Page 17 of Taken By the Vampires
“I brought you coffee. You left the kitchen before you could drink it.” He held up a steaming mug and the aroma made my mouth water. Coffee was just what I needed. I was still tired, no doubt still recovering from my fever.
I smiled, despite my dark feelings. “You always seem to be feeding me.” I didn’t want to think about how much I liked it. How much I might crave someone taking care of me for once, but I didn’t want to go down that slippery slope.
I wasn’t going to set myself up to be rejected just like all the other times it had happened, no matter how tempting it might be to give in and allow myself to feel wanted. Desired. Maybe even loved. I huffed out loud, laughing at myself. Nowthatwas nothing but a fantasy.
“I like taking care of you, Ella.”
He held the cup to me and I accepted it, wrapping my fingers around the warm ceramic. Our fingers brushed. I stepped back as a warmth flared through me and I was very aware that he was the only one of the three I hadn’t kissed.
Yet.
The thought whispered through my brain and I shoved it aside. While it was nice to think that three sexy, hot men really did want me, I had to face reality. I was delusional. I was here by happenstance and they were most probably bored, stuck in the middle of a snowstorm and I was a great diversion. A challenge.
There could be nothing between us more than me being grateful that they’d saved me. When the storm cleared, I would not only leave this house, but I would leave Conway. I would pack up my and Mom’s belongings and just go. Someone Mom knew would look after the farm for us. I’d let them earn the profits the sheep would pull in. They could use the land however they wanted. It would be a great deal for them. Land like mine was a premium in this county, but I would do anything to get away from here.
Even though I would leave with nothing, I had nothing to lose. I’d get a condo, a job and get Mom the medical help she needed. In a big hospital there would have to be someone that knew what ailed her.
My lips twisted. If only I could get a hold of that mythical Vampire I’d just strangely read about in the Grimoire. Although, it had sounded more of a warning than a spell. They might just have the ju-ju I needed to cure her. Instead, I squared my shoulders, determined to put everything from my mind, and moved to the section of books Xander had pointed out. I needed something else to think about, rather than myself.
“Xander said I’d be interested in this section.”
“Curses?” Cassius walked over to me. I was aware of how tall he was compared to me. The fact he stood so close meant I felt his body warmth and unique, spicy masculine scent surround me. I moved towards the books, running the tips of my fingers over the spines.
They were absolutely amazing. Beautiful. Leather bound, gold edged with intricate designs. They were very similar to my Grimoire, but also different. I’d thought my Grimoire would be the only unique book in existence, but I stood corrected. I nearly salivated looking at all of those pages and their secrets, waiting to be revealed.
“Are these all yours?”
Cassius nodded. “Yes. We’ve collected them over the last few decades.”
I faced him, my brows rising. “Are you collectors?”
I had to admit, I was intrigued and a little confused. Why would men living in the wilderness collect priceless books? I had to wonder again why they even lived here. I had to ignore my curiosity, though. Curiosity in someone meant interest and I didn’t want to appear to be interested.
He frowned, selecting a book from the shelves. “Just looking for something.”
He was so intent, his expression so sorrowful, that for an instant I wanted to renege on everything I’d just thought. Almost. “And did you find that something?”
He snared me in a piercing gaze. “I think we finally did.”
Again, that unnerving feeling washed through me. The feeling that everything going on around me had a double meaning, but I didn’t want to press. Didn’t want to find out, because if I did, I had the feeling that I’d become caught up in something I just might not like. Instead, remaining ignorant was the better option.
“Do you mind if I read this one?”
“Of course not. That’s why Xander brought you here.”
I wondered if that was the only reason Xander had brought me here. He had kissed me when we’d been alone, and now that I was alone with Cassius, I had to wonder what his plans were. I tamped down the little shiver of awareness, ignoring it in favor of the books.
“To read the books.”
“To see what you would find interesting,” Cassius said.
“Well, let’s see what I find interesting, then.”
My fingers tingled as I ran them over the tops of the spines. One in particular vied for my attention. I carefully drew the volume from its place. The cover was just as much a work of art as my Grimoire. I ran my hand over the master level embossing. Symbols were designed into the cover, but they were slightly different than mine. The word “Curses” was engraved on the front in a beautiful script font.
“It’s beautiful.”
I had to wonder if someone from my ancestor’s era had also written this for her family. It looked about the same age. It was curious that they had a collection like this. I’d thought my book the only one in existence and I was intrigued there were more.
