Before she could decide if she wanted to shout at him or kick him in the shin, a knock sounded on the door.
“Housekeeping!” a voice called from the other side.
Killean strode around the bed and opened the door. “I have your towels,” the woman said and lifted a stack of them.
“Come in,” Killean said and stepped back to let her enter.
The middle-aged woman gazed warily at the fading burns on his face and his scar before edging inside the door. Her shoulders relaxed when she spotted Simone. “Hello,” she greeted. “I’ll put these in the bathroom.”
Before she could walk away, Killean took possession of her mind and bent his head to feed on her.
Simone blinked at the speed with which he’d done it, but then jealousy tore through her with an intensity that left her shaken. She’d never experienced such an overwhelming surge of the emotion before, and she hadn’t expected it, but his dark head bent over the woman’s pale throat made her want to scream.
It was the most irrational feeling she’d ever experienced; she had no claim over him and no reason to feel jealous because he was doing what he must to survive, but she couldn’t rid herself of it. She focused on the wall and tried not to think about what he was doing with another woman.
What is wrong with me?She didn’t know the answer, but she couldn’t deny that she yearned for it to stop as she resisted clapping her hands over her ears to block out the sounds of his feeding.
Killean resisted tearing the woman’s throat out and draining the last of her blood as he retracted his fangs from her. He used the healing agent in his saliva to close the punctures before clasping the woman’s chin. His vision blurred as he struggled to keep himself controlled while the demon within him screamed for death.
Simone.Her name became the only source of light in the darkness trying to drag him into its alluring depths.
Lifting his head, he focused on Simone. The muscles in her neck stood out as she scowled at the wall across from her. He’d never expected it from her, but she practically vibrated with fury.
“Simone?” he inquired, uncertain as to why she looked so livid.
“Are you done?” she demanded.
“Yes. Would you like to feed on her?”
“No.” In the mood she was in, Simone might do something she regretted if she went anywhere near him or the woman.
Unable to deal with whatever was bothering Simone right now, Killean focused on the woman again. “You will do some shopping for us.” He proceeded to give her a rundown on the clothes they required before speaking to Simone. “What size are you?”
Simone forced herself to look at him again, but when her eyes fell on his hand clutching the woman’s chin, she glanced away. “Size?” she asked.
“Yes, what size clothes do you wear?”
“I don’t know,” she muttered.
“What do you mean, you don’t know?”
“I’ve made my clothes since I was old enough to use a sewing machine. I have no idea aboutsizes. I know mymeasurements.”
“That’s not going to help us,” he murmured as his gaze ran appraisingly over her, but he had no idea about women’s sizes either. “What size would you guess she is?” he asked the woman.
Simone was certain they could hear her teeth grinding together as the woman’s gaze ran over her.
“I’d guess a six or eight jeans; medium or large shirt,” the woman replied in a flat voice.
The odd numbers confused Simone.
“Good,” Killean said. “Bring us back those sizes and a few different bra and underwear sizes that you think will fit her.”
Simone’s face colored at the idea of Killean ordering bras and underwear for this woman to pick out for her. She didn’t know how to respond, so instead she said the only other thing she could think of. “I don’t wear jeans.”
“Bring back some dresses too,” Killean said and released the woman.
“How is she going to pay for all that?” Simone asked.
