“I think that’s the point she’s trying to make,” I said. “What’s the big deal?”
“Easy for you to say, Vampy. But the rest of us have to eat.”
Gem winked. “For ten dollars, you can buy a pack of donuts.”
He set the bottle on the island and stormed out. “I can’t deal with this right now. I’m all booked up on crazy.”
“I’ll see if Viktor can have a talk with her,” Gem yelled through the doorway. Then she turned to me and shrugged. “Not that it’ll make a difference. Viktor doesn’t like all the junk food either.”
“But ice cream?”
Her eyes lit up when she looked over at Kira. “Maybe we should get her to try some. I bet she just threw away anything she didn’t recognize.”
Kira went about her business as if we weren’t in the room. After securing an apron around her dress, she reached in a cabinet and pulled out several pans.
Gem appeared at my side and lowered her voice. “Have you ever seen anyone so happy cooking?”
“It’s unnatural. Maybe she’s a demon.”
“Wyatt certainly thinks so.” Gem rocked on her heels and laughed brightly. “Once she gets used to things around here, I’m going to see if I can get her to speak in her native tongue. I pored over my books on ancient European Breed languages and found nothing remotely similar to what Viktor was speaking. So far, she hasn’t said a peep. It’s impossible to learn a language when I can’t hear it, and Viktor doesn’t want to help. Sometimes I can pick up the etymology of a word, and that helps give me a comparative. He’s probably afraid I’ll figure it out. God forbid the poor woman might want someone to talk to.”
“How the hell do you remember all those words?”
“Everything my Relic ancestors learned about language passed on to me. If I were able to have children, whatever new language I learned would pass on to them. I think it’s wired in our head to build on our knowledge, because I can’t shake the insatiable need to pick apart words.”
“We need to show her how to use the computer so she can order groceries online for pickup. Did you see all the beans Shepherd bought the other day? Nobody needs that many beans unless they want to build a bomb.”
“Speak of the devil.”
Shepherd’s musky scent announced his arrival as he moved into the kitchen, sweat dripping from his head, his torso glistening.
“She already mopped,” Gem quipped.
“Thought I heard yelling in here,” he said, out of breath.
I glanced down at his black workout pants and bare feet. “That was Wyatt. He’s having a conniption because all the sugar in the house is now in the trash.”
“All of it?”
Gem sauntered by him. “Every last cookie. Guess this means we’ll be putting money into that evil little vending machine after all.”
“I got that covered,” he grumbled.
I folded my arms, curious if he’d tossed it out a window. “What do you mean by that?”
Shepherd wiped his face on a dish towel. “I stole the master key last night and switched out the prices. If he wants something, he’s going to pay like the rest of us.”
Gem whirled around. “Wait a second. That would have been funny yesterday, but now we’re all in the same boat. How high did you raise them?”
Shepherd half turned. “I didn’t know we were having a sugar exodus. Maybe it’s time for everyone to detox.”
I jumped when a pan hit the floor.
Kira stared at Shepherd with a wide-eyed and terrified look. Shepherd was intimidating as hell, especially after a workout when he walked around with all his muscles bulging. Her energy sharpened like needles against my skin.
Shepherd casually bent down to pick up the pan. As soon as he touched it, he froze.
Then his eyes flicked up to hers.
Kira bolted past him and fled out of the room.
“She’s not very chummy, is she?” Gem said absently, staring at her silver nail polish.
With his back to us, Shepherd stared at the cookware in his hands. My eyes skated up to the tattoo on the base of his neck, and I wondered if the Celtic knot had any special meaning. It was simplistic compared to the elaborate design on his right arm of a phoenix, which wrapped around from his chest to his back. Lately Shepherd had been wearing long sleeves because of the chilly weather, so maybe she was startled by her first look at all his scars. Either that or Kira had never seen a man without his shirt on, but I was certain that even a farm girl from Bulgaria had seen that much.
Shepherd flung the pan at the sink so abruptly that Gem stumbled backward into the kitchen island. He stalked out of the room, his energy flaring against my skin.
I dropped my arms to my sides. “It doesn’t seem like everyone in this house has their shit together.”
“Shep hasn’t been himself lately. Not since he killed that Cristo guy. Maybe I’ll challenge him to some rock climbing. He always wins since I have short legs and no patience.” She bounced out of the room like a girl on a mission. Gem was an optimistic soul—more than I’d ever understand.
“Ready?”
I dragged my gaze up at Christian, whose eyes slid down to my tight pants and silver-studded boots. I swung my hips and met him halfway. “How long have you been here?”
“Long enough to admire your arse in those tight leathers.”
“They feel nice. Maybe I should work them into my wardrobe.”
When he rubbed his hand down my hip and grabbed my ass, I didn’t stand a chance of making it past the door.
“If you’re searching for weapons, all you’re gonna find are my black panties.”
“Sweetheart, that’s not fair,” he growled, pulling me against him.
His mouth was on mine, and he tasted like dark, velvety wine. Every stroke of his tongue sent a lick of fire down to my core, and the restrained way he kept squeezing my ass was getting me wet. I loved the scruff on his face—loved running my fingers through it and tugging on his whiskers while I nibbled on his lip. I took advantage of the moment, trusting that his Vampire ears were listening for anyone who might be heading in our direction.
I broke the kiss, my finger stroking the pulsing vein on his neck. “You’re going to ruin my makeup, Mr. Poe.”
“Aye. And you’re going to ruin me.” Christian encircled my waist with his arms and held me close. Sometimes I forgot how good it felt to just be held. “You smell delicious,” he murmured.
“I’m not wearing anything.”
“That’s why you smell delicious.”
I nestled my head against his chest and wrapped my arms around him. “Any luck with buying my daddy’s truck?”
“I left a message. He hasn’t called back.”
“I’m worried.”
“Maybe he’s on a fecking cruise.”
“Or lying unconscious at the foot of his porch.”
“That’s not your problem anymore. You promised to let go of the past.”
I leaned back to look him in the eye. “Since you scrubbed his memory of our visit, he won’t remember you. Can you drive by his house later to ask about his truck? Just tell him you found his address by doing a reverse phone number search on the internet. Maybe that’s why he’s ignoring his phone. If someone else bought it, find out where he lives. I’ll pay him whatever.”