Serafina and the Silent Vampire - By Marie Treanor Page 0,59

mind.”

“Like this?” she said, covering his hand on her breast.

“I’d definitely try some more of that.” His hand moved between her legs in a long, devastating caress that made her gasp. “And this.”

She pulled his hand off her breast; was vaguely surprised that he let her. “Coffee first,” she said firmly.

“And then?” Reluctantly, it seemed, he released her.

“Hopefully, I’ll have my head back together enough to throw you out.” Her hand shook as she picked up his mug of coffee and thrust it in his direction. He grabbed it quickly to avoid spillages, no doubt, and waited politely for her to precede him back to the living room.

Since there were clothes and books piled on the armchair, Sera reluctantly sat down on the sofa. Inevitably, Blair sat beside her, close but not touching, which at least gave her time to draw breath and think what the hell she was doing—or considering doing—and with whom. Oh, bloody hell, what would it be like with him? He’d be so beautiful and strong, and if he screws anything like as well as he kisses…

Hastily, she squashed the wayward meanderings of her mind before she melted into an even more obvious glob of lust and took a gulp of coffee to calm her nerves. It was too hot, but she thought the pain would do her good.

“So how come you live here all alone, Serafina MacBride?”

“There’s only room for one.”

“There are no men desperate to live with you? Marry you?”

“They’re not breaking my door down. Why?” She risked a glance at him, largely to dare him to suggest frigid or even lesbian inclinations behind her solitude.

But Blair, it seemed, never did the expected. His dark eyes were steady, hot, and predatory as they caught and held her gaze. Her stomach flipped and dived. He said, “In my experience, beautiful women like you are rarely left alone. They are besieged by lovers, the good, the bad, the Casanovas, and the desperate.”

Her smile was slightly twisted. “I guess nobody’s desperate enough.”

He ignored that. “But then,” he observed, “you are a very rare, beautiful woman. I’d guess that you scare human men.”

“I do,” she admitted. “I’m not very comfortable to be around. They think the psychic thing is madness, and somehow it always comes out. Well, it would have to in any meaningful relationship, wouldn’t it?”

She glanced away to take another sip of coffee. “And then men don’t as a rule like to be spotted as liars. Worse, I can’t bear to be lied to. They say more than they mean, or less. Or just try lines that they really expect me to believe.”

Abruptly, she slid onto the floor in a futile effort to avoid his gaze. But again, he surprised her. “What’s the most outrageous lie you’ve ever been told?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” She struck a hand-on-heart pose. “‘I’d die happy for one night in your arms.’ I kid you not—someone actually said that to me. Or ‘My God, Sera, you could be the one. I’ve never been in a serious relationship before.’”

“He had?”

“He was married with two kids. Or that old favorite: ‘You’re the best sex I’ve ever had. I’ll call you..’”

“He didn’t?”

“Of course, he didn’t. But then, unless he was standing on the other side of the room when he said it, I wouldn’t expect him to. To be fair, it’s rare I get to that point, because the lies generally come earlier on in the evening.”

“It’s probably only the emphasis that’s untruthful. Humans have difficulty with words, with admitting feelings. For example, your lover could well have meant you were the best sex he’d ever had and was desperate to see you again, but he was too afraid to call you because you were staring at him with such derision.”

“Who’s side are you on?”

“Yours, of course.”

“Well, I don’t mind them lying to get into my knickers, to be honest. Even that can be flattering if looked on in the right way. It’s imagining that I’m stupid enough and gullible enough to fall for it that pisses me off.” She glanced over her shoulder. “What about you, Blair? Do you lie your way into sex?”

“I don’t usually say anything at all. No point when she can’t hear me.”

She smiled. “You just give them that look, don’t you? And they melt into your arms like ice cream in the sun. Like Tess.”

“I never had sex with Tess. You took her away.”

“Sorry.”

“No need. I only picked her because she looked like you, and when you showed