Silas stared down the waitress who very politely told him he was cut off, no more alcohol for him. How ludicrous. The stuff did not affect vampires at all. He dare not drink the water she brought, though. That was another story. His self-control was questionable many days, highly doubtful if inebriated.
He returned to his table inside the bar and resumed staring through the two-way mirror at Kylie working. Tannenbom insisted on popping into the office to retrieve items. The low-life's current interruption involved leaning over Kylie and smelling her hair to get what appeared to be post-it notes from the far drawer.
Silas almost growled, and the waitress brought another tumbler of water, no ice this time. He shot it back. There were good reasons he had not tried to date, or court as he used to think of it. Reasons he could not recall at the moment, though he was certain they held validity. Kylie already knew what he was, knew there were vamps like Ridley out there. The potential for future developments, especially since she was committed to living in the area, were possibilities that teased Silas. They made more than his throat burn. Would he hurt her? If he tasted human blood again, could he stop this time?
Kylie put files away and sorted loose paperwork into a cardboard file box. When she closed the laptop, Silas signaled the waitress for his check. Tannenbom met her at the office door and invited her for a drink. Silas smiled at her "No, thank you."
He glanced at his check and did a double take. "Blasted inflation," he muttered.
"Is there a problem?" The waitress shared a look at the big bar tender who paused with a glass in one hand and white dry cloth in the other.
Tannenbom lead Kylie toward the exit then drew her over by the bulletin board. Silas spotted what she did not, the mistletoe sprig.
"The only problem is your boss," he reached for his wallet and lay down a $100 bill as he slid from his chair. "Keep the change."
The waitress's attitude improved instantly. She chirped, "Merry Christmas! Come back soon."
***
"Well, well, look whose standing under the mistletoe. Bad luck to deny tradition."
Kylie's mouth fell open and her new boss took full advantage. Strong arms slipped around her waist, and her shock melted into warm pleasure. She pressed her hands against his strong chest to push him away even as her head strained forward. Her mind rushed. What am I doing? He's such a good kisser. He's the boss for goodness sake.
His body lurched back from hers as someone stumbled into his shoulder on their way to the restroom.
"Watch it buddy," threatened Cody.
Kylie registered Silas pushing the restroom door open. Heat rushed up her neck and colored her face. "That--that was--"
"Pretty awesome, right?"
Kylie kept her hands up between them. "Totally inappropriate."
"Well, mistletoe, holiday cheer," Cody gestured around the room. "The sexiest woman in the room getting closer to the hottest guy in the county."
"You know exactly what I mean. That is not happening again."
Cody grinned like he knew she was already thinking of the next time they kissed. "You don't really work for me like the wait staff, Kylie. You're more like an accountant whose services I've hired, but you are your own boss."
"Yeah, that W-2 I filled out makes this relationship crystal clear."
"Ah, that's just Uncle Sam making sure he gets his cut of your earned income. Let me take you out, some place nice. What are you doing for New Year's Eve? There's a big party at the country club. I'd love to take you."
Christmas. New Year's Eve. Holidays she normally spent surrounded by family and friends. All the people she loved most were back in Ohio near the places that inspired her nightmares. They celebrated Christmas together before she left. Still, she needed to start meeting people, human beings was the operative term. The temptation to pretend everything here was hunky-dory, that she wasn't on vampire house arrest loomed large. What would they do if a date came to pick her up? Kill the most prominent business man in the area? Not likely.
Silas strode from the restroom straight out the entrance. His stride was purposeful and tense, but his shoulders slumped a tad like . Cody was attractive, no doubt about that. Yet Silas was the one who stirred emotions between her heart and stomach, who shot her whole system with electricity at every touch. He was the one protecting her and promising to see her clear of the mess she was in, promising her an introduction to the Man in Black which might mean closure for Kylie.
"I'm not your accountant. I'm your financial manager, on salary and only at your disposal for that purpose during the hours I work. Nothing more. Let's keep that clear."
Cody acquiesced with a nod, and Kylie stepped toward the door.
"Course I know how to change all that."
Kylie stopped and took a deep breath. Was he threatening her job? Unbelievable. Everything Silas said about the guy replayed in her mind.
"Goodnight Mr. Tannenbom," was all she said.
Seeing Silas in the parking lot leaning against the car made her want to run to him. Instead she stomped as much as she could in her heels and slammed the door when she got in the car.
"He totally sexually harassed me. Can you believe that?"
Silas kept his mouth clamped shut over the choice words that sprang to his mind.
"I think he actually threatened to fire me so I could agree to go out with him. What kind of jerk off does that? And he obviously thinks that's the only issue. Seriously?" She imitated his deep voice, "'Hottest guy in the county' my lily white--ugh, what a tool. He's not here most nights, right? I mean, he's got all those other businesses to manage. Surely he won't be around much once he realizes..."
Silas saw the way she leaned into that kiss at first. Hearing her rant was gratifying though he had a hard time not imagining ways to punish Cody.
"You're awfully quiet. Considering your opinion of the man I thought you'd be all over this. Feel free to chime in."
"He deserves to be slow roasted over a spit and served with an apple in his mouth."
Silas sounded deadly serious, and Kylie swallowed. She could forget for a moment that Silas was a vampire, a creature that really did eat people or at least drink their blood.
"Right, well, maybe that's a little extreme. Maybe tomorrow evening you could come in with me. Kind of make a show of it. That might put him off. But I tell you things like this never happened when I worked at Tabby's. Did I tell you about that place? Family owned but not like here. Great people who took you on and bent over backwards to take care of their staff. Most of their kids spent time working side-by-side and not getting any special treatment, not really. Everybody worked hard and managed to have a good time. I miss that place. They closed down awhile back, not long after I shot...that intruder."
Her stomach rumbled causing Silas to smile. Such a human noise.
"And the chicken tenders, oh man. You've never tasted any so fine. I could go for two plates of 'em right now. Are there any all night drive-thru's around here?"
"Drive-thru's?"
"Wow. You don't get out much, do you? Why is that? I mean, of course, you wouldn't know about what drive-thru's are open, that's ridiculous. It's not like they're serving blood shakes..."
The keyed-up feeling Kylie had was dissipating. Embarrassment took its place. Way to vomit information and pry, Kylie. Silas didn't seem to be bothered. Except she saw he was white-eyed now. He noticed her noticing.
"I know what drive-thru's are. It took me a moment to consider your request." Her talk caused him to picture a drive-thru where he could pay the cashier then drink from her wrist. Kylie's pulse throbbed loudly to his ear.
"Your eyes are very bright. I thought since you consorted you wouldn't need to...eat for awhile."
"What one needs and what one wants can often be a far cry from one another," he said.
"Yeah. Nobody needs a thick frothy milk shake with real strawberries," she sighed. "Well, almost nobody. Some people are on liquid diets for one reason or another."
Silas rolled the window down a quarter inch, and Kylie took the hint. They were on the road to his house now which she realized probably had a name other than rural route 298. She wondered if it was far from the house the real estate agent was showing her the next day. She wondered for the hundredth time why Cousin Rose had left the house to her, why Kylie didn't sell the house outright and pocket the money to make a new start elsewhere. That was still an option, one she'd held onto all along. Her plan B, though she had hoped to put her six months in with Tannenbom to get his company through tax season and head out with a solid reference under her belt if she decided to go that way. The good reference based solely on her job performance was not as likely knowing her boss.
Later Kylie licked Silas's homemade honey glaze off her fingers and saw his eyes flash while he watched her.
"I don't care how good a cook you are. You won't tempt me to stick around once we figure out how to get your mate to let go of her plans for me."
"We don't mate like or reproduce like--"
"No, I know. Well, I figured. It's a phrase for your significant other when you're not married, or--" Kylie gave a light gasp. "You said you're not married but are you?" Wow, I must be really tired. "I don't want to pry--"
"What? What do you want to ask?"
Kylie couldn't believe she was asking this. "Are you guys monogamous? Or does that even apply to vampires? You mentioned couples and consorts."
"Certainly, it applies. We're not that different. Vampires do marry, have very long-term monogamous relationships. Lara and I have always had more of a mutually beneficial arrangement. Didn't we already talk about this?"
"Yeah, but you were out of the room when Franco was there and Lara was talking like...I don't know. I don't know why I'm even asking about this."
"There are no illusions of any commitment between Lara and me. In fact I thought she would have moved on by now. I figure that is part of her big plan. I can't figure how you come into it though. That bothers me quite a bit."
"Maybe she really doesn't want to leave you alone?" Kylie knew this sentiment was probably more hers, a psychological projection on Lara. Kylie had not wanted to leave him alone with Lara to go with Franco. There was some protective urge to her decisions that she was only now seeing more clearly. The olive wood knife came to mind, and she silently rebuked herself for leaving it at the house.
Silas said, "She does talk about turning you...having a sister."
The flash returned when he glanced at Kylie and her heart did a flip before tightening up as if it cramped. Was he thinking about what it would be like to have Kylie around long term? Did that mean Kylie becoming like them. She squirmed in her seat.
"The talk is not genuine. After the incident with Mr. Cayne, I think it fairly certain that Lara wants me dead. I cannot fathom why that is so."
Kylie put her hand on his arm as he reached for her dirty dishes. "Why don't you leave then? Just get in that car and drive away. I came here to start over, but I can do that anywhere. You could too." She almost said they could do it together. That sounded crazy even to her own ears.
"And I admire you for that. I am so dependent on others, but you? You are an amazing woman. So strong. So independent," he touched her face letting his gaze linger on her lips before he turned to the sink to run hot soapy water and clean first the plate, then the glass, and last the silverware.
"I may not look it, but I am an old man in that I am set in my ways. The arrangements here in this house are comfortable and give me a sense of home. Besides, it is better to deal with Lara now than wonder when she might find you or me down the line."
Kylie grabbed a dish towel and joined him by the sink. Drying and polishing the plate absently. His saying she was strong made her want to be more so, made her feel she could do anything she wanted. Having had an attractive man's arms around her made her want to compare. She fantasized about being very academic, and inquire into the differences between the man and the vampire. Her boss was a great kisser, stirred her insides awake even though he was repellant, superficial. What would it be like to be held that way by Silas? Comparing the two of them made what she decided to do easier.
She gripped the edge of the counter top and rocked like she might a sprint from that surface.
"Kylie?"
Silas turned toward her, and she launched herself at him, arms thrown around his neck tugging his mouth down to meet hers. Her whole body was electricity and heat pressing against him. And he pressed back. Their passion made her dizzy. Their chests crushed together and she let her hands roam down around over the hard planes of muscle in his neck. She grasped at his shoulders, kneading her way down his arms.
He pulled back, white eyes searched her face. He held his breath and Kylie fairly panted. He might want her blood, but Kylie knew for certain that was not the sum total of the attraction. The swirls in her stomach were hot and spreading, not only awake but also hungry for more. There was no comparison, and she wished the entire ceiling was made of mistletoe. She was backed up to the countertop and hopped up on it so she could wrap her legs around him.
"Kylie, this is not a good idea," he said even as he let her draw him forward.
"Let's just drop the thinking for a little while."
Pressed together she clutched at his back as they resumed the deep kisses that sent sparks to her core. She nibbled her way down his neck, and Silas threw back his head rocking it as far back as possible. She smiled at his moans and started to unbutton his shirt.
He let go of her and gripped the countertop. The edge broke off in his hand. She reached back to leverage herself forward, and knocked her glass into her plate breaking them both and cutting her hand.
Silas cried out, "No" and his head whipped around. Kylie drew her hand between them and saw the cut, a very small thing that barely bled. Silas rocked forward and back, struggling for control, then blew out a long breath.
"It's not bad," he said. "As long as there is no glass in it. Here," he took her hand in his, "let's wash it and make sure." His hands shook and his face was averted.
Kylie pulled her hand toward her stomach not letting him rinse it. "There's no glass in it. See?" She held it up by her face and watched Silas stare first at it, then at her. He began to back away, but she grabbed his neck with her uninjured hand.
Their eyes met, his eyebrows furrowed, hers raised. He barely shook his head. She nodded and put her finger to his lips. He allowed the intrusion then screwed up his face as if in pain as he sucked the blood.
The lethargy slipping over Kylie had more to do with wanting to give in to the warm feelings Silas inspired than with any vampiric effects. He gently took both her hands in his, held her palms out between their bodies and turned the one so she could inspect the healed wound. Her heart thumped hard in her chest, she felt it in her fingers and her wrist. She tried to take his hands, to place them on her hips or anywhere to get them out of the way so she could be nearer to him.
He gripped her hands tight and refused to meet her eyes. "No good can come of this," he practically shoved himself away across the kitchen.
Yes it can, she wanted to shout. Hurt clamped her mouth shut.
He stepped into the door frame. "Your car will be ready soon."
His rejection tore through her sternum, a cutting she felt clear through to her backbone.
Silas mumbled low, "I will make sure of it even if I have to get the parts myself." He said clearly, "I will take you to the real-estate office early on the morrow, and we will see if other arrangements can be made for your accommodations." He delivered this news as he regarded the two by four door frame. "I think I'll read in my room. You should get some sleep."
Certain he would shut her out completely if she found a place before Christmas, Kylie rehearsed what she would say to the real-estate agent in the morning. Empty longing could not forebear the sleep and only added another dimension to the two men who entered her room in her dream. She ran from the Mayo Man down the stretching hall and threw herself with a mighty leap the last distance into her room landing with a stomach whopping bounce on her wide double bed.
She turned in terror, the .44 already in her hands as white-eyed Silas entered instead of her pursuer. Relief flooded through her body and her smile spread wide. Her hands weren't responding though. She looked at the gun, at her grip and saw her finger slipping against the trigger, the hammer moved back in slow motion.
A scream choked her throat and refused to dislodge. The Man in Black slipped his arm around Silas's neck and strangled the life out as her bullets flew to their marks and blasted both the White-Eyes into the interminable hallway.
'