Free Dead Sexy by Amanda Ashley

expression was impassive, she had a feeling he knew exactly what she was thinking.
    Lifting her chin a notch, she said, "Thank you, a shower sounds wonderful."
    Before she could change her mind, she pivoted on her heel and headed for the bathroom. She closed and locked the door, knowing, as she did so, that nothing as flimsy as a wooden door or a lock would keep him out. She told herself she was just being paranoid. Santiago had no designs on her; he had been nothing but kind to her.
    But he was still a vampire.
    And she was still afraid of him.
    She turned on the shower, undressed quickly, and stepped under the spray. As wonderful as the water felt, being undressed in Joaquin Santiago's shower made her decidedly ill at ease. It was, she thought as she dried off, probably the fastest shower on record.
    She pulled on her clothes and towel-dried her hair. She wished fleetingly that she had her hair dryer and her makeup, then chided herself for worrying about how she looked. He was a vampire, for goodness' sake, not a prospective boyfriend!
    Taking a deep breath, she unlocked the bathroom door and went into the living
room. She hadn't paid much attention to her surroundings earlier. Looking around
now, she understood why. There was little to see. The walls were white and bare,
the carpet a nondescript shade of beige. A brown sofa and matching chair were
grouped in front of the fireplace. Somehow, none of the furnishings in this room, as sparse as they were, seemed to suit its occupant.
    "You are just in time," Santiago said. "The delivery boy left your breakfast outside."
    With a nod, Regan retrieved the tray and carried it into the kitchen. The walls were white and devoid of any decoration. The appliances were white and, as far as she could tell, had never been used. The space was so sterile, it reminded her of a hospital operating room.
    Santiago followed her to the kitchen, then stopped in the doorway, one shoulder negligently propped against the jamb.
    Sitting at the small, round, glass-and-metal table, Regan lifted the cover from the tray, pleased to see that Sardino had included utensils and a napkin. The waffle looked light enough to float away; the three strips of bacon were cooked just the way she liked them.
    She looked up at Santiago. "Why do I have the feeling I'm the first person that's ever eaten in here?"
    "Perhaps because you are," he replied with a faint grin. "Maybe I should stock the shelves."
    Regan looked at him sharply. "I don't think that will be necessary."
    He shrugged. "You know what they say, it pays to be prepared."
    "Well, don't bother. I doubt if I'll be spending much time here."
    "Maybe I could change your mind."
    "Why would you want to?"
    "I find myself enjoying your company."
    She was flattered in spite of herself. Truth be told, she enjoyed his company, too, but there was no future in it. Even if she could get past the fact that he was a vampire, she wasn't sure if they were even the same species anymore.
    With a shake of her head, Regan concentrated on the food on her plate, acutely aware of Joaquin Santiago's watchful gaze. She searched her mind for something to break the silence and said the first thing that popped into her head.
    "Do you ever miss real food?"
    His gaze slid over her throat. "Not for years."
    "What do you miss?"
    "What makes you think I miss anything?"
    "Don't you?"
    He thought about it a moment, then shrugged. "The advantages of being a vampire far outweigh what I lost."
    "Advantages?" she scoffed. "Like not being able to go outside during the day? Like drinking blood? Like being unable to have children and being forced to live in this…" She made a gesture that encompassed his apartment. "This prison?"
    "I call being alive a distinct advantage," he retorted. "If not for the Dark Trick, I would have been dead centuries ago."
    "But you aren't alive. Not really."
    "No?"
    He moved toward her, his eyes so dark they looked almost black as his hands folded over her shoulders