Free All I Want For Christmas Is A Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks

the girl. Some girls like having a man open the door for them. But a lot of modern women would interpret chivalrous behavior as rude. We can open the damned door for ourselves. Don’t ever consider us the weaker sex.”
    “Then ye’re misinterpreting my motives. I would open the door to show respect, no’ disrespect.”
    “But do you really respect women? Haven’t we just been your dinner for centuries?”
    “Ye’ve been my salvation. I could never have survived without you.”
    Her eyes widened. “We see things so differently from each other.”
    “That only makes you more fascinating to me.” He gazed into her eyes and saw a mixture of emotions struggling against one another. She was so beautiful. So determined to be tough and hide her wounds. Would it frighten her if she knew how attracted he was to her? “I would never harm you, lass. I hope ye know that.”
    She pulled back suddenly and looked away. “Were you using mind control on me?”
    “No.”
    “Then why am I—” She gave him a wary glance. “Never mind.”
    Was she feeling it, too? This strange pull between them. He stretched an arm along the back of the sofa. “Tell me, Toni, when it comes to dating a modern lass, would it be all right for me to kiss her on the first date?”
    She pulled her handbag into her lap. “A peck on the cheek would be fine. Or a quick kiss when you say good-bye.”
    “What if I want more?”
    Her cheeks reddened. “If you want to jump in the sack, that’s your choice.”
    “I was only referring to a deeper, more satisfying kiss. But since ye’re in a hurry to get me in bed—”
    “I think you’ve had enough practice.” She jumped to her feet and pulled on her coat.
    He stood. “Thank you. This was verra educational.”
    “Right.” She swung her handbag onto her shoulder. “Believe me, you’ll do fine with the dating.” She headed for the front door.
    “That’s good. I have two dates tonight.”
    She glanced back. “Two?”
    Was she jealous? “The nights are long. I’ll see you in the morning before sunrise. We still need to talk.”
    She shook her head as she reached for the doorknob. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
    “I have questions that need answering.”
    “You’re too nosy.”
    “If ye refuse to talk to me, I’ll have to investigate you.”
    Her eyes flashed with anger. “Why can’t you leave me alone?” She left, slamming the door behind her.
    That was a good question. He had two dates tonight and plenty of phone calls he could return. But for some reason, he couldn’t leave Toni alone. She filled his thoughts. He desired her, but it was more than lust. She was a mystery. A beautiful, clever mystery. And damned fun to flirt with.
    He teleported to the fifth floor to shower and change. First he would go to Romatech to see Connor and begin his investigation. He had a few hours to kill before meeting his dates at the Horny Devils.
    In the bathroom, he yanked the T-shirt off, then stared at the words Toni had scribbled. Could she really be jealous that so many women desired him? Or did he just want her to be jealous? One thing was certain. He was totally intrigued by their beautiful female guard.
    Angus MacKay’s cardinal rule repeated in the back of his mind. A guard must never become romantically involved with his charges. She was forbidden. She was mortal.
    “Bloody hell.” He tossed the T-shirt in the trash.
    Chapter Five
    Jedrek Janow moved slowly across his new office at the Russian-American coven house in Brooklyn. So far, so good. His electronic scanning device wasn’t picking up any bugs. When he’d arrived Tuesday night, he’d found a few. He suspected there was a mole in his coven, but until he found the bastard, he’d keep checking the office every night.
    Such disloyalty and incompetence would not be tolerated. As the new master, he’d made it clear last night that he expected more from this coven. Any member who wasn’t willing to die to achieve his goals