"I'm Alice, by the way," I said, offering my hand, even though we were way past the time for introductions.
"Lucas."
That gravelly voice held a rumble that I felt to my core. Taking my hand in his large, warm one, Lucas met my gaze. His heat poured into me from where our skin touched, spreading through me, soothing my frayed nerves and banishing my anxiety.
"Nice trick."
"Thanks, it comes in handy. And by the way, my arrangement with Bingham is purely financial. I still think you must be mad to have taken a favour from him. That guy is warped."
"Don't worry, I know all about Roger," I said, really wishing that it wasn't true.
The crowd had thinned, and I realised that Lucas was leading me towards the staircase to the right of the foyer. Glancing back, I was relieved to see that Emily still had eyes on me. She didn't look concerned, so I took that as permission to follow Lucas.
Not that I needed permission. Much.
Halfway up the wide staircase, I began to wonder if I should have asked Emily to stay with me after all.
"I said I needed air."
"I know a place. Trust me," Lucas replied.
"Erm, I don't know you Lucas. I don't even know what you are."
"You can sense my emotions though, right? You'd know if I meant you harm."
"I guess."
I wasn't entirely convinced that was the case. True, I could sense his amusement, and there were definitely no negative vibes coming from him. But everything I got from him was fuzzy and imprecise.
My hand drifted to my pendant. Dread filled me as I considered that Lucas may have fallen victim to my power. What if his intentions towards me weren't as friendly as they seemed? What if they were more than friendly?
"Relax, I'm just giving you the chance to catch your breath. No one deserves the attention of all those fangs, not to mention the witches and politicians. You're like catnip to those guys."
"I'm not worried," I answered, taking a deep breath to calm my heartbeat.
Lucas threw me a sceptical glance. I wasn't the only one with skills of intuition around here.
What the hell was this guy?
"You want to get a bit of peace before re-joining the party, right?"
"Sure," I muttered, glancing over my shoulder as I followed Lucas down a short corridor.
He produced a key and held the door open. With one last peek at the empty corridor, I followed him in. There was no way he could be worse than Roger, right?
A gasp escaped as I took in the room. It was an old fashioned library, completely out of place in the faux classical mansion. Rows and rows of books reached the ceiling. Wheeled ladders gave access to platforms designed to let you reach the high shelves lining each row. Rich brown leather sofas were arranged in a square around a large fireplace that crackled and spat as though it had just been lit.
Lucas wandered over to a bar in the corner and retrieved a bottle of vodka and two shot glasses.
"Why do you have access to Roger's library?"
"Perks of security."
I eyed the bottle warily as Lucas flung himself on one of the sofas with more familiarity than I thought was appropriate for the hired help.
"You're not going to get fired for this, are you?"
Lucas laughed in response and poured us a shot each.
"I mean, isn't this stealing?"
Lucas downed his shot and winced. Holding mine up for me, he raised an eyebrow in challenge.
I couldn't deny that I needed a drink. Dutch courage and all that.
I flopped down and couldn't stop the sigh that escaped at the comfort of the warm leather. The sofa was large enough that we sat at either end with room enough between us to avoid unnecessary intimacy.
Didn't want any misunderstandings. I'd learnt my lesson about how easily guys got the wrong impression about me these days.
Taking the glass, I threw it down and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Not very ladylike, I'll admit, but I was past all that. I was tired, and this was supposed to be a break.
I returned my glass to the table and Lucas refilled it without comment. After the second shot had warmed my body and wrapped its way around my mind, I decided that my questions couldn't wait any longer.
"Ok, you're definitely not a vampire, and I don't think that you're a witch. Care to enlighten me?"
Lucas nearly choked on his third shot, before getting a hold of himself and meeting my enquiring look with one of his own.
"Tell you what, Princess. For each shot we both get to ask one question. There's a few things that I need to straighten out too."
Considering for a moment, I weighed up what I knew already. Lucas was a large man, surely able to hold quite a quantity of liquor, but I was no delicate flower. I enjoyed a drink, and I knew how to handle myself. That wince on his first shot told me that Lucas wasn't used to downing straight vodka. This was an expensive bottle, as smooth as it got. I had swallowed mine without a problem.
"Fine, but you'll have to go easy on me, big guy," I said, attempting a bluff to gain the advantage.
"Whatever, you go first." Lucas motioned to the full glass before me.
I threw it back, and faked a cough, peeking at Lucas to see if he was buying it. I guess the two that I'd consumed without so much as a hiccup had given me away. Lucas looked unimpressed with the show.
"What are you?"
"Private security expert," Lucas answered with a smug grin.
"No, I mean..."
"Ah ah ah, one question for one shot," Lucas reminded me, nudging the vodka bottle towards me with his foot.
The bastard was beyond relaxed. In fact, I wondered if he was going to drop off. He lazily opened one eye and smirked at me. God, if he wasn't one of the most gorgeous and infuriating men that I had ever had the pleasure of meeting.
"Guess you don't want your go," I said, nonchalantly reaching for the bottle.
He sprung up, and grabbed the bottle before I could reach it. He poured himself a shot and swallowed, before remembering that he was one ahead of me at the beginning of the game. Now we both knew that he could have had a question for free.
Too late now. I grinned at him, cocky in my victory. Then I remembered that he had tricked me out of my first answer. I met his scowl with one of my own.
"What favour did Roger Bingham grant you in return for the date this evening?" Lucas wasn't going to be evaded, his precise question saw to that.
"A friend of mine, a witch, is ill. Roger sent somebody to help her."
Lucas mulled this over for a minute, before nudging the bottle over to me. I poured and drank. This time I couldn't help the little hiccup that escaped. I quickly covered my mouth with my hand, and tried to dampen the blush that spread over my face.
"What species are you?"
"I'm a man."
"Not good enough. What else?"
"That's another question, Alice."
My growl of frustration brought his eyes to my face quicker than I thought possible in our current hazy state. Interesting.
Wait, what was interesting?
My head was full of cotton wool. Maybe I was more of a lightweight than I thought.
Lucas grabbed for the bottle, and poured another shot. He almost missed the target. At least I wasn't the only one feeling it.
"Why do they all want you?" Lucas asked, the last word slurring slightly.
"Bloody silver power," I answered, while I wondered why the hell my eyes wouldn't focus on his face.
Without warning Lucas burst into song:
"By the light of the silvery moon,
I want to spoon, to my honey I'll croon love's tune."
His voice was rich and deep, eyes closed, head tilted back, he sang full pelt to the empty room, inhibitions melted away by the vodka.
Opening one eye, just a crack, he motioned for me to join in.
Giggling, I took the echo part of the verse:
"By the light,"
"By the light, By the light,"
"Of the silvery moon,"
"The silvery moon."
"I want to spoon,"
"Want to spoon, Want to spoon."
By the time we reached the end of the song, we were both in fits of laughter. I reached for the bottle, to find it empty.
"You drank it all, you bastard," I accused, slapping Lucas on the shoulder.
"Wasn't me. You had it last."
"Did not," I said, sulky teenage whine falling out of me before I could stop it.
"I'll get some more," Lucas said, hauling his huge body off the couch.
On his way past me, he somehow managed to get his legs tangled with mine. As his large body fell face first to the floor, the momentum carried me with him.
We landed in a heap, legs wound together.
"What the hell?" I exclaimed, attempting to extricate myself.
A loud rumbling snore was the only response.
"Great," I said out loud to nobody.
Carefully standing I tried to lift Lucas's heavy body onto the sofa. It was no good, I could hardly stand on my own, never mind support his enormous frame.
I'll just sit and rest for a minute, I told myself, slowly lowering my body to the floor next to him.
His large chest, rising and falling rhythmically, looked inviting. The sense of warmth and contentment was still there, flowing into me from his unconscious body. The urge to get closer was suddenly overwhelming.
I snuggled down onto his chest, promising myself that I would only close my eyes for a few minutes.
Hmm, what's going on here? Only one way to find out...