TALL DARK AND HUNGRY Page 0,45

giving in to her feelings. She may not be an easy conquest."

"I don't want to conquer her, Vincent. She isn't a foreign country with riches I covet."

"Then what do you want from her?"

Bastien was silent. He didn't know the answer. He hadn't been this fascinated by a woman in a long time, perhaps ever. He didn't even remember feeling this drawn to Josephine. He certainly had never felt so comfortable with the woman he'd always consid¬ered the love of his life. There was something so nat¬ural about Terri. She expressed what she felt with a distinct lack of concern for what people would think; she didn't bother to try to act as if she knew some¬thing when she didn't, lest she look foolish. Terri was honest and accepting and made Bastien feel as if he could be himself around her, as if that was enough.

He wanted to be just as honest in return. That was a feeling he was constantly fighting, afraid that if he re¬vealed the facts of his vampirism, she would shun him as Josephine had.

"That's a risk you'll have to take eventually, if you want a serious relationship with her. This is a new era, though. Vampires are 'in' right now. Terri might not react like Josephine at all." Vincent didn't bother to try to hide the fact that he'd been reading his cousin's mind. Wrought with turmoil as he was, Bastien hadn't remembered to guard his thoughts. "Can you read her mind?"

Bastien shook his head. He'd tried while shopping that afternoon and hadn't been able to read a thing.

Vincent nodded solemnly. "You'll have to tell her eventually. Perhaps Kate can help you. They're cousins. Terri might take it better from her anyway." Vincent moved to the door. "I'm going out for a snack. Enjoy your night."

Bastien watched the door close behind his cousin, then stood unmoving for several minutes. He felt restless, empty, hungry. That last thought had him crossing to the locked fridge in his desk to retrieve a bag of blood. He popped his teeth into it, ingested it quickly, then tossed the empty bag away in disgust. It didn't help what ailed him. Bastien still felt empty. Blood wasn't what he was hungry for. What he yearned for. What he really wanted was someone of his own. Someone to complete him. He wanted to belong to someone. To someone who could accept his differences and embrace him with them. He wanted unconditional love. More to the point, he wanted Terri's unconditional love.

"That was wonderful."

Bastien smiled at the enthusiastic smile on Terri's face and the excited color in her cheeks. Thinking she'd enjoy it, he'd taken her to see The Phantom of the Opera, and found he'd quite enjoyed it himself. "Are you hungry?"

"Starved," she admitted with a laugh. "That salad stopped tiding me over about an hour ago. What about you?"

"I could do with a little something," Bastien an¬swered vaguely. He wasn't really hungry, but was looking forward to sitting across a table from Terri, watching her eyes dance and sparkle and her expres¬sions change as she talked. "The restaurant is only a block or so away. Can you walk that far in your high heels, or should I hail a taxi?"

"Walking sounds fine," she assured him. "I'm used to wearing high heels all day at work."

"You look good in them." Bastien glanced down her short black cocktail dress to her legs in their sexy black nylons and high-heeled strapped sandals. Terri looked lovely, and somehow incredibly sexy despite the fact that the dress she wore wasn't the least bit re¬vealing. It was sleeveless and short, but not indecently so, stopping just above the knee. And while it had a V-neckline, it wasn't cut so low as to reveal more than a hint of cleavage.

They chatted about the play as they left the theater, discussing the scenery, the costumes, and the music. Conversation became more restrained once they reached the restaurant. They were shown to their table at once and offered menus. Terri's menu had no prices on it, while his did, and he grinned at her vex¬ation over that fact. She would not be paying for this meal no matter what. Her pride would have to take a backseat this evening. He wanted to treat her as she deserved: to be wined and dined and waited on like a princess.

The food was delicious and the service excep¬tional, but about halfway through the meal, Bastien began to wish he'd taken Terri someplace a