A playful smile lightened the intensity of his stare. "We took things too fast, didn't we?"
She nodded.
"I'm sorry for that. When I see something I want, I have a bad tendency to take it first and then think later about whether or not I should have."
He moved away from her and headed for her door. "C'mon," he said, indicating the door with his head. "I'll escort you to the bank and we'll get the wine."
She slid off her stool and followed after him. Outside, there was a hint of a chill in the air. And an aura of danger around Vane. She had the feeling that he was paying way too much attention to the streets around them. Every time someone came near, he watched them intently as if expecting them to leap at them.
She made her deposit and then let him choose their wine after they crossed the street and entered a package store on Canal Street. When she tried to pay for it, she could have sworn he growled like an animal at her.
"I've got it," he said.
"You know, I can take care of myself."
He smiled at that as he took the wine from the clerk. "I know. Where I come from the only thing deadlier than a man is a woman. Believe me, I have a healthy respect for what a pissed-off woman can do."
Was he talking about the commune again? For some reason she didn't think so.
"Where do you come from?"
"I was born in England."
Bride paused at that, surprised. But then, Vane had a habit of constantly surprising her. "Really?"
"Aye, luv," he said in a perfect English accent. "Born and bred."
She smiled. "You do that well."
He opened the door of the package store for her without comment.
"Funny," she said, entering the store. "I never really thought of Englishwomen as particularly vicious."
He snorted at that. "Yeah well, you never met my mother. She makes Attila the Hun look like a fluffy bunny."
There was a lot of anger and hurt in his tone and face as he said that. His mother must truly not have much of a maternal instinct. "Do you ever see her?"
He shook his head. "She made it clear a long time ago that she wasn't interested in having any sort of relationship with me."
Bride wrapped her arm around his and gave a light squeeze. "I'm sorry."
He covered her hand with his. "Don't be. My kind don't have mothers like"
Bride paused in the street. "Your kind?"
Vane stood there in shock at what had slipped out of his mouth. Damn.
Bride was a lot easier to talk to than she should be. He was used to being on his guard around people. "Lone wolves," he said, stupidly borrowing Fury's term.
"Ahh, so you're one of those macho I-don't-need-no-tenderness types."
He used to be, but after spending time with Bride What he felt for this woman scared the shit out of him. "Something like that."
Bride nodded as she started back toward her shop. "So it's just you and your brother, then?"
"Yeah," he said, his throat tight as he remembered his sister. "It's just us. What about you?"
"My parents live in Kenner. I have a sister in Atlanta who I get to see a couple of times a year, and my older brother works for a firm in the business district."