Vampires Are Foreve(16)

Oh sure, his kind could go to the Night Club to get specialized drinks that still bore some of the characteristics of the donor. Diabetics had sweet blood and so on, but it was still cold and really not as flavorful as blood from the source…And it had been a long time. What if he drank too much, or had lost the technique to share the pleasure and prevent her feeling pain?

“Thomas?”

Turning abruptly, he found Inez standing in the doorway to the bedroom peering at him curiously. When her eyes widened at the sight of his expression, he suspected that his guilt was plain to see there and tried to replace it with a smile.

“I didn’t know you were still here,” he said to distract her from what he suspected was a sickly smile, and then changed it to a scowl as he added, “You were supposed to wake me after your bath.”

“Yes, I know, but I thought you were probably exhausted after your flight. Besides, we couldn’t both use the phone at the same time, so I let you sleep,” she explained. “I’ve spent the day making calls; first trying the various hotels in the city to find out if Marguerite didn’t just move to another hotel, and when that didn’t turn up anything, I started on the car rental agencies, but there’s been no luck yet.”

She frowned. “It occurred to me, though, that they might have booked under the name of the man she’s working with, but all I know him as is Tiny. I didn’t know his last name, and I didn’t think that was probably even his real first name so couldn’t ask about him.”

“Actually, his first name really is Tiny. He’s Tiny McGraw. At least I think that’s his name,” Thomas said with a frown, wondering if the Tiny was really just a nickname.

“Oh. McGraw?”

Thomas blinked the thought away and glanced to Inez as she suddenly whirled to rush back across the bedroom and out of sight. Frowning, he stepped into the doorway to see that she’d returned to the table where she’d been working when he’d spotted her earlier. He hesitated briefly in the doorway, and then followed.

Thomas stopped a step behind Inez, his nose quivering as her scent hit him. She wore no perfume, having had none here to use after her bath. The only fragrance masking her natural scent was the faint whiff of the hotel soap and bubble bath, but it was a very faint scent after the whole day spent making calls in the hotel room. Most of what was reaching his nose was her natural scent, a sweet musky aroma that made his nose quiver.

His gaze slid over her back and up to her neck as she bent over a notepad and scribbled Tiny McGraw’s name and added a note beside it. Her hair had fallen to curtain her face, leaving him a peak of just a bit of the back and side of her neck. The skin there was smooth and unblemished, a perfect swath of skin stretched over the muscles and veins of her throat. It was the vein though that caught his interest. He could almost see it throbbing with the blood rushing through it.#p#分页标题#e#

When Thomas realized he was licking his lips hungrily at the sight and smells hitting him, and that the hunger in him was ramping up just at the thought of biting her, he knew Bastien had been right. He couldn’t travel in a busy airport, or sit on a crowded plane, with countless mortals and not be tempted to lure one to a quiet corner for a quick bite. It was a foolish thing even to contemplate in this day and age of security cameras and watchful eyes everywhere on the lookout for possible terrorist activities.

Inez straightened suddenly and stepped back from the table, stiffening with surprise when her back pressed into his chest.

“Oh.” Stepping away, Inez turned swiftly, eyes wide as she peered up at him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize….”

Her words faded as she peered at his face. Thomas knew his expression was probably hungry, so wasn’t surprised by the sudden uncertainty that flickered on her face and the way her heartbeat sped up. It was a natural response to a predator, and he was definitely that, he acknowledged. The very fact that he was suddenly aware of her heartbeat spoke of the fact that his old predator instincts were kicking in. The extra sensitive hearing his people enjoyed was a useful skill when on the hunt, but he normally blocked out much of the sounds it brought him, or had since blood banks had come into existence.

Now her heartbeat played like a concerto in his head, the dance of the hunted. He couldn’t resist stepping closer again and invading her space. Thomas found himself smiling as her heart fluttered and skipped a beat, and then settled into a rapid tattoo. He saw her eyes dart nervously toward the huge king-sized bed before skittering away, and he smiled as her scent changed. The pheromones coming off of her now were a combination of the sharp tang of fear and the deep musk of desire. Inez was nervous of him, but she wanted him and the two emotions were battling inside her.