She turned the knob and opened the door a crack then peered through. It was dark on the other side. She opened it a little further, not sure what she’d find there. Not sure what she wanted to find there. It had to be morning, or later even. She’d been in shock so she’d probably slept for some time. Every window was covered so it was impossible to tell.
“I’m here,” he said.
His voice seemed to ripple through her. Her eyes closed defensively for a moment and she took a breath, smelling him already. She opened her eyes.
A light flicked on in the big living area outside the bedroom, next to an ornate wooden table. She smelled food now, although not as potently as she could smell him.
He was hanging back in the shadows and that bothered her. That she could smell him from across the room bothered her too.
“Come,” he said, stepping into the light. He was dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt. His hair was tied back like she’d seen before. His feet were bare. He looked altogether too casual for his surroundings. He pulled out a chair at the table.
“This your place?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“It doesn’t suit you.”
Full lips quirked into a smile. “And how is that?”
“You’re dressed too casually.”
“I can choose to be comfortable.”
“Well, yes.”
“Please eat. You have to be hungry by now.”
She was, especially now that he’d mentioned it. Her stomach tightened as if at his command. Catherine took a few steps and then stopped herself, not wanting to go any closer to him. She’d hoped she’d just imagined it about him before; that she could feel him, but she hadn’t. This wasn’t normal.
“Come,” he repeated. It wasn’t an order, per say, but his voice had changed, was more melodic. Her head whirred and her feet moved forward before she even knew what they’d planned for her. She crossed over to him and took the offered seat.
“I’m afraid I don’t cook, so I had to order out,” he said conversationally.
She picked up the fork and poked at some pasta dish that looked as fancy as his furniture. “This is still warm,” she said. “How did you know when I would wake up?”
Because he’d woken her up. Duh.
Then she realized what was happening. Who and what he was.
Her head cleared and she pushed away from the table, backing off. Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire. Of course he’d acted like he understood she’d been abducted by vampires. He was one of them.
Darcy Branwyn 
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