“Oh.” She gulped. “Great.”
“Ginny,” he said, trailing his knuckles down her cheekbone. “You are safe. I would never have brought you here otherwise.”
She nodded.
He unlocked the door and she followed him into…what was this place?
They walked into blue. It felt like the bottom of the ocean.
“Sorry about the darkness. We see as well in the pitch black as we do in the light.” He walked to the closest sconce and twisted a knob, casting a faint glow. “I’ll make sure we keep them on while you’re here.”
Ginny nodded. “Thanks.”
The wide, low-ceilinged room was painted in an azure glow, courtesy of a backlit fish tank arranged against the far wall. To the right was a dining table surrounded by shelving and a counter that ran the length of the wall, to the left was a living space, complete with plush gray couches and a nine-thousand-inch television. A bachelor pad to the extreme, although it wasn’t shaped like a typical apartment. Something about the layout and lack of warmth suggested it had been used commercially.
Textured black wallpaper decorated the walls, dotted with golden sconces and frosted glass. Vintage fixtures were everywhere, right down to the embellished grating on the heating vents and elaborate crown molding. Though they weren’t turned on, there were lighting fixtures shaped like picture frames in spots—the kind that called to mind an old-fashioned dressing table. Big, bulbs surrounded where the mirrors used to be. Lauren Bacall would have sat in front of one in a silk dressing gown, reading the note on a dozen roses from Bogart.
“There aren’t actually fish in that tank. We move around too much to have pets, but Tucker thinks it gives the place atmosphere,” Jonas said dryly. “There’s no kitchen,” Jonas said at her side, gesturing to the left side of the room where a stainless steel appliance hummed. “We do have a refrigerator, so we’ll be able to keep your food from spoiling.”
“How will I cook the eggs?”
“Huh.” He gave her a boyish half smile. “I didn’t think of that. It’s been a while since I had to worry about meal preparations.”
“It’s okay. I won’t be here long, right?”
“Right.” His smile faded. “As soon as I eliminate the danger you’re in…I’ll bring you home where you belong.”
Ginny advanced into the room, worrying over the emptiness in her chest. If she was already sad about leaving, how would she feel when the time actually came? And far more importantly, Jonas had just admitted to thirsting for her blood every second of the day. Why wasn’t she screaming for help?
Why did she want to lean against his solid chest and exist quietly inside the silent, unexplainable bond between them?
“Are you going to give me a tour?”
“Sort of.” Jonas came up beside Ginny, taking her warm hand in his cool one, guiding her through the apartment and into a wide hallway. “I’m not sure you want to see more of what Tucker considers design choices. And Elias is extremely private. I’m going to give you my room while you’re here, so I’ll take you there.”
“Where are you going to sleep—” Ginny caught herself. “I mean…how often do you sleep?”
“Every couple of weeks.” His thumb traced the veins in the back of her hand. “I won’t be sleeping until this situation is resolved and you’re safe, so my bed is free.”
“Is it always free?”
His eyebrow quirked. “What do you mean?”
“What?” She turned her head so Jonas wouldn’t see her self-directed eye roll. What is wrong with you? “I’m not curious about your love life at all.”
“Aren’t you?” Jonas moved back into her line of sight. “I definitely wanted to know about yours.”
“You don’t want to know anymore?”
“You’ve never kissed…” His upper lip curled with distaste. “…Gordon and he’s the only date you’ve been on. You’re not the casual affair type. I think I’ve got it figured out.”
He knows I’m a virgin. Great.
Amusement crept across his face, which was half illuminated in the blue glow of the fish tank. “You’re speaking out loud again, Ginny.”
“Oh.” She shifted. “Well, do you want to tell me about your…”
“Love life.” He tucked his tongue into his cheek. “I’d rather not.”
“Why?”
He seemed to be thinking hard about his answer. “I felt something like love once, a long, long time ago. Probably before your parents were born. Between then and now…” He searched for words. “I definitely wouldn’t use ‘love’ to describe any of it.”
An unpleasant shock ran through her. “Oh my Lord. Are you a player, Jonas?”
“What? No.” He shoved impatient fingers through his hair. “No, Ginny. I am not that. Not at all. I’m just finding it difficult to admit I’ve been with anyone at all. Ever. When you’re near me, I just want like hell to undo everything.”
The shock dulled to a slight pinch. Honestly, Ginny. Was she actually jealous? It would be ridiculous to expect a man who looked like Jonas to be celibate, especially considering he’d been alive almost ninety years. “They were…other vampires?”
Jonas’s nod was almost non-existent as he crowded her against the hallway wall. “Even though I can’t have you, God help me…” His palms molded to her hips. “If I’d known you were out there, I’d have easily abstained—”
A door slammed open just ahead in the hallway and Ginny was swept behind Jonas’s back in the blink of an eye. “Do my senses deceive me?” rasped a voice. “Or is that the human?”
The human?
“Elias,” Jonas said in a measured tone, as if gauging the other vampire’s reaction to her. “This is Ginny. It sounds like you already knew Roksana and I have been protecting her.”
“Roksana?” Slowly, footsteps creaked closer. “No, I’ve been smelling this one on you every time you walk in the door. Whatever and whoever you do in your spare time is none of my business, but I never imagined you’d bring her here.” The footsteps stopped. “What the hell does Roksana have to do with her?”
Ginny tried to peek out from behind Jonas, but he sidestepped, thwarting her.
“She’s facing a threat—and there’s no doubt it’s one of our kind. An Elder. I tasked Roksana with keeping her safe.” Jonas’s paused. “She was unsuccessful, so I brought Ginny here.”
“Roksana was unsuccessful?” Elias’s entire demeanor had been almost bored until now. His energy was instantly alert. “Where is she now?”
“Training apparently,” Jonas said. “I don’t know where.”
Ginny was backed up against the wall as Elias thundered past, his booted feet whapping on the floor. She only managed to catch a flash of angry forehead above a flipped overcoat collar, before Elias threw open the front door of the apartment.
Tucker was standing on the threshold with brown paper bags in his arms, the cigar trapped in the corner of his mouth. “Aw, honey.” A puff of smoke went up. “You came to help me carry the groceries?”