Chapter 15

The attraction.




“Miss Taylor, you’re up.” His voice was still alluring. He smiled again and shoved his hands into his pockets. Heat rushed to my cheeks and I felt so ashamed that I’d lost control of myself last night. I wasn’t even going to try to cover my nipples, because they were just there in his face, but he was still staring at my eyes.
Waking up in his house, not knowing what I did or said last night, was mortifying. I wanted to disappear.
“Hi, Nathaniel. I’m confused about why I’m here.” I straightened my back and placed my hands on my hips. Slowly, his eyes moved from my eyes to my neck, then to my breasts and wandered off to my face again. My heartbeat quickened, but I was going to hold myself together. After all, he was a man and if my nipples were staring him in the face, he couldn’t not look.
“I brought you home. You were throwing up everywhere and I couldn’t leave you with your work colleagues, so I decided to take you to my apartment.” He smiled mischievously.
“How did you even know where I was? Have you been stalking me again with your dark magic?”
“Can you believe in such a coincidence? I decided to take senior members of my staff to a Christmas party—we had a good year—and Lucinda suggested Grand Central,” he replied, playing with his gold ring.
“And you want me to believe that Lucinda chose the same venue where Paranormal Personnel decided to go?”
“Yes, that’s what happened.” He shrugged, looking annoyed. “So, is this the end of your interrogation?”
“No, I have a lot more to ask you.”
“Well, I’m afraid that will have to wait. If you’re going to stand here half naked, I might stop being such a gentleman. I’ll rip your clothes off and have sex with you right here, right now.” When he licked his upper lips, my heart lurched, and energy charged my skin.
“We both know that’s not going to happen.” I crossed my arms over my chest defiantly. “Can I have my dress back? I haven’t got any other clothes.”
He stepped towards me, and I was afraid he was going to touch me, but instead, he passed me and opened the wardrobe.
“Here, put this on for now. After lunch, we will figure something out.” He inhaled, closing his eyes for several seconds. “You need to cover your scent because I can’t take it for another minute or I’m going to lose control and bite you.”
His voice was so low and husky; it sent an icy shiver down my spine. I concentrated for a few seconds and whispered the spell, feeling the energy spreading over my skin, producing the shield that was supposed to protect me from him.
“I’ll wait for you in the kitchen. Just turn right and walk straight through.” He passed me a pair of trousers, then left the room. I took a long deep breath just to make sure that I wasn’t going to pass out.
He only touched me once, but his presence was driving me insane. I went back to the bed, found my bra, and put his trousers on. If I heard him right, he’d restrained himself from sleeping with me.
I left the room and found myself in a long corridor; I noticed large paintings showing Paris and London at night. The immaculate carpets were cream-coloured and when I walked into the dining-kitchen area, I was swept away by the stunning view overlooking central London. The kitchen was set in black colours, with a spotless granite surface and the latest brand-new cooker. Nathaniel was sitting in a chair, reading the paper. He looked even more gorgeous in the morning sun, and yes, London wasn’t cloudy today.
“Come on, sit down.” He gestured toward the empty chair. I sat next to him, mesmerised by the stunning view. I wasn’t even thinking about the money. No one could afford this kind of luxury working from nine ‘til five. I shouldn’t have been surprised at all. Most vampires were usually rich; nobody knew a poor vampire—but Nathaniel La Caz didn’t have years to accumulate this kind of fortune. He was only twenty-seven and he was ageing like a normal human being. “I prepared poached eggs on toast. I hope you like eggs?”
“Yes,” I said, staring at him and, after a moment, I realised that my mouth was open.
He smiled, folded his paper and within a minute, brought two plates to the table.
“Come on, eat up, Julia. You were sick last night, so you need to regain your strength,” he said, looking at me. “Let’s think of this as our second date. I enjoyed our spicy dinner a few weeks ago, although it was a shame that we didn’t end up enjoying each other’s company for a while longer.”
The truth was that I was starving, so I began eating my prepared eggs. Nathaniel La Caz had surprised me, yet again.
“I thought that you didn’t date,” I pointed out.
He took a bite of his toast and lifted his hazel eyes to look at me. “No, you’re right, I don’t, but I can make an exception for you.”
He needed to stop looking at me like that; otherwise, I would never be comfortable in his company.
“You didn’t have to rescue me yesterday, Nathaniel. I would have been fine. Something happened. I didn’t even drink that much, but Jennifer was—”
“Your work colleague vanished with a fairy an hour before you were sick, so I was there at just the right time.”
“All right then, thank you. I appreciate it. So, you brought me here to your apartment and then undressed me?” I continued to look at my plate, unable to meet his eyes.
“If it makes you feel any better, it was dark, and I wasn’t looking.” I recognised the amusement in his tone. I had to change the subject right away. He was trying to intimidate me. I was doing well up to this point.
“Normal food; do you enjoy it as much as blood?”
His eyes darkened and I swallowed the last piece of toast.
“Yes, food and blood are equally tasty.” He placed his knife and fork on the plate and steepled his hands together. I was still astonished that he wasn’t pale; he had an olive-coloured skin tone with a slight tan. “However, after smelling you, I don’t want to taste anything else.”
“Stop smelling me, then. Vampires and elves aren’t supposed to mix; it’s too dangerous.” He was driving me insane. How was I supposed to remain composed when he continued to—oh, he just needed to stop, or I was going to lose it.
“I want to take you out on a proper date. I don’t care about this cliché about elves and vampires. You can’t deny our mutual attraction,” he said, leaning close to me. For a split second, my heart stopped beating. It was official: I did like him; against everything I’d ever learned, I wanted him to kiss me. I remembered asking him to last night.
“I’m sorry, but you told me that you don’t date. I just don’t want to be someone’s fuck buddy,” I said, unable to pull away from those eyes that seemed as if they were seeing through me, exposing my obvious crush on him.
“One date doesn’t mean anything, Julia. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” He smiled. “I have to agree with you about the blood, but we can always discuss this later. When it comes to sex. Hmm, you have no idea how much I want to make love to you.”
I flushed red, and magic swirled inside me, pulling me towards him. I got up and took his and my plates. I wasn’t sure what to think about his proposition, so I started washing the dishes.
One date won’t do any harm. I don’t have to tell anyone. Just one date. We won’t be having sex, for sure, right? Right. I just needed to keep telling myself that.
“Fine. I’ll go out on a date with you.” I turned around to look at him. He smiled widely and the magic inside me cascaded over my skin. “Do you know that one of your workers was found dead near my place?”
“Yes. I watched the news. The police spoke to a few of my staff, but they didn’t find anything.”
“My dad told me that there have been two more kidnappings.” I felt that it was time for me to confront him about the blood, hoping that maybe he’d launched an investigation of his own. “Besides, I would like to know—how do you actually produce that blood, you know, for the Lucrative Shot?”
He arched his eyebrows and stopped eating. “I can’t tell you, but I already know where you’re heading with this. Lucrative Shot consists of a percentage of human blood, which has been freely donated, and pure magic. I hire certain wizards. I didn’t kidnap your cousin if that’s what you’re asking.”
“So, why did you asked Roberto to keep an eye on me, without saying anything first?” Questions kept dripping from my mouth like an interrogation; not what I had planned at all. Everything was coming out all wrong. He frowned and rubbed his chin.
“The city is dangerous, and I had to make sure that you were protected.”
I placed my hands on my hips and gave him a sharp look.
“My dad uses a protection charm, so I don’t need a personal driver. He’s much more advanced with magic than me. He’s a full-blooded elf,” I explained, hoping that he would stop interfering in my personal life so much. “But you’re right, he’s forbidden me to walk home alone since the kidnappings started.”
“Roberto will be at your disposal at all times, and don’t even think of arguing with me,” he said in a serious tone.
“Fine, fine, and I’m sorry about those accusations. I didn’t mean to insinuate that you had anything to with it, but I might just buy a car, then I won’t have to rely on men who can’t take no for an answer and don’t know how to make a phone call.”
“You are unbelievably stubborn, Julia.”
“Yes, my dad tells me that.” I gave him a small smile. “Anyway, did you find out more about who might be behind all these kidnappings?”
He sighed. “I made a few enquires, asked a few people to snoop around, but I’ve got nothing. It’s like someone is making a hell of an effort to keep this thing quiet.”
“I don’t get it. Claudia was taken in the middle of the street. Someone must have seen something.”
“I promise that I’ll use all my resources to help you. My people or your father are bound to find something,” he assured me, but I couldn’t stop worrying, thinking—what if it was too late? I excused myself, then went to the bathroom and rinsed my face with cold water. It was frustrating that I couldn’t do anything.
“Are you working tomorrow?” he asked when I walked back into the kitchen.
“No, I’m on holiday until January. On Thursday, I’m going to Kent with my parents. We always spend Christmas Day at my grandparents’ home.” I folded my arms together and leaned against the counter.
“Good to know. I might take a few days off. Let me take you home so you can be nice and fresh for tonight. I'm taking you out for our first proper date.”
“Just let me get my stuff.” I went back to the bedroom; my energy was more active this morning than it had ever been. My dress smelled of vomit. I put my killer heels on and gathered the clothes that I’d worn to the party. I couldn’t believe that Nathaniel La Caz wanted to take me out on a date, or that I’d agreed.
He was waiting for me by the door.
“I won’t be cruel and ask you to take off my shirt and trousers.” He beamed, opening the door for me to exit his home.
“Ha, ha, ha, very funny. Be careful, I might just change my mind about our date,” I warned him. He didn’t respond, and I made sure that we didn’t touch each other. I didn’t know why, but my elf energy was pulling me towards him—again.
It was always that way, and as much as I wanted him, part of me was still wary; it was the fangs. But I couldn’t help the way my body reacted towards him, or how much I missed him when I didn’t hear from him. I was a right mess. I just didn’t want to be the girl who he had on the side while he slept around with other bimbos. I wouldn’t have it. If he was serious about making an exception for me, then he’d have to prove himself and make more of an effort.
I was still amazed that he lived in central London, in one of the most expensive apartments that I’d ever seen. Today, he was driving an Audi, and it looked brand spanking new, although I had no idea what kind of model it was.
“So, what are you going to do after you drop me home?”
“I don’t have any plans. I’ll go to the gym and be thinking about you, Julia.” He glanced my way and I could feel my face flush. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“Seven is good.” I sat there nervously, fidgeting with my hands.
“Relax, I’m not going to drain you. You’re safe with me.”
“A powerful dark wizard said the same thing and in the end, he turned out to be a control freak, possessive, and mentally unstable,” I told him, not able to hide my feelings about Jasper any longer.
Nathaniel wrinkled his forehead. “I will never force you to do anything, Julia, but it’s all about trust. I assume that this dark wizard was a man whom you chose to be with?”
“Yes, my ex-boyfriend. He still likes stalking me.”
He didn’t say any more and I wondered whether I’d put him off by telling him about my psycho stalker. I mean, who wanted to hear about someone’s ex? Not me. A few minutes later, he dropped me home. We said goodbye to each other and although I wasn’t really expecting him to kiss me, I was a bit disappointed when he didn’t try.
Maybe he was a gentleman, after all. All signs pointed to yes.