Page 77 of B Positive

“There won’t be a formal dinner, but there will be food and dancing, and everyone invited will be dressed in formal attire.”

“Good to know.”

He settled into his seat, and the moment he did a secret panel in the wall I’d left nail marks in creaked open and two vampires came out, each with a plate of food in their hands.

They set the plates before us and retreated into the panel once again.

I scoffed at the food. “And when do they get to eat?” I snapped.

Julian stopped mid-bite. “Whenever they like, Eden. Antony and Sharon volunteered to serve tonight. I thought we could pretend this was a formal event. A date, if you will.”

Okay, that was a really good answer.

But I wasn’t done being mad. Because I wasn’t really mad at him. Not truly. But, I figured maybe if I convinced myself I was, I’d stay clear-headed enough to ask him all the questions that kept falling out of my head when we were close and he got rumbly.

“Uh-huh. And how do you feel about corporate entities lobbying for laws that reduce the scrutiny on the tax loopholes they exploit?”

Julian was unfazed by my out-of-pocket question.

“As a corporate entity myself, I only employ lawyers and accountants who don’t skirt laws. I believe it is my duty as someone of considerable means to give back to my community.”

Fine. That was a good answer too.

“And what about paying people a livable wage? My mother wouldn’t have had to struggle so hard if she’d been able to afford to work less.”

Julian put his fork and knife down. “What is going on, Eden?”

“And while I’m at it—” I pulled the list from between my boobs because as pretty as this dress was, I still didn’t have pockets. “Why did the healer say my bloodlust didn’t matter because of the mating bond? In case I didn’t make it clear, when I turned, I was a bloodthirsty fiend. I can’t keep drinking so much blood just because some healer says the mating process makes it okay.

“And did you really only let me keep that stupid diamond because you wanted a good hiding place for it? Who made this dress? And why does it match my eyes exactly? What happens if the mating bond doesn’t take? Then what? And why in God’s name won’t you let me touch you? Reciprocity is a really nice thing, Julian.”

There.

I did it.

I asked all my list questions. I even covered the embarrassing questions without giving myself away too much.

Julian’s gaze narrowed, his lips thinning into a line the dominant vampire in him fought to control this situation.

“Answer me. You’ve kept things from me for far too long. You’ve told Sunny and B not to share too much, and I can’t help but think it’s because you either think I’m too stupid or too weak to handle the truth. But let me assure you, oh mate ofmine, I’m perfectly capable of handling the whole truth. Now, answer my questions or I’m walking. You can find yourself another safecracker and another mate.”

Twenty-Eight

I only barely registered thegrowl before Julian launched out of his seat. The chair flew four or five feet backward, crashing into the wall and erupting into a spray of wood chunks.

He stalked closer, eyes full dark, and yanked my chair out from the table. He bent over me, resting his hands on the high back of the chair on either side of my head.

He was the picture of power, of dominance, and I stared up into his black eyes unflinching because, apparently, I had a death wish.

And my ridiculous lady cave was having the time of her life, throbbing in time with the commotion.

I squeezed my thighs together and didn’t break eye contact.

“If you’re gonna do something, do something,” I challenged. “Or you could answer my questions.”

“Who do you think you are?” Julian hissed at me. “Anything I’ve kept from you, I’ve done so for your own good, Eden.”

“Is that a fact?” I snapped back, and ducked out from under his arms too quickly for him to stop me.

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