He had genuinely expected this task to take but a few mere minutes-walk in, ask his questions and walk straight back out again.

Instead of following his usual logical, utterly sane path of rationality he had stood like a dork, watching her like some lovesick puppy, his tongue tied into knots and his c.o.c.k hardening as if he were some rampant, untried green youth.

Rylan and Michael would both certainly have hysterics if they ever knew. Not to mention the eternal, never-ending teasing Vasili would give to him.

Simeon snapped back to attention when he realized he had been staring at Alderic for a short while like a gauche youth. He knew his eyes would have likely been unfocused, as he had not been seeing the elderly vampire, but when Alderic cleared his throat slightly, Simeon noticed the slightly raised eyebrow.

Simeon nodded, acknowledging the elder, and bowed gracefully and respectfully to the vampire sitting at the desk in the cluttered study. His half-moon spectacles rested on his nose, his hands idly touching the pages of the three different volumes he had evidently been researching.

"Yes, Simeon? I do hope you haven't been hara.s.sing our poor guest."

Simeon felt as if he were six years old again and being chastised by the old man. It didn't matter that Alderic didn't look like his many centuries, Simeon could feel the press of the vampire's age on him.

"He's been asking about Gavreel, Alderic, but he hasn't been hara.s.sing me." Simeon felt a faint flush cross his cheekbones as Clare defended him.

d.a.m.ned if he'd needed defending since he was a youth. The mixture of his mind and body seemingly going insane on him, as well as the "naughty schoolboy" treatment he felt like he was getting had him acting like the youth he knew he wasn't. He blurted out the one thing he hadn't been meaning to ask.

"Alderic, I can't read her mind. I mean..." He felt his blush increase as he almost stammered. What the five h.e.l.ls was the matter with him? "I have just been concerned about Gav, you know he never goes long stretches without saying h.e.l.lo. And it's been over two months now."

Alderic shrugged and Simeon felt the pressure in his mind threaten to explode. What the h.e.l.l was Alderic doing, merely shrugging at his concern?

"Gavreel has gone on a quest," the elder said calmly. Simeon released a pent-up breath and felt the almost unbearable pressure in his head lessen. "He swore dear Clare here to secrecy as he doesn't want Chandra stealing a march on him. He left after last speaking with you. Has it really been that long?"

Simeon felt his stomach roll as Alderic removed his gla.s.ses and rubbed his eyes and nose. Simeon merely nodded, not wanting to halt the elderly man's train of thought, or lead him unknowingly to change the topic of conversation.

"Dear me, he hasn't checked in with us either. More than two months, eh? Time really does fly by, doesn't it?"

Clare, he noticed, seemed relieved. Simeon turned to her and asked rather more harshly than he had intended, "Where did my father go?" His frustration, both with her as well as himself, melted away and he smiled as she looked down her nose at him, pressing those luscious lips together tightly.

He nearly burst into laughter at the sight she made. He was a good couple of inches taller than her, and even with her lush curves he knew he easily outweighed her any way she wanted to look at it.

Besides, the snotty, almost aristocratic manner she tried to peer down at him had him wanting to simultaneously turn her over his knee as well as drag her into his arms. d.a.m.ned if he didn't want to kiss that lush mouth of hers.

He blinked, surprised at his rush of l.u.s.t. It was utterly unlike him. He usually only focused on one thing at a time, and he had definitely been focusing on Gavreel and not much else of late.

While he had spent far more than his fair share of time focusing on a woman and the enticing games men and women played together, it was highly unusual for him to be sidetracked with s.e.xual thoughts and feelings while concentrating on something different. Particularly when that something else was his family, usually nothing could distract him from that.

So what was it about her?

He shifted his weight uncomfortably, wishing the room were not quite so warm. He snapped his attention back to the sensual woman beside him as she spoke.

"Gavreel didn't tell me where he was going. He's just chasing a reference in a book I seem to have accidentally brought him. Truly, I think he'll be fine, he just seems to have a tendency to get lost in his studies."

Simeon heard her words, but the tone of her voice seemed to distract him from what she actually said.

"I know that," he replied after a moment, "but it's not like him to not contact us. You really don't know where he's gone?"

He nearly smiled as she looked angrily at him. "I just said so, didn't I? I am not in the habit of lying, you know."

He watched her, utterly entranced as she whirled angrily to Alderic.

"I need to get back to work."

The old man smiled and nodded and didn't say a thing as she left the office. Simeon sat down with a huge exhalation of breath.

"When did you go into heat, son?"

As soon as the words left the old man's mouth, Simeon felt his body begin to sweat once again. It was almost as if hearing the words from Alderic's lips shed light on his subconscious and gave his body permission to show its telltale signs in full force.

"I have no idea," he said softly, wiping a palm across his forehead. Simeon wasn't even certain if he was telling the elder vamp he wasn't sure he'd been in heat at all, or whether he simply didn't know when he had gone into the state of fertility.

This wasn't his first run-through with his heat phase, yet somehow this time around seemed far more sneaky, more complicated than it had ever felt before. Simeon thought for a moment, fitting together the pieces of the puzzle that was his mind and body.

"Maybe at the start of the week, around the D and D ball?" Simeon said idly, still feeling shocked and reeling from the knowledge he was entering heat. So this is what Michael had picked up on. This also explained why Rylan was acting like a hormonal teenage human boy.

"Interesting," the old man murmured. Simeon looked at him as he ran his eyes head to foot over him.

"What's interesting? I am not some d.a.m.n organism under a microscope, I have no idea how this all happened. I've been through heat before, so how could I not recognize the signs? How could..." He trailed off as he thought of Clare and felt an incredible flare of heat run straight though him, causing every muscle to spasm and shake.

Numerous fantasies, each one more decadent, heated and lush ran though his mind. Licking along the weeping opening of Clare's c.u.n.t, sucking all the juices from her lips, having her mouth stretch wide around his c.o.c.k as he thrust inside her. Images ran through his mind, one after another, searing him with their intensity.

"Son, believe it or not I am not treating you like an experiment. I just found it interesting that your symptoms were mild, or mildish until you met Clare. And you know what being unable to penetrate her mind means..."

Simeon nodded, knew full well that meant she was a compatible mate, maybe even able to complete his Soul's Circle. "But you haven't told her..."

He winced as Alderic snorted and turned back to his tome.

"Of course we haven't told her. Neither Gavreel nor I had any idea she might be compatible with a vampire. We both were ungentlemanly enough to scan her superficially, but neither one of us wanted to try and penetrate far enough to see if she had the makeup needed to complete some other lucky b.a.s.t.a.r.d's Circle. You know the rules as well as I do. Just because we, or any other vamp, can superficially read her mind doesn't mean you will necessarily be able to."

Simeon nodded, knowing the truth of his friend's words.

"Indeed," Alderic continued, "the fact you can't read her mind speaks plainly for itself. But Gav and I decided her first night here we wouldn't make her undertake a deeper psyche testing to see if she was compatible with any vampire in existence. We figured she had been through enough already, and left her fate in Destiny and Clare's own hands."

Simeon wanted to ask more about what Alderic meant by Clare had already been through enough, but it would be the height of rudeness to ask. Simeon and everyone in most of the known galaxy knew that while vampires could graze anyone's mind, and almost always read the thoughts, only a couple who had the potential to complete each other's Soul's Circle could not penetrate each other's mind.

Until the ritual was complete, that is. Any vampire could force his way far enough into a woman's mind to see if she were compatible with a vampire, but often it caused damage and had been outlawed by the vampiric race for centuries. Vampires had long ago decided either a man, or woman, could search for their own mate, or simply wait for Fate.

More often than not a pair who completed each other's soul was simply drawn together through destiny and the hands of Fate anyway. So why bother to fight with it?

"I think you might want to take her out for a bite to eat, young man." Simeon snapped out of his scrambled thoughts by Alderic's stern tone of voice. "You both have a lot of conversation ahead of you."

Simeon smiled wryly and managed, though with some difficulty, to rein in the anger and fierce surge of possessiveness he had felt at Alderic's very casual mention of Clare being compatible to any other vampire. She was his. He knew it deep in his soul.

Problem was, did she know or feel it?

Simeon bowed respectfully to the elder vampire, catching the glint of humor and mischievousness in his eyes, and turned to leave the office. Out in the hallway he took a few deep, calming breaths before heading back down the hallway to meet Clare.

Maybe Alderic was right, he mused silently to himself. Maybe a bit of a meal would ease along the conversation he needed to have with this odd woman he had never met and never even knew his father had hired to help him in the store.

Simeon smiled as the perfect thought hit him.

He could cook for her! Women liked men who cooked, right? No harm in trying to impress her a bit, particularly considering the way he had started off on the wrong foot and then had continued to insert that foot directly into his mouth.

Rylan would laugh himself sick, Simeon felt sure, but it certainly couldn't hurt to try and impress the lady. Besides, he had a feeling some of the things he needed to discuss with Clare would definitely need some decent food in both their bellies before he divulged it. He had no idea how a woman who couldn't even operate a simple personal comp console any tot over the age of two could use with ease would deal with being told her soul could complete his and he wanted to merge the two together.

Somehow he felt that wouldn't go down particularly well. And Rylan, more than anyone, always stated a guy had to use every advantage he could. And at the moment, the only advantage Simeon could think of about himself was he could cook a decent meal, even if he didn't exactly gorge himself like so many other human men he had witnessed at Scooper's.

He just hoped he could convince Clare of that now, as the only other thing he knew he could wow her with were some tricky bed moves he had learned over the years.

He would rather keep those as his backup plan, so cooking for her it would be.

Chapter Eight.

Clare sat frowning once again at the holo-screen. She knew she should try typing, doing her work. She should even be sitting here basking in her gratefulness that Simeon came by and showed her how to unlock the wretched machine. Yet instead of merrily clicking away as she really should be, she was trying hard not to think about the way he had smiled at her, the dark twinkle in his drop-dead-gorgeous brown eyes.

Even before she had found herself somewhere over the rainbow, it had been an age since she had found herself so very turned on by any one man. Sure, she dated like most other single women her age, she even quite enjoyed the subtle game of getting-to-know-you and cat-and-mouse most people involved themselves in.

Yet it had been years since her knees had quivered, more years than she cared to contemplate since a single glance from a man, any man, had dampened her panties like Simeon had.

What is it about him? she mused silently to herself, dropping any pretense of trying to work. She rested her chin on her bent hand and gazed blindly into s.p.a.ce.

Sure, the man was drop-dead make-you-come-with-barely-a-look gorgeous, but so were half the models in her Playgirl magazines, one of the few things she truly missed from home.

She smiled as she could clearly picture each and every male model agency back home clamoring at Simeon's door, begging for him to sign a contract. Sales would literally go through the roof on any d.a.m.n thing he tried to sell with those warm, knowing eyes and that cheeky, c.o.c.ky knowing smile he seemed to bestow upon her without a thought.

She worried her lower lip, tried to drag her wayward thoughts back to where she wanted them.

"I was thinking, Clare," came his deep voice from behind her. She started, and turned around slowly, her hands flying to the papers she had wanted to enter into the database earlier this morning.

"Really?" she said weakly, relieved to remember he said he couldn't read her mind. She would simply die of mortification if he had even an inkling of how idolized and schoolgirl-h.o.r.n.y her thoughts had been. "Did it hurt much? You really shouldn't stretch yourself like that, you know. Overusing that brain of yours might be painful later on."

She cringed at the shaky but sarcastic humor in her voice. Way to boost yourself in his eyes, Clare, she silently chided herself. Insult the vampire's intelligence like you would a university student stepping out of line. Way to go, girl!

She felt herself relax infinitesimally as he laughed and didn't take offense. There had been no heat, no real insult meant behind the words, it had been more a reflex stemming from embarra.s.sment, but it didn't mean it couldn't have backfired horridly on her.

"I do apologize for being harsh earlier, Clare," Simeon said with aplomb. For a split second Clare envied him the way he could appear genuinely apologetic while still remaining proud and manly. How the h.e.l.l did he manage that? "Let me make it up to you," he continued, barely pausing for breath. "I'll cook you some lunch."

Clare blinked and looked behind her, certain for a moment some evil futuristic twin had materialized and Simeon was asking her to lunch. Her surprise and shock must have shown in her eyes, as he smiled, the twinkle back in his dark, dark brown eyes.

"Yes, you, Clare," he said roguishly, his smile broadening.

"Uh..." Clare couldn't believe she was stammering for the second time today. She hadn't stammered since her first day of elementary school. She blushed furiously when the s.e.xy vampire took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them.

"Have I really upset you so much?" he queried her, genuine concern in his voice. His eyes searched her face until they met her own eyes, and she could see worry in his brown depths. "It's just an invitation to lunch, Clare," he rea.s.sured her gently, "nothing too sinister, I hope."

The mere thought this man might think she was some weak, knock-kneed imbecile was enough to have Clare standing straight out of her chair. She reached around back for the light jacket she had slung there earlier in the morning.

As Clare yanked the thin jacket on, she felt her courage and determination grow stronger with her every move.

"You haven't upset me at all, Simeon Montague," she said fiercely, uncaring at the slight untruth in her words. He had unbalanced her, tossed her into a strange situation in what was already an alien world to her. He had not upset her as such, but neither did she feel as if she had the home advantage either. "I am rather hungry," she added firmly. "I accept your cha-invitation."

She swallowed the word challenge, knowing he didn't see the situation as so. But hearing the slight tinge of humor in his words, knowing his smile was not all innocent, but possibly faintly mocking her betrayal of nerves as well, gave her the necessary courage to more than face him.

She was a twenty-nine-year-old woman well out of her element and so far, while she hadn't exactly been slaying beasts and jumping into life with both feet, neither was she the sort of woman to cower and hide behind someone else's back. Clare had never backed out of something to merely later regret it, and d.a.m.ned if she would start acting the wimp now.

Besides, it is only lunch, she rea.s.sured herself with a smile.

Maybe she just needed to talk to the man to see him for the doofus she sincerely hoped he was. Half the time that's how her dates ended, anyway. A plethora of emails back and forth, a connection and initial friendship started, and then the meeting in person only to discover the man had wandering hands, or had only set up the groundwork for a quick f.u.c.k and then a casual goodbye, the next woman already lined up and ready to go.

Maybe this man-this vampire, she corrected herself-was only attractive to her because the s.e.x appeal he oozed attracted all women like the delicious jasmine-rose scent of that flower which had drawn her, only to catch and eat the insect back in the rec-park on that fateful first night.

Seeing Simeon in a social setting might help her understand this whole new phenomenon in an entirely new manner.

From the startled look on Simeon's face he obviously hadn't expected her to acquiesce either so quickly or so easily. Clare shrugged and headed toward the front door, turning back to indicate him to follow her.

"Are we going?" she asked, a slight tinge of laughter in her voice. Simeon merely grinned, nodded and followed her to the door. He pressed his palm to the panel and opened the door to the street before she could. She smiled her thanks at the gentlemanly behavior and stepped onto the street outside.

Clare tried really hard to ignore the warmth of the hand he gently placed at the small of her back as he led her in the direction he wanted her to go. For a number of minutes they walked together, easy in their silence. It wasn't a heavy or oppressive silence between them but rather an almost casual absence of needing to fill the void with small talk.

Clare looked about the streets they walked through, unable to place her finger on exactly why she felt so comfortable walking down the street in time with Simeon. Alderic had made certain to take her for a walk around the local neighborhood every day, to try and help her get her bearings, yet she had always felt so nervous and displaced wandering the strange streets.

Yet walking next to Simeon just felt so right, the usual feeling of oppression, of not being able to breathe, of feeling panicky and upset didn't seem to be happening today. Something just seemed to be perfectly right, and so she smiled, fully enjoying the differences in this world for the first time.

Clare laughed silently and chided herself for thinking the difference was simply Simeon's presence. Obviously she was finally growing used to this strange new world and her comfort levels had begun to increase as she had been hoping.

"So how long have you been living with Gav and Alderic?" Simeon asked her, casting her a searching glance. "I hadn't realized just how long it had been since I visited them at the Book Nook until I saw you there and had no idea who you were."

Clare smiled, watched the stalls they were pa.s.sing. She enjoyed the heat of Simeon's hand and arm as he gently guided her through the gathered crowd and out the other side.

"I've been with them about three months now. Gav...found me, I suppose," she frowned, not sure if that was the right way to put her, Gavreel and Alderic's odd relationship.

She owned that sometimes in her more depressing moments she felt partially like a stray dog or cat that had been taken in. Recalling the myriad friendly, caring things both Gav and Alderic had done for her, both vampires going to great pains to make sure she felt welcomed and cared for, she laughed and shook the silly thought from her head.

As she laughed, Clare looked up into Simeon's face and saw the flicker of confusion on his features.

For the first time since she had found herself in this odd place, she truly felt like telling her story. How odd it was to feel compelled to tell her bizarre tale to a virtual stranger, she mused.

"I have nowhere else really to go," she started to explain. "Or nowhere I can find," she added more truthfully.

"Just dropping in out of thin air, huh?" Simeon bantered, his voice light and jovial, but his eyes searching. Clare shivered. Even for a vampire who insisted he couldn't read her mind he seemed to know her startlingly well for roughly a ten-minute acquaintance.