit its use around strangers.”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “Doesn’t bother me. And…I can’t help my looks.”
“Aren’t you a shapeshifter?”
“Human appearance or hellhound. I only have two forms. Well, unless you count the wings I keep hidden. I guess that could be considered a third form.”
For some reason, that surprised her. “You have wings?”
“I do.”
Interesting. “So you could fly if you had to?”
“Yes, but rather not. With human paranoia being what it is, I might get shot down. And while it wouldn’t kill me, it’d definitely hurt and piss me off to no uncertain end. With my luck, some old woman somewhere would find me and put me in her cage and force me to say, ‘I think I saw a puddy cat’ for eternity.”
Sorcha tried hard not to laugh at his dry humor, but…
He arched a brow. “Don’t you dare laugh. I’m still waiting for those nude photos of me to show up someplace. It’s why I don’t dare run for office.”
Now she was laughing so hard, she was grateful she was sitting in the car. Otherwise, she might have fallen.
Luke appeared a bit peeved as he took his hair down.
She didn’t know why, but his movements made him seem even hotter than normal. His presence was so disturbing. They just didn’t make men like this in the flesh, and it was hard to pretend he was normal when he exuded an unholy sex appeal.
Getting out of the car, she needed to put some distance between them.
Luke joined her on the curb and led her toward the nondescript white house that had been converted into apartments. He led her up the stairs to the second floor, then stopped in front of the first door on the left and knocked.
A man in his early twenties opened it. With dark blond hair, he barely reached Luke’s shoulder. His blue eyes widened as he saw Luke dominating the hallway.
Luke scowled at him. “Eli…what are you doing here?”
“Same to you.”
The confusion on both their faces might be comical if it wasn’t undercut by a ferocity Sorcha didn’t understand.
“I’m here on business,” Luke said simply.
