Free Romeo (Blood Brothers) by Eve Vaughn

was a smile he’d remember for a long time to come. “So, what were you about to say?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Why did you stop after asking me if I wanted something to eat?”
    “Uh, well...” She covered her mouth, her face going slightly red. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I didn’t think before offering.”
    Now he was really confused. “You were just being a good hostess. Why would I be offended?”
    “Because you don’t eat,” Christine blurted out before her face went an even deeper shade of red.
    “Says who?”
    “Because... uh, never mind.”
    Again Romeo wished he could read Christine’s mind but she was a rare human who had somehow managed to shield her thoughts from him. “Tell me what you meant by that comment.”
    “People like you don’t consume food. I mean, I’ve never seen Nya eat anything.”
    Her meaning finally dawned on him. “You know what your friend is?”
    She nodded.
    “And you know what I am?”
    “Yes.”
    “Is that what Nya talked to you about when she dragged you away from the table? To warn you about me?”
    “Sort of.”
    “I see.” He didn’t really, but this certainly made things more and more interesting. She was a rare creature indeed. Most humans would deny a vampire’s existence even if they were shown irrefutable evidence. Christine, however, not only accepted him but didn’t act as though it was a big deal.
    Christine raised her head almost in a defiant gesture. “I’m not scared, though.”
    Romeo couldn’t help but to grin at that. She was obviously trying to conceal her fear, but he definitely liked her more with each passing second. “And why aren’t you scared? How do you know I won’t drain you of all your blood and leave you for dead?” He took a step forward, yet she remained where she was, although a thin sheen of sweat glistened over her brow.
    “Because Nya said you wouldn’t hurt me and I trust her.”
    “Funny how she knows that about me when tonight was the first time I’ve had the...pleasure of meeting her.”
    Christine cocked her head. “You sound like you don’t like her.”
    “I don’t know her well enough to form an opinion, although she seems already to have formed one of me. Tell me, what else did your friend say and how is it that you have become so close to a vampire. It doesn’t happen very often where we reveal what we are to humans.”
    “It’s a complicated story. It doesn’t matter, does it? We both want one thing tonight. Have you changed your mind?”
    “Hell, no, but I will have my answers—if not now, then eventually. And, by the way, I do eat. You must watch too damn much television.”
    Christine laughed. “That’s exactly what Nya said earlier.”
    “You know, if I could live the nineteenth century all over again, I’d kick Bram Stoker’s ass.”
    This time, Christine clutched her sides, laughing harder than ever. Her laughter was so infectious, he couldn’t help but to chuckle himself.
    “So you find that amusing, do you?”
    “It was the way you said it,” she said, wiping a tear from her eye.
    “Well, imagine what it’s like for me when I see Hollywood’s version of vampires. I stopped watching vampire movies after Zombie Vampire Teens from Hell . Even I had to draw the line somewhere.”
    This seemed to tickle Christine even more. “I can’t say I’ve seen that one. You’re making that one up.”
    “You didn’t miss much. It’s one of those grindhouse movies from the seventies. I don’t really watch television anymore but I was once quite the movie buff. Whenever I was home, I’d do nothing but watch movies. Once my television went out on me sometime in the mid 1980’s, I never replaced it. But I’ve seen enough vampire movies to last for centuries and I’ve heard all the crazy references. Some are kind of funny but others are just downright stupid.”
    “I see your point. The title alone sounds horrible. I know how you feel, though. Stereotypes aren’t fun for