TALL DARK AND HUNGRY Page 0,98

restocked shelves of the fridge. Thankfully, he'd at least remembered to have that done. Although he was surprised he had even managed that. He'd been a tad distracted all week, what with finding ways and times to squeeze in visits with Terri. She wouldn't go out with him alone when Kate was free, explaining apologetically that she had come to be with her cousin before the wed¬ding and didn't feel right about abandoning her at a time when she was so excited and nervous about the up coming nuptials.

Bastien understood. Besides, they spent time to¬gether. It was just that, in the evenings, they only man¬aged to see each other on double dates with Lucern and Kate. The other couple didn't wish to go without seeing each other, but insisted on chaperones when they did. In an effort to make sure their wedding night was special, Kate refused to be alone with Lucern un¬til then. And, as long as Kate and Lucern couldn't be alone together, neither could Terri and Bastien. Which meant, to spend any time on his own with Terri, Bastien had to arrange to see her while Kate was at work. While he himself should be working.

After taking off the first week of Terri's stay here in New York, Bastien was swamped trying to catch up with everything he'd neglected. But he had still managed to make time to be alone with her for at least an hour every day. He had made it a point to be sure they went places, too. After that first lunch in the office, Bastien hadn't wanted her to think that his only interest in her was sexual. But, somehow, no matter where they went or what he had planned, they always ended up making love. They'd made love in some interesting and unexpected places this week, and it wasn't always he who initiated it. Terri was turning out to be as insatiable as he had found him¬self becoming. She was doing a good job of making up for the years of abstinence since her husband died.

"Bastien?"

"Yeah?" He glanced up as Vincent opened the of¬fice door.

"Terri just buzzed. She's on her way up in the elevator."

Smiling, Bastien tossed the now empty blood bag into the waste basket under the desk and gave the fridge door a push to close it. He stood and hurried around the desk.

Today was the only day he hadn't managed to book a free hour to see her. And while Kate would be here soon for the stag and doe party, helping to set up for it was a perfectly legitimate reason for Terri to come early. He hadn't expected to be so lucky as to have her show up this early though.

"I thought that news would cheer you up," Vin¬cent said. His amusement was apparent as Bastien ap¬proached the door.

"You thought right, cousin." He slapped Vinny on the shoulder and moved past him into the hall. "You thought right."

"Well then, this news might make you even hap¬pier." His cousin followed him.

"What's that?" Bastien asked with distraction.

"I have to pick up my date and take her to dinner before the party, so you'll have this place to yourself until the guests start arriving. Or at least until Aunt Marguerite, Rachel, and Etienne come back from col¬lecting Lissianna and Greg from the airport. That should give you about two hours. You'll have to set up for the party on your own, but--"

"You're a good cousin, Vincent," Bastien said solemnly as they reached the entry. "And a good friend."

"I'll remind you of that the next time I need a fa¬vor," his cousin said lightly.

"You do that," Bastien agreed. The elevator ar¬rived and the doors slid open.

"Hello, beautiful," Vincent greeted Terri as he swapped places with her, taking her spot on the eleva-tor. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he added as the doors started to close. "And since there isn't much that I wouldn't do, that means the two of you should have lots of fun."

Terri glanced from the closed elevator doors to Bastien with a grin. "My arrival didn't scare him off, did it?"

"No. He's gone to get his date and take her to din¬ner," Bastien explained. Then he stepped forward and scooped Terri into his arms.

"Bastien!" She squealed in combined surprise and alarm, her hands clutching instinctively at his shoulders.

"Have you ever had a glass of champagne in a Jacuzzi?" He started up the hall toward the master suite.

"No, I don't believe I