“Who goes first?” she asked.
“I shall toss a coin. Tails you win.”
He took a gold coin from his pocket and flipped it, and as she leaned close to see the result, he let himself relish her exquisite scent, the warmth of her body.
“It appears you get to go first.” He pocketed the coin.
For a moment she was silent, as if considering.
Then, to his surprise, she reached out and touched the silver ring on his middle finger. A spark of lightning shot up his arm, down his spine, swirled in his groin.
“What is the inscription on your ring?”
“The Hale crest of arms.” His voice came out hoarse.
“Your family has a crest?”
“We are one of the oldest vampire clans, so yes, we have a crest.”
“Can I look closer?”
He held out his hand, long fingers splayed, willing them not to shake. She bent her head, and the tip of her forefinger traced the surface of the fleur-de-lis. Again, heat zinged down his spine, and straight to his cock.
Hell’s fire, it was barely a contact, and he was almost losing control.
“It’s beautiful,” she said softly. “Regal, almost.”
“We were considered royal vampire lineage in our original homelands.”
“Where was that?”
“Up in the mountains, way to the north of the valley lands. My parents came here several decades before the Kominsky clan arrived from the south.”
Her head jerked up “The Kominskys—as in Matteus Kominsky? The vampire who kidnapped a human and is now missing?”
“Yep. But we’re not talking shop tonight, remember?”
“Sure, yes, I just didn’t realize that both your lineages went back so far in these parts.”
Something about her wide-eyed fascination made him continue, even though logic warned him to shut his mouth.
“My parents moved down to the valley a century before the Great War, fleeing ogre aggression in the mountains. The rest of our clan scattered elsewhere and have never beenreunited, sadly. My father and mother set up home in the fertile lands in the northern part of the valley and developed a civilized relationship with humans. They had me, and then my—” He paused, his features tightening. “My sister. But then the Kominskys arrived, and things got messy.”
“In what way?”
“The Kominskys were ruthless in their pursuit of human blood. The Hales were more reserved in our approach, shall we say. We set up strategic relations with humans, win-wins. An arrangement that continued even after Motham City was formed.”
“Really? Humans socialized with vampires after the Great War?”
“Ah, you would be surprised what went on. Even though we never promised humans eternal life, my parents’ soirees were highly sought-after events in the early days of Motham. Humans arrived under cover of darkness and spent a very happy evening. They were wonderful entertainers, my mom and dad, took excellent care of the humans who attended.” Bitterness twisted his lips. “The Kominskys managed to screw that up by stealing blood that was not freely given, and that gave all vampires a bad name. Soon my family were equally reviled.”
“I never knew any of this.” She sounded a little shocked, and he realized how much he’d inadvertently told her. How much more he could tell about the bloodshed and heartache. About his own spectacular fall from grace. But no, tonight he wanted her to smile on him, warm the edges of his frozen heart. “Does sharing my vampiric history make you dislike me even more?”
Her gaze was puzzled as it lifted to his. “I’ve never disliked you.”
She swayed closer, her scent intoxicating. Rolling onto the balls of his feet, Oliver bent his head until his cheek hoveredoh, so close to her hers. Their bodies almost touching, he murmured, “I feared that you disliked me very much.”
“No sir, never.”
