Single White Vampire (Argeneau #3)(51)
"You're in no shape to go to some stupid hospitality suite," Lucern argued. "You need something sweet and rest. To rebuild…" He paused, not wishing to say more in front of Chris.
"I just have to sit there. They'll have refreshments," Kate insisted. She turned to Chris. "Are they almost done with the awards?"
"Yes. Another half-hour, I would think." The editor glanced at Lucern as the elevator doors opened and they helped Kate aboard. "She should be okay in the hospitality suite. We can keep an eye on her. Chuck will have a fit if she doesn't show."
Lucern remained silent as Chris pressed an elevator button. He wasn't happy with the decision, but he didn't want to jeopardize Kate's job. And he would keep an eye on her.
Chapter Eleven
Kate tipped the bags over and watched everything she'd purchased tumble out onto the bed; then, she began to sort through the pile. Snatching the black sweater and black wool hat, she hurried to the closet and grabbed her black dress pants. She pulled them on quickly, donning the sweater, too, but stuffing the hat into a pocket. Then she hurried back to the bed to start tossing the things into her new black backpack. Once she was done, she checked her watch.
Kate had spent the better part of the afternoon sitting in a chair next to Lucern in the Roundhouse hospitality suite, eating all the food he kept shoving at her and dutifully drinking the orange juice he'd made Chris go out and find. It had been interminable. Kate had started to feel better rather quickly after drinking the orange juice and eating, at least physically better, but Lucern had hovered anxiously over her. The man had acted like a mother bird.
Lucern had also reeked of guilt, for which Kate could have kicked him. He had nothing to feel guilty for—she had practically forced him to take her blood. And, yes, it had briefly weakened her, but it hadn't harmed her in the end. Still, she did not have aspirations to be on a dinner menu. Even if being there had been mostly pleasurable, she would avoid offering herself up as another meal. So she'd fretted with the problem of how to feed him all afternoon.
Kate had been to several conferences and had never seen the Roundhouse hospitality suite so busy. The fans had arrived en masse, filling the room to bursting, the overflow spilling out into the hall. Chuck had been clearly pleased. Allison, Tom and Deeana had had their hands full answering questions, and giving out little key chains with miniature book covers on them to the readers. Chris had been forced to leave Lucern and Kate several times to confer with some of his own writers, but that had been all right, they'd done fine. With Lucern, the fans had been blessedly gentle. Perhaps that was because of Lady Barrow's announcement that he wasn't feeling well, or perhaps it was because, while he no longer looked like a walking corpse, Lucern was still pale and apparently fragile. Whatever the case, the fans Kate had feared might overwhelm him had all been gracious and sweet. They had also done most of the talking, telling Lucern how much they enjoyed his work and not seeming to notice that he said little in response.
It was at the hospitality suite that Kate had come up with her plan. It was risky and dangerous and utter madness, but it was the only thing she could think of. Knowing that Lucern would balk at it, she'd kept the plan to herself, asked Chris to accompany him to the cover model reunion dinner, and had slipped out to collect what they would need. Now she checked to be sure that she had everything and peered at her wristwatch again.
She had instructed Chris to bring Lucern back to the room directly after the dinner and skip the rest of the evening. That should be soon. Her gaze went to the hotel window. The sun had set while she'd been about her task; it was dark night outside. That was good. They would need darkness.
Laughter coming from the other room told Kate the men had returned. Curious as to their levity, she slipped into the living area. Her eyebrows rose as she took in Lucern's chagrined expression and Chris's amusement.
"Had a good time?" she asked lightly. Her curiosity grew as Chris laughed again.
"You wouldn't believe it, Kate," her friend exclaimed. "I've never seen anything like it. I mean, you know how the women can be, gathering around the few men in attendance like bees around a flower, but this was madness. I swear, one woman actually plopped herself in Luc's lap and propositioned him for everyone to hear. I thought he was going to bolt." He laughed again. "Luc looked terrified."
Lucern grimaced as Chris went on to describing several other advances he'd had to parry. It had been madness down there. Lucern detested modern women with their aggressive behavior—except for Kate, of course, who was only aggressive in the nicest possible way. But the women he and Chris had just escaped… dear God! Lucern hadn't been so worried since that time when he was a boy and the villagers had attacked the castle, torches and pitchforks in hand.
He gave a shudder as Chris recounted the tale of the woman who had leapt into the elevator after them. She'd actually begged Lucern to father her child, claiming she desperately wanted a son as talented as he. Despite the woman's plump flesh and prodigious breasts, Lucern hadn't had trouble refusing the generous offer. He had, however, had trouble resisting the urge for a little taste of her blood. If Chris hadn't been there, he very well might have tried despite the risk. The relief Kate's donation had given him earlier had not lasted long. His body was in too much need. He was again quite literally desperate to feed. It was so bad that he had decided to retire to his room, slip through the door leading directly out into the hall, and go find himself a snack. Several snacks. Although he had to remember not to drink too deeply, as he had done with Kate. His mother and father had taught him long ago that one did not slaughter the cows that produced one's milk.