Love at Stake (Entangled Covet)(18)

The thought of abducting Abbey made his fangs ache. To spirit her away to his home and bend her over his bed, tie her to him with chains of pleasure so intense she’d never want to leave…oh, yes. There was definitely something to be said for the old ways.

“Here it is.”

He grimaced when he noticed the place she’d chosen. Loud music assaulted the night and he spotted pool tables behind the bar. Abbey walked in without hesitation.

He eyed the bar, thinking of the soft classical music and perfectly placed silverware he’d left behind at Celeste’s. A small smile curved his lips. Looked like they really were from different worlds.

Following her lead, he stepped into the tavern and followed her to a booth.

“A pint,” she was telling the waiter. “Whatever’s good on tap.”

“Wine,” Lucian added as he slid into the booth. “Red.”

The waiter disappeared while Lucian examined his surroundings. Brash orange-and-red painted walls were littered with crookedly framed pictures from around the world. Mortals joked by the bar, slapping each other on the back. One of the waitresses wiped down an empty table with a dirty rag, crumbs tumbling to the floor. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in a place like this.

“Not your sort of bar, huh?” she asked, reading his mind.

“No.”

She leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin in one raised palm. “So tell me why the succubus didn’t work. I’ll put notes in your file tomorrow and see if I can’t tweak your future dates.”

“You brought me here to discuss work?”

She said nothing for a moment before nodding resolutely. “Work. Only work.”

If that’s how she wanted to play it. He leaned closer as well, invading her space. “All right. Shall I tell you why your agency is going to fail?”

Fire lit her eyes. “Please.” There was nothing pleasant about her smile.

“Because you don’t understand the mating bond. How could you? You’re so—”

“Human,” she spat. “And a creature as inferior as me couldn’t begin to comprehend such a deep and abiding devotion, right?”

“Actually, I was going to say so young.”

Lucian watched avidly as color blossomed on her cheeks. Abbey would never be able to hide her emotions. They splashed across her face, as bright and vibrant as she was. Other women might blush delicately, but Abbey’s whole face turned pink all the way to the tips of her ears. He eyed her high neckline and wondered if that lovely flush continued even lower. No, Abbey was not a delicate woman. Not poised or controlled.

And he found he rather liked it.

“Not so young. Just a few years shy of thirty.”

He snorted. “I cannot even remember what it was like to be such a child.”

Her eyes narrowed in warning. “All right, old man, I’ll try to find you more mature women.”

“Not my point.”

“Then what was?”

Lucian reached out to claim her hand. He pulled it to him, tracing invisible patterns in her palm. “When the world is so new, you see all the possibilities. Everything is attainable and you rush forward to meet it.”

“So?” She sounded a little breathy.

“After all the years I’ve lived, I see time differently. My mate is out there, but I have no expectations of finding her in a handful of weeks. If I find her in two centuries, that will be a miracle.”

“But,” she swallowed and tried again. “Sometimes the bond is immediate, sure. Other times it grows slowly. What if you pass your mate by and never realize it? Janine could have been the one but you didn’t give her more than twenty minutes of your time.”

“Trying to convince me to date another woman when I’m sitting here with you?” he asked.

She dropped her gaze to their entwined hands. “I just meant you shouldn’t be so quick to judge.”

“She wasn’t the one.”

“You don’t know that.”

He smiled at her stubborn belief. “There was no spark, no connection. A mate bond isn’t just about attraction. It is…” He stopped, unsure of how to describe such a supernatural occurrence to a human.

“It’s a soul-deep connection,” she said. “It’s finding someone who is your equal, your match. Someone who excites you every day for eternity. The one person in the world you can’t live without. A mate is your support, your home. They are a lover, friend, helpmate, and confidant. Finding your mate is like finding the piece of yourself you always knew was missing but couldn’t do anything about.”

His fingers stilled against hers. How? She was mortal. How did she understand so perfectly what a vampire’s mate meant to one of his kind?