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  He switched his attention to Chloe as she brought the two mugs of coffee to the small kitchen table. “Sugar? Cream?” she asked as she set them down.

  “No, thanks.”

  She added both to hers, then sat down directly across from him, and took a sip. Studying her objectively, he could see that Chloe Fallon was an attractive human. Her hair was one of her best features. It was soft, feathery, and golden, falling almost to her shoulders with oddly cut sections that framed her face and swayed when she moved. That face was very pretty, with even features, a nice mouth, and somewhat innocent brown eyes, eyes that carried an expression he couldn’t quite read. Wariness? Fear? Of him or of something else? She was definitely spooked.

  Was she still shaken by Enoch’s attempt on her life? Luca had soothed her fears last night, so they shouldn’t have resurfaced. The only other explanation was that his own presence disturbed her even though she had invited him into her home. Then he caught her looking at his throat—not in the same way he would admire hers, given the chance—before she too quickly glanced away and took a sip of her coffee.

  That was easy enough to read, and he almost smiled. Though it had been a long time since he’d bothered with a human, he suspected she’d be easy enough to seduce. If that’s what it took to stay close, it would hardly be a chore. In fact, it would be a downright pleasure. There was always the option of glamouring her into compliance, but where was the fun in that? Besides, anything beyond a moment’s simple glamour might damage her mind. Humans were so fragile there was always that possibility. There was no need to leave Chloe in worse shape than he’d found her.

  On the other hand, his glamour hadn’t exactly worked on her the way it should have, because she still remembered the attack. It should have been completely gone from her mind; she should have remembered having a normal, uneventful night, and nothing else. He was either losing his touch, which brought up the horrifying possibility that his skills and powers were deteriorating—something unknown in the vampire world, because vampires were the opposite of humans, becoming more and more powerful as they aged instead of weaker and weaker—or she was somehow immune to glamouring. He had to find out, because the answer, no matter which answer it was, affected everything. If he was deteriorating, he needed to know. He didn’t think he was, because his powers still worked on everyone else, and he felt completely normal, but this wasn’t something he’d take on faith.

  “So,” she said, looking at him again. “What’s your last name?”

  “Ambrus. Luca Ambrus.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard that name before,” she said thoughtfully. “Ambrus, that is.”

  “It’s Greek.” He hadn’t been born with any surname at all, but over the centuries the name, which meant “immortal,” had become attached to him and he’d taken it as his own.

  “But you aren’t from Greece, are you?” She tilted her head, studying him. “I mean, you have the olive skin, but you don’t have an accent.”

  He almost laughed aloud. His accent morphed with the times, and it was automatic for him to adapt the speech of his surroundings. When he was in Scotland, for instance, he had a perfect Scots burr. “I was actually born in Greece, yes, but I’m an American citizen.” That much was true, and he had the paperwork to prove it. True, the papers were forged, but as far as the government was concerned they were legitimate, and that was all that mattered.

  “How long have you been in the D.C. area? Are you renting a house or an apartment?”

  “A house,” he responded, amused by her version of twenty questions. “And I’ve been in and out of D.C. for years.”

  “What do you do for a living?”

  “I fix things.”

  Chloe bit her lower lip for a moment, then released it to ask, “Cars? Air conditioners?”

  He smiled. “Nothing so uncomplicated.”

  “So, you’re a spook. Imagine that—a spy, in my own neighborhood.”

  “No, not a spook. I’m a corporate troubleshooter.” That was the truth, as far as it went. He leaned forward a little, his movement drawing her attention as he’d known it would. He caught her gaze and held it, watched as her eyes dilated slightly. He allowed himself a split second of pleasure in her automatic response to him, then with a gentle mental push he was there, in her head, in control of her thoughts. He would try something simple, so light a touch that it wouldn’t damage her—something that couldn’t fail, if everything was working as it should. “Chloe, stand.”

  She had been about to take another sip of her coffee, but at his words she placed the mug on the table before her and rose slowly to her feet. Immediately, she looked confused, as if she couldn’t remember standing, or why. “What am I doing?” she said in a bewildered tone. “Was I about to get something?”

  Good. She didn’t even remember his words. So, it was possible to glamour her, and yet his most important ability was useless where she was concerned—and she remembered Enoch, which she shouldn’t have done. Fascinating. She was a complete mystery, a normal little human who in one tiny way was completely abnormal.

  Abruptly her head snapped to the side, and she stood frozen as if she’d heard something. That was impossible, because his hearing was infinitely better than hers and he had heard nothing beyond her breath and the beat of her heart. But he watched her pupils contract in shock, watched the color fade from her cheeks.

  “Go away,” she whispered. “You’re wrong. That’s impossible.”

  “Chloe?” Luca stood, concerned, and was about to round the table to reach her when the truth came to him in an unpleasant flash. He couldn’t hear what Chloe was obviously hearing, but he could feel the flow of energy in the small kitchen, an energy that wasn’t his but was somehow connected to her, an energy that wasn’t of this world. She was a conduit, as he’d suspected, and her Warrior was trying to contact her.

  Was that why she was somehow able to remember him? Was the Warrior interfering, trying to make Chloe recognize him for what he was? That made sense, but at the same time he didn’t remember this ever happening before, and over the centuries he’d had contact with the Warriors before, sometimes even fighting side by side with them. At least the possibility was an avenue he could explore.

  She pulled herself away from contact with that other world, looked up at him with a quiet sort of terror in her wide, dark eyes. “I think I’m losing my mind,” she whispered.

  “You’re not,” he said with certainty, but she shook her head in silent refusal of his assurance.

  “I am. I’m hearing voices, and if that isn’t nutsville, I don’t know what is.” Tears gathered in her dark eyes but she blinked them back, squared her shoulders, and said, “I’m sorry, Luca, but I think you should leave.”

  He didn’t want to leave. His instinct was to stay, to question her, to find out exactly how far along she was in the recognition process, but it was so early in the game that if he pushed too hard she might panic and withdraw, order him out—and if she ordered him to leave, in effect she would be rescinding her invitation into her house and he wouldn’t be able to enter again unless she specifically invited him again. He needed to play this just right.

  “All right, if that’s what you want,” he said gently, to reassure her. Rounding the table, he took her hand in his, feeling the race of her pulse under his fingers. Immediately he knew he’d made a mistake; touching her, when he’d already tasted her blood, brought temptation and hunger roaring upward. For a moment he hovered on the edge of striking. The warm, sweet scent of woman rose to envelop him. He could have her. He’d have to glamour her, but the thought was there, the need was there. Both his fangs and his cock began to lengthen in response.

  But where was the challenge, the fun, in that? He controlled his blood lust, retracting his fangs, and firmly clamped down on the urge to take her in his arms and sink his fangs into her neck, to drink from her as he fucked her long and hard. That time would come, but not quite yet.

  He leaned down and k