The Reluctant Vampire Page 0,52

"You can't blame yourself for that. You did your best for them."

"Just as you did your best for Jenny," she pointed out. "But the fact that we were doing our best, and had no idea how that might play out, won't make either of us feel less guilty."

Harper turned back to the window and sighed wearily.

They stood like that for a minute, and then Drina shi ed restlessly. "Marguerite said that you are so determined to punish yourself that you might do something foolish like avoid me to keep from acknowledging we were life mates."

"A little late for that," he muttered.

"Only because you weren't given the opportunity," Drina said with certainty, and then added, "She said not to confront you with it, and to let you realize it for yourself, but to be prepared for you to try to push me away once you do realize it . . . which, of course, you're doing."

"I'm not pushing you away," Harper denied, glancing around with surprise.

Drina rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, I'm standing here not six inches away, naked as the day I was born, and it feels like there are miles between us."

She felt his eyes glide over her, and held her breath, hoping he'd bridge the emo onal gulf he'd created between them, but she wasn't terribly surprised when he turned away and looked out the window again.

"I just need me to adjust to this," he mu ered, leaning one arm on the window and pressing his forehead to it.

"Right," Drina said. Her temper was s rring, but her voice was calm as she asked, "What exactly are you adjusting to?"

Harper straightened and frowned. "I need to wrap my brain around it, is all. This has taken me by surprise."

She nodded. "And how long will that take?"

He shrugged helplessly, and then said miserably, "I don't know."

"Fine," she snapped, finally unleashing the rebellion s rring within her. It was a familiar sensa on for Drina, and she turned on him, and said coolly, "Well, first off, I resent that in punishing yourself, I too will be punished. And second, I should warn you, I don't intend to take that punishment for very long. You may want to wallow in your guilt and shun what we could have, but that doesn't mean I intend to wait around forever for you to 'adjust.' You have two weeks. Once Victor and Elvi return, and I leave here, I'm asking Marguerite to ac vely look for another possible life mate for me. One who will actually want me." She smiled coldly into his stunned face, and added, "And I'm sure she will manage it. A er all, I'm your second possible life mate in two years. With Marguerite ac vely looking, it might not even take that long."

Much to her relief, Drina saw alarm flash across his face at the sugges on. Perhaps there was hope for them, she thought, but merely turned on her heel and started back across the living room, adding, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got two doses of Sweet Ecstasy s ll coursing through me and don't intend to suffer any more than necessary. I'm going downstairs to give the doorman the night of his life. It won't be as sa sfying as it would have been with you, but you're obviously more interested in wallowing in your guilt than me . . . and beggars can't be choosers."

Drina wasn't terribly surprised to hear him curse. Nor was she surprised to hear the quick pa er of his footsteps as he gave chase. She didn't speed up or break into a run, simply continued on, making it all the way across the room and up the four steps to the hall before he caught her arm and jerked her back around with enough force to bring her crashing up against his chest. Catching his hand in her hair, he dragged her head back and slammed his mouth down on hers. She could feel his resentment in that kiss, his anger that she wasn't going to sit sadly sighing and pa ently wai ng for him to fight his demons un l he felt he'd suffered enough that he could allow them to enjoy this gi they'd been given. She could almost hear his conscience ba ling with his desire as he struggled between what he wanted and what he felt he deserved.

Drina stayed completely s ll and unresponsive as she waited to see which side would win, but