"I'm convinced that you do," Father Andrew insisted.
More silence.
Vanda turned to Gregori. "Come on," she hissed.
"I sponsored you last time," Gregori whispered. "Obviously, I wasn't very good at it."
"Laszlo?" Vanda asked.
The short secretary jumped in his seat, and another button popped off his lab coat.
Anger sizzled in Vanda as she faced Roman. "You won't find anyone here to sponsor me. They're a bunch of cowards." She adjusted the whip around her waist. "And they're right! They should fear me. If any of them dares to reprimand me, I'll rip their heads off."
A collective gasp echoed across the room.
Roman regarded her sadly. "I don't believe you're entering into this exercise with the correct attitude."
She lifted her chin. "I've got plenty of attitude."
Roman sighed. "Is there no one here - "
"I'll do it," Shanna offered.
Vanda flinched. Roman's wife? She couldn't confess her horrid sins to sweet little do-gooder Shanna Draganesti.
Roman turned to talk quietly with his wife. Vanda's superior hearing picked up most of it. Shanna had a two-year-old son and a nine-week-old daughter to take care of. Watching Vanda would be too much of an added burden.
Vanda's anger spiked. She didn't need a damned babysitter. And she sure didn't want Shanna's pity. "Forget it! You won't find anyone here to sponsor me. None of the men here have the balls to take me on."
"I'll do it," a deep voice rumbled in the back of the room.
Vanda gasped. She recognized that voice instantly, but still, she had to turn to make sure it was really him. Oh, damn, he looked better than ever. He'd always been tall, but his shoulders looked broader than she remembered. His thick brown hair gleamed with red and gold highlights. And his eyes...his eyes had always taken her breath away. A pale icy blue that somehow managed to glitter with heat.
"I'll sponsor her." Phil marched down the center aisle.
God, no. She couldn't bare her soul to Phil. She'd confided a lot in Gregori when he'd sponsored her, but he was like a little brother. Phil could never be like a brother. "No! Ask Ian. Ian will do it."
Roman frowned. "Ian and his wife are still on their honeymoon."
Oh, right. Ian had told her they'd be gone for three whole months. So it would be the middle of August before he and Toni returned. "Then ask Pamela or Cora Lee."
Roman gave her a dubious look. "I can't imagine either of them being able to manage you."
Dammit, she'd had enough of this humiliation. "No one can manage me! I don't need a damned sponsor."
Roman ignored her and turned to Phil. "Thank you for volunteering."
"I'm not accepting him!" Vanda yelled.
Phil gave her a challenging look. "Do you prefer one of the other volunteers?"
She scowled at him. "I'll make you miserable."
He arched a brow. "What else is new?"
She blinked. She'd made him miserable? How? She'd always been nice to him. She noted the amused looks among the crowd. Dammit. They were enjoying this.
Roman cleared his throat. "Phil, do you understand the responsibilities that come with sponsorship?"
"Yes," he replied. "I can do it."
"Very well." Roman gave him a grateful smile. "The job is yours. Thank you. Laszlo, make a note of it."
"Yes, sir." Laszlo scratched away on his parchment.
"Wait a minute!" Vanda marched toward Phil. "You can't do this. I never agreed to it."
"Come." He jerked his head toward the door, then strode down the aisle and out of the room.
Vanda's mouth fell open. What the hell was he doing, giving her orders? Though she had to admit his backside looked really good. She glanced around and noticed the other Vamps watching her curiously. Well, maybe Phil was right, and they shouldn't discuss this fiasco in front of an audience.
She stalked out the door and spotted him across the hall, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. He'd always had rather big biceps for a mortal. "Look. This is a mistake. You're a mortal. You can't handle a Vamp."
"I made you leave the room, didn't I?"
Her anger flared. "Only because I didn't want to embarrass you in front of everyone while I kick your ass!"
His mouth tilted up. "Try it."
She stepped closer to him. "I've eaten mortals like you for breakfast."
His smile grew. "Lucky bastards."
She stepped back, huffing with exasperation. "Phil, this is crazy! You can't just...force yourself on me."
Something hot flared in his eyes. His gaze wandered down to her feet, then back to her face. "Sweetheart, no force will be necessary."
She swallowed hard. Did he think he could seduce her? Sure, she'd flirted with him in the past, but that had been nothing more than a little harmless fun. She couldn't actually get close to Phil. She couldn't open her coffin of horrors to him. Hell, she didn't open that door even for herself.
She took another step back. "No."
A flicker of sympathy registered in his eyes before they hardened to an icy blue. "We all have an inner beast, Vanda. It's time for you to face yours."
"Never," she whispered, and teleported away.
CHAPTER 2
Now that went well.
Phil frowned at the space Vanda had just vacated. Her scent lingered, something sweet and flowery like jasmine. He suspected it came from the gel she used to spike up her hair, but he might never get close enough to know. She was as fierce as a wildcat, hissing and showing her claws if anyone got too close. That alone made her intriguing. Combine it with stormy gray eyes, sweet lips, porcelain skin, and luscious curves, and the result was a woman who could destroy a man without ever laying a finger or a fang on him.
Entice, then push away. She'd done that for five long years while he'd worked as part of the security team at Roman's townhouse. Harmless flirtation, she'd called it, whenever his boss, Connor, had fussed at her. It had never been flirtation. Nor harmless. It was torture.
He'd always acted with honorable restraint. Honorable, he thought with a snort. That just meant he'd lusted for her in private.
When she'd left Roman's townhouse three years ago, he'd tried to forget about her and move on with his life. Unfortunately, seeing her tonight had unleashed years of pent-up, unrequited lust. All the memories flooded back. Memories of her teasing looks, flirtatious words, and light touches on his arms and chest. God help him, he still wanted her. He wanted her something fierce.
This time it would be different. He wasn't her guard anymore. Let her try that "harmless flirtation" with him now. A few scratches from her sharp claws wouldn't scare him away. He closed his eyes, imagining her soft, naked body beneath his, and her raw, explosive emotions erupting in a frenzy of passion. Yeah, that was the best way to cure her anger problem. He'd turn the raging tiger into a cuddly little kitty. She would be so wild and so sweet-
A door clicked shut, and Phil's eyes snapped open. Shit. He carefully refrained from looking down at the bulge in his trousers. "Father Andrew. Good to see you again."
"Mr. Jones." The priest extended a hand.
He shook it. "Call me Phil."
"Phil, then. Thank you for agreeing to sponsor Vanda."
"Glad to help." How could he have refused her? She'd looked so fierce and defiant when no one would sponsor her. Was he the only one who could see how desperately she had covered up the pain of rejection?
"I tried to help her before," Father Andrew said, "but obviously I failed to get through that thick armor of hers. I hope you'll have better luck than I did."
"I'll do my best." He had an instant vision of Vanda's armor falling off to reveal soft naked skin underneath, but he quickly squelched that image. He couldn't afford the bulge in his pants to get any larger.
"I believe her anger is hiding a great deal of emotional pain," the priest continued. "The poor girl is in dire need of our kindness and compassion."
Now he felt like a dog. Which was fairly close to the truth.
"I'd like to know more about you, if you don't mind." Father Andrew regarded him curiously. "How long have you worked for MacKay Security and Investigation?"
"Eight years. I joined my sophomore year at NYU. I was stationed at Roman's townhouse."
"What was your degree in?"