Love Bites Page 11

Chapter Ten

 

  Etienne was up and gone when she woke. Rachel yawned and stretched in bed, smiling happily. She felt great. A little hungry maybe, but otherwise great. She was sure last night had been better than any erotic dream. Sylvia must really have a sad sex life if she thought any dream could beat out reality.

  Etienne had made love to her all night long. Their lovemaking had continued on into the morning, and it had been noon before they'd collapsed together, exhausted and finally satisfied.

  Rachel grinned at the drapes over the bed, then sat up and tossed the tangled sheets aside. The man was an automaton. He had more energy than anyone she'd ever met, and three hundred years of skill to back it up. Etienne had done things to her that made her shiver and blush to think of. Shivering and blushing, she hurried into the bathroom and straight to the shower.

  She probably could have used a cold shower at that point--which was hard to believe after the marathon session of lovemaking--but it was true. She chose a warm one, however, and stood under the shower nozzle, enjoying the pounding of the water on her head and back for several moments before shampooing her hair. Her body was still trembling and sensitive. Rachel wasn't sure if it was the Sweet Ecstasy still affecting her, or simply her memories of the pleasure Etienne had given her, but every scrape of the washcloth over her wet flesh made her shudder and long for him again. The man really was like a drug. A good drug.

  Out of the shower, Rachel dried herself off, dressed, and ran a brush through her hair. She paused to make a face at herself in the bathroom mirror, then hurried out of the room in search of Etienne. She had a deep need to see him again, just to be close to him. To maybe cuddle him, maybe more.

  Rachel grinned at her wayward thoughts as she jogged downstairs. The silent house didn't surprise or worry her, and she headed directly for the basement knowing she would find Etienne there. He was no doubt working at his computer.

  He was in his office, but while he was seated at his desk, the computers were all shut down. He was talking on the phone. Rachel walked up behind him and rested her hands tentatively on his shoulders as he spoke into the handpiece. When he immediately reached up with his free hand to cover one of hers, she smiled and relaxed, realizing only then that she had not been completely sure of his welcome. Etienne had claimed he'd wanted her for days, but that didn't mean much. He might have simply been saying that. He might also have lost interest in her now that their passion was satisfied. It hadn't happened.

  "Great! I'll watch for him then," Etienne said and hung up the phone. The moment it clicked into place, he stood and turned to pull her into his arms for a welcoming kiss. He growled, "Good morning, beautiful. How are you feeling?"

  Rachel flushed and kissed the tip of his nose. "Famished. "

  Etienne chuckled. "You're insatiable. "

  "Yes, I am. But I meant hungry-famished. "

  "Ah. " He released a small sigh and hugged her, then took her hand and led her out of his office. "Yes, so am I. Unfortunately, we're out of blood. I was just asking Bastien to send over some more. It should get here soon, but in the meantime. . . " He paused as they stepped into the kitchen, his eyes shooting to the window in the back door and searching the darkness outside.

  "What is it?" Rachel asked curiously. Stepping to his side, she peered out into the large yard behind the house. She'd looked out at it both in daylight and at night, and it was lovely at both times, with a large fountain, a rock garden, and lots of trees.

  "I thought I saw someone out there," he murmured, then gave her hand a squeeze. "Wait here. I just want to take a quick look around. "

  He was out the door before Rachel could comment. She held the door open so that she could see everything, and watched him walk out into the yard. She had intended on looking around to see if she could see anyone lurking about, but her gaze got caught on his behind and seemed to want to stay there. She decided not to fight it. He had better night vision than she did, anyway. And really it was a nice view. A very nice view. Rachel had never realized how attractive a man's butt could be. She just wanted to grab it and squeeze it and. . .

  "Must be the effects of that drink," she muttered and gave her head a shake. But her gaze returned to his behind again the moment she glanced his way, and Rachel decided she might be best to join him rather than stand with her tongue hanging out. Letting the door slide closed behind her, she walked silently to him.

  "Did you see anything?" she asked in a whisper, a tad distracted by his scent. He smelled really good. Yummy. Rachel had noticed that he smelled good the few times she'd had her face in his neck and had inhaled the scent of him, but now she could smell him almost as well just standing next to him. Her senses must be strengthening, she realized, and found herself pleased. Perhaps she would be able to control her teeth soon. And even drink blood. That straw trick Thomas had shown her worked nicely. But she would rather be able to drink it straight out of a glass like the rest of them. Until she did, Rachel would feel like the child drinking tea with half the cup filled with milk.

  "No. I might have been mistaken. It could have just been a shadow. "

  "Hmm. " Rachel sniffed the air and stepped closer to him, her gaze slipping to his neck. He really did smell delicious. Good enough to eat, even. For some reason, at the moment he reminded her of a great big porterhouse steak, nice and rare.

  Off the hoof. Marguerite's words came into her head, and Rachel's eyes widened in horror.

  "What is it? Do you see something?" Etienne asked when she stepped abruptly away.

  "No," Rachel said, guilt overwhelming her. "No. We should go inside now, don't you think? It's rather cold out here. " It was unseasonably cold, and neither of them was wearing a jacket. Not that she'd noticed the cold until it was a handy excuse.

  "Are you cold?"

  "No," she admitted, then tilted her head. "Why am I not freezing? I should be freezing. It's a cold night out here, Etienne. "

  "Your body's more efficient than it used to be. You don't have to worry about cold or frostbite or anything anymore," he explained. "Still, we should go in. You'll use up more blood staying warm and will need to feed that much sooner--and I know you're already hungry"

  "Desperately hungry," Rachel agreed. Her gaze found his neck, and she looked away with discomfort.

  "Well, the delivery guy should be here soon with breakfast," he said reassuringly. He walked back to the door. "It will probably be Thomas. He often runs errands like that. "

  "Oh. That's nice of him," Rachel commented. She paused as Etienne grabbed the door handle and turned it, then turned it back. "What is it?"

  "Uh. . . Rachel, did you unlock the door or just let it close?"

  "You unlocked the door. I just let it close behind me. Why? What's wrong?"

  Etienne grimaced. "The door locks automatically unless you flip the lever thing. We're locked out. "

  "What?" She stepped up to his side and turned the door handle, but to her horror the door stayed closed. "We can't be locked out, Etienne. "

  "I'm afraid we are. " He sounded more amused than upset.

  Rachel wasn't amused. She was already famished to the point that he was looking like a tasty treat, and if the cold made her need blood more urgently. . .

  Turning a stern look on him, she ordered, "Climb in a window. "

  He shook his head. "Sorry. High-tech security system. It'll go off if I try anything like that. "

  "Well, can't you bypass it or something?"

  "Sure I could, but why wreck my system to save myself a couple of minutes in the cold? Whoever delivers the blood will have a cell phone. I can call Bastien and have him bring my extra set of house keys. We'll only be out here a couple of minutes, I promise. And it's a nice clear night. I can show you my garden up close. You've only seen it from the house till now. I have some lovely night-blooming--"

  "Etienne," Rachel began with irritation, then held her tongue. She was suddenly reluctant t
o admit that he was looking like breakfast. Her previous revulsion at biting people had been eased quite a bit by their love bites. Now was as good a time as any to find out whether she could control herself. She didn't want to bite one of her co-workers one night when she was feeling peckish.

  "What is it?" Etienne prompted when she remained silent.

  "Nothing," she said at last. "Show me your garden. "

  Smiling, Etienne took her hand. He led her back out into the yard and around the fountain to the main garden. It was a huge backyard. Rachel could only think that he obviously lived on the outskirts of Toronto. She couldn't be sure, however, since the yard was surrounded by a huge privacy fence that made it impossible to see out. Reminding herself to ask him later, she followed through the garden as he pointed out and named various plants.

  It was a lovely garden, obviously made to be viewed at night, which she supposed made sense. There were lights here and there that she supposed were for highlighting, but none of them were on. Their path was lit only by moonlight. Rachel didn't have any trouble seeing, however. She guessed that meant her eyesight was improving, as Marguerite had said it would. She might have been more excited, but she was too hungry. Her body was actually beginning to cramp with her need to feed. Since Etienne didn't appear to be suffering the same, Rachel supposed she was still needing more blood due to the change.

  "Why are you looking at me like I'm a big roast pig with an apple in its mouth?"

  Rachel dragged her eyes away from his luscious neck and forced a smile. "Because you look so delicious," she said lightly. Without thinking, she moved closer and ran her hands up his chest, catching them around his neck to urge him down to kiss her.

  Etienne came easily, lowering his lips with eager passion. Rachel sighed into his mouth with relief that it was so easy, then broke the kiss and began to trail her lips over his cheek to his ear. She nibbled lightly and teased, "You smell good enough to eat. "

  Etienne chuckled at her words, but his laughter died quickly and he stiffened in her arms. She'd begun to nibble along his neck. "Er, Rachel honey? I think you might be confusing bloodlust with lust. Its not a good idea for you to--aaah!"

  His warning died as she found him through his jeans and squeezed. His breath immediately picked up and he was almost panting in her ear as she fondled him. "Well, maybe a little nibble wouldn't hurt. "

  Rachel laughed huskily and licked his neck. She really didn't have any idea what she was doing, was just following her instincts--and she instinctually wanted to lick his neck. Actually, Rachel wanted to lick everywhere. Etienne was like a big lollipop, or perhaps a Tootsie Pop. She wanted to know how many licks it took to get to the center of this Tootsie Pop, but knew she would bite long before she ever found out.

  Rachel licked his neck again, her tongue running over the vein, sensing it with a natural ability that startled her. She wanted so badly to bite him. She was starving, cramping with hunger. She supposed it wasn't unlike a drug addict jonesing for a fix. She needed it bad, but it seemed rude to just bite him, and she couldn't quite bring herself to do it. She had bitten him several times last night, but always in the throes of passion. Rachel was feeling pretty passionate about him right then, but not enough to make it right. She had to fix that.

  Releasing her hold on him, she slid her hands up over his chest, grasped his collar, and tugged his shirt open. Etienne just grinned as the buttons snapped off. Rachel was a little less sangfroid. She hadn't expected that, thought perhaps one button might pop and then she'd have to undo the others manually, but it appeared she was gaining some of the strength that was to be hers.

  Her surprise only slowed her down for a moment. With his chest suddenly revealed, glowing almost silver in the moonlight, she heard an almost animal growl purr from her throat and let her hands slide over that exposed flesh. His skin was cool and smooth, soft as velvet but with the hardness of steel. Sighing in pleasure, she leaned forward to press her lips to the skin over his heart. The beat beneath was strong. He was vital and strong, and she wanted him.

  Tipping her head back, Rachel slid a hand into his hair and drew down his face. She covered his lips with hers, rubbing them softly at first, then opening her mouth to catch and nip at his bottom lip with her teeth. She drew on it until it slipped from her teeth with a small plop that made them both chuckle. Then that was apparently enough play for Etienne. Gathering her in his arms, he covered her lips with his. There was no gentle rubbing, no teasing kiss. He covered her mouth, then opened his and thrust his tongue out to separate her lips. Rachel opened to him without hesitation and slid her own tongue forward to meet his, a moan half-smothered as their tongues tangled and slid against each other.

  An answering moan from Etienne made Rachel smile, breaking the kiss somewhat. She let her lips drift away over his chin and down along his throat, inhaling the scent of him, but not stopping to be tempted by the promise of his jugular. She coasted her lips down his chest, pausing at first one nipple to nip and suckle and flick at it with her tongue, then to the other to do the same. Her nails ran firmly over his back as she did, so that he definitely felt it, but she drew no blood.

  When Etienne groaned and arched and caught at her arms to attempt to draw her back, presumably to kiss her, Rachel laughed teasingly and simply dropped into a crouch. It put her at waist level. Tipping her head back, she smiled up at him wickedly and reached for the snap of his jeans. Etienne sucked in a startled breath as she undid them, then seemed to hold it as she drew down the zipper.

  Rachel let her smile widen, then reached inside to pull out his member. She knew she had made a mistake the moment she leaned forward to take him in her mouth. The scent and taste of him made the urge to bite almost irresistible. Rachel could actually feel the blood pulsing and throbbing beneath the fragile skin covering his hard shaft.

  Dear God, it would be like biting a sausage, she thought faintly. The juices would squirt thick and sweet into her mouth, then slide down her throat and feed the craving that made her body ache so. The thought was oddly erotic. It was also rather horrifying. Rachel couldn't believe she was kneeling before a man, contemplating taking a chomp on the manhood that had given her so much pleasure the night before. Jeez, it seemed obvious she wasn't ready to go back to work yet. If she was contemplating this, no one would be safe from her hunger.

  "Rachel?"

  She lifted her eyes the length of his body and met his uncertain gaze, realizing she had gone still with him in her mouth. Giving herself a mental shake, she raised a hand to hold the base of his manhood and allowed her mouth to slide the length of his member, then back again. She could do this. She could resist. She had to, Rachel told herself firmly. She had to prove to herself that she could resist anything, that she would be safe around her co-workers, that even with temptation this close--in her mouth, in fact--she could prevail. A groan from Etienne encouraging her, Rachel slid her mouth along his length again, her tongue working his flesh with an interest that seemed focused on the bulging vein it followed. Just a little bite, her mind tempted. A nip, really. She pushed the thought aside and drew him nearly out of her mouth again, slowly becoming aware of his responses. Rachel had experienced the sensation several times with him already, their passion merging, heightening for both of them into overwhelming waves of excitement and desire. This time was different, however. Her mind, preoccupied as it was with the need to feed, was not aroused, and so she was now experiencing only his passion and pleasure. It flooded her mind as if it were her own, filling every corner with the sensations he was experiencing, sensations of almost unbearable pleasure.

  The feel of her own warm, moist mouth sliding the length of him was a pleasure she would never have experienced as a mere human. The scrape of her teeth over the tip of him made them both moan, and Rachel squeezed her thighs together as a new ache settled there. It was such pleasure-pain, she repeated the action several times until she was sure neither of them could stand it again without shatt
ering.

  Aware that these thoughts reflected Etienne's state as well as her own, and unwilling to end the pleasure so soon, Rachel changed the rhythm of her caresses. Etienne's disappointment touched her like his pleasure, and she smiled despite it. Sliding her free hand up his jean-encased thighs, she tightened the hold she had on the base of his manhood and twirled her tongue over his flesh.

  "Rachel. " It was a plea for release, but she was feeling heartless. She was hungry--both for blood and pleasure. She wanted to make this an experience he wouldn't ever forget, and since she was experiencing it with him, knowing exactly how it felt and affected him, she could.

  Every woman should enjoy such mind-melding, she thought vaguely. They would never again doubt their ability to pleasure a man, or fumble about counting on him to verbalize what he liked or didn't. They would simply know, and do what felt good. They would also share in the enjoyment of the experience in a way not normally possible.

  "God, Rachel. "

  She ignored his pleading. She was feeling what he was feeling, and knew he was again ready to burst. So was she, so this time Rachel didn't change technique or rhythm. This time her hungers would not be denied.

  He cried out and exploded into her mouth a heartbeat before her own body climaxed. Rachel's mind suffused with his pleasure and her own; then her newer instincts took over and she sank her canines into the vein her tongue had been toying with. She felt Etienne's startled reaction, then felt her own pleasure hit him as blood flowed through her teeth. The two sensations blended together, flowing back and forth between them from one mind to the other, seeming to strengthen each time it was exchanged until nothing could seem to hold on to it.

  When Etienne began to sway before her, Rachel allowed her teeth to retract, freeing him. Then she sat back weakly as he dropped to his knees before her.

  Her mind was struggling to accept the pleasure overwhelming her and was now suffused with weakness. Was it her own?

  Etienne encompassed her in his arms, but his hold was light, barely there. When he spoke, his words were slurred and so faint that she couldn't grasp what he said. Then he began to tumble backward. Rachel tried to catch and help him stay upright, but she didn't seem to have the strength. She was sliding into the warm liquid darkness that had overwhelmed her after each lovemaking session with him.

  This time was different, however. The other times, Rachel had been the only one overwhelmed, while Etienne--stronger and more used to the experience after three hundred years--had been her anchor. This time, he seemed to be slipping into that darkness with her. The realization gave her a sudden fright. Rachel wasn't sure if the alarm was her own or Etienne's, but as she slipped into unconsciousness, she knew that something was very wrong.

  Rachel woke slowly, unsure what had disturbed her. She lay still for several moments, her cheek resting on something cool and hard. Her eyes were closed. She felt incredibly weak--drained, really--and didn't understand why. The memories of what had occurred in the garden swept through her mind and she smiled where she lay. That smile was quickly followed by a frown. She shouldn't be so weak. She had taken some of Etienne's blood and should be stronger for it, not weak. Shouldn't she?

  "Etienne?"

  That far off shout roused her from her languid state, and Rachel opened her eyes to see the shapes and shadows of the garden. She was lying with her head resting on Etienne's chest amid the blooming night flowers. Moving slowly, she managed to raise herself enough to look over the plants that lined the path and glance toward the house. There was nothing to see; the house appeared as still and empty as it had when they'd first been locked out.

  Sighing, Rachel allowed herself to drop back onto the cold ground again. She was both shocked and a bit frightened at the weakness she was suffering. With a turn of her head, she was able to peer at the pale outline of Etienne. He lay in the dewy grass beside her, his body gleaming in the moonlight. Rachel patted his chest weakly, but there was no response.

  She felt concern claim her. "Etienne?" She nudged him with a little more force. "Etienne?"

  "Etienne!" That male voice was an echo to her own. It sounded closer this time, but still muffled, as if heard through ear muffs or at a great distance. "Rachel? Dammit, you two--answer me! I can sense your presence, but it's too weak to follow. "

  Despite that claim, the voice was drawing closer. Rachel barely had the chance to peer down at her clothes and make sure they were in order before she heard the back door of the house slam. Rachel forced herself to sit up again as Bastien strode into view.

  "There you two are. " He hurried toward them. "I was worried sick when Tom said there was no answer and the door was locked. I rushed over with Etienne's extra keys and--What the hell happened to the two of you?" he asked with alarm as he got close enough to see Etienne prostrate beside her. Then his gaze found his brother's body and his eyebrows flew up. "Oh. "

  Rachel glanced at Etienne, flushing when she noted that his pants were still undone, his flaccid penis hanging out bearing a pair of unmistakable teethmarks.

  "Oh, dear. You bit him, huh?"

  Humiliated, not to mention too weak to stay upright, Rachel dropped to the ground with a moan. She let her arm flop over her face.

  "Thomas, bring the blood!"

  Rachel let her arm drop back in alarm. It was bad enough that Bastien was a witness to this moment, but to have Thomas there, too. . . Her panic eased a bit when she noticed Bastien kneeling beside Etienne and straightening his clothes.

  "How are you feeling? Pretty bad, huh?"

  Rachel glanced at Bastien, surprised by his solicitous tone. "Yes. I don't understand why, though. "

  "You must have ingested too much blood," he explained. He scowled at his unconscious brother. "Etienne shouldn't have let you. He knows better. "

  "He was, er, preoccupied at the time," Rachel admitted with another blush. She cleared her throat. "Why is it I shouldn't have--"

  "You keep a certain number of nanos inside you, the perfect amount for your body. It replaces those that die when necessary, and kills off extra ones should they develop. A sudden influx of extra nanos from another vampire takes time for your body to process. In the meantime, those nanos consume blood, using it up at an accelerated rate. It's bad enough for such a thing to happen when you are well fed and full, but Etienne told me you've been underfeeding because you can't stand the taste of blood. And then too, neither of you had any available to you this morning--which is why Thomas came. "

  As if on cue, Etienne's cousin came sauntering into view carrying a medical cooler. His gaze dropped over Etienne's unconscious form, then over Rachel's disheveled and weak state, but he merely smiled. "Hi, Dudette. Looks like I came in the nick of time. "

  He opened the cooler and withdrew two bags of blood, handing one to Bastien, then taking the time to retrieve two straws from his pocket and stab them into the second bag. "I didn't think Etienne would have any straws, and I knew you'd want them so I picked some up at the corner store on the way over earlier," he explained as he held out the doctored bag.

  Rachel accepted it with a grateful smile and quickly affixed the straws to her teeth. The liquid in the bag began to disappear at once, and she sighed with relief as her weakness and pain began to recede.

  "Another bag, Thomas. " Bastien exchanged the already empty bag he had slammed into Etienne's teeth for a fresh one. He urged Etienne's mouth open again and popped the second pint into the teeth, too. Glancing from his brother to Rachel with concern, he asked, "How much did you take?"

  Rachel gave an embarrassed shrug. She had no idea.

  "Bit him, huh?" Thomas asked sympathetically. "It's a common occurrence with newbies. "

  Bastien grunted what might have been agreement, but Rachel wasn't paying attention; she was watching with a sinking feeling as Thomas peered at his cousin. He frowned and asked, "Where did you bite him? I don't see the marks. "

  "Get her another bag of blood,
Thomas," Bastien ordered, patting Rachel's knee. She flushed and squirmed where she sat. Her mouth was firmly closed. She wasn't going to admit where she'd bit him. Not in this lifetime.

  "Sure. " Thomas took the empty bag from Rachel, pulled the straws free, grabbed a fresh bag, and fixed it up as he had the first, then handed it over with a smile, his question apparently forgotten. Rachel wasn't fooled, however. She had caught the exchange of glances and was sure the two men had communicated with their minds. She just hoped Bastien had admonished him to let the subject go. A decidedly amused light filled the man's eyes.

  Sighing miserably, Rachel slid the straws over her canines and allowed her teeth to do the work of ingesting the blood she sadly lacked.

  Much to her surprise, Thomas patted her shoulder. "Not to worry, little one. This is all my fault, not yours. "

  Rachel had a grim moment as she recalled these men could not only communicate with their minds, they could read thoughts. Bastien probably hadn't had to give away the location of the bite; she had probably done so herself without meaning to. Then she caught the man's words and peered at him curiously. How could he possibly claim it was his fault? Before she could unhook the straws from her teeth and ask, a moan from Etienne drew her attention.

  "Relax," Bastien ordered as Etienne's eyes popped open. He began to struggle to sit up. "You need a little more blood before you get physical. "

  Etienne relaxed back on the ground, his eyes shifting until they landed on Rachel; then his hand slid across his stomach to touch her knee reassuringly. She supposed, or at least hoped, that this was a silent message that he wasn't upset. She felt better for it.

  "This is becoming a bad habit, Etienne. "

  Rachel and Etienne both glanced at Bastien in confusion as he popped yet another pint into his brother's mouth.

  "This is what? The third time I've had to save you lately?"

  Etienne managed a curse around the bag in his mouth, which Rachel found rather impressive. She didn't think she could speak intelligibly while ingesting--but then she supposed that Etienne had a couple hundred years' practice. She wondered, however, if it wasn't considered rude to speak while eating. She had been raised to believe that it was. For humans, at least.

  "You are one of our people now, Rachel," Bastien pointed out quietly. When she remained quiet, he turned to glance at Etienne. "So, you thought you saw Pudge out here earlier. "

  This time, Etienne pulled the bag from his mouth before saying, "Stop reading my mind, Bastien. It's rude. "

  "The thought was just lying about on the edges of your mind," his brother said with a shrug. "Although it seems rather silly to be indulging in. . . er, anything if you thought Pudge was lurking about. He could have jumped the two of you while you were distracted. "

  "I must have been seeing things," Etienne groused. "I checked the yard and there was no sign of him. Then we let the door close and were locked out. We were waiting for Thomas to arrive so that he could call you and get you to bring my extra keys. "

  "And you decided to share body heat and fluids while waiting," Thomas guessed. He laughed, earning a glare from Etienne. The younger man shrugged, giving Rachel an apologetic glance. "Sorry, Dudette. Couldn't resist that one. "

  "Have you had enough blood to get back into the house to finish recovering?" Bastien asked abruptly.

  "Yeah, yeah. " Etienne handed him the last empty bag and sat up, then got to his feet with Bastien's help.

  Rachel accepted the hand Thomas offered and got to her feet as well. Some of the embarrassment and discomfort she suffered slipped away when Etienne claimed her hand and held it on the walk back to the door. This had been a new experience for her, but it would seem she was in for a lot of those. Life had definitely taken a twist.

  "So?" Bastien asked as they stepped into the kitchen. "Have you talked to Rachel about--".

  "No," Etienne interrupted.

  "Well, are you--"

  "I will," Etienne interrupted again. "Soon. "

  Bastien sighed but apparently decided to let the subject, whatever it was, drop. Clapping a hand on Thomas's shoulder, he turned him to the door, announcing, "You'll need more blood. You'll probably use this up quickly, repairing the damage you've done to each other. I'll send Thomas back with more later. Try not to kill each other in the meantime. "

  Etienne's answer was a grunt.

  His two relatives left the kitchen and started up the hall. When the front door closed behind them, some of the tension left his shoulders and he grabbed another bag of blood from the cooler Thomas had set on the table.

  "So," Rachel said quietly as she accepted the bag. "What is it exactly that you were supposed to talk to me about?"

  Etienne stared at Rachel. He supposed it really would be a good thing to talk and try to convince her that it was in her best interests to claim Pudge had kidnapped her. But he was reluctant to spoil the rapport they had shared since Night Club--the bond they were building so new and fragile, Etienne was hesitant to possibly ruin it with an argument. Distracting her with something that would bring them even closer together seemed the better option.

  "You don't like the night," he said abruptly, and could tell by her expression that he had startled her.

  "I don't dislike it. It's just. . . " She frowned, then shrugged. "I don't like working at night while everyone is sleeping. I'd rather sleep, then work during the day like everyone else. "

  "Why?"

  "Well. . . " She scowled at him, obviously annoyed. "It's not so bad on work nights," she said finally. "But I can't stay up on work nights and keep normal hours on my nights off, so I'm up all night then and there's nothing to do but sit around twiddling my thumbs or playing video games by myself. Everyone I know but my co-workers on the night shift work normal hours. There's nothing to do. "

  "Nothing to do?" He gaped at her, then shook his head. "I'm afraid you need an education, my dear. "

  Rachel took in Etienne's certainty with doubt. She'd worked the night shift for three years now and doubted there was much he could teach her. She'd searched desperately for things to do on her evenings off, and while she could always hit the malls or a movie early in the evening, it was the wee hours--11 to 7, when she would usually be working and was awake as could be--she had trouble filling. Other than the bars that closed at 2 a. m. , and Rachel wasn't really a bar person anyway, there wasn't much to do but wander around her apartment lonely and bored.

  "Go get changed," Etienne ordered. "Dark pants and top. And a jacket--it's chilly out. " When Rachel merely stared at him, he waved her away. "Go on. Get changed. "

  Giving another shrug, she tossed her last blood bag into the garbage and left the kitchen. Change, he said. She would change. But Rachel didn't believe for a minute that he was going to teach her anything about the night that she didn't already know.