Page 85 of Dark Embers

Julian turned, brows furrowing as his gaze rested on me. “Yes. Your point?”

“They were dried.” I gagged when Julian opened the fridge, nonchalantly reaching for one of the disgusting bags. “For the love of cheese, finish up already!”

Julian wore a smirk as he closed the doors. “Squeamish, are we?”

I gagged again, then nodded.Think about something else. Think about something else.

“So about these dried flowers?” Julian walked to where the bag sat on the ground, dropping into a squat that looked worthy of a magazine cover.

I managed a half-smile. I had his attention now. And he definitely had mine.

That’s right. Think of the beautiful man in front of you and not the stuff he drinks.

I almost gagged again but managed to hold it together this time. Working with a vampire wasnotgoing to be easy.

Julian examined the flowers with a delicate touch. It was strange how he was both coarse and soft in the same breath.

“Can the same spell apply to a person?” Julian asked, really looking at me for what felt like the first time since he entered the apartment.

“No.” As Julian’s face fell, I pointed at the roses and added, “But if I can find a spell to do that, there might be something to do what you’re asking.”

“Good. Go home and keep looking.” Julian stood and headed for the door, and my heart dropped. This wasn’t the big congratulations I’d hoped for. And certainly nowhere near the heated encounter I’d been fantasizing about for days.

“Wait!” I called, hoping for just a little more time with him. “Do you have any more information about the witch who owned this book?”

Julian stilled at the door, his hand on the knob. “Why?”

“Because of the locking spells. I can’t get to the really good stuff unless I know how to unlock it. What were they like? What did they do? Something that would help me figure out what they used in their spells. Maybe that trinket you have of hers?”

Julian sighed, his free hand going to his pocket. “Give me some time to work on it.”

“And now’s a bad time because?” I probed, pushing my luck as far as I could.

“I’ll tell you that, if you tell me what happened to the curtain.”

I stood there, mouth open but unsure what to say.

The arch of his eyebrow prompted a response, and I blurted, “I may have had a bit of a magical accident.”

A smile slowly crept across his lips, and he stalked up to me, looking every bit like a deadly predator and making me feel every bit the helpless—but not entirely unwilling—victim.

He inhaled deeply as he hovered over me, his eyes fluttering closed. “You smelldelicious.”

His words shot terror through me, and I glanced down at the still undrunk bag gripped in his right hand. He was thirsty. He was dangerous.

I should have run. I should have ducked around him, made some excuse, and shot out the door, skipping down the stairs instead of waiting for the stupid elevator.

But I didn’t want to. Maybe it was the drain on my life force or whatever from that spell, but my legs refused to move. It probably had more to do with the heat radiating from my core under the hungry way he looked at me.

It wasn’t just his thirst I was seeing in those dark eyes. It was desire, raw and powerful, and something about knowing the dangerous creature he was only made him more devastatingly appealing.

So I did something stupid, exactly the opposite of what I should be doing.

I took a step closer.

Chapter 30

Julian

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