Page 34 of Auctioned for Her Blood
“You’re certainly a man of mystery.”
He leans toward me, so close I can feel the air heat between our foreheads. “I suppose I am.”
“Here’s to solving mysteries.” I raise my glass, forcing him back a tiny bit and he clinks mine before we both drink.
“I’m ready.” He pours more champagne into my glass and his own.
“Ready for what?” Nerves and desire make my belly contract. Although I’ve decided that I’m game to have sex with Ryker tonight—if the opportunity comes up—I assumed we wouldn’t be anywhere near that stage until after dinner.
“For my interrogation,” he replies. “Do your worst, madam detective.”
Relief floods through me, and I take a sip of champagne to hide any facial evidence of my misunderstanding.
“Where are you from?” I ask, wanting to know everything about him. Not sure where to start, I remember the questions Zuben asked me. “Have you always lived in Philadelphia?”
“No, not always.” His fingers stroke the leather seat above my shoulder, the soft sound somehow erotic. “But I’ve lived here, on and off, for a very long time.”
“How long?” In spite of his confidence and wealth, Ryker’s young. He can’t be more than thirty based on his appearance, and his reference to a very long time seems out of place.
“You want my life story?” He clinks his glass against mine.
“Very much.”
He reaches for the bottle and pours more champagne into my glass, and then his. “I was born in the north of England.”
“You don’t have an accent.”
“That, my dear, is a matter of perspective.” He sets the bottle back into a hole in the shelf where it fits tightly. “Everyone has an accent.”
“Okay, okay.” I shake my head. “What I mean is, you don’t have aBritishaccent.” I don’t even hear a trace.
He grins. “Like I said, I’ve been here a while.”
I nod, understanding his need to fit in after moving across the ocean as a kid, starting out in a new place. Even though it was the same state, my move from rural Pennsylvania to Philadelphia felt like relocating to another planet.
“My turn.” He shifts on the car seat, moving just a fraction of an inch closer, and a thrill races inside me. “How long have you been with Sanctuary House?”
“Two and a half years.”
“Joined right after you graduated?”
I shake my head. “It took me a while to land a full time job because…” I look down, feeling foolish.
His finger gently glides to lift my chin and he looks into my eyes. “There’s nothing you can’t tell me.”
Surprised at how easily he perceived my hesitancy, I gaze into his eyes, so brightly blue in contrast to his dark hair and eyebrows. Heat flutters inside me in the anticipation of what might happen later this evening, even though we haven’t even arrived at the restaurant.
“I have this strange phobia of being out after dark,” I confess. “It puts a limit on the hours I can work—especially in the winter.”
He leans forward slightly. “It’s after dark now.”
“Yes.” I shake my head, feeling foolish. “But… This is so embarrassing.”
“Don’t be embarrassed.” He shifts and whispers close to my ear. “I want to knowallyour secrets.”
Desire shivers through me—cool and then raging hot—and I close my eyes against the intense thrill. “Tonight—right now—it’s only the second time I’ve been out after dark.” I turn to look at him. “In my entire life.”
His eyes widen. “Really? How come?”
