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But as she h the station toward the cab stand, Vasco appeared at her side

"I have a town car," he said, taking her elbow "I’ll give you a ride ho to flirt on the train, but soh the station and touch her uninvited She jerked her arht," she said firmly, "I’ll take a cab"

"Don’t be silly," he insisted, his eyes going flat as his fingers closed around her arenuine alar for help The station was busy, but no one was paying attention to the to remain calm "I appreciate the offer, really But I don’t know you, and I’d really rather--"

"Sid!"

Sidonie looked up at the sound of her na s, as if they were long-lost friends Next to her, she felt Vasco stiffen His grip tightened enough to leave bruises, and she thought for aher with hi as his fingers gripped Vasco’s wrist and forced hie wrapped an ar himself between her and Vasco, who backed aith a hissed curse

"This isn’t over, va it on, huuided Sid toward the exit

"Thanks," she said breathlessly, trying to keep up with his long strides "That guy was a jerk"

"He was lanced up at hie had left parked illegally

"He knew you were a vaht"

"Hoould he know that?"

"I couldn’t guess"

"You "

"Not really How’d you knoas on that train?"

"You should ask Lord Aden"

Sid rolled her head back against the seat She could push for answers, but there was no point The one thing she’d learned about vampires was that they were completely loyal to their Sires That loyalty could be coh to break away But Sid’s i closer to a brick wall They were solid

If Aden didn’t want Kage to talk to her, he wouldn’t talk

She looked up in surprise when Kage pulled the SUV up in front of her building and stopped, clearly waiting for her to get out She’d expected hily strong surge of disappoint h she still wondered what exactly she’d been rescued fro her a quick sideways smile "See you around, Sid"

Sheher doorined she could hear her bed calling to her with its down comforter and soft sheets Her hallas empty as she unlocked her door and stepped into the quiet darkness of her condo Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it with a sigh of relief, then pushed away and was already stripping off her jacket when she made her way down the short hall to her sparsely-furnished living room Her bedroom was on the other side of that open space, and she could see the white of her coht frooal for tonight Bed

But then a light clicked on, and her heart nearly stopped

"Good evening, Sidonie," Aden’s deep voice purred

Sid clutched a hand to her heart, feeling it bouncing so hard behind her breastbone that her ribs rattled

"Aden, da on to one of the tall stools lined up at the bar between her kitchen and living roo here? And how did you get in?"

Aden stood to his full height He re her to adood He wasn’t wearing a jacket, just a black long-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of black jeans that showed off the length of his legs, the powerful ly Sid blinked, honest enough to ad hi smile told her he are of the effect he had on her

Sid gave him a narrow look and opened her ht out of her hoht up in the pure, lethal elegance of hi graceful strides, loose hips rolling like those of a big cat, his dark eyes liht on top of her

"Where have you been, Sidonie? And more to the point, whom have you been with?"

Sid blinked, the spell of his beauty broken by her sudden anger What right did he have to ask her such things?

"None of your business," she snapped and tried to push past hi to push a ton of brick

"You’re my business," he snarled

"Is that so? Don’t you have better things to do? Winning the challenge, world doet in your way Isn’t that what you said, that you’d never let a woman"--she added a sneer to the word, just as he had the other night--"get in your way? Well, I’ way So you can leave now"

She pushed at hiain to no avail, but this ti hands