“Do you even drink whisky?” She licked her kips, and again, I closely followed the flick of that pink tongue before I pulled my attention away. “Or do you drink…you know…blood?”
“I happen to enjoy both.” Seeing her slight wince, I added, “But whisky will do for now.” I motioned her to follow and flicked the lights on in the kitchen. “Let me get two glasses.”
After setting them out, I let her do the pouring, and her hand stayed steady, despite the misgivings she must have. But desperation gave people courage, and right now, Selena Langston would take on an entire army to save her company. I wasn’t an army, but I meant to take advantage of her desperation, as well as her ability. While she fussed with the liquor, making sure both glasses were filled evenly, I sized her up.
She was small and willowy, but her stance was confident, and her jaw was set in stubbornness, much the same way as Ambrose. Pale blond hair flowed down to the middle of her back, and she had a faint dusting of freckles on her nose. A bonny lass, I might have called her once. Now, as lovely as she was, Selena was just a means to an end.
“Cheers,” she murmured as our glasses touched, then she raised it to her lips and swallowed, closing her eyes in bliss. Her throat was a long, pale column, her lashes lay dark against slightly flushed cheeks, and then there was that wild tumble of silky hair. Just looking at it made me want to tangle my hands in it, see if it was as soft as it looked.
I wiped all lascivious thoughts from my head—in case she could hear them—and sniffed the whisky. A vampire’s smell is so acute that we can pick out individual ingredients, processes and age with the barest inhalation. This particular combination was divine—rich, but subtle, with only a hint of human-world smells.
The second the whisky hit my palate, I knew her claim was correct.
I’d never tasted anything like it, not even in Scotland. It was the perfect blend. The woody balance was superb, the burn exquisite, and where some whiskys were overbearingly fruity, this one was not. No, this flavor was more complex, deeper. It reminded me of long ago, when everything was still done by hand. I tasted a hint of peat, which was a surprise, given we were far from Scotland.
“What do you think?”
I’d been completely lost for a moment. I looked down at my empty glass. “It’s…indescribable.”
“Good. That’s what I needed to hear.” She set her glass on the counter and braced her hands on the edge. “When is this meeting?”
Straight back to business, which I had to admire. “Two weeks.” I tipped another three fingers into my glass, then savored my next taste, perhaps even more than the first. “But before you agree, know that you will need some coaching.”
“I suppose you’ll be the one doing the coaching?” Her tone—a mix of sass and arrogance—made my cock jump again. Obviously, isolation took its toll, since I was attracted to the first female I’d seen. Seeing how this might get complicated, I almost withdrew my proposal, but much like Miss Langston, my options were short.
I poured her another glass as well. “Only if you wish to succeed at eavesdropping,” I said slowly, feeling out her reservations. Interestingly, she didn’t seem scared—she seemed intrigued.
“Given that I’m only doing this—not that I actually am—at your request, it’s hardly eavesdropping. It’s more like spying.”
“Exactly,” I agreed, grateful that she saw the difference. “You don’t want the others to suspect you.”
“What? Or I’ll get eaten up?” All I saw were laughing eyes over the rim of crystal. At some point, when I didn’t answer, realization dawned on her face. She shook her head. “Oh, no way. Why can’t I just repay the loan?”
“Because your ability to read a vampire’s mind is more valuable than any currency,” I explained patiently. “Now that I know what you can do, I don’t want your money. I want you at that meeting.” With her by my side, I’d discover why the Elder had summoned me to this ridiculous meeting, especially seeing the crimes were so very old.
But this could actually work. Formal Assembly was held so seldom that there were always new faces amongst my old clan. And there was precedent for my offer to train Selena. A reason no one at the meeting would question. A reason that could be easily explained.
As part of the Ouroboros Society, it was my duty to protect humans with special abilities or gifts. Despite all my time on Earth, I’d never had the opportunity to exercise my membership benefits. While I’d never expected to find one waiting on my doorstep, I would certainly use this situation to my advantage. Even if she was descended from the only human I’d ever considered a friend.
“Let’s say I actually agree to do this…thing. The loan will be considered repaid, and you won’t expect me to do anything else for you?”
Considering how hard my cock was right now, I debated answering her honestly. She was lovely, but I’d sworn off humans years ago and had no intention of pursuing this one. Especially since she was the descendant of my only human friend.
Instead, I lifted my glass to her. “Once you bottle this, you won’t need me—or anyone else—to save your company.” It was said to stoke her confidence, but with good whisky still burning in my mouth, it was hardly a lie.
When she clinked the rim of her glass against mine, the sound rang through the empty house.
“Our company.”
5
Forge’s reaction when he tasted the whisky made me feel oddly vindicated. He was hard to read, but from the expression on his face, he really liked it. Given how old he was, I figured he had a refined palate. Besides, there
