Page 20 of The Vampire Trap

Thomas tsks. “If I did that, then you would kill me, and I quite enjoy being alive.”

I throw myself back, using my weight to knock him off balance. He doesn’t let go, and we crash into the bookshelf behind us. Bending forward as several books clatter to the floor around us, he grunts as one bounces off his head.

All the fight leaves me at once. Even now, after I attacked him, he uses his body to protect me from being struck by a falling book.

“I don’t understand,” I huff, annoyed at my slightly panting breaths while his are smooth and even. “Why aren’t you trying to kill me?”

For several heartbeats, he doesn’t respond. Then, ever so slightly, his arms loosen. “Lady Hall,” he says slowly. “There are many things I would like to do to you. But killing you is not one of them.”

I twist, straining to look back at him, but he’s still holding on too tightly for me to meet his gaze.

“If I let you go, will you promise not to attack? I only want to talk, and it would be much easier if I’m not driven to distraction by having to hold you so close.”

A shiver runs down my body, and I’m surprised to find that it’s not from fear. It dawns on me that the reason I am drawn to him isn’t the result of his vampire powers but straightforward attraction for who he is. And from what he just said, it doesn’t seem to be one-sided.

“Yes,” I say.

Thomas lets his arms fall away. I take a few steps, then turn.

“How did you do that with your dress?” he asks. It’s one of the last things I expect him to say in this situation.

I can practically feel his gaze sliding up and down my legs. I open my mouth but find I can’t speak. Finally, he drags his eyes to my face and raises both brows as if he genuinely wants to know.

Swallowing hard, I force the words to unstick where they’ve lodged in my throat. “I wear these under my dress. It’s supposed to match.”

He bends to pick up the fallen books, examining them in the low light before placing them back where they belong.

“How did you know I was in here? Your hearing can’t be good enough to have heard me from your room.”

Thomas slides another back onto the shelf. “I told you,” he says over his shoulder, “I have a demon.”

Momentarily frozen with panic, I stare wide-eyed at his broad back.

He finishes cleaning up, then sits on the edge of his desk, hands folded in his lap. “I don’t know why you’re so surprised. You looked them in the eye before you started snooping.”

I shake my head.

“What did you think they were?” He waves a hand toward the other side of the desk, and a cat leaps up. It’s the same color and size as?—

I jerk my gaze to where the figurine sat. But it’s gone. I gawk at thelivingcat….

No. Not cat—demon.

They watch me with dark eyes that brighten until they look like hot coals. Aside from the side-to-side swish of their tail, the demon remains perfectly still.

“You watched me through that thing’s eyes?” The words are far too shrill. “I thought that was an odd little door stop.”

Thomas chuckles and scratches the top of their head. “Did you hear that Mesto? She thought you were a common?—”

The demon hisses, cutting him off. Then the creature leaps off the desk and bounds into the wall, passing through like fog.

“To be honest,” Thomas begins with a sigh. No trace of the humor from seconds before remains. “I expected you to sneak into my room and try to kill mebeforeyou went rummaging through my belongings.”

“I wouldn’t?—”

“There’s no use denying it.” He stands and moves nearer until there’s only half an arm’s length between us. I think to lie, but he presses a finger to the space between my brows, rubbing tiny circles. “Did you know you always get a wrinkle right here when you are about to lie? What I don’t understand is why you went through so much trouble if you only wanted me dead.”

I drop my gaze to the floor.

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