She narrowedher eyes. “Are you sure you’re not following me?”
“I’m not, Ipromise.”
They enteredthe draughty corridor. Yet again, he followed her almost to theend.
She stoppedoutside number ninety-two.
His brother’sflat.
He frowned asshe went to knock on the door. “Are you sure you have the rightflat number?”
“Yes, why?”
“This isConner’s flat.”
“Yes, ConnerMitchel, the website designer guy.”
His frowndeepened. It didn’t make sense. His brother had always been anabsolute whizz with computers—he’d even offered him a position inone of his companies, but Conner had refused, saying he didn’t needhis help. Conner preferred to waste his skills by playing thosemind-numbing computer games where the object was to slaughter asmany people or monsters as possible. In fact, he flew off thehandle every time Damon tried to help to get him a decent job witha good wage, so he wouldn’t have to mix with those drugged-uplowlifes he thought were his friends. Once, he’d even offered himmoney to set up his own business, website design and such, butagain, he’d refused.
Could hislittle brother have finally taken his advice, used his initiativeand set up his own business? If he had, Damon had nothing butadmiration for him, but something still niggled.
Conner believedthe world was against him. Had he really changed?
He touchedHarper’s arm. “Wait.”
“What’s goingon? Do you know him?”
Damon nodded.“He’s my brother.”
“What? The drugaddict?”
He flinched.“Yes.”
“Sorry, but Idon’t understand. Your brother? How? His surname is Mitchel.”
“Same mum,different dads,” he explained. “I practically brought him up afterour mum died. I’m partly responsible for the mess Conner gothimself into. If I had been there for him instead of building myempire…” He focused, having no idea why he told her that. “Sorry,you don’t need to hear all my troubles.”
“No, it’s fine.You care about him, I get it,” she said softly. “What I don’t getis, the Conner Mitchel I was supposed to meet comes highlyrecommended.” She let out a sigh. “I’ve obviously been misled.” Sheturned and walked along the corridor. “I’m sorry, Damon. I hope yousort out things with your brother.”
In two strides,he caught up with her. “Wait, Harper, please.”
Her stepsfaltered.
“I don’t knowwhat’s going on with my brother, but if he has set up a websitedesign business without my knowledge, then whoever recommended himis right. What Conner doesn’t know about computers isn’t worthknowing.”
She faced him.“My mother recommended him. I should never have trusted her. Shedid this to see me fail, I know it.”
“What if shedidn’t?” Damon said.
“She did.”
Damon thoughtfor a moment. Clearly she had issues with her mother, but surelyeveryone deserved the benefit of the doubt, including Conner?“Look, I don’t know your mother, but so what if she did this onpurpose? Wouldn’t you like to prove her wrong?”
“What are yousaying?”
“I’m sayingeveryone deserves a second chance.” He fixed her with a steadfastgaze. Me included. “Especially family,” he added.
She twirled apink strand of hair.
“It’s awin-win, as I see it. Give Conner a chance. Give your business achance. Showing your mother you can do it is the icing on thecake.”
She arched aneyebrow sceptically. “Difficult choice. Go in there,” she tiltedher head towards his brother’s flat, “and meet your possiblyunstable vamp of a brother, or stand out here with you, aclaustrophobic vampire who tells the most cringe-worthy jokes thisside of the magic veil.”
Damonconsidered her words, trying to work out if she was mocking him.“I’m not joking now, Harper.” He supposed he should be grateful shehadn’t mentioned the other evening when he’d almost bitten her.
“And let’s notforget how you thirsted after my blood, Edward Cullen style.”
He supposed toosoon. “Edward who?” Did she know another vampire? Did he crave herblood like he did?
“FromTwilight?” she prompted.
He drew ablank.
She shook herhead. “Really? You’ve never read the books, or seen the teenfilms?” Her gentle laughter echoed in the corridor.
“Teen films?”He mocked her now.
“Don’t judge, Ilike them, and they help me keep up with what teenagers are intothese days.”
He still had noidea what she was talking about. He’d never been into watchingmovies, and certainly not ones for teenagers.
Her expressiontook on that sarcastic look he found so appealing. “Never mind. Iforget you’re a newbie vamp who’s still wet behind the ears—”
“Says the wiseold hag.” He cringed inwardly. It was never a good idea to mentiona woman’s age but he was kind of enjoying the insults.
“Old hag? Isthat the best you can do?” she challenged, her mouth twitching in asmirk.
He grinned,pleased she’d taken it well. “Hell, no. I could go on all day.”Damon reeled off a couple of witchy jokes off the top of his head.“How does a witch tell the time—by using her witch watch.Why did the witch go to the doctors—because she had a dizzyspell.”
She held up herhand, laughing. “Okay, enough. If it’s the only way to shut you up,I’ll meet your brother.”
He could thinkof another way to keep him quiet—his lips on hers.
He dropped hisgaze to her mouth, lingered there.
She stoppedlaughing. He picked up the sound of her rapid heartbeat.
Play itcool, Damon. Don’t ruin it, not with her.
Yes, hethirsted after her blood, his need so great it consumed him, but hewanted more from her. Foreign as it might be to him, he wanted herrespect, her love.
The realisationhit him like an arrow to his heart, so out of the blue, he halfexpected Cupid to be hiding somewhere behind a door.
In the past,the women he’d dated had used him as much as he used them, shallowwomen with false tits, flat arses and nothing on their minds excepthelping him spend his money on them, but he’d been happy with thearrangement, no strings on either side and no expectations.
Until now.
His mood turnedsombre. Harper had him under a spell, no doubt about it. He’dalways been the one in control with previous relationships, if hecould call them that, but with Harper, she held all the cards, andto his surprise, he liked it. “Harper…?”
“Damon?” shewhispered.
Did she feel ittoo, the electrical charge in the air, like something magical wasdrawing them together?
He swallowed,the urge to kiss her again overwhelming, but he had to provesomething to her. Or maybe he had to prove it to himself, prove hecould control his bloodlust. Her comment about this Edward guy,whoever he was, played inside his
