“I couldn’t wait until seven,” he said, falling into step beside her as she walked toward her car. “Do you mind?”
“No.” She unlocked the car and he opened her door, then walked around to the passenger side and got in. “I was planning to eat out tonight,” she said. “What are you in the mood for?”
Oh, crap,he thought. He should have waited to meet her after dinner. “Anywhere you want is fine.”
Remembering that he liked pasta, Bryn drove to a nearby Italian restaurant. It was still early for dinner and there were only a few people inside. They were seated at a table in a back corner.
“The rigatoni is really good here,” Bryn said. “Unless you’re in the mood for something else.”
“No, that sounds good.”
He ordered rigatoni for both of them, along with a bottle of red wine. His nostrils twitched when the waitress brought the wine along with a basket of garlic bread.
“What did you do all day?” Bryn asked, reaching for a slice of bread.
“Slept mostly.”
“Jet lag?” Bryn asked with a grin.
“Something like that. How long have you worked at Cummings and Cox?”
“Three and a half years. Don’t you like the bread?”
“What? Oh, yeah.” He reached for a piece, his mind brushing hers.I am eating the bread and the rigatoni. You will believe that no matter what the waitress says.“What would you like to do after dinner?”
“We could go to an early movie,” she suggested, as their dinner arrived.
“I’d rather go dancing,” he said.
Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of being in his arms.
“What do you say?”
“Alright.”
They chatted about inconsequential things during dinner. If Bryn noticed the odd look the waitress gave them when she collected their plates – his untouched – she didn’t say anything.
He paid the check and they drove to a nightclub on the other side of town. Bryn was nervous without knowing why. She had danced with lots of guys – jocks in high school, Raelynn’s boyfriends, strangers at weddings. The music was soft and slow, the lighting subdued. All her trepidation melted away when Conor took her in his arms. They fit together perfectly. He held her close, but not too close, and she shut her eyes and let the music carry her away.
Conor swore under his breath as her nearness engulfed him – the faint fragrance of her perfume, her skin, the tantalizing scent of her life’s blood. It called to him as no other. Just a taste, he thought. What could it hurt? He’d fed before he met her but he still worried about his self-control, even though Saintcrow had assured him that he could keep his hunger in check if he tried. And still he yearned for a taste. It would be so easy to mesmerize her and take what he wanted.
When she drew back a little and looked up at him, her brow furrowed, he wondered if she had somehow sensed the difference in him. With a faint smile, he put a little more distance between them.
They didn’t stay out late, since she had to get up early in the morning. He thought it was just as well, though leaving her was the last thing he wanted to do. By the time he walked her to her door, his self-control was almost non-existent. As he fought down his need, he was grateful once again for the added strength bequeathed to him by Saintcrow.
“I had a wonderful time,” Bryn said as she unlocked her door. She was tempted to invite him inside, but she had to be up early in the morning. “Good night, Conor.”
His hand on her arm stayed her. “You wouldn’t send me home without a good-night kiss, would you?” he asked, gazing down at her.
Caught in the depths of his midnight blue eyes, she swayed toward him, her eyelids fluttering down as he covered her mouth with his. She had been hoping for this moment all night. As his lips claimed hers, she went up on her tiptoes and slid her arms around his neck. She clung to him as he deepened the kiss, her entire body yearning toward him. Her heart was pounding when he lifted his head, and then he kissed her again.
Conor cursed softly as he let her go. He would have loved to stand there and hold her all night long, but his hunger for her kisses was nothing compared to the sudden urge to bury his fangs in her throat.
Muttering, “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he headed for the stairs, afraid if he waited for the elevator, he would lose what little self-control he had left, afraid even Saintcrow’s powerful blood wouldn’t be able to keep him from taking what he so desperately wanted.
Bryn stared after him, too overwhelmed by the lingering effect of his kisses to wonder at his odd behavior.
~ * ~