Dying to Date(10)

Melissa refrained from pointing out she was safe by herself. Her fangs and claws were sharp, and she had years of defense training under her belt. In fact, men’s urges to see her as a delicate princess only served to piss her off on most occasions.

Which is why the warmth flooding her had to be pleasure from the blood and not from this stranger’s words.

“All right then,” she said. “If you are determined to be mysterious, then tell me what you think I should know about you.”

He tilted his head to the side as he thought. “What you see is pretty much what you get,” he said. “I’m a rather average man.”

“Granted I’ve spent only a brief time with you, but average is not the word I’d use.”

His eyes flicked up to hers, and her grip tightened on the wine glass. Something about his gaze seemed to see into her. She didn’t know if it was his magic or just simply him, but one thing was certain, nothing about this man was normal.

“Thank you for that,” he said. “But I assure you my life is pretty staid. I moved east with my younger sister a few weeks ago. We were looking for a fresh start, and I hadn’t been to New York since before the Empire State Building went up.”

“It was quite the feat to watch,” she said, remembering the wonder of its construction.

“I spent one lifetime as an architect,” he told her. “It was possibly my favorite profession.”

“But now you are in finance?”

He nodded. “A failing economy is bad for supernaturals as well as humans. I have the skills to be useful, so why not work in the sector for now? Perhaps I’ll go back to architecture in a few decades.”

Melissa thought of her long life. Though she’d had the odd job here and there, being Lucian’s heir had provided a very different way of living. She’d been more of a patron than a worker for most of her life. Even now she was following that pre-determined role.

“So you see,” Tarian said, breaking her from her thoughts. “There is not much to tell about me.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask about his age, but she bit back the impolite question. Most supernaturals didn’t like to discuss such matters, and either way it was a moot point. For Tarian, she’d been willing to overlook her age gap rule.

“Where were you before the city?”

He focused his attention on his food. “We moved around quite a bit. There isn’t much of this country I haven’t seen.”

“And before that?”

Tarian glanced up at her, but his expressive gaze was shuttered. “Let’s just say I’ve spent more than a few lifetimes on this continent and leave it at that. Unless, of course, you wish to tell me intimate details of your past in exchange for stories from mine.”

She smiled slightly. “I was being rude. My apologies.”

He shook his head. “While I appreciate the interest, there are parts of my life I prefer not discussing. I’m sure it is the same with you.”

The accident flashed across her mind as she inclined her head. “On to more mannered subjects then,” she said. “I hope you enjoy your time in New York.”

“It’s definitely growing on me,” he replied, eying her.

The fresh blood circulating in her body made it easier to blush. That was the only reason her cheeks were heating.

“What about you?” Tarian asked. “What do I need to know about the famous Melissa Redgrave?”

She made a face. “That I don’t like the attention, for one.”

“Not a fan of the spotlight?”

Melissa took a sip from her glass. “I suppose I don’t really know any alternative. My human life ended abruptly, and my immortal one had only ever been lived as Lucian’s sole heir.”

“It must be grating that people make assumptions about you before even meeting.”

“Exactly,” she agreed. “There are times when I want to shout that I’m not just a mirror image of my father. I have my own ideas.”

Tarian chewed slowly as he nodded. “It is important not to make snap decisions. People are more complex than a bloodline.”

It was rare to hear someone understand her thinking and not simply smile and agree with anything she said just because she had Lucian on speed dial.

“You should be warned,” she said, “sticking with me will shine the spotlight on you as well.”

Tarian’s gaze slid away from her, and for a moment she feared she’d scared him away. Not everyone wanted their face plastered on the front of magazines. If he was a man who valued his privacy, dating her could be a problem.

But when he looked back at her, there was a smile on his face. “I’m not easily dissuaded from things I want,” he told her. “And a few articles are a small price to pay to see you again.”