"You're pacing."

"So?"

Oh great. He was going to make this harder than necessary. "You said Tat is all right now and you're all right."

"Tat is...yes, she's all right now-unless you count her ridiculous fascination for that weak, half-human, half-latent male who nearly got her killed."

"I thought you said Mike was dead?" She swallowed hard, remembering the smiling, handsome photographer she had introduced Tat to several years earlier.

"He is. She was foolish enough to fall for someone equally as useless. There's another concern."

"What other concern?"

He shook his head. "There's no need to burden you with what is my problem."

"You can feel free to share anything that troubles you with me without feeling as if you're placing a burden on me, Andrei."

He smiled. "That's sweet, but this is something I'll have to work out for myself."

"Why?"

"This is not something I'm willing to involve you in."

Why not? Because she wasn't important enough to him? She shrugged. "Tell me, Andrei, what do you have against humans?"

"They're weak."

Charming. "You didn't seem to mind my humanity while we were at the cabin."

He stared at her in silence. She knew what he was thinking. That she had been- was -just a casual f.u.c.k. s.e.x with her didn't touch him in any way beyond the purely physical. He'd probably come for more meaningless s.e.x, as soon as he got past what was bothering him.

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you? Or don't you confide in humans?"

"Why do you insist that anything is bothering me?"

"Because I know it is-just as I knew you were in the clearing with me and Evan and I knew you'd been with another woman. There's a connection between us, Andrei. I don' t know how, but there's a special bond between us."

He shrugged. "I believe it's called s.e.x."

"It's more than that."

"Is it?"

She sighed. "Okay. Supposing it is just s.e.x, you've been here an hour and you haven 't so much as kissed me."

A small smile played around the corners of his mouth. "And you think you're so irresistible that if I haven't kissed you in an hour, something must be seriously wrong with me?"

Her cheeks burned, but she maintained his gaze. Just when she thought he was sweet and romantic, he reminded her just how mercurial a vampire could be. "If you're going to be unpleasant, Andrei, you can show yourself out."

He shrugged. "As it happens, I came to pick up the keys to the SUV. Do you have them handy?"

He certainly knew how to ensure she didn't get too c.o.c.ky or too sure of him. She rose and left the room. She half expected him to follow her to her bedroom. But she retrieved the keys from her dresser and returned to the living room. He stood where she' d left him.

She slapped the keys in his palm. She extended a hand toward the apartment door. "The exit is that way."

"Exit? Are you asking me to leave?"

Hearing the amus.e.m.e.nt in his voice brought home to her just how unimportant she was to him. He must know how uncertain she felt and there he stood, all but laughing in her face.

"Asking? No. Telling? Yes. Get out."

He crossed the room to look down at her. "What's the matter, Dacoda? Disappointed because I'm not ready to throw myself at your feet after a few f.u.c.ks?"

She slapped his face. "You b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Get out!"

He stared at her, his gaze narrowed. "You're rather fond of slapping, aren't you?"

"Not particularly, but I've never met anyone who deserved to be slapped as much as you do. Now will you kindly get out?"

"Fine. I'm going... if you're sure that's what you want."

She couldn't decipher his gaze, but there was no mistaking the amus.e.m.e.nt in his voice. "You get what you want and then you laugh at me? Charming, Andrei."

He shook his head, all traces of a smile disappearing from his handsome face. "You know d.a.m.n well that's not what happened."

She sighed and shook her head. "You know what? I don't give a f.u.c.k. I just want you to take your sorry a.s.s out of my apartment."

He shrugged. "One sorry-a.s.s vampire departing." He bent to kiss her cheek.

She shoved him away.

He straightened and stared down at her. "Do you really want it to end this way?"

She walked over to the window. "Lock the door on your way out, will you?"

"Fine. Goodnight."

"Goodbye, Andrei."

"That sounds very permanent."

She took a deep breath and turned to face him. She managed a smile. "It is. I enjoyed our little fling, but it's time to get back to reality now."

"Really?"

"Yes. It's not as if I'm interested in getting serious with you, of all people." She laughed. "But then you're not technically a person, are you?"

His lips tightened. "What the h.e.l.l do you think I am?"

"I have no idea. And I don't care. Lock the door on your way out." She left the room and went into her bedroom.

Moments later, she heard the front door open and close.

He was gone and the closest she'd probably ever get to seeing him again was the picture on Tat's desk. a.s.suming he was still interested, there was always Evan. She was in no danger of falling in love with him, but perhaps they could have a fling, which would help get her over Andrei. Andrei. Oh d.a.m.n, Andrei. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against her bedroom window.

A hand descended on her shoulder. She screamed and spun around. Andrei stood behind her. She blinked at him. "I heard you leave."

"I came back."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "I didn't want our last meeting to end with you thinking I find you amusing. I do, but not in a bad way. So I came back."

"How?"

"How what?"

"How did you come back? The door locks automatically when it's closed. How do you vampires do that appearing and disappearing thing?"

He arched a brow. "Are you sure you want to know?"

She nodded.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips against her ear. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you." He laughed and lifted his head to look down at her. "Still want to know?"

Staring up into his handsome face, she longed to fling her arms around his neck and kiss him until she couldn't breathe. She forced a laugh she hoped sounded natural instead. "In that case, I guess not."

He sobered and stroked a finger down her cheek. "You deserve to meet a man who will give you everything you're looking for without exposing you to danger."

"What would I need to fear with you around to protect me?"

He stroked her cheek again. "Having met a few full-bloods, you might think you're pretty savvy, but there are dark forces out there that would give even a full-blood pause. Those are forces to which I have no intension of exposing you."

"Andrei, please-"

He shook his head. "I hope you find a man who'll rock your world."

"I've already found him," she whispered. She linked her fingers with his and tugged on his hand.

He gently disengaged his fingers from hers. "No you haven't. We had a fling."

"Please don't say it was just a fling for you, Andrei."

She watched his Adam's apple bob. "Whatever it was, it's over now."

She blinked rapidly but couldn't stop her eyes from filling with tears. "I don't want it to be over."

He curled his fingers in her hair and pulled her close. "Don't shed any tears on my account. You're far too good for me, Dacoda." He hugged her, pressing his lips against her hair. "I'd only hurt you, or worse."

"Andrei..."

"Believe me, I'm doing you a favor." He cupped her face between his palms and kissed her lips. When she responded, he lifted his head and just held her in his arms, his lips resting against her forehead.

"Andrei, please..."

"I have to go, sweetheart."

"No. Please don't do this, Andrei."

"I have to." He caressed her cheek. "You'll meet someone far more deserving of you than I'll ever be. When you do, be happy."

Then he was gone. And this time she feared he wouldn't return.

"It's an impossible situation."

"If you really want to, you can make it work."

Jace swallowed several gulps of his third cup of black coffee and shot an annoyed look at Dawn. After Tat's family's unexpected and unwelcome arrival, he'd been unable to suppress a feeling of revulsion at being surrounded by so many vampires. He had left and made the hour drive to Dawn's apartment. Although she hadn't looked particularly happy to see him before seven, she had asked him in and made breakfast.

"Don't you think I want it to work?"

She shrugged, apparently unmoved by his ill temper. "I don't know. Do you?"

"I love her. I more than love her, but how the h.e.l.l can I have a relationship with a fem when I have to worry about which one of her siblings is going to try to kick my a.s.s the moment she turns her back?"

She rose and took their dishes to the sink. "Don't be so melodramatic, Jason."

He slammed his cup down. "Melodramatic? What the h.e.l.l are you talking about?"

She turned to face him. "Yes, melodramatic. If memory serves, you knew she had siblings who would not embrace you when you decided to pursue her. You pursued her anyway. So why act surprised now that her brothers don't like you? After what happened, who could blame them?"

He shot to his feet. "Are you implying that what happened last night was my fault?"

She pushed herself away from the dishwasher and crossed the kitchen to put a hand on his arm.

He shook it off, stung by her criticism.

She arched a brow. "Look, you came here and asked my opinion. I gave it, so don't go getting bent out of shape. And no, I am not blaming you. I'm just suggesting you try to see things from her brothers' viewpoint. If someone you love had nearly been killed because of her involvement with a lover, how fond would you be of that lover?"

He raked a hand through his hair. "Okay, but-"

She shook her head. "And we're talking about full-bloods here. Remember? It's not as if they're very rational to begin with." She arched a brow and grinned at him. "You know what I mean? All that blood ingestion has to take a toll on what's left of their senses sooner or later. Small wonder most of them are so d.a.m.ned nutty."

He laughed, some of his tension dissipating. "You have a point there."

She nodded. "Of course, I'm a fine one to talk, aren't I? It's not as if I don't understand the fascination they can hold."