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CHAPTER 49

Mi over the Hudson Mis off the bed so she could take a better look Or so she just told him She felt confused And she didn’t like it She patted the pockets of the robe for her cigarettes, then reum wasn’t the sa of her fingers on the glass Outside, the sky was a brilliant red and orange, the purple darkness and the yellow of the s with the horizon But Mimi was bored with a picture of a pretty sunrise, or even sunsets, for that matter: she found them clich¨¦d, hokey, predictable Anyone could like a sunset And she wasn’t anyone; she was Mimi Force

"Come back here"

Half invitation, half co on the bed, his arant bastard Rio had been aso close to the Watcher, only to have her slip away the two of theht at their hotel Well What’s done was done She couldn’t change that

She had been far fro low But she had no excuse for the last twenty-four hours Okay, so after Kingsley had told her his whole sad, terrible story, and shared the burden of his secret, they had closed down the bar downstairs, and then everything had felt inevitable after that Hooking up once was a mistake Twice? Tas a pattern The Mandarin Oriental was one of Mimi’s favorite places to stay, and the one in New York was especially lovely If only she could convince herself she was here to enjoy the view

"Well? I’," his silky voice announced

"You think you can orderher hair over her shoulders: a practiced move that she ht of her hair swinging over her back enticing "I know I can"

She moved closer "Who do you think you are, anyway?"

Kingsley only yawned He tugged at the edge of her robe, pulling it halfway off her shoulders, before she stopped hi bonded in teeks, that’s what’s wrong," she snapped, belting her robe tightly around her waist She had asked hiht in Rio if this had happened between theht If they had ever been together if if if Of course Kingsley refused to answer He had been ressions He had teased and mocked her and refused to answer her question

If it had happened before, I could forgive ht Maybe this is my one weakness Maybe he is ?" Miot dressed and walked over to the little dining table Kingsley had ordered a breakfast suited for a king Not just the usual plate of eggs and bacon There was also a seafood platter on ice, a full tin of caviar, toast points, chives, sour crea in a wine bucket

"Anything," he said, scooping up caviar with his fingers and licking thene bottle and poured two glasses He handed her one with a smile

"I’et offended"

"Me?" he said, balancing his breakfast on his lap as he took a seat on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table

"What do what do Silver Bloods live on?" she asked "I ar and prawns the size of your fist," Mi him eat "I mean, do you still perforsley shook his head He looked mournful as he dipped his shrimp into the cocktail sauce "No" He took a bite "No, er for those of us who have drunk fro blood I’m afraid to the Croatan the only blood that h your veins"

Mis as she sat on the bed opposite him She arched her neck

’So, do you ever feel tempted?"

"All the time" He smiled lazily

"so what do you do?"

What is there to do? I can’t I’ve pledged to honor the Code I live in restraint I can still eat food and soed and wiped his fingers on the edge of his shirt She wanted to tell him not to do that, but didn’t want to sound like his mother "You mean you can’t taste any of that stuff "?

"I try"

"But all those doughnuts" she said, suddenly feeling sorry for him He was immortal in the truest sense of the word He didn’t need anything to survive What a lonely and strange way to live

"Yeah, I know" He laughed, but his eyes looked sad "I eat a lot because I can taste only a fraction of what is in front of me I have a bottomless appetite that can never be filled" He winked "And that’s why the Silver Bloods are cursed"

"You ht of serious matters, you said that to me once," she chastised

"Well, yes We are very lass and walked over to stand in front of her "And we have fun together, don’t we?" he asked "Admit it, this is kind of fun isn’t it?" He licked her neck, then her ear, gently kissing her back and her shoulders She could sne on his lips

Mimi closed her eyes A bit of fun, that was all Itup That’s all they were doing Purely physical and purely pleasurable There were no feelings involved, no divine connection, no heavenly conscription This was just fun Pure and si her neck when she felt his fangs co her skin