The Vampire and the Virgin (9 page)

man of mystery before. How exciting.”

Olivia sighed as she peered out the window. He
was
exciting. And so gorgeous. But still a little scary.

“I like his hair,” Eleni whispered. “It reminds me of a fiery sunset over the sea.”

“Yes,” Olivia whispered back. “He’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever met.”

Suddenly he turned toward them.

Eleni gasped. “He brought flowers! Olivia, he
is
courting you.”

“I don’t think so.” Her cheeks grew hot.

“Don’t just stand there.” Eleni smoothed her gray hair into the bun at the base of her neck. “Invite him in.”

She opened the door. “Hi, Robby.”

“Olivia.” He smiled slowly.

She smiled back, completely mesmerized by his green eyes that focused on her so intently.

“Let him in,” Eleni hissed, snapping Olivia back to reality.

“Please come in.” Olivia stepped back. “Watch your head.”

Robby leaned over slightly to keep from hitting the top of the old, blue-painted door frame. “This is for you.” He

offered her a bouquet of roses and gardenias as he entered the kitchen.

“Thank you.” When she realized the flowers were loose, she grabbed at them with both hands to keep from

losing any. Her fingers brushed against his hand, and zings of excitement raced up her arms.

It was the first time she’d touched him. Her cheeks blazed with heat, and she glanced at him, overwhelmed

suddenly with a feeling of awkward shyness.

“Ye’re so beautiful,” he whispered.

Her heart melted, and she held the bouquet against her chest. Once again his gaze captured her eyes.

Tingles shimmered down her arms and legs. Oh God, she wanted this man. She was actually falling for a man

she couldn’t read.

Eleni cleared her throat.

“Oh.” Olivia stepped back. “This is my grandmother, Eleni Sotiris.”

“Mrs. Sotiris, it is a pleasure.” Robby bowed to her. “I am Robert Alexander MacKay.”

“Please have a seat.” Eleni motioned to the kitchen table and chairs. “Would you like something to drink?

Some wine? Hot tea?”

Robby sat at the table. “Some…tea would be nice.”

“Excellent.” Eleni plucked a mug off a cupboard shelf. “So why do you keep such late hours, Mr. MacKay?”

Olivia glanced at him as she arranged the flowers in an old pickle jar. She hoped he didn’t mind being

interrogated.

He smiled at her. “I’m busy during the day, providing security at a villa on the other side of Petra.”

“I thought you were a soldier.” Olivia set the jar of flowers on the table.

“I was, but I work for a private company now. MacKay Security and Investigation.”

“MacKay?” Olivia sat beside him. “Is it a family business?”

“Aye. My grandfather owns it. ’Tis based in London and Edinburgh, but we have clients all around the world.”

“Is your grandfather married?” Eleni asked as she set a mug of tea in front of him.

“Yia Yia,” Olivia whispered with a warning look.

She shrugged. “I’m a single woman. And if the grandfather looks anything like this one…” She gave Robby an

appreciative look.

Robby’s mouth twitched. “I’m afraid my grandfather has recently remarried.”

“Humph. Well, that’s his loss.” Eleni pulled on oven mitts, then began removing pans from the oven. “Are you

single, Mr. MacKay?”

“Please call me Robby.” He slanted an amused look at Olivia. “Definitely single.”

“You’re in for a special treat.” Eleni readied a plate with leftovers. “My granddaughter is an excellent cook.”

Olivia shook her head and wrinkled her nose. Robby’s eyebrows lifted with a questioning look.

“She’s been cooking all day.” Eleni plunked a plate on the table. “Try these. You’ll love them.”

Robby gave the dolmades a dubious look while Eleni went back to the counter to ready another plate. “What

are they?” he whispered to Olivia.

“Stuffed grape leaves,” she whispered back, then pointed at a messy, lopsided one. “That’s one I made.”

He smiled and picked it up. “What’s inside?”

“Ground meat, onions, bulgar wheat, and spices,” Olivia explained. “I suppose that sounds strange.”

“Nay. My mother used to stuff minced meat and oats into a sheep’s stomach to make haggis.”

“Eew.” Olivia made a face, then lowered her voice. “You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to.”

“My granddaughter made all this food,” Eleni boasted as she spooned rice onto a plate. “One of her suitors

came for dinner. Spiro.”

Robby’s hand flinched, tightening so hard that the grape leaf squished and the stuffing popped out. It

bounced off the pickle jar and splatted on the table. “Sorry.” He dropped the mangled grape leaf on the plate.

bounced off the pickle jar and splatted on the table. “Sorry.” He dropped the mangled grape leaf on the plate.

Olivia stifled a laugh. He was jealous! “Here.” She grabbed a cloth napkin and reached for his hand to wipe

off the mess.

“Thank you.” His fingers curled around hers.

Her heart raced, and she glanced at his eyes. Big mistake. Whenever she looked at his eyes, she felt like she

was drowning. And actually enjoying it.

“Well, what do you think?” Eleni plunked another plate on the table, this one filled with lamb, rice, and

spanakopita. “Looks delicious, doesn’t it?”

He never took his eyes off Olivia. “Yes. I can’t wait to have a taste.” He continued to hold her hand. His thumb

smoothed over her knuckles.

Her skin tingled as goose bumps rushed up her arms.

“You won’t find a better cook than Olivia,” Eleni announced. “She uses lots of fresh garlic.”

His gaze shifted to the plates of food. “Garlic?”

“Yes.” Eleni smiled proudly. “Try it. You’ll love it.”

“I—actually, I ate right before coming here.” Robby gave her an apologetic look. “But it looks and smells so

wonderful, I wonder if you would mind if I took it home with me to eat later?”

Eleni pursed her lips. “I suppose I could wrap this up.”

“That would be great.” Robby smiled at her. “Thank you.”

“Hmm.” Eleni tilted her head, studying him. “Why are you interested in my granddaughter?”

His hand tightened on hers. “I’ve never met anyone like Olivia before.” He looked at her and smiled. “She’s

beautiful, brave, and clever. I feel…at home with her, but at the same time, completely lost.”

Olivia was melting inside. The man was practically a stranger, but she didn’t seem to care. A deep sense of

longing welled up inside her. She wanted to touch him. She wanted to be touched. She wanted him to love her.

She must be losing her mind. She’d always been so sensible before. Always carefully analyzing all available

information and options before taking action. Now she just wanted to throw herself at this guy.

“Why don’t you two take a little walk?” Eleni suggested. “The moon is beautiful tonight.”

“That’s a great idea.” He stood, releasing Olivia’s hand. “Will ye walk with me, lass?”

“Yes.” She grabbed her sweater, pulled it over her head, then fixed the clip that held her hair in place on the

back of her head.

“No funny stuff,” Eleni warned. “I’ll be watching with the telescope.”

“No funny stuff,” Eleni warned. “I’ll be watching with the telescope.”

T
his was one of those moments, Robby thought as he strolled along the beach with

Olivia. One of those rare and perfect moments that he would remember a hundred years from now. If he lived

that long. The minute he left this island, he would jump back into the ongoing struggle against the Malcontents.

He’d been eager to do that for weeks, but for the first time in many months, he was happy to be exactly where he

was.

A nearly full moon shone over the sea, causing sparkles on the dark waves. The moon was also casting

Olivia’s shadow, so he walked close to a line of tamarisk trees that disrupted her shadow and, hopefully,

disguised the fact that his was missing.

The air was crisp and cool, and the breeze caressed his face with the scent of salt and Olivia. He breathed

deeply, enjoying her fragrance. Type A negative mixed with rose-scented soap. The scent of wool from her thick

knitted jumper. A hint of lemon from her hands. His hands, too, after squashing one of her stuffed grape leaves.

There’d been an awkward moment when Olivia’s grandmother had wanted him to eat real food, but he

thought he’d avoided it without looking suspicious. Overall, he’d thoroughly enjoyed the feisty grandmother’s

blatant attempts at matchmaking. And he’d enjoyed seeing the close, protective bond between the two women.

Even now, when he glanced back, he could see Mrs. Sotiris watching them through the telescope.

The breeze was tormenting Olivia, blowing a curly lock of her hair across her face. She was telling him about

her childhood and the family trips here every summer, but the tendril of hair kept wafting into her mouth. She

hooked it behind an ear, but the next breeze dislodged it once again.

“Allow me.” He smoothed it behind her ear, then let his fingers linger there, outlining the shape of her ear.

“Ye’re fortunate to have a close, loving family.” No doubt they would object to her becoming involved with a

vampire.

“What about your family?” She tilted her head slightly as his fingers moved to her neck.

He rested his fingertips on her carotid artery. It throbbed against the pads of his fingers, an erotic sensation

that caused his gums to tingle and his groin to tighten. He lifted his fingers and stepped back.
Control yerself
.

It didn’t take much to trigger an onslaught of lust for Olivia, and he couldn’t risk glowing red eyes. “My family has

passed away, except for my grandfather.”

“I’m so sorry. It must be…lonesome for you.”

His chest tightened with a sudden realization. He
was
lonesome. And although he had good friends, there

were some things a man didn’t discuss with other men.

Like the need to feel loved. Another guy would laugh and call that a weakness. Hell, he’d considered it a

weakness, too. He’d taken pride in being self-sufficient. He’d played the role of the proud, tough warrior for so

long, it was all he knew.

And then he’d found himself entirely helpless and humiliated while the Malcontents tortured him. His self-

sufficiency had been nothing but an illusion. His pride had only covered up the deep, gaping loneliness inside.

He glanced at Olivia. She was watching him curiously, but not even attempting to do therapy on him. Even so,

it was happening. He was seeing things he’d never seen before. A warm, gentle feeling swelled in his chest,

tempering the hard lust that had seized him earlier. Lord Almighty, he truly cared for this woman.

He swallowed hard. How should he go about this? When should he tell her the truth about himself? “I hear

there’s stiff competition over who’s going to win yer heart.”
Stiff?
Bad choice of words. He avoided looking

down.

She waved a hand in dismissal. “That’s my grandmother’s doing. I’m not really interested in any of the men

here.”

“Then I have a chance?”

Her eyes widened. “Are you…competing?”

“Aye. Are you…interested?”

Her cheeks turned a rosy pink. “Maybe. But you have to understand, I’ve worked hard to get where I am. I’m

not giving up my career.”

“I wouldna want ye to.” He resumed his stroll, clasping his hands behind his back to keep from touching her

as she walked beside him. “What do ye do at the Bureau?”

“Criminal interrogation and analysis, mostly. When I was working on my master’s, I interviewed a bunch of

“Criminal interrogation and analysis, mostly. When I was working on my master’s, I interviewed a bunch of

inmates at the Huntsville State Penitentiary in Texas. I convinced a guy on death row to confess to some

unsolved murders, and it was covered in all the local papers. When the FBI offered me a job, I jumped on it. I’ve

always wanted to use my gift for something important.”

“Then ye shouldna stop.”

She smiled wryly. “Tell that to my parents. They want me to get a cozy little private practice in a nice suburb

and only see the right kind of mentally disturbed people.”

He smiled. “There’s a right kind?”

“Nonviolent, or rather, people who only harm themselves. Eating disorders or…” She gave him a pointed look.

“Nice guys suffering from post-traumatic stress.”

His smile quickly faded. “I’m no’ suffering.”

“Robby, you were tortured. That’s not something you easily recover from.”

“I’m fine.”

“How long ago did it happen?”

He shrugged one shoulder. “Last summer.”

She halted with a small gasp. “That’s no time at all. You said they…broke your bones?”

He wiggled his fingers. “All healed.” His gaze drifted down her body. “And ready for action.”

“Don’t make light of this. You’ve barely had time to heal physically. And mentally—”

“Olivia,” he interrupted, then softened his tone. “Sweetheart, I doona want to discuss it. We’ve all had bad

things to deal with. I’m sure ye’ve seen some verra nasty things on yer job.”

She winced, then looked down as she dug the toe of an athletic shoe in the sand. “It’s hard, sometimes, to

see the horrendous things a person can inflict on a fellow human being. But I guess you know about that

firsthand.”

“Aye.”

She turned her head and gazed into space. Her brow furrowed and a haunted look settled in her eyes.

He touched her shoulder, but she was so far away, she didn’t seem aware of him. “Are ye all right, lass?”