The Reluctant Vampire Page 0,48

was doing, combined with the Sweet Ecstasy. Because there was no way Drina was his life mate. He'd just lost one, and if there was one thing he'd learned, life wasn't kind enough to throw him another so soon.

I am ea ng again, though, Harper thought, his mouth ghtening. But he'd already explained that away to himself sa sfactorily . . . along with his eager libido. Both were just a result of his appe tes being reawakened by Jenny, his true life mate. They simply hadn't died with her death, they'd just been superseded by grief and depression for a while, but now he was ge ng out again and feeling be er, and they were making their presence known once more. And Drina was a beau ful, sexy woman. Any man would desire her if he had the least interest in sex at all.

Oddly enough, while that explana on had sounded reasonable earlier in the day, it wasn't sounding as reasonable to him at the moment. Especially since he'd never experienced this kind of passion with Jenny.

His mind immediately tried to shy away from that thought, but Harper forced it back. He hadn't felt this depth of passion for her. He'd felt some, but she'd always kept him at arm's length, never le ng him even kiss her. So it had remained a seed, never blossoming like his desire for Drina had the moment his mouth had closed on hers.

The Sweet Ecstasy, he decided. That was the only thing that made sense. Only it could create a passion so overwhelming it surpassed what he'd experienced with his life mate.

S ll, the excitement he'd felt when he'd touched Drina bothered him. He needed to test it, Harper decided. He needed to touch her without her touching him in return to confuse the ma er. And he needed to do it somewhere normal and boring, where there was no chance that the situa on and possibility of getting caught might inflame his passions.

His apartment, of course. There was nothing more pedestrian than an apartment or home. Certainly it was more pedestrian than a public booth or alley. Once they got to his place, he would calmly and methodically caress her and prove to himself that he wasn't experiencing her pleasure. He would even avoid kissing her to ensure he wasn't excited, he decided. At least, he would un l he had reassured himself that he hadn't been experiencing the shared pleasure that immortal couples raved on about. It would be hard, Harper acknowledged with an inner grimace. He had two Sweet Ecstasies roiling through his blood, which wasn't likely to make it easy. But he would prevail.

"Is this your building?"

Harper's eyes refocused at Drina's ques on, and he saw that the car was easing to a stop in front of his apartment building. Taking a breath, he nodded, and then opened the door before the driver could get out. He welcomed the frigid blast of air that hit him as he slid out of the vehicle, pulling Drina behind him. The arc c air would help to cool his ardor further, Harper assured himself, and didn't rush to the building after closing the door to the car but moved through the swirling snow at a sedate pace. Drina returned the smile the guard at the door gave them as they entered. Her gaze moved curiously over the large, luxurious lobby as Harper led her to the last of four elevators. She wasn't surprised at the swank to the place. The man had arranged for a helicopter to pick them up for the evening. She'd already known he had money. Not that it ma ered to her. She was no slouch in that area either. Her me as a privateer and some sensible - as well as a few lucky - investments since had ensured she would never need to worry about money.

The elevator was silent and fast, and it seemed like they'd barely entered before it was sliding to a halt at the top. Harper led her out into a hall, s ll holding her hand, and she glanced around, and then came to a stop as she realized they weren't in a hall, but a foyer.

Harper turned, an eyebrow rising in question.

"I take it the whole floor is yours?" she asked wryly.

"Yes." He smiled faintly. "That's my private elevator."

"Right," Drina said with amusement. "And yet you stay at Casey Co age with only a room to call your own?"

"It's