When he finished speaking, Vail studied Victoria’s face across the kitchen. He could see that she had been watching him closely as if she thought he would lie to her about his “affair” with Sylvia. Though he hadn’t necessarily [i]earned [/i]her unwavering trust yet, he didn’t like being on the receiving end of her cautious looks. Whatever she had been told, she seemed to have bought into it hook, line and sinker. He was frustrated, but he also couldn’t hold it against her. When Ray and Gerald had each attacked him before, his first instinct had been to assume that Victoria had been their accomplice. The thought nearly made him shake his head. They both needed to learn not to jump to the worst conclusions about the other when things went poorly.

Despite her hesitation to believe him, he noticed that she set her weapon aside. It was a small gesture, but he took it to mean that she was willing to let him approach her if he so chose. He was relieved that she seemed to have backed down from picking a fight with him. Having not seen her progress since the last time they’d scuffled and he had pinned her to the ground to feed, he had no doubts that he could overpower her again, but he disliked the thought of causing her any pain—at least, more than was necessary to drink her succulent blood. That a fight had the potential to put further strain on their relationship was what deterred him from closing the distance while the rapier had still been in her delicate hand.

As Lady Crest expressed her insecurities about not matching up to what Lady Macey could offer him, Vail listened patiently, gathering his thoughts to explain himself to her. “Who said we can’t get married?” he queried first, something of a smile painting his lips. “I’ve told you once before that I’d like to call you my wife someday, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make that happen. For as long as you live, I’m yours, Victoria.” Slowly, he stepped away from the wall to stand before her and rested his hands on her knees, ignoring the bite in his seared palm.

“Old age isn’t going to change anything either,” he went on in a low tone. “You may be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, but it’s your spirit that I find so intoxicating. You’re courageous, resilient, intelligent, and entirely sexy; and [i]that [/i]is why you stood out to me among all the other women, both human and vampire alike, who have nothing more to offer than their pretty faces.” As he spoke, he trailed his fingers aimlessly from her knees up to her thighs and flashed her a foxlike smile. “You truly are one in a million, and I would never do anything to risk letting a gem like you slip through my fingers.”

At her question about the kiss he had planted on Sylvia’s cheek, Vail blinked. It seemed that she hadn’t just heard about his outing with the other vampire but might have even seen it for herself. He shook his head. “I was just saying goodnight to her. Victoria, I’ve known Lady Sylvia since I was a child. Her family is close to mine, so she’s been a dear friend to me for two centuries. Even though I’ve never taken an interest in her romantically—and she’s told me before that she thinks of me like a brother—we’ve spent a good deal of time together, and that’s what our behavior around each other reflects. You have nothing to worry about. I promise.”