chapter THREE
Ah…the scent of white tea, infused as this was with strawberry, peach, and vanilla. Carrying the slightest undertone of rose petal.
It was perfectly blended.
Subtle.
Jeannette’s hand trembled, holding the cup. She forced it still before inhaling, her senses picking out each taste and smell. She supposed she did qualify as the tea connoisseur the waiter had called her after she’d sent him back twice to get the right temperature for her water. It hadn’t been said as a compliment. Jeannette sipped at her brew, holding the cup within inhaling distance while the combination lingered on her tongue. She swallowed. Took another sip. Each movement was designed to give the concoction time to take effect. That’s why she’d placed this particular mixture in her tea ball. She’d chosen it not only for its aromatic qualities, but the soothing aura it usually imbued. All of which might be ruined if it wasn’t steeped at exactly the right temperature and for the correct amount of time. She needed a temperature range of 149 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit, and she needed to steep her tea for a minute and a half.
The waiter had watched her test the water with her little travel thermometer. He’d been sneering the first time. The second time, he’d sighed heavily and said several unsavory things beneath his breath. The third carafe of water he’d brought was the correct temperature. That’s when he’d said he didn’t realize he had a ‘new-age tea connoisseur’ to satisfy, in a fairly surly tone that could adversely affect his tip.
Oh. She’d forgotten. This five-star hotel automatically added a large gratuity to every check, regardless of what you ordered or what time of night. Jeannette looked over the sparsely-filled dining room. It was after eleven, but they didn’t close until midnight. She’d checked. She didn’t really like five-star hotels that came with five-star service attitudes, nor dining rooms so rich they didn’t just have digital background music. They paid a trio of musicians to play stringed instruments softly over in one corner. But that’s what happened when the Carlotti Brothers hired you and then booked and paid for your stay.
Jeannette took another sip of her brew. Perfect. This combination of white tea was exactly what she needed, imbued as it was with delicate complexity and natural sweetness. Exactly…
The Senior Carlotti had taken her information earlier without an eyelash bat to show disbelief, although he’d whitened to the same shade as his expensive men’s dress shirt when she’d described the assassin she’d seen. As if vampires really existed and went around killing people such as the elder Carlotti sons. She’d actually stuttered just saying it. Carlotti Senior had simply nodded sagely. Then his lips had thinned and he’d waved his guards back. He’d thanked her for the information. Said he had what he needed now. Her job was finished. He’d handed her a check for her fee that included such an outrageous bonus she was almost afraid of cashing it, got on his cell, and instructed someone to contact a firm named V.A.L., whatever that was. She hadn’t heard more. She didn’t want to. Someone had taken her elbow to escort her to a limo, and after a short drive, she’d been deposited on the steps of this hotel, and left to find her room. And get some rest. Before her five-thirty wake-up call, the early flight back home, and normalcy.
Watching old, black-and-white movies on the over-sized flat-screen LED television monitor hadn’t worked. Exercise was useless as well. She should be exhausted. She’d visited the hotel gym for over an hour, spent another hour walking the halls of every floor. Twice. And then she’d tackled the emergency exit stairs. Once down. Then up. Her thighs had jittered from the exercise as she’d showered. But it hadn’t worked. She didn’t need physical exhaustion. She needed mental tiredness. Yet every time she closed her eyes, she got an image. Him. That man. That…creature. Looking at her with vivid green eyes. He’d been wild-looking, yet still extremely handsome. Swarthy…like he’d once spent a lot of time in the sun. Thick with muscle. Scarred.
And those eyes!
Sleep eluded her. Still. She suspected why. She was anxious. Restless. She’d stirred the powers and they weren’t finished with her. Everything felt hyper-sensitive, alert and readied, as if tuned to the right frequency to receive, and then just left hanging, tempting her to violate her cardinal rule. The waiter didn’t know. Nobody did. This tea was just another effort at staving off insomnia – especially the upcoming bout.
There was a sudden ruckus over at the entrance. Something fell with a thud. Something else made a breaking sound. Glass shattered, all of it altering the ambiance of the dining room, jarring the musicians to a series of discordant notes before they recovered. Heads turned toward the entrance. Not hers. Jeannette set the cup on its saucer and stood, the move tipping her chair slightly, all of it without conscious thought or volition. Or command. And then she looked up to watch the man who walked toward her, completely ignoring the reaction of waiters dropping trays and patrons going open-mouthed in his wake.
It was the man she’d seen…and yet he’d changed. No skim of whisker shadowed his upper lip or chin. No wild mane of hair cascaded over his shoulders. This man was impeccably groomed, hair tied back in a queue, and attired in a tailored suit that highlighted the width of his shoulders as well as the narrowness of his hips. Everything was in monochromatic tones of dark gray, fading to black. His jacket. His shirt. Tie. Vest. Everything. It was amazingly striking, even without adding in his handsomeness. She’d been right about that, as well. He probably should be walking a red carpet somewhere, not causing havoc in a dining room in downtown Chicago. He came closer, walking around obstacles without looking – as if they didn’t even exist. And the closer he got, the more every part of her body reacted. First with alarm, then downright fright. Adrenaline kicked in. Her heart pounded. Her breath quickened. Shivers flew her limbs, chilling her.
He stopped on the other side of her table, looking at her with an enigmatic expression…coming from incredibly green eyes. Jeannette tried to swallow, but the dry gulp merely scraped her throat. His eyes narrowed.
“What’s wrong?”
Now, that was just overkill. He had a voice that didn’t need amplification. Or moderating. It was full. Deep. Melodic. They guy probably could sing bass notes. Nobody who looked like him needed a voice that stopped traffic. Jeannette’s heart skipped a beat. He frowned.
They were garnering attention. Her waiter was approaching at a clip that caught the corner of her eye. She almost turned to him.
“You have a voice?” the creature asked.
She nodded.
“Then tell me what’s wrong.”
“Uh…you.”
“Me?”
His eyebrows lifted as if in surprise. That gave her another heart flutter. The moment she felt it she got his instant appraisal through narrowed eyes again.
“Your heart. It’s racing. And missing beats. Is that normal?”
Her eyes widened.
“And don’t ask how I know. I’m rather…new to this.”
A dark shade crept up his jaw, adding unnecessary attractiveness where it wasn’t remotely needed. Jeannette’s knees started knocking together beneath her ankle-length skirt. It probably wasn’t pretty. And it wasn’t controllable. Her knees were still tapping against each other in a non-rhythmic fashion. She’d read about that affectation in romance novels. She’d never felt it before.
Her waiter reached them and cleared his throat to get their attention, and then just stood holding onto a couple of large menus. He barely reached the man’s shoulder level. No, Jeannette. He’s not a man. He’s a creature. Jeannette moved her eyes to the waiter.
“Madam didn’t tell me she was dining with a companion tonight. I will see to another table setting immediately. Would Monsieur care for a wine? Or perhaps a cocktail?”
“Uh…”
The man – No, Jeannette…he’s a creature – looked as unsure as he sounded. Jeanette’s heart reacted with a quick pulse. And his eyes narrowed again. As if he somehow felt it.
“We…should probably sit down?” Jeannette offered.
“Perhaps the gentleman is waiting for the lady to be seated.”
“Oh. Right.”
Jeannette dropped onto the padded seat. Actually, it was more like her legs had been waiting for permission to cave in, and upon receiving it, acquiesced without a murmur. The creature watched her for a bit, and then copied her motion, to the extent that he bounced slightly upon reaching his own seat. That was almost funny. Her lips twitched.
“What?” the creature asked.
“Uh…”
“Would you care for the wine menu?”
The waiter interrupted, holding the menu for the creature to take from him. Jeannette counted to eight before the waiter gave up and set it on the table.
“Very well. Would you rather look at the evening’s dinner selections?”
He held out another menu. The creature looked up at her with the strangest expression in his eyes. Unsure. Worried. Helpless. It couldn’t be. He was acting as if he’d never seen a menu before. That was patently ridiculous. And even if it were true, she really didn’t need to assist him. But her mouth opened and she spoke up anyway.
“That won’t be necessary. He’ll have a coffee. And…a bit of that special dessert you tried to entice me with earlier. The pineapple thing. With coconut sherbet. Won’t you?”
The creature nodded. The waiter snapped the menu shut, gave her an indecipherable look and left, each step showing his disapproval. He obviously knew the stats that a woman dining alone was the worst tipper, while a couple looking like it was a first date was usually the best. That could explain his alacrity at showing up and assisting the creature, and also his disgust at her taking over the situation and ordering something guaranteed to get him a pittance. Either that or he was gay. And this fellow was something one didn’t see every night.
Or ever.
The pounding of her heart had slowed to normal…that, or she was overcoming her fright. No. That was wishful thinking. Jeannette had moved her spoon to stir her tea and watched her hand tremble. Visibly.
“Why are you shaking?”
Jeannette stopped stirring. It was a waste of time, anyway. The tea wasn’t going to get finished. She had to move her eyes to his; felt her heart skip another beat. And then watch as his eyes instantly narrowed.
“Your heart. It just…reacted again. Is that…usual?”
“How…do you know?”
He smiled. Her heart threatened to leave her chest and she dropped the spoon, clinking it against the rim of the cup. His smile died the same instant. Then he was frowning at her. It was almost too much. This was too much man. Entirely too handsome. Garnering way too much attention.
“Is it because of me?”
“What?” She didn’t have to feign the confusion.
“This reaction. The heart issue you suffer off and on. It’s due to me…isn’t it?”
Unacceptable, Jeannette. Even if he wasn’t a creature of the night and a murderer, he wasn’t getting away with a self-conceited statement like that. No man was.
“No.”
Her heart pumped harder, sending blood to infuse her cheeks with the lie. Jeannette rarely blushed. She watched something flare into life in the depths of his eyes. Something magnetic. And infinitely compelling. Her lips opened to pant for breath. So did his, only he didn’t need air. It was to give the sharp tips of fangs room.
Her eyes widened. Her blush faded. And her heart went into a staccato of beats that would probably see her needing a defibrillation station if she didn’t watch it. His expression immediately altered. His frown came back. And he worked his lips, covering over his teeth.
“You may not wish to do that again,” he informed her when he’d finished.
“What?” Her voice was missing. He heard it anyway.
“Flush.”
“…and here is your coffee, Sir. As well as a warmed slice of pineapple upside-down cake, topped with our own recipe coconut sherbet. Will you need cream? Sugar?”
The items were set in front of the creature. He didn’t react. He didn’t move. His entire focus was on her. And she returned the favor. The waiter finished and just stood there, hovering.
“That will be all,” Jeannette told him without looking up.
“Does Madam require more perfectly heated water, perhaps?” the waiter asked, once again using his snide voice.
“I believe I’ll just need the check.”
“Oh. I see. Very good.”
He turned and stomped away. Or as much as a man could stomp in a room filled with thick carpeting. It was probably amusing if she watched. She didn’t. She daren’t move her eyes from the creature facing her, holding her with a mesmeric gaze that almost reached out and embraced her.
“We can leave now?”
The fangs were gone. His teeth looked normal when he spoke. He wasn’t smiling, however. He looked totally serious. And totally divine.
“We…?”
He smiled. Her heart did the belly swoop again. His eyes didn’t narrow this time. They seemed to grow even more magnetic. A buzzing sound started in her ears. It grew to encompass the entire room. Yet, she had no trouble hearing him over it.
“So…it is me making your heart do…odd things.”
“No.” She mouthed it.
He grinned, showing off pearly white teeth that would put a dental hygienist to shame. And nothing that looked like fangs. The waiter brought the bill. She put her room number on it. Signed it. The waiter probably looked with disgust at the untouched dessert he’d brought. She didn’t notice. She only noted when he left.
“I already told you. I’m new to this. You have another suggestion?”
And then the buzzing stopped. To dead silence. Making it easy to hear her own voice answering him with something she’d never say. Under any circumstance. To any man.
“I…I have a room here.”
Her reply garnered another grin from him and that got her another heart-swoop. And that just got her more of his amusement. With his hand at her elbow, he assisted her to rise. The contact sparked, and then warmed, instantly elevating everything to another level of awareness.
And she hadn’t even seen him move.