Kathy Love - I Only Have Fangs For You

"Hey, there."

She nearly dropped the phone as she quickly flipped the cover shut, just as a faint hello sounded on the other end. Trying to appear calm, she turned to look at the speaker, knowing exactly who owned that deliciously velvety voice. Sebastian leaned in the doorway, watching her with a troubled frown.

"Hi," he said, his voice oddly soothing. "Are you sure you're all right?"

She blinked at him, again stunned that anyone, preternatural or not, could look that dazzling. And combined with that voice… She blinked again.

Sebastian's frown deepened, and he stepped into the room. She shifted, realizing she'd been staring. For how long, she didn't know. Long enough for him to sense the rats? Had they had time to scurry away?

She glanced down at the bag, which was unzipped and wide open in the middle of the floor. She didn't want him questioning her about the now empty pack. Returning her eyes to his, she hoped he didn't follow her glance. His intense eyes were locked on her face, watching her.

Taking what she hoped was a subtle sidestep, she positioned herself in front of the knapsack. With her heel, she nudged it under a chair. The zipper clanged on the metal of the chair leg, and for a moment, she feared it was one of the rats squeaking. Before the cause of the sound registered, she raised a hand to her mouth and coughed loudly, dramatically.

Sebastian stepped even closer, reaching out a hand to pound her on the back, but she jerked away, falling rather unceremoniously onto the chair under which she'd just hidden the bag.

"I'm fine," she assured him quickly, wanting him to leave. She was afraid the rats weren't dispersed enough and could still be detected. Not to mention, she was too aware of how close his body was to hers. His leg practically brushed her bare knee. She gave their near touch a sidelong glance, then forced herself to meet those intense eyes of his.

"I'm fine," she said again, pressing a hand to her chest. "Um, allergies." Then she offered him a forced smile. "I–I really must make that call." She held up the cell phone, still clasped in her other hand.

He studied her, but this time there was an emotion she didn't quite understand in his eyes. And for a split second, she could have sworn his gaze had dropped to her lips. Of course, he was probably noting that her smile was labored. She was quickly discovering she could never make a living as an actress.

Then his golden eyes narrowed and before she could think to react, he reached forward and caught her hand.

"What happened?"

She glanced down at his finger stroking over her skin, and it took her a moment to realize he was tracing the faint marks from the rat's claws on her pale skin.

"Oh that," she said, searching for some excuse, but her mind couldn't focus on anything but the slightly roughened pads of his fingertips like suede on her skin.

"They look like cat scratches," he said, looking back up to her eyes.

"They are," she said, immediately grasping his excuse. "I–I have a cat."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow to that. "Cats and vampires don't mix. We freak them out." His fingers caressed the small welts again. "But I guess you've learned that."

"Yes," she said again, forcing another smile. Or at least she thought it was a smile. She couldn't be sure, since she couldn't seem to focus on anything but him. And his fingers.

Finally, she managed to gather her thoughts enough to ease her hand away from his. He allowed the withdrawal, although his eyes still held hers.

"Are you sure you are okay?"

She nodded. "I just need to make that call. It-it's a really important call."

He regarded her closely, and she had the feeling that he didn't believe her.

"And private, too," she added, hoping that would get him to leave.

He didn't move for a second, but then nodded. "Okay."

He crossed the room, stopping in the doorway to look at her again. His mouth parted, as if he planned to say something else, but then he just nodded and left the room.

Wilhelmina blew out the breath that she didn't even realize she'd been holding. She sagged back against the chair, the tingling in her body nearly overwhelming. She remained that way, boneless, her mind numbed, unable to do anything for a moment. Then she lifted the cell phone and flipped the cover up. Her fingers shook as she arrowed down to the right number.

"Hello," she responded to the voice on the other end. Her voice was breathy, but determined. "I need to report a health code violation, and I think someone needs to be sent right away. Carfax Abbey is overrun with rats. Yes. Yes."

She gave the woman on the other end the address.

"Thank you."

She hit the End button, her hands still trembling. She'd done it, the right thing.

And in the nick of time, too. Sebastian Young had just proved how dangerous he was-and not just to mortals, but to her as well.

"Have you ever heard of a vampire having allergies?" Sebastian asked his sister-in law, Jane. She looked up from her computer, where she was working on the payroll.

"Is this a joke?"

Sebastian had the strange feeling that it had to be-one he wasn't in on.

"Have you ever heard of that?" he asked again.

She shook her head. "No, but I'm pretty new at this vampire thing."

He was relatively old, and he'd never heard of such a thing.

"Have you heard of a vampire having a cat?"

Jane pushed her chair back from her desk and regarded him with her vividly green eyes. "What's going on?"

"Have you met the new waitress?" he asked, sitting forward in his chair, resting his hands on the polished wood of her desk. "Wilhelmina?"

"No. Is she the reason you're so agitated?"

He wasn't agitated. Then he glanced down, realizing he was gripping the edge of the desk. He released the wood and slid back in his seat. He wasn't agitated. He was-confused. He had no idea what to make of Wilhelmina. He could sense emotions from her that didn't make sense. Anxiety, even a little fear-yet a very strong determination too. He had the feeling there was a lot going on in her head that she wasn't sharing.

"She's different," he said.

Jane nodded, a shrewd smile on her lips.

"Oh no. No, no," Sebastian said, waving a hand, knowing where her thought processes were going. "Different in a weird, and very unappealing way." Even as he said the words, he knew it wasn't true. He noticed appealing things about her, far more appealing than he'd expected. But she was not different in the way Jane was thinking.

Jane's eyes widened. "I've never heard you talk that way about a woman."

Sebastian frowned. Jane was right. He appreciated all women, and his words had sounded more than a little rude.

"What woman?" Sebastian's brother, Rhys, appeared in the office doorway. He leaned on the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, sporting a look much like the one his wife had worn just moments earlier.

"Damn," Sebastian muttered, "I swear people in love are worse than drug pushers. You are always trying to get others, who are quite happily single, shackled to someone. It's damned annoying."

Rhys grinned at his brother, a gesture that still gave Sebastian pause. After nearly two centuries of scowls and general brooding, the fact that Rhys now readily smiled managed to startle Sebastian almost every time.

Rhys stepped around the desk to Jane and reached for her hand. She slipped out of the chair and into his arms.

"You should really try it. You don't know what you are missing, baby bro."

Jane grinned and added in her best «pusher» voice, "Yes, try it. What? Are you scared?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes as his brother and sister-in-law grinned at each other and then kissed.

"Room. Find one. Now," he muttered.

Rhys pulled away from Jane, but his gaze didn't leave his wife's face. "My thoughts exactly."