The Scientific Method: A Vampire Queen Novel (Vampire Queen Series Book 10) (10 page)

She complied, and he shifted to stand by her side. Her brow creased, the variables arranging themselves in her mind. She could see what concerned him. As he hooked a thumb in her back waistband, hip comfortable against hers, he opened his mind to hers.

"What about that value there?" He pointed. "If we switch that out, replace it as an unknown..."

They sorted and rearranged. At a certain point she couldn't tell which of them was working which part of the problem, but then she stepped forward, using her fingers on the touch screen to eliminate one part and add in other variables as they'd done in their minds.

"Yes." His eyes lighted up. "That's it."

She nodded. "That will remove one of the limiting assumptions. It will make the calculations more complex, but then we'll definitely have better control of the overall study."

"Excellent. We might just have time left over for that Tums development after all."

She chuckled at that, shook her head, and went to attend to the change in her files. As confused as she was, it was the best day she'd spent with him in a while. She felt in sync on every level, not just in the research they were doing.

Then she realized the rest of her candy bar had vanished off the counter. Quick as a shot, she ducked under her desk and caught the small fist about to jam the rest of the candy into an open mouth. "Kane, no," she said sharply.

The born vampire, not much more than a toddler in age, gave her his mother's jade
you-will-die-puny-mortal
stare. Ignoring that, she nevertheless had difficulty wresting it from him. Fortunately, Brian came to her aid. "You are getting to be a strong little cuss," he said, but took the candy out of range. "How many times do we have to tell you that chocolate will make you sick?"

"You ate," Kane said sullenly.

"Yes, a bite. You were about to swallow half of it whole. John?"

As Brian raised his voice, the young man appeared outside the lab door. He'd no doubt followed Kane, but had hung back when he realized Brian was present. When it was just Debra, he usually came right in. She had a great fondness for John. The young man was in lanky adolescence, but he had a maturity and patience far exceeding his age, likely a genetic boon from his grandfather. Elijah Ingram had the patient steadiness of a stone, and a foundation of compassion and generosity of spirit structured with steely self-discipline. His grandson showed all those burgeoning traits. It made her miss her own grandfather all the more when she was around either one of them, and was another reason she'd bonded with John.

"Sorry about that, sir." John crouched in front of Kane. Studying the chocolate smeared on the little vampire's mouth, he gave him a gimlet eye. "Your daddy is going to whip your butt for sure if he finds out you got hold of that."

"I should have put it away," Debra said.

"No," Brian said. "He knew it was wrong. You don't learn self-control by not testing it. Here." Pulling it off the table, Brian knelt by John and handed it back to Kane. "Take the rest. Eat it. See what happens."

"My lord," John said, surprised, but Brian gave him a sharp look.

The boy subsided, pressing his lips together. Though John was clearly protective of his friend, he didn't sass his elders, human or otherwise. It was respect rather than fear, however, for Debra knew no one on the estate except his grandfather would ever touch a hair on his head. Lady Lyssa's protection was upon the human child as much as that of her own son. Not only were the two children fast companions, it was an oath she'd made to Elijah Ingram when he'd agreed to be majordomo of her estate.

Kane knew he wasn't supposed to be disrespectful to adults, either, so he didn't snatch the bar back like a wild animal. But after he took it, he didn't put it in his mouth right away. Instead, he studied Brian, his green eyes measuring the scientist's intent, thoughts whirling in his busy brain.

If a vampire ate too much human food, they'd feel deathly ill for a day or so. Like seasickness, no amount of vomiting relieved the feeling. The person suffering would wish they were dead, for sure, but death was not the result. Just massive discomfort and, as Helga had noted, there was no aid for vampire indigestion. Most vampires only had to make the mistake once never to repeat it. No matter how many centuries they lived, it was a lesson that never faded from the mind.

While Kane's parents and most of the estate had been trying to keep him from experiencing that, Brian had obviously decided that letting a child touch a hot stove was the best way to learn not to touch it, especially for a child carrying the genetics of two very stubborn people.

But he also had their shrewdness. Kane considered Brian's unsmiling face. "Sick."

"Very sick. But it won't kill you."

"Tastes good," Kane complained.

"Yes, it does. Want to see a way around it?" Brian put out his hand.

After a considering pause, Kane turned over the candy bar. Reaching out, Brian clasped Debra's hand and placed the candy bar against her pulse point, smearing chocolate there. Then he lifted it to his mouth, tasting the sweetness just before he bit into the vein, a light penetration that nevertheless had her fingers curling so they grazed his chin. Brian's lips curved against her flesh. He took a small draught only, then closed the wound, licking the rest of the blood and chocolate off of it.

He nodded to Kane. "Putting a flavor you like over the blood gives it a lasting taste in your mouth. It helps satisfy the urge without eating too much."

He handed back the candy bar. "Beyond the issue of making you sick, it wasn't your candy bar. It was mine."

"On her desk. Servant."

They learn young, Debra thought, trying not to roll her eyes. She saw a similar flash of exasperation on John's face. All the human staff were familiar with vampire arrogance. John could probably vouch firsthand for just how early in life a vampire started cultivating the trait.

Brian gave her a sidelong look.
Vampire arrogance? Even me?

I didn't mean you, my lord
. She wondered if it was possible to pull off an inward version of a poker face.

You're not good at the outward one. I like that about my servant
.

He gave her a lingering look, and returned his attention to the child.

"Yes, it was on Debra's desk. But what's on my servant's desk is mine, because she's mine. Right? You take from her, you better be sure you have the permission of her vampire."

She wished he felt that way about vampire social gatherings. Especially when Lord Graham was in attendance. She was already hoping they wouldn't encounter him in Texas, but that was pretty close to his territory. The very thought that he might join them at the Texas overlord's home had her tightening up, but she sent herself a firm admonishment. There was nothing she could do about it. She'd get through it, as she always did when she encountered him.

With a start, she realized she'd drawn Brian's attention. His hazel eyes were suddenly much sharper, suggesting irritation. Anger? Because he'd been talking to Kane, she hadn't expected him to be listening. But even if he was, he didn't usually care about how she managed her solo appearances at vampire gatherings, anyway. He knew she'd handle them appropriately, for she'd proven she could, repeatedly. She tried to think of something to say to address whatever had aggravated him.

Fortunately Kane distracted them both. He handed her back the candy bar with a dignified nod, though he directed his words to her Master. "I apogize, Brin," he said.

Brian's mouth twitched at the solemnly mangled English. "Apology accepted." Then he broke off a small piece of the candy and handed it over. "Remember what I said."

Kane's eyes lighted on John. The boy was already second marked by the young vampire and occasionally offered him blood, though his mother and father were still his primary source for the time being. Jo, a second mark on the estate, also served as his blood nanny when the demands on Lyssa as Council head made regular feedings difficult.

John shook his head vehemently. "Forget it. You're not putting that sticky stuff on me. Let's go find Jo."

As Kane preceded him out of the lab, his stalk a short-legged, less steady version of the haughty sweep his mother had perfected, John gave Debra a hopeful look. "Can I stake him? Just once? You guys could bring him back to life, right?"

Brian chuckled. "Dr. Frankenstein I'm not, John. And I wouldn't advise saying that around Lady Lyssa."

"She threatens his life all the time." John, unimpressed, followed Kane out. A few moments later they heard the boys take off like a charge of cavalry, indulging their favored pastime of striking all the suits of armor on the main hallway that led back to the living quarters of the estate.

Giving her a humorous look, Brian shook his head and turned back to his work on the counter. She studied his back. The nerves in her wrist were still tingling from his lips, her mind whirling at emotions he'd revealed as he delved into her mind. She wasn't sure what was going to happen later tonight, but he had her unbalanced, for certain. She was afraid, anxious, aroused...anticipating. But mostly afraid. Because her heart was considering the impossible.

Brian was gazing into his microscope with that concentrated set to his mouth that always made her want to nibble on his lips. His hip was cocked, hand braced on the edge of the stainless steel counter, a lock of hair falling over his right eye, which was focused as a laser beam on what he was doing. She could almost feel his mind accelerate, the numerous calculations he was considering in that oblivious sexy pose.

Sometimes when she was close to him working, she had the urge to be like Whiskers. The cat was often found in the furnace room, asleep in a flat, furry puddle on top of the machinery. All those complex interior parts working together to produce a heated, humming vibration. She wanted to flatten herself against Brian, just feel him thinking, breathing. The pulse of his heart and mind made her world work, heated her through and through, the way the furnace kept the house warm.

God, she couldn't resist him. That was what scared her most of all. She really had no choice, when it all came down to it. She couldn't survive this attention if it wasn't going to last...if it meant nothing. If it turned out to be another lie.

It was
never
a lie, Debra
.

Her stomach leaped like a frog. He didn't look up from the microscope, but she saw the tension in his shoulders, felt the flash of heat from his mind. She didn't want to follow up on that, didn't think she could. So she turned back to her own work.

§

Brian had been clear. He expected her to wear the lab coat — open — over the lacy bra and panty set. He also told her to wear the one pair of stiletto heels she had.

As she left her room and headed for the south lawn near midnight, she knew she might encounter someone in the hallways, but a servant in a state of undress didn't cause the bat of an eye lash in a vampire enclave. She still wasn't comfortable with it, but fortunately everyone else seemed to be.

As if summoned by that wry thought, the first person she met was Jacob. Though he was obviously headed somewhere, striding with purpose, his step hitched as he got a full view of her, and he detoured from the intersection of the hallway to intercept her.

She was still bad about blushing. Jacob's gaze was coursing over her with not-unpleasant male appreciation and she had to suppress the ridiculous urge to close the lab coat. He'd seen her naked plenty of times. Just not dressed provocatively like this.

"Nice night to go out. You might get a little chilly, though." He was picking on her in that gentle way of his, trying to make her feel less self-conscious. Would she ever figure out how to accept this like the others did? How did they do it?

When Jacob reached out to run a knuckle along her cheek to tease her about her blush, she stepped back, nearly bumping the suit of armor behind her. "Sorry," she stammered. "I can't."

Brian had made something else clear before he left her at her door to prepare. It was a provocative mandate he'd never put upon her before, contributing even more to her unsettled state of mind. She knew she sounded like an idiot, so she cleared her throat, tried to grab hold of the maturity she used to present things to Council. It had been so long since Brian had treated her like this, she was acting like a nervous schoolgirl meeting her crush behind the gym.

"I meant...Lord Brian specified that no male was to touch me on my way to him...like this."

Jacob's shift in expression made her suddenly aware of him as a very sexually confident male, one who had more than a touch of sexual Dominant as well. The submissive in her couldn't help but get flustered by it.

He gave her a nod. "That'd be my move, if you were mine. Atta boy, Brian."

Tossing her a fond look, he stole a quick tug of her hair as he resumed course. Though not technically an infraction, it pushed the edges of it. She gave him an exasperated look and continued on her way, but she did feel a bit steadier.

It was a beautiful night. A full half-moon over the south lawn made the thick grass a pale silver-green. Slipping off her heels, she carried them through the landscaped gardens. Since she always enjoyed the rose arbor and it wasn't out of her way, she took the winding path of stepping stones through it. The fragrance of the blooms clustered so close around her inspired her to stop and take a quick sniff of a light pink one, enjoy the feel of the silk petals against her nose and cheeks.

There's a pair of shears sitting on the bench
. Brian spoke in her head.
Clip one off
.

When she hesitated, she heard his velvet chuckle in his head.
I already asked Lyssa if it was all right. We're safe from her wrath
.

She smiled at that. Picking up the shears, she wondered how he'd anticipated her path.

I'm a little more observant than my servant thinks I am
.

It was an unnerving thought, one that sent a shivery cascade of feeling through her. Carefully snipping off the bloom, leaving a half foot thorny stem, she put down the shears and brought the blossom back to her nose for another pleasurable inhale.