He watched hersquirm for a few seconds, a grin tugging at the corner of hismouth. “Harper, I’m kidding.”
“You’reinfuriating, you know that?” She fake-punched his arm. “Anyway, whywould someone like you seek the services of a dating agency? You’rerich, successful, dead sexy, and—” She snapped her mouth shut.
His grinwidened. “You think I’m sexy, eh? Tell me, what else do you thinkof me?”
She sucked hercheeks. “What I think is, you act all confident and suave andsophisticated, but then you turn into a quivering wreck when youget stuck in a lift.”
Damonharrumphed. Okay, he’d lost it for a second, but he was hardly aquivering wreck. Harper had helped him though, more than she knew,and being in a confined space was bearable with her beside him.“Ouch. That’s harsh.”
“Sorry.”
“Are you?”
She grinned.“Nope.”
“Thought not.”Damon grinned too.
It wasn’t toolong before his maintenance people showed up, and although hecouldn’t wait to get out of the lift, he was kind of disappointedthey’d arrived so soon.
The lift madesome weird screeching sound, which threatened to bring on hisclaustrophobia again, and then the doors opened.
Harper walkedstraight out of the lift and headed for the stairwell. “Bye,Damon.” She turned. “For what it’s worth, I didn’t mean what I saidthe other night, about wishing I’d never met you.” With a glance atthe maintenance men, she lowered her voice to barely a whisper. “Itturns out you’re not the big, bad vampire after all.”
The menwouldn’t have heard her but his vamp hearing caught every word.Hope warmed his heart. Damon thanked the guys and followed her.“Where are you going? You’ve missed your meeting.”
“I know, but Ithought I’d go and explain why, you know, face to face, since myphone has no signal. Hopefully we can book anotherappointment.”
“Harper,wait.”
She hovered bythe stairs.
“I hope you domake a success of your dating agency. You have passion and drive,you don’t give up, and you’re not afraid to speak your mind.” Hewinked. “As I found out.”
“Thanks. Ithink.” She frowned, as though trying to work out if he meant it ornot. “I really should go.”
Don’tgo.
Damon went tosay something but hesitated. He didn’t want to say goodbye, notwithout arranging to see her again, but for the first time in hislife, he was unsure of her answer. Or was he unsure of himself?
“Bye again,Damon.” Harper took three steps and slipped. Her ankle twisted andshe yelped, dropping her giant handbag, her arms flailing in theair.
Damon used hisenhanced speed and caught her. “Whoa, steady on there.”
Her handbaglanded on the concrete steps with a thud and some of the contentsspilt onto the stairs, but she somehow still managed to hold on toher other bag.
“Are youokay?”
Her warm breathtickled his cheek, her beautiful face mere centimetres from his. Heheld her close. Her soft body pressing against his called tosomething primal and needy within. Was she playing the defencelessmaiden on purpose? Somehow, he doubted it, but something in the wayshe looked at him…
She wriggled,trying to get free. “Err… thanks,” she muttered, her cheeks turningpink.
He held hertighter, pressed his fingertips on the small of her back. “Are yousure you’re all right?”
Her pupilsenlarged. “Yes… I…”
Her voice cameout in a breathless rasp, drove him wild with desire.
Damon crushedhis lips to hers.
She resisted,but only for a second.
Harper returnedhis kiss, a kiss that blew his mind, her soft, warm lips leavinghim helpless to her charms.
Yes, he stillthirsted after her blood, but this, whatever this was, went beyondhis vampiric urges.
Damon indulgedin the ecstasy she evoked. Finally, he broke the kiss andwhispered, “Go out with me, Harper. Let me apologise properly fortrying to bite you the other night. You have my word, it won’thappen again.” He held her gaze, meaning every word.
She didn’tanswer. Her pupils enlarged more, unmistakable desire percolatingin their depths.
“Unless you askme to,” he added with a wink.
A ghost of asmile graced her full lips as she peeled herself away from him.“Who knows,” she replied nonchalantly. “If we bump into each otheragain, I might think about it.” Her cheeks turned crimson now.“Going on a date, I mean, not the biting part. No… no biting…Definitely not going to give you permission to bite m…” Sheblew out a breath and stooped to pick up the contents of herhandbag. “Anyway, the Fates decide these things, not me.”
Fates?Nerissa had mentioned something about the Fates. He’d neverbelieved in all that nonsense before, believed everyone made theirown choices in this world, but could there be something in it afterall?
This time lastyear, he didn’t even know the supernatural world existed, and now?Now he was a vampire, and in front of him stood the mostdetermined, clever witch he’d ever had the fortune to meet.
What were thechances they would both be here, of all places, at the same time,and get stuck in the lift together?
Maybe it wascoincidence, but somehow, he was beginning to believe the Fateswere indeed at work.
Damon picked upa lipstick that had rolled across the dirty hall and handed it toher.
“Thank you.”She eyed the lipstick casing and pulled a face. “Great, I’ll haveto sanitise everything when I get home.”
He chuckled.“Very wise.”
Harper finishedstuffing everything into her bag and stood. “So, see you around?Maybe?”
She flashed asmile that sent heat to his loins as she turned and headed up theconcrete stairs.
“I’d hold on tothe bannister if I were you,” he called after her, following her upthe stairs. He tried his best not to look at her rounded backsidein those tight trousers of hers and failed. “Especially in thosekiller heels.”
She glanced atthe filthy railing and pulled a face. “I’ll take my chances.” Shestopped again and faced him. “Are you following me?”
Damon forcedhis gaze upwards, hoping she hadn’t seen him checking her out. “No.I’m going to see my brother, remember?”
“Oh.”
He detected ahint of disappointment in her voice and suppressed a smile. “Sincewe’re heading the same way, can I carry your bags for you?”
“I’m perfectlycapable of carrying my own bags.”
He didn’t doubtit, but it was gentlemanly to ask.
They took theflights of stairs in silence, avoiding someone fast asleep on oneof the landings, an empty bottle of cheap vodka tucked in the crookof his arm.
On the ninthfloor, she stopped and said, “Well, this is me.”
“Me
