He wanted everything that went with that smile. Just for a night. Because that’s how long his interest usually lasted. Besides, the few times he had hung around for more than a night, things had ended badly. He’d learned his lesson.
She glanced into the bag. “A nightgown, robe, slippers, and toiletries. You’re a lifesaver.”
When she looked up, her smile had warmed and some of the shock had left her eyes. But not all of it.
“I have about an hour before I do my second fantasy. I’m hungry. Bet you are too. Let’s go down to the restaurant, and I’ll buy us dinner.” He tried to look nonthreatening, which was a lot tougher than looking demonic.
Now would be when she’d say she was married, or that she didn’t go anywhere with men who scared her witless. Because he was frightening her. He could see the fear resting right beneath the shock. Interesting. Women never sensed his threat until further into a relationship. Not that a marriage or her terror meant anything to him. Nothing much had mattered to him for a very long time.
“Why?” Her question was straightforward.
He studied her before answering. No guile in her eyes. She wasn’t fishing for a compliment. Edge thought about lying, but for whatever reason told her the truth. “You interested me when I saw you watching the fantasy. There was something different about you. I like different.”
She looked horrified. “No, I’m not different. I’m just like everyone else. Do you really think I look different?”
Okay, this was weird. “Hey, if you say you’re ordinary, then you’re ordinary. I’d still like to buy you dinner.”
She seemed to relax a little. “I guess I could eat something.” She nodded. “I’m Passion. You can tell me about your job at the castle over dinner.”
He’d rather impress her with his real job, but he had a feeling her “ordinary” human mind would explode from that particular disclosure. He didn’t want to lose her that quickly.
A few minutes later, they were seated in the restaurant. He waited impatiently while the waitress took their orders before asking his first question. “So what brings you to Galveston and the Castle of Dark Dreams?”
She glanced past him out the window with its view of the Gulf of Mexico. “I’ve had lots of stress in my life lately. I wanted to spend a few weeks relaxing someplace with a water view. And castles fascinate me. So this is perfect.” She offered him a quick smile before looking away again.
A lie. She really needed to work on her technique. Avoiding eye contact was a dead giveaway. He was immediately intrigued again. Why would she want to keep her real reason for being here secret? Cheating on her husband? Somehow he didn’t think so.
As though she knew what he was thinking, she looked directly at him. “My turn to ask a question. Why have you allowed darkness to take you?”
