Tall Dark and Hungry(5)

Leaving the maid swaying on her feet, Vincent glided across the room to stand before Terri. His smile was a sexy curve of the mouth, his irises were silver blue and held a hungry look that captured her attention. He enveloped one of her small hands in his, and raised it to his lips. "Enchante,"he growled.

Terri opened her mouth to respond, but paused in surprise when the man turned her hand over and pressed his lips to her wrist.

"Stop that!"Bastien stepped to the side, tugging Terri away from the man with a hand on her elbow even as he used the other to slap Vincent in the back of the head. If the fact that all three men sported those unique silver-blue eyes and dark good looks hadn't told her, that gesture-one only an irritated relative would use-told Terri this man was obviously an Argeneau. "What the hell are you doing here, Vincent?»

"Dracul,"he insisted with a sniff, then turned and walked to the nearest chair. Grasping his cape, he held it out slightly so that it swirled around him as he turned. Then he dropped dramatically to sit. "I have the lead role in Dracula. The musical.»

"Dracula the musical?"Bastien echoed in disbelief. Vincent grinned. "Yeah. Cool, huh? The lead."He nodded. "I'm a stage presence.»

"Dear God,"Terri heard Bastien breathe. He seemed horrified by the whole ordeal, but she was fascinated. She volunteered a lot of time to the local community theater, and she loved this kind of stuff. Pulling away from her host's light hold, she moved to the couch and perched on the end of it to ask, "Are you a method actor?»

"Why, yes!"He beamed at her. "How did you know?»

"Well, the scene we walked into suggested you were. Er…"Terri's words became a surprised silence as a glance across the room showed the housekeeper was no longer swaying on her feet. In fact, she'd fainted dead away. Lucern was lifting her into his arms.

"Where is her room, Bastien?"he asked as the two men now turned to notice his predicament.

"Oh. I'll show-" Bastien stopped abruptly and turned an uncertain gaze back to Terri, as if he were reluctant to leave her alone with Vincent.

His brother solved the problem by saying, "Just tell me, and I'll go put her in bed.»

"That hall, the last room on the right,"Bastien indicated, gesturing to one of the two corridors that led off the large living room.

Terri shook her head and watched Lucern carry the woman out. The housekeeper really hadn't taken Vincent's playacting at all well. She was overreacting, and obviously fainthearted. Terri turned back to the actor. "As I was saying, the scene we walked in on said as much. So, you have to live your roles to make them feel real to you. You have to act them out?»

"Yeah."Vincent grinned. "I always live out my role. If I'm playing a bartender, I tend bar for a while. If I'm a salesman I get a job selling cars. Whatever. Fortunately, with this role I don't have to act mu-"

"Vinny!"Bastien's tone made both Terri and Vincent glance his way. His expression was forbidding, so much so that the actor didn't even bother to correct the name. In fact, he seemed to read more into the look than Terri, because after a moment of silence he arched his eyebrows. "She's not one of us?»

"No."Bastien's expression was icy. Terri was a little startled by the transformation. He had seemed attractive and friendly and not the least threatening until now, but this expression made him seem just a bit dangerous. In a good way, she decided, as her gaze slid over his broad shoulders and the cut of his slacks. He was a good-looking, well-built-

"You haven't answered my question. What are you doing here?»

Bastien's cold query drew Terri from her itemization of his good points and back to the men.

Vincent answered, "I told you, I have the lead-"

"Fine,"Bastien interrupted. "That explains why you're in New York. Now, why are you here? In my home?»

"Oh."Vincent gave a laugh. "You mean Aunt Marguerite's home, don't you? She said I could stay here until we see if the play is going to last any length of time, until I know if I need my own apartment in the city or not.»

Bastien closed his eyes briefly and silently cursed his mother. She was such a tenderhearted person. Unfortunately, Vincent had it right. This really was her apartment. His father had purchased the building years ago and set up offices here. He'd designed this penthouse above, allowing a room for each of his children should they wish to visit. On his father's death, Bastien had taken to staying here when in New York, and had come to think of it as his own because he was the only one who usually did stay here. But, in truth, it was still his mother's apartment, and she had every right to allow whoever she wanted to stay here.

To be fair, Marguerite probably hadn't thought it would be a problem. It was a huge apartment and, with Vincent acting at night and Bastien working during the day, in the normal course of events it wouldn't have been a problem. He doubted the two of them would even have run into each other very often. But that was in the normal course of events. Today, nothing was normal. And Terri's presence caused something of a dilemma, because Vincent was a biter.

No, Vincent wasn't doing his normal method acting when they'd walked in-or perhaps he was, since he didn't usually walk around in a cape-but if so, it was only incidental to the fact that he had been feeding. And off the bloody housekeeper!

Bastien scowled at his cousin. Vincent, and his father before him, couldn't survive on bagged blood. They needed a specific enzyme that died several moments after blood left the human body. It was a problem Bastien had his lab working on, but until they discovered how to fix the problem, Vincent, like his father, had to feed off the living. Still, the man knew better than to feed in Bastien's home. He'd been taught better than that.

"Sorry,"Vincent said with a chagrined shrug, not even pretending he hadn't been reading Bastien's thoughts. "It was a long flight and I was hungry. No harm done, though.»

Bastien sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Fortunately, it appeared Vincent was right; there was no harm done. Terri assumed the man was a method actor, playacting. Which reminded Bastien of something Kate had once said when mentioning her maid of honor. Terri was a professor at the University of Leeds. She taught something to do with the media, but she spent a lot of time volunteering in community theater. Thank God for small favors. It had saved coming up with an explanation for what they had walked in on. Knowledgeable on plays and acting in general, she'd made the obvious assumption. At least, it was an assumption more obvious than thinking the truth; that Vincent-that all of them-were vampires.

"Your housekeeper is resting quietly,"Lucern announced, returning to the living room.

Bastien nodded. "Thanks, Luc."He glanced at their cousin. "So, what's this about a lead role in a musical?»

"Dracula."Vincent nodded. "I landed the role last week. We start rehearsals soon."He grinned gleefully. "It's perfectly atrocious. Rotten campy music, ridiculous lines-and they want me to use this horrid Transylvanian accent. I think it will be a hit. I predict a long run.»

Terri burst out laughing, and Bastien found a smile curving his lips at the musical sound. She was lovely when she smiled and irresistible when she laughed.

Got the hots for Kate's cousin?

Bastien gave a start as Vincent's thought intruded on his own. Vincent was still reading his mind. He scowled, then stiffened as the intercom buzzed behind him. Someone was in the elevator and waiting to come up. Without a key like the one Bastien always carried, the elevator had to be unlocked from upstairs to work. No doubt Mrs. Houlihan, the housekeeper, had unlocked it for Vincent to come up. Either that or Bastien's mother had given Vinny her key.

"That might be Kate,"Lucern said, showing a noticeable increase in animation at the very idea. It was always amazing to see the difference that came over Luc when his fiancee was around. It was as if a switch were flipped and he came fully to life. Bastien often wondered what it must be like to truly enjoy life again as Lucern seemed to be doing.

It was something he might never know, Bastien realized without rancor. He moved to the wall unit and flipped a switch, bringing up an image of the interior of the elevator on a small monitor. Sure enough, Kate was in the elevator. She wasn't alone.

"Who's that with her?»

Lucern moved closer to look. "It's C.K.»

"C.K.?"Bastien asked.

Lucern nodded. Now it was Terri who stood and came to peer curiously at the stranger. "He's a co-worker of Kate's. Another editor. Isn't he?"She looked to Lucern for verification and he nodded again.

Bastien pushed the button to allow the elevator to climb up to the penthouse suite. "Why would she be bringing him here?»

Lucern merely shrugged and made his way to the elevator, though Bastien knew it wasn't curiosity that moved him. He doubted his brother cared at all why the other editor was there; Luc was just eager to see Kate. He was always eager to see Kate.

"So. I'm Vincent Argeneau. And you are?»

Bastien turned to see that his cousin had taken Terri's hand again. He had every intention of interrupting the cozy little scene… just as soon as Terri gave her full name. Bastien still didn't have a clue what it was.

"Terri. Terri Lea Simpson.»

"And are you a thespian, too? You must have something to do with acting to know about method actors and such. You're certainly lovely enough to be an actress.»