Ben finally spoke. “Tenzin likes to take people off guard.”
“Yes, I do.”
Radu laughed. “What do the Americans say, Mr. Vecchio? Mission accomplished?”
“Please call me Ben.” He leaned back in the booth, cool and smooth as ice water. “Mr. Vecchio is my uncle.”
Ben’s immortal grace was lethal, confident, and as natural for him as breathing.
You are so stunning.
She didn’t say it. He wouldn’t appreciate it—certainly not among vampires he didn’t know—but he was.
Tenzin felt her blood sing in his presence and wondered if Ben felt anything similar. Probably not. He was young and was likely flooded with far more sensation than she was. The sounds, scents, and sights of the club were meant to be overwhelming, and she could see that he was affected.
For Tenzin, the pulsing music and heavy scent of cedarwood and vetiver in Radu’s cologne barely registered. Their host’s power, carefully concealed as Gavin’s was, simmered beside her while Ben’s amnis was a roaring, incandescent flame. The fact that he did nothing to mute it marked him as a newborn, but one whom no one would confront rashly.
“Welcome to Bucharest, Ben.” Their host put his hand over his heart. “Thank you so much for coming from such a distance. I am honored that you and Tenzin would consider this little personal item of mine worthy of your notice. I know you are very busy.”
Flattery was Radu’s forte and his favorite tactic, but Tenzin wasn’t taken in. “Radu, this is our human assistant, Chloe.” She motioned in Chloe’s direction. “You cut your hair since the last time I saw you.”
She smiled. “So did you.”
Ben was sitting on the edge of the booth, staring at her openly. “New dress?”
Tenzin looked down at the dark red dress Arthur had made for her the previous month. It had nearly nowhere to put weapons, but her favorite tailor had managed to sneak at least one dagger in, which was difficult with the dress being very tight and very short.
“Yes. Do you like it?”
Ben stared at her. “Stunning.”
“I’ve ordered a bottle of ţuică,” Radu said. “It’s traditional here. My day manager’s mother makes it.” He turned to Chloe. “Don’t buy the bottles they sell at the market. They’re no good. The best ţuică must be made in the home.”
Chloe nodded. “I’ve heard that.”
The waitress brought a tray with a gold-trimmed decanter and five small glasses. She poured for the table and passed the drinks around.
“To our health.” Radu raised his glass. “Noroc!”
“Noroc,” they all repeated.
Chloe let out a hard breath, but Ben didn’t even flinch when he finished his shot of the overwhelmingly strong liquor.
Tenzin knew that with him being a newborn, Ben’s sense of taste would probably be blind for days after a drink that heavy, but Ben was savvy enough to know flinching wasn’t an option.
He stood and slid one hand in his pocket. “Radu, I hope you don’t mind, but can I steal Tenzin away for a dance?”
Radu grinned. “Of course!” He tapped his temple. “When partners have been separated, they must confer on strategy no doubt.”
Ben said nothing, but he smiled calmly as Radu slid out to allow Tenzin to exit the booth.
She was wearing the low heels Arthur had insisted on. Cat heels. No, kitten heels. She’d refused to wear the ridiculous icepick shoes he’d tried to shove her into, even though she was impressed by their lethal possibilities.
Ben wasted no time grabbing her hand and hustling her out the door that led from the vampire lounge to the cacophony of the dance floor.
She pushed the sound away as Ben spun her around and fixed his hands on her waist.
Though he kept his expression even, his voice cut her. “What the hell are you doing here?”
You sweet golden boy. “You asked me to stop following you.”
“And this is your idea of not following me?”
“I’m not following.” A human bumped into her and she allowed her body to press into Ben’s. He didn’t push her away. “I’m anticipating.”
He froze, but it was only for the space of a human heartbeat. “So Radu thinks you’re working this job with me?”
“You didn’t think you could work this job alone, did you?”
“As a matter of fact, I did.”
“Okay, you could,” she said. “But it will be more fun with me. The Corsican mob owes me a few favors.”
His smile was tight.
“That smile is not fooling anyone watching us,” she said. “They can all see you are very angry.”
“I can’t imagine why.” He spun them around so his back was to the windows of the vampire lounge and the front of her body was plastered to his.
Bite him.
She wanted to. She really wanted to.
“Pay attention.” His voice was low and commanding. “We’re not doing this. You’re going to leave Bucharest, and I’ll find some excuse for Radu.”
Ben probably didn’t realize he was doing it, but his amnis was running over hers, twisting and pulsing with the music. An involuntary shiver ran down her back. “Stop lecturing me. It’s quite adorable that you think you can order me around. Especially when your amnis is telling me something entirely different than your mouth.”
A lick of his energy hit her right between her thighs. Tenzin didn’t try to stop the audible sigh of pleasure that that escaped her lips.
“Stop it,” he growled.
“I’m not doing a thing.” Her mouth felt swollen. “That is all you, Benjamin.”
* * *
Damn her, damn her, damn her!
He knew it was him—he knew it was his amnis—but he couldn’t seem to control it. His fangs ached in his mouth. The minute he’d seen her, felt her energy up close, Ben’s instincts had taken control. He wanted to push her against a
