A Venetian Vampire. Michele Hauf

slid from her shoulder to the crook of her elbow.

      “Shopping?” he said with a nod to the backpack.

      “Sort of. Just a few trinkets.”

      When she made to slide the strap back up her arm, he touched her again, wanting to help, and hooked the wide black strap over her shoulder. “That’s heavy for trinkets.”

      “I should probably go,” she offered. Though the idea of walking away from such an intriguing man felt wrong. She enjoyed talking to him. But really, she shouldn’t risk sitting around with a valuable piece of art in her backpack. Or have him ask more questions she wasn’t willing to answer. “It’s getting late.”

      “It’s just past midnight. Do you sleep much?”

      She shrugged. “A few hours a night. I still cling to some of the more satisfying human rituals.”

      “Six months you’ve been a biter?”

      “Yes, though I’ve never heard it called that before. A biter?”

      He shrugged. “A silly joke. It’s better than longtooth, yes?”

      “Sure.” She’d heard that werewolves called vampires longtooth—a terrible slang word the vamps hated. She hadn’t experienced the whole vampire milieu long enough to know if it bothered her or not. Just owning fangs had taken a few weeks to become comfortable. Bite her lower lip much?

      He tapped the goblet stem and asked, “Are you American?”

      “Yes.” She turned on the stool, deciding to linger a little longer instead of the quick escape. “Is my accent that terrible?”

      “The American accent is...quaint.” He smiled and his eyes glinted, full of moonlight. For a moment Kyler had to stop herself from leaning closer to him, sniffing, seeking his scent along the edge of his square jaw. “You’re a long way from home. Did your friend for whom you’ve gone on an art quest send you from the United States?”

      “I’ve been living in Paris six months,” she said.

      “I see. You were transformed immediately upon arriving?”

      “Uh, yes. I don’t really want to talk about that.” She had to keep the theft a secret and any details about her transformation would ultimately lead to why she was in Venice.

      “Sorry. I’ll change the subject. Have you taken a gondola ride?”

      She glanced at the canal, which whispered by on the other side of a decorative iron railing laced with thick ivy. “It seems so touristy.”

      “It is, but this time of year it is exquisite around ten in the evening when the last rays of sun glitter on the lagoon. With a bottle of prosecco in hand and perhaps a lover by your side?”

      She lifted the goblet before her in a proposed toast. With more purr than tease, she said, “Now you’re making me wish I had a lover.”

      He tinged his glass against hers. “I’d be happy to oblige.”

      No tease in that statement. The man meant every word of it. And should she take him up on that offer, Kyler felt certain he would not disappoint.

      Mercy, was her fantasy about to become reality?

      “Kyler? I think I’ve said something wrong again. I tend to be direct. A woman deserves nothing less than truth, yes?”

      “No. I mean, yes, I appreciate your directness.” She placed a hand on the back of his, which toyed with the base of his glass. “I—” she lowered her lashes and looked up through them “—was considering your offer.”

      He turned up his hand to touch her fingers but didn’t clasp her hand. “A delicious end to a very good day?”

      “Is that a promise or advertising?”

      “I don’t need to advertise, chérie.”

      “You certainly do not.” She laughed then because a giddy sort of surrender had settled into her muscles. She liked the man. Vampire. And there were so many things about him that made her want to get to know him. Much better.

      He tilted a nod toward her. “Come closer, Kyler.”

      Without reluctance, she leaned in and he touched her cheek. The shimmer again hit her with a shock of recognition. None of the humans around them could know two vampires sat talking to each other. His finger traced her ear and curled her hair over it. And his eyes walked over her face, taking her in, consuming her. They were so gorgeous. Devastatingly clear and direct. A hint of green danced within the blue, like sea glass.

      Kyler opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She was enthralled. And she knew a vampire could not enthrall another vamp. Just wasn’t possible. They could work a number on humans, though, making them forget they’d been bitten, and that perhaps what had been two fangs puncturing their skin had instead simply been a nasty bug bite.

      “I renege on my offer, Kyler,” he whispered.

      It took her a few seconds to shake off the blissful daze his touch had led her into. “What?”

      “About being a casual lover to celebrate your good day.”

      “Oh...okay.” But then she felt her confidence and straightened. What was wrong with her? Not pretty enough? Too...quaint? “Why?”

      “It would wound my pride to take you home and then know you would walk away the next day without a care to look over your shoulder.”

      “Oh.” Was he implying he didn’t want a hookup, but rather something more? Interesting. But she didn’t know him, and she wasn’t willing to make such a commitment. “Isn’t that how Casanova does it? Love them and leave them?”

      “It is. And truth be told, it is my modus operandi, as well.”

      “Then it’s because you’re not attracted to me. That’s all right. I understand. It was nice talking to you—”

      He clasped her hand and pulled it to his lips, where he pressed a warm kiss that overwhelmed the silly shimmer they shared and coursed over her skin with a heady intensity that would not allow her to do anything but sigh.

      “Oh, I am attracted to you, Kyler. I cannot look away from your bewitching blue eyes that are not so sure if they should fear me or trust me.”

      She looked aside. But then a bold twist of her head showed him she wasn’t afraid to meet his gaze.

      “Or perhaps devour me.” He brushed the hair from her cheek. “You’re not sure what you want. You’ve never been with a vampire before, so I sense fascination coached with caution. Perhaps not enough caution? I would never ask a woman to betray her moral compass.”

      Why bring morality into the mix? Couldn’t he simply be her reward for a job well done? She tended to dive into things and think about them later. Life had always demanded she challenge herself. To be the best. To learn new things. To steal if needs must. To never be afraid.

      To soar.

      So she leaned in and spoke near his ear. “I am quite sure I want you, Dante.”

      “Why? Is it as I presume? Because I am vampire?”

      “Yes, and...” He was a Casanova, and she’d fallen under his spell. And he was a challenge she wanted to leap for. “Because you compel me. And I don’t think it’s because of what we are. Sure, a bite would be nice. As you’ve guessed, I’ve never been with another vampire. But beyond that? I want to feel you.” She pressed her hand against his chest. “On my skin.”

      A playful smile tugged at one corner of his perfect lips. “And here I thought I was the Casanova?”

      “I’m not afraid of asking for what I want. Truth? I’ve never done anything like this before. But it feels right. Take me home with you, Dante.” She pressed her mouth lightly to his and whispered, “Let’s