Chapter 21
W e arrived at the restaurant and his mannerisms changed again as he left the limo, holding his hand out to me. He played the part of a human well. I took his hand, allowing him to pull me out. Then, tucking his arm around mine, he led me into the restaurant. I fought against the urge to pull my arm out of his. He was at least making an effort to be civil, so there was no reason for me not to be.
He spoke in Italian to the staff that greeted us, and we were led to a dark, candlelit booth in a corner. The tables around us were empty, though apart from that, the restaurant was busy. Matteo pulled the chair out for me, waiting for me to sit before sliding it forward.
“An authentic Italian restaurant,” I marveled.
“Of course. Your friend said you loved Italian,” he reminded me, with a satisfied smile.
I resisted the urge to laugh.
“That amuses you?” He took a seat opposite me.
“Mia wasn’t referring to food when she said that!” I shook my head, laughing.
He stared at me in confusion, then understanding glinted in his eyes and another small smile twitched at his lips. “She meant men. You like Italian men.”
My cheeks flushed. “Italian, Irish, Spanish. It’s not so much the men as it is the accents.”
“You like accents?” He raised his eyebrows.
I shrugged. “They’re irresistible. My weakness, I guess you could say.”
“I’ll keep that piece of information from Carlos,” he chuckled.
“I don’t think I like Carlos,” I admitted. “He scares me more than you do.” The other vampire’s gaze was always so intense.
He laughed. “He likes it that way. I didn’t like him when I first met him, either. He grows on you.” He leaned forward on the table. “So, you agreeing to have dinner with me had nothing to do with me being a vampire, but because of my accent?”
I understood then why the tables around us were empty. We were going to have a very open conversation, and he didn’t want people nearby to hear us. Had he compelled the staff, or paid them?
“Why do I feel like you’re disappointed?” I asked .
“Not disappointed.” His lips curved into that smile again. “Women are usually drawn to me because what’s within me calls to them. The vampire draws in its prey. I’m not used to my accent being the attraction.”
A waiter approached us then, speaking in Italian to Matteo. The only word I recognised was vino .
“I like red wine,” I spoke up and the waiter stared at me.
Matteo said something I didn’t understand, and the waiter hurried away.
“Did I say something wrong?” I watched the waiter.
“No, not at all. They’re just not used to people outside the Italian community coming in,” he explained.
I glanced at those in the restaurant. Were they all Italian? “But we’re in Australia.”
His shoulders shook. “Most Australians can’t read the menu. Have you not noticed that people form their own communities? They don’t exclude others, it just gives them a welcome feeling. A reminder of home, belonging.”
I nodded. “Like Oakleigh, with the Greeks.”
He smiled. “That’s right.”
“So, you consider yourself a part of the Italian community.” The idea seemed strange.
“I do like the reminder of old Italy, but I have my own community,” he clarified.
“You mean other…” I leaned forward, dropping my voice to a whisper. “Vampires?”
“Exactly,” he confirmed. “We can be ourselves around other vampires.”
The menus arrived, and we spent time in which Matteo explained what was on it. Listening to him speak in Italian, even if it was just off the menu, was strangely alluring .
“Can I just order spag bol?” I whispered.
“You can, just maybe don’t call it that.” He feigned offence, which made me laugh.
I focused on the menu again. “I don’t know what to order,” I admitted. “I would have been happy just going out for steak and chips. I’ve never eaten at a restaurant this fancy.”
His smile faded. “Was this too much? When your friend said you love Italian, I thought this would be perfect.”
“I don’t think I’d expect anything less from a vampire,” I admitted. “Sitting at a bar with someone so exotic does seem a bit plain.” I skimmed over the menu, no idea what to order, afraid it would be something I wouldn’t like. “Maybe you can order something for me that you think I’d like?”
“You’re putting a lot of trust in me,” he noted.
The waiter arrived with wine and poured our glasses. Matteo spoke in Italian to him again, and I wondered if I should attempt to learn his language.
“So, you can eat, then. Regular food?” I asked when the waiter left.
“I can. I love to eat regular food.” He sipped wine and looked down at his glass. “I enjoy flavour. I just have a very particular taste in a different kind of wine. One that I hunger for, that I need to survive.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I took a sip of my drink. It was rich, oaky with an aroma of fruits. A good wine. Expensive.
“You said you were mid-hunt when you heard me sing…” I started. “Was it the woman you killed that night?”
“No. Unfortunately, I lost that one. She got away when I walked into the bar.” He reached across, stroking my hand that I’d placed on the table .
I fought down my need to pull it back. He wasn’t threatening me. “Lucky her.”
His eyes grew serious. “We don’t hurt them. We can…our bite injects venom into their system. The only thing they feel is pleasure from our bite. Afterwards, they don’t remember that a vampire fed from them.”
My curiosity had surpassed my fear. “How often do you…feed?” I asked, my focus once again on his mouth.
“I hunt every night,” he admitted.
Every night? My thoughts spun. “Why aren’t there more bodies showing up, then?”
His smile returned. “I see we’ve gone right from questions to interrogation.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean that.” I shifted in my seat.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. Vampires once killed openly, centuries ago, before my time. But there are laws in place now. Accords.” He hung his head, ashamed. “Only, there are times when I lose control, like I did that night. Sometimes a feeding goes too far, or my hunger becomes too great. We chase humans who smell of fear; it’s something we cannot resist easily.”
His thumb stroked the back of my hand again.
I sat back in my chair, pulling my hand away, studying him. “Would you have killed me? When I saw you at the gallery… saw what you are?”
“If you had run from me, most likely. I wouldn’t have been able to resist. But I managed to calm you before that happened.” His soft tone was relaxing me.
“Are you using your influence over me now?” I asked. “To calm me?”
He sat back. “Yes, your fear spiked. Sorry. ”
I finished off my glass, and he poured another for me. My nervousness started to blur as I finished that one too.
“Maybe you should slow down,” he said.
I ignored his comment. “If you’re not hunting me or playing some vampire mind games, why are you so set on pursuing me?” I blurted. “You put on this front of a man for the public eye, one that even my friends fall for. But you’re not human, so why bring me here?”
I reached for the bottle of wine.
“I’m a little old-fashioned,” he said, moving the bottle out of my reach. “Taking a woman out for a nice meal is a very gentlemanly thing to do.”
“Please let me have the wine.” I reached for the bottle again, and he gave in, passing it to me. I filled my glass. “You picked me to invite to dinner when you could have chased anyone. Why me?”
I caught his expression as he gazed at me. One of pure desire, and I thought I saw hunger too, a burning need that scared me. A predatory look. I knew I was staring into the eyes of the vampire. “You are a beauty,” he said. “One that I cannot stop thinking about. I see who you are, deep inside. A part of you that your friends might not even know. I intend to pursue you, to make you mine. I hope you can look past the vampire.” He reached up to my face across the table. His hand covered one side of my cheek. It might have been the wine, but I leaned into it a little. “There is fire in you that calls to me, just as your voice did.” His eyes met mine and I couldn’t look away. “I feel the need for honesty. Quinn, the more you resist our dance, resist me, the more I will give chase, until you are mine. I’m afraid I am quite determined.”
Our food arrived. I didn’t know how to respond, or even how I felt about his words, so I made myself busy eating.