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E so in this district and staring through binoculars et her arrested For thatbesides sit here, or soton was a very paranoid place these days
Decision tiolden opportunity if ever there was one She could waltz right up to the front door of the vampire embassy and request an audience with the ambassador or whatever the hell they called hiet a better shot than this Of course, it was also possible she’d waltz through the gate and into the arh, she didn’t see any dogs and besides, the stories all said dogs didn’t like vas, they’d surely be--
"Snap out of it, Es as a way of postponing the inevitable And this visit was definitely inevitable Her roo, and Emma had run into a brick wall in her own attempts to find her But someone in that house knew exactly where Lacey was, and Eot out of her car and looked around No one atching She hurried down the street, slowing as she neared the battered truck Changing her quick dash into a brisk, confident walk, she strode past the two busy ht
The driveas one of those long curving things, and between her nerves and the three inch heels she’d worn to work, she was a bit winded by the time she reached the pretty brick stairs She paused at their foot and drew a cal breath
"You can do this, Em," she whispered and took the stairs at a quick trot
She reached the front door and stared in surprise The lock had been destroyed It looked like someone had fried it Weird But convenient Between that and the open gate, the gods were clearly sht She touched the knob delicately to be sure it was safe, then pushed the door open and stepped inside
It was dark, although not spooky dark There were a few lights down a hall that disappeared behind the big staircase right opposite the door And a crystal chandelier overhead that looked as if it was on its dih the light was not strong enough to punch through the glass
Emma took another step inside, shivered, and closed the door behind her It was surprisingly war A part of her had expected it to be as cold as a tomb, like with the va in the rooht of which had been blocked by the open front door The room had the look of a small library and was softly lit by pretty Tiffany-style lamps which were perched on a desk and on two small, round side tables She heard the distinctive sound of so a book back onto a shelf and took a tentative step toward the doorway
"Hello?" she called softly, so e house She tiptoed closer to the roo on her own heels as a big, blond man suddenly stepped into view
He eyed her curiously, his full lips curving into a faint smile "May I help you?" His voice was s in gentle mountain streams back home
Emma stared at him He could definitely help her, but probably not in the way he h that at five-six she could still wear high heels without being taller than her date Not that she had that many dates with her work schedule, but one could always hope
This guy was h He was lovely Late twenties,loosely over broad shoulders He had strong ar-sleeved t-shirt and tapered down to a tight, flat abdohs, and
"Excusevoice, but with an undercurrent of a in particular?"
E What was she thinking? She wasn’t here to pick up souy, no matter how delicious he was
"Yes," she started, then, discovering her throat was too dry to talk, sed She coughed and started again "Yes, I’d like to see the ambassador, please"
Warm brown eyes crinkled at the corners "Youover what she could see of the obviously not-open-for-business embassy, "that we’re in transition here The old ambassador has been called home However, his replacement will be in place soon, and when he is, I’m quite certain he’ll be happy to meet with you"
"Oh," Eone? Like for good?" When he nodded, she asked, "How long will it be before I can e then?"
The blond tipped his head to one side appraisingly Was he trying to decide if she orth disturbing the new guy? E him to know she was a serious person, here on business, which awking
"Can you wait a few moments?" the hunk asked