The dark voice flowed like warm honey over her. A voice as lethally fascinating as the rest of him. 'Yikes. He fell under the category of dangerous with a capital D.
Still, Dante wouldn't have left her here if he didn't believe she was in safe hands. She might not know much about her savior vampire, but she did know he wouldn't deliberately hand her over as dinner to one of his pals.
Would he?
"Yes, and you, I presume, are Viper?" she forced herself to murmur in polite tones.
"Very astute." The dark eyes swept over her slender features and tumble of honey curls. "And lovely."
Lovely? A faint frown touched her brow. Was he blind? Or was he indeed up to something nefarious? She had never been more than passably average. And that was when she wasn't covered in muck and reeking of back alleys.
"Thank you… I think."
His lips curled into a smooth smile. "You needn't regard me with such distrust. I never feed upon my guests. It is rather bad for business."
Well, that was a relief. She cleared her dry throat. "And what is your business?"
"I am a procurer of pleasure," he said simply.
She choked, her eyes widening at the unexpected words. 'You're a pimp?"
His soft laugh reminded her forcibly of Dante as he tilted his head to one side. "Nothing so mundane," he purred in low tones. "I offer… ah no, Dante would not thank me for exposing you to such sordid tales. He is astonishingly protective of you." Without warning, he reached up to lightly brush her cheek. "And it is little wonder."
She stiffened in unease. "What?"
"Such purity." His gaze drifted over her tense form before returning to linger upon her pale features. "A golden beacon to the dark."
First lovely and now pure? The poor, incredibly beautiful vampire really must be off his rocker.
Not a very comforting thought.
"I'm afraid you must have me confused with someone else," she said in slow, easy-to-follow tones.
His lips twitched as if realizing that she feared him mental. "I do not speak of chastity." He gave an elegant wave of his hand. "Such a tedious mortal obsession. Or even of the spirit that you now carry within you. I speak of your soul, Abby. You have known tragedy and even despair, but you remain untainted."
She took a careful step back, desperately wishing that Dante would return. There was something very unnerving about this Viper.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Evil, lust, greed—the darker passions that so easily tempt mortals."
"Well, I suppose everyone is tempted."
'Yes, and so few resist." He closed the small distance between them, Ms fingers once again tracing the line of her cheek. "Such innocence is bound to be an irresistible attraction for those who walk in the night. Wickedness always seeks redemption, even as the shadows seek the light"
Abby's brain was beginning to ache in an attempt to follow the obscure revelations. Holy crap, she thought Dante spoke in riddles.
"Ah… right," she muttered, taking yet another step back in their peculiar dance. "Where is Dante?"
Viper offered a shrug. "He did not give me his full itinerary, but I do know he has gone in search of breakfast."
Her stomach gave a sudden growl of relief. She couldn't even remember her last meal. Which meant it was far too long ago.
"Thank God, I'm starving. I hope he brings…" The delicious images of pancakes and eggs and bacon were suddenly tarnished by the thought of what Dante would be having for Ms predawn meal. "Ew."
Viper lifted a golden brow at her unmistakable shudder.
"Do not worry, lovely Abby. He is not on the hunt." Moving with mesmerizing grace, Viper flicked open a hidden panel in the wall to reveal a small refrigerator filled with dark bottles. "This is the home of a vampire. I always possess an ample supply of synthetic blood. The breakfast is for you."