Page 35 of Dawn Caravan
Ben was sitting on the edge of the booth, staring at her openly. “New dress?”
Tenzin looked down at the dark red dress Arthur had made for her the previous month. It had nearly nowhere to put weapons, but her favorite tailor had managed to sneak at least one dagger in, which was difficult with the dress being very tight and very short.
“Yes. Do you like it?”
Ben stared at her. “Stunning.”
“I’ve ordered a bottle of tuica,” Radu said. “It’s traditional here. My day manager’s mother makes it.” He turned to Chloe. “Don’t buy the bottles they sell at the market. They’re no good. The best tuica must be made in the home.”
Chloe nodded. “I’ve heard that.”
The waitress brought a tray with a gold-trimmed decanter and five small glasses. She poured for the table and passed the drinks around.
“To our health.” Radu raised his glass.“Noroc!”
“Noroc,” they all repeated.
Chloe let out a hard breath, but Ben didn’t even flinch when he finished his shot of the overwhelmingly strong liquor.
Tenzin knew that with him being a newborn, Ben’s sense of taste would probably be blind for days after a drink that heavy, but Ben was savvy enough to know flinching wasn’t an option.
He stood and slid one hand in his pocket. “Radu, I hope you don’t mind, but can I steal Tenzin away for a dance?”
Radu grinned. “Of course!” He tapped his temple. “When partners have been separated, they must confer on strategy no doubt.”
Ben said nothing, but he smiled calmly as Radu slid out to allow Tenzin to exit the booth.
She was wearing the low heels Arthur had insisted on. Cat heels. No,kittenheels. She’d refused to wear the ridiculous icepick shoes he’d tried to shove her into, even though she was impressed by their lethal possibilities.
Ben wasted no time grabbing her hand and hustling her out the door that led from the vampire lounge to the cacophony of the dance floor.
She pushed the sound away as Ben spun her around and fixed his hands on her waist.
Though he kept his expression even, his voice cut her. “What the hell are you doing here?”
You sweet golden boy.“You asked me to stop following you.”
“And this is your idea of not following me?”
“I’m not following.” A human bumped into her and she allowed her body to press into Ben’s. He didn’t push her away. “I’manticipating.”
He froze, but it was only for the space of a human heartbeat. “So Radu thinks you’re working this job with me?”
“You didn’t think you could work this job alone, did you?”
“As a matter of fact, I did.”
“Okay, youcould,” she said. “But it will be more fun with me. The Corsican mob owes me a few favors.”
His smile was tight.
“That smile is not fooling anyone watching us,” she said. “They can all see you are very angry.”
“I can’t imagine why.” He spun them around so his back was to the windows of the vampire lounge and the front of her body was plastered to his.
Bite him.
She wanted to. She really wanted to.
