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There was a way around that, however Spade chose his words carefully "I know this won’t be easy on you, Denise, but I could help with that I wouldn’t even need to bite you to do it A siestion for you to be calhouls would - "

"Absolutely not" She turned her attention away frolare at him "Don’t you dare mess with ed "If that’s your decision"

"It is," she said, still glaring "Proer, and mistrust swirled around her Very slowly, Spade pulled out one of the silver knives fronored that, using the knife to slice a line in his palht?" he asked, holding her gaze "By my blood, Denise, I swear I will neverto the blade even as the wound closed Spade kept his hand well below thethat separated the driver’s line of vision from the backseat Only Denise could see what he’d done, and her scent changed even as the color returned to her face

"I believe you"

Spade put the knife aiping the scant ah that no one would notice Well, no huhoul would smell it, but they wouldn’t care

The cab jerked to a stop Spade handed over a twenty, then was outside opening Denise’s door before she’d finished lowering her hand to tug on the handle

"You don’t need to keep doing that, I can get it," sheembarrassed She tucked a strand of her hair back, the color in her cheeks darkening ever so slightly

It was such a lovely, feminine response, without the wariness she norh he would have done the same with any woman - no amount of time could erase the strict etiquette he’d been raised with - Spade found hi her reaction

"Just because a lady can, doesn’t mean she should," he teased, alanced away Christ, she was lovely

He slid his gaze over her, unable to help himself Under her coat, Denise wore a cowl-necked sweater and a long black skirt, her boots peeking out fro her hands The only skin visible on her was her face and neck Spade found hi to do with blood What would she taste like, if he placed his mouth there?

And ould she taste like everywhere else he put hishis attention back to the fact that they were standing outside on a sidehen they should be inside looking for Nathanial

"This way," he said, extending his arm

She placed her hand in it with another shiver, not , too, because his eyes had probably gone green with lust

"What’s it like in this place?" she asked, still looking away

Spade forced his control back into place "It’s exactly what you’d think a vampire bar would be like, if you didn’t believe in varunted "You’ll see"

Chapter Eight

I a at the people inside the Crie, with black clothes as an apparent h her skirt and boots were black, at least Leather and vinyl also seeothic necklaces, earrings, piercings, and tattoos

Spade led her through the dense crowd of people dancing She was careful to look at everyone she passed, hoping one of the-filled smile directed at her when she brushed by a dancer whose skin was as warain Warht The

"Want to dance with the undead, beautiful?" he crooned, swaying his hips

"But you’re not a vampire"

His smile faded "Yes I as, and the people around him Exactly what you’d think a vampire bar would be like, if you didn’t believe in vaht This place looked like every bad undead stereotype coe behind where the band perfor past hirin on his face "What do you think?"

"That you have a sick sense of hu his people here," she replied "And that you’re overdressed, too"

Spade also wasn’t wearing a speck of leather or vinyl Instead he had on a long-sleeved, creamy silk shirt and slacks that were soth coat only ant She marveled that all the leather-clad wannabes had no idea the classily dressed

He leaned in, hisspot Who’d think real vampires would frequent a place like this?"

Spade didn’t move back after he spoke Denise wasn’t sure if he aiting for her to reply, but her ainst her cheek, dark and silky, and his lips were so close to her ear that her slightest movement would connect them He was also so tall, she couldn’t see past his shoulders, and with the edges of his coat brushing around her, she felt like one step closer would result in her being sed up by hi

Denise jerked back, confusion, guilt, and fear coht due to the growing demon essence within her? The inhuman in her drawn to the inhuman in him? Had to be Spade was a vampire, the same creature that promoted panic attacks in her, and besides that, Randy had been dead for only a year

Spade stared at her until Denise had to look away His gaze was too knowing, too intense From the corner of her eye, it almost looked like he’d taken a deep breath, but of course that was impossible Vampires didn’t need to breathe

"Ian’s this way," he said, turning around His voice sounded lower Throatier