“Fine, what do you want?”

“A second chance.”

I barked a short, bitter laugh. “That’s nice.”

“We still have several days to spend together. It will be easier if you will at least listen to what I have to say.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Need I remind you that part of our agreement involves you listening to what I have to say? If you refuse to hold up your end of our bargain, I have no reason to uphold mine,” he informed me.

A chill ran down my spine-I had to listen to Harrison, Mac’s safety depended on it. “Okay, okay, I get it.” Checking the tag on a blouse, I sighed in disappointment when I couldn’t find the type of fabric listed anywhere, only some fancy designer name embroidered in a flowing script. “If I didn’t know you had more money than some countries, I’d suspect you of being a communist.”

“What makes you say that?”

“No jeans. Denim is the American way. They do make designer jeans, you know. Not that I own any,” I trailed off. “And exactly what do you have against white cotton socks?”

“My apologies, I did not choose the wardrobe.”

“Oh yeah? Who did?”

“Ms. Barrenheart.”

“Figures.” I snorted derisively. “So what’s her real name anyway? I bet it’s long, contains a ton of consonants, and ends in -ski.” Tossing the blouse over my shoulder onto the floor behind me, I looked for another candidate. If Lovely Laura had picked these clothes out, I was going to be extra mean to them. A couture bonfire might be in order.

Harrison changed the subject, wisely avoiding answering any Laura-related questions. “Catherine, I am truly sorry for my actions. I was surprised by your abilities and I let my curiosity get the better of me.”

“The old ‘curiosity killed the Cat’ story. Very original. Never heard that one before.”

“It’s the truth,” Harrison insisted. “I’ve never encountered anyone like you.”

I pitched another blouse onto the floor and glared at him. “You just aren’t used to people telling you no. I’m sure you have at least heard of the word before.”

“Well, yes.”

Chuckling ruefully, I shook my head at his confused expression. It was likely the sad truth, after all he had been raised a spoiled little rich boy who grew into a spoiled rich man. Zachary Harrison was the very definition of privileged. I doubted there were many people with enough spine to refuse him anything.

“Yeah, well, I’m sure all the girls just throw themselves at your feet and are more than eager to open a vein for you. Not this girl.”

“Which is what I don’t understand.”

“What don’t you understand?”

“How you can be immune.” Slowly Harrison stepped toward me, cautious not to spook me. I watched him like a bunny eyeing a snake, but I resisted the urge to bolt since just moments ago he had given his word to Lex that I wouldn’t be harmed, and I didn’t think he was going to go from businessman to oathbreaker in that short a time span.

“May I?” he asked.

“May you what?”

“A small touch, nothing more.”

With Mac’s continued safety in my thoughts, I nodded a grudging reply, and Harrison reached out and took my hand in his. I felt a sizzle of spell at the contact, but I was prepared for it and pushed his magic back and refused to let it affect me. The vampire seemed amazed by this and turned my hand over, peering at it as though my skin would reveal some vital clue as to why I hadn’t been reduced to a panting puddle of lust on the floor.

“Here’s a hint: magic,” I explained, drawing my hand away.

“I have encountered witches before. I also deal with sorceresses on a regular basis, in fact. Nothing like this has ever occurred.”

“How many of them hated vampires?”

“None, I suspect.”

“There you go.”

For a moment we sized each other up. I was surprised he wasn’t angry about it-I almost expected a frustrated temper tantrum, but Harrison seemed too polite for that. Instead he tilted his head to the side, looked me up and down, and then picked out a deep green silk blouse and held it out to me. It was the most acceptable shirt I’d seen thus far, but I tossed it over my shoulder and added it to the pile. I grabbed a white cotton shirt instead.

“I’m not buying the apology, Harrison. You wanted to butter me up and put the orgasmo bite on me so I’d be all about your fiendish master plan and get you the faerie hook-up. The bite backfired and now you’ve dug yourself into a pretty deep hole. I don’t think you can climb out of this one.”

“I’m willing to try,” he said, sounding awfully sincere. As if punctuating his good intention Harrison handed me a pair of plain black pants and loafers, exactly the sort of clothing I was looking for next.

“Uh-huh. Well then we’re going to get one thing straight right now.” I scowled, placing my hands on my hips. “Since you’re obviously not familiar enough with it, let’s go over the meaning of the word no. No means stop. It means don’t. It means I’m not okay with what you’re doing, and you need to cease and desist said activity. No is not an invitation to try and change my mind to yes. No does not mean ply me with more alcohol until I’m too drunk to speak coherently or become unconscious. You were a frat boy in college, weren’t you?”

“It was expected as a family tradition.” Though he was listening to me, I had the impression my speech wasn’t really getting through to him, and I sighed in disappointment.

“Why am I not surprised. Look, I don’t want you to bite me. Period. Not under any circumstances.”

“I gave my word that you would remain unharmed.”

“Yeah, you also said you had no intention of harming me before you bit me, so I’m not real convinced by that.”

“I had no idea you would find it harmful, no one else has,” he reasoned.

“Well I do.”

“Now that I know that, I will make sure no one lays an unwelcome fang upon you, Catherine.” There was amusement in his expression, and I shook my head in annoyance. I didn’t find it funny at all.

“Okay. Now leave so I can change, please.”

With a polite bow he turned and left, shutting the door behind him. I wasted no time in shedding my clothes and donning the new ones. I considered taking the time to shower, but I wasn’t sure if I trusted my surroundings enough to be that vulnerable at the moment. Instead I searched the bathroom for something to clip my hair up with, and found some hair sticks that let me twist it up into a bun.

When I emerged into the sitting room the chocolate chip pancakes Lex had tempted me out of the bathroom with were waiting for me on the table. Unfortunately Harrison was also waiting for me, seated across from my plate as he had been at dinner the night before. Well, I wasn’t about to let him keep me from eating, so I took a seat and dropped the white linen napkin into my lap. I picked up a glass of orange juice and took a cautious sip.

“Is there anything I can get for you?”

“A cab ride home,” I quipped, and he smiled dryly.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. Anything else?”

“You could leave,” I suggested, and he ignored the request. Hungrily I began slicing the pancakes as I considered his offer. There were a lot of things that came to mind, but many of them revolved around food in my famished state. I could use some email access. Lock picks. Maybe something to dig an escape tunnel with.

“I wanna have dinner with Mac. And not you,” I blurted after swallowing a mouthful of pancake.

“Pardon?”

“Tonight. I want to have dinner with Mac. Just me and Mac, so I can catch him up on the gossip. Oh, and I’ll need a Sears catalogue too, ’cause I’m not wearing Laura’s clothes.”

“Very well, I will arrange that. I must insist on dinner tomorrow evening, however. Oh, I would have appreciated being informed of the fact that Alexander is your soul mate before our dinner last evening. It’s a foolish man who allows himself to get on the bad side of a Duquesne. I was prepared for him to be involved professionally with your stay here, but his personal involvement is another matter entirely.”