Keepers of the Flame (Trilogy Bundle) - By Melissa F. Hart Page 0,10

like that, the spell was broken. We both looked away and while I fiddled with the mug in my hand, he began to set the table for two. When he was done, he cleared his throat and looked at me.

“Would you join me for breakfast?”

I raised an eyebrow, deliberately imitating him and looked pointedly at the two places he'd set before turning to look back at him. “Oh? Were you expecting someone else?”

One side of his mouth lifted in a half smile and he ran a hand through his already tussled dark hair. His eyes twinkling, he shrugged and sat down. “Fine, don't eat then.”

“Hey, I didn't say I wasn't going to eat.” I protested, taking a seat across from him. I shoved a forkful of eggs into my mouth and for the first time in my entire life, I was grateful for evolved taste buds. My eyes widened in surprise and appreciation. “Wow, this is incredible.”

“Thanks.”

We ate in silence and between mouthfuls of food, I studied him unabashedly. Finally, he dropped his fork onto his plate and stared at me with exasperation. I just smiled.

“What?”

“I'm curious about you.”

“Curiousness is not a good thing,” he said trying to sound sage. I snorted and he frowned.

“You know so much about me, a dossier worth of information I'm sure. But I know next to nothing about you and that doesn't seem fair, does it?” I asked reasonably.

He went back to eating and I had to wait for him to finish chewing before he replied. “I'm here to protect you. You don't need to know anything about me.”

This time, I gave in to the urge to roll my eyes. “Fine, so you're supposed to be my protector. Isn't that a relationship of sorts, and one which requires some level of trust? How can I trust you when I know next to nothing about you?”

He gave me a considering look as he chewed and I could see he was surprised that I was more than the bimbo most people thought I was, not like I blamed them. I had thick golden hair which I caught in a ponytail behind my head. It reached down almost to my waist and I was reluctant to cut it for reasons I didn't feel like dwelling upon. Then I'd been told I had these big gray eyes, which even in the mirror looked vacuous to me. Coupled with the fact that I'd been cursed with very generous boobs, I wasn't surprised most people didn't expect me to know the word vacuous.

He sighed finally and placed his arms on the table. “Okay. What do you want to know?

Chapter Six

What do you want to know?

Even as I spoke the words, I immediately regretted them. I didn't want to speak about myself, but I'd let those beautiful gray eyes get to me. There was no other explanation for why I'd just given her carte blanche with my life. Not like I was going to answer every question she asked, I wasn't that foolish. Then she smiled at me and batted those eyes at me again and I knew I was a goner.

“How old are you?”

Interesting. I would have thought she'd have started with my experience or my resume. Instead she wanted to know my age. Well, that I could manage.

“I'm twenty-one.”

“Do you have any family?”

I felt like I'd just been sucker punched. Had I just said I could manage her questions? Man, what an idiot I was.

“Yes.” I kept my answer short, hoping she would get the message and leave that line of questioning alone. No such luck.

“Where do they live?”

“Europe.”

“Really? You're from Europe then?”

I could see the excited light in her eyes and I felt like a heel for not giving her what she wanted, but I knew I couldn't.

“I'm American.”

She pursed her lips and I had a sudden vision of those lips on mine. I shook myself mentally. Sixteen! I reminded myself sternly. Even if she was of age as a vampire, she was still too young for me.

“You don't want to talk about your family?” she asked gently, like she could understand. Even though our circumstances were very different, I had a feeling she would somehow understand. But I wasn't in a confiding mood.

“I don't.”

“All right then. We won't speak about your family. Instead, tell me about your work. Do you enjoy being a protector? I know it's not an easy life and you're constantly in danger.”

“We're all in danger,” I told her. “You don't have to be