a vision of quiet, calm beauty that was right at home amidst the statuary. She glanced at us briefly then did a double take, fingers pausing over the keyboard.
“Jessica, will you excuse us, please? I need a moment alone with Ms. Waynest.”
She shrugged, packing up her laptop. “Sure. I’ll come back for the books later. Let me know when you’re ready.”
He drew her to him when she rose, cupping her cheeks as though she were made of the finest, most fragile porcelain. I was admittedly shocked at the—dare I say it—tender way he kissed her. She rose on tiptoe to meet him, and I looked away, feeling far too much like a voyeur, even though they weren’t doing anything terribly inappropriate.
When they broke the kiss, she gave me a cheery smile and a wave, practically skipping out of the room. She was far too … too … nice to be so intimate with someone like Royce. The way his eyes followed her as she left the room spoke of hunger, but not the kind that lusted for blood. He wanted something else from that girl, something less tangible. The implications made my head, already hurting, reach whole new levels of what-the-fuck.
“She will be John’s replacement in due time,” he remarked, blinking and turning his attention to me. Though it didn’t surprise me that he hadn’t found a replacement for his turncoat flunky yet, that he wanted a woman—a human woman—to take the place of the dead vampire was entirely unexpected. I wasn’t sure what expression I had on my face—maybe incredulity—but Royce was amused by it. His smile widened, and he gestured to the chaise. “Please, sit.”
Once I did, he chose a seat facing me, settling back in the cushions and propping his feet up. He was far too relaxed and cheerful for my peace of mind. I wasn’t used to seeing him this way—not at all.
He saved me from having to explain myself by resuming the persona I was more familiar with. Royce-at-home was not the same as Royce-at-the-office, and the disparities bugged me for no reason I could readily put my finger on.
“Now, then. To business. Knowing you, I don’t dare assume that you came with the intention of allowing me to turn you.”
I nodded, biting my lower lip. Whatever he expected in payment would most likely involve my opening a vein—which wasn’t something I was terribly excited about doing. I’d thought he wanted me for other reasons, but his actions with Jessica made me question his motives on levels I hadn’t previously thought to explore.
“If you turn Were, I can’t have you stay here. Sara can remain, but you would present too much of a hazard to my people. I have properties upstate, but I usually require some form of exchange when I offer shelter to those who come to me. I know the state of your finances. You have few reserves to call on, and fewer friends to back you or trade in that most valuable commodity, information. Despite what you have done for me in the past, I would call our debt to each other even by now. That does not leave many options. What do you intend to offer, Ms. Waynest?”
“I’m not sure what you want. You’ve already got willing donors, and I don’t even want to think about you bumping uglies with somebody—least of all, me.”
He chuckled at that, folding his hands behind his head and giving me a wicked smile. “Are you sure? You’ve never once thought about it? What it might be like?”
“Don’t play games with me,” I said, more harshly than I intended. At his sardonic look, I swallowed hard, and my voice shook, but I somehow managed to meet his gaze levelly. “Clearly you’ve got Miss Sunshine to fool around with. You don’t need me for that.”
“That all may very well be true, but you have not yet answered my question. I expect an answer, Shiarra. My patience is not limitless.”
I closed my eyes and clenched my hands in my lap to hide how they shook, praying I was making the right decision this time, that I wasn’t plunging into an abyss from which I might never return. Despite his threat, Royce waited for me to gather myself enough to answer him, unmoving, not speaking, intent upon my response. I gathered my courage and gave him what he was waiting for.
“Keep Sara safe, and let her go when it’s time. None of your people can touch her or even