Page 12 of Tempting the Dhampir

Sadie stops walking and whips her head around to glare up at me, unwittingly putting our mouths a mere breath apart. For a moment, time stops. We lock eyes and just breathe each other in. Until I, like the idiot I am, clear my throat.

She retreats and faces forward again, almost stumbling over her feet on her next step. I automatically flex my arm where her hand rests, hoping it stabilizes her without being too obvious about it.

“Leave Florence alone. She’s too good for Bertie,” she says vehemently.

“I have no doubt about that,” I agree. “But FYI, I think if you call my friend ‘Bertie’ to his face, you might just give him hemorrhoids. That nickname has been earned from being roommates at boarding school since the age of ten.”

“So, I’m supposed to call him what?” She arches an imperious brow.

“Adelbert. His full name. He’s very… particular about it,” I reply carefully.

I bend down again to place my mouth close to her ear. Allowing my lips to skim the shell, I whisper, “But you can call me anything you like.”

A full-body shudder works its way down from her shoulders. With my enhanced eyesight, I can make out the goose bumps that dot her arms in the evening’s dimming light. Hoping her reaction is not a sign of revulsion, I surreptitiously scent the air. I get the barest hint of her blooming arousal and mentally high-five my flirting skills.

Realizing that if I can scent her, the other guys can too, I decide to cease my flirting. For the time being, anyway.

She scoffs. “How about ‘no thanks?’”

“Oh no, you don’t, sparkles. I know you can do better than that,” I cajole.

“Let’s just stick to names. I’m Sadie. That’s my sister Florence. I heard Adelbert call you Everett. Is that right?”

“Fair enough. But I think I’ll stick to sparkles,” I add with a crooked smile, mirth evident in my voice.

“If you get to give me a nickname, then I’m going to pick one for you too. Just you wait,” she throws back at me, briefly looking up at me through squinted eyes, before fixing her gaze on her feet again as she carefully navigates the forest floor.

If she only knew me, she’d trust that I wouldn’t let her hurt so much as her little toe. I’ve been keeping a keen eye out on every bit of the path where she’s had to place her feet since we started our walk.

Appearing marginally unsure of herself, she asks, “In the meantime, can I ask you a question?”

I raise an expectant brow, silently prodding her to continue.

Sadie twirls a strand of hair around her finger. “I don’t want to sound rude, and I don’t know what the proper customs are, and I don’t want to overstep. So just tell me to shut up if—”

“You want to know what kind of monster I am,” I surmise.

“Well… yeah.” Her grin is sheepish, her nose adorably scrunched up.

“All in good time, sparkles. We have arrived at our destination,” I tack on, imitating a GPS device.

Chapter six

Sadie

By the time we arrive at the stately manor, the sky is a deep blue with only traces of pinks and purples remaining, as the first stars wink at us.

“Wow.” I come to a complete stop as I stare up at the multistory limestone house with its tall columns and arched doorways.

Nestled into the natural slope of the mountain, it takes advantage of the incline by spreading out across four separate buildings, centered around the larger main house.

I can only imagine the majestic ocean views each room must give its occupants from this height. Perhaps a tad more grandiose than our budget-friendly hotel.

Resuming walking, we pad up the wide stone stairs with hushed voices, a sense of awe descending on us as Adelbert leads us to the “great room,” where a group of men are standing around, quietly talking among themselves.

The large, high-ceilinged room screams old money with its cream color palette, tufted white couches, and gold accents in the dimmed lighting fixtures artfully placed throughout. Tall glass folding doors that open onto a deck overlooking an infinity pool and the dark sea beyond, take up an entire wall.

Adelbert steps into the middle of the room and addresses us. “Ladies, please have a seat.”

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