to roll around in the sound.
“Bane! You know you’re beautiful. I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful in my life. It’s ridiculously unfair, and either you’re a genetic miracle or it’s something about being a vampire.”
His smile faded. “So, I’m only beautiful to you because I’m not human?”
“You’re more human than any man I’ve ever known,” she said softly. “You protect your family. You help sick children. You save the life of a man who was burned nearly to death. Don’t hide behind this pretense of being a monster.”
The words cut into him like a double-edged blade. Was her good opinion won so easily? Was she a fool that she couldn’t see who he really was?
Worse, was the addition of touch and sensuality actually accomplishing the compulsion she’d resisted before? Maybe he should test that.
“Put your hands on your head,” he commanded her, putting a strong push behind the words.
“Put your hands on your own head,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I thought we were past this.”
Not compulsion, then. She actually found him to be human-like. Human enough to allow him to touch her.
To kiss her.
“Stay.” He stepped back a pace and took a deep breath, needing a clear head. “Stay and study me. Tell me what you discover. Let’s discover if science can analyze magic, if maybe my blood can help you learn how to cure disease.”
“You’d trust me? With your secrets?”
“You could never share what you learn. Never tell the scientific community or anyone else. Could you be content with that?”
“Keep your secrets, or you’d have to kill me?” The light in her eyes dimmed. “We’re back to that?”
“If I can’t trust you, I’d have to do worse than kill you,” he told her, forcing the words from his throat.
“Worse?” She paled, and her hand crept to her throat. “What’s worse?”
“I’d Turn you. If you were one of us, you’d never tell our secrets.”
“No! I can’t… No. Promise me that you won’t do that.” She shook with tension or fear at the mere idea, making him realize that she must believe him a monster, to be so afraid to become what he was.
Which, of course, he should have expected, so he had no idea why his stomach suddenly felt hollow. But she deserved an answer, so he considered the question and then gave her the truth, when he so easily could have lied. “Yes. I promise you that I won’t Turn you, so long as you don’t disclose our secrets. Will you agree to work with me, and me alone, on those terms?”
She stared into his eyes for so long he was sure the answer would be no, but then she nodded. “Yes. I’ll work with you, and I promise never to tell anyone about vampires.”
She held out her hand, and bemused, he shook it.
“So professional, Doctor.”
“Yes. So. I think we should get back.” She bit her lip. “I need to go get some things from my place—some clothes—and some things from the hospital, so I can get started. I want to analyze your blood, first, and—”
“Would you like to see my club?”
“I—what?”
He could tell by the faraway expression in her eyes that she’d been miles away, making lists in her fascinating, scientific mind.
“My club? We’re downstairs from it now. I can show you around, if you like.”
“Sure. But, isn’t it daylight now?” She bit her lip again, and a swelling of warmth spread through his chest when he realized why she’d asked.
She was worried.
For him.
“Yes. Dawn broke twenty minutes ago. We—vampires—can always feel when the sun rises and sets. But there are no windows in the club, and the door opens into an entry with another door. It’s quite safe, but thank you.” He smiled at her. “It has been a long damn time since anyone other than my family has worried about me.”
“Maybe it’s time that changed,” she said softly, returning his smile, and he could have sworn he heard the sound of the concrete blocks he’d built into a wall around his heart start to crack.
“Maybe it is,” he murmured. “Shall we go up?”
“After you,” she said brightly.
He pretended not to notice when she slipped the Bowie knife into her pants pocket. If a blade helped her feel safer in the midst of monsters…
The most human man she’d ever met.
He could work with that.
Chapter Twenty
Ryan waited until Bane’s back was turned before sneaking the knife into her pocket. She had to stab hard to make a hole in the bottom of the pocket, so the