Zen and the Art of Vampires

"You're all right with it?" he asked, kissing my fingers again, gazing at me over them with pleading eyes.

I defy any woman not to melt in that situation.

"Well… I was a little taken aback, but I knew you couldn't be evil," I told him, guilt interfering with my pleasure.

"I should have known you'd understand." He kissed my knuckles again. "So what is it you wanted to tell me?"

I gently pulled my hand back, trying to find a sophisticated way to tell him. In the end, my mouth took over and just blurted it out. "Kristoff and I slept together."

Alec froze, his smile fading. "You what?"

"We slept together." I took a deep breath. Kristoff slid me a surprised glance. Clearly he hadn't been expecting me to reveal the truth about what had happened. For some odd reason, that hurt. "It wasn't intentional. That is, we didn't plan it. It just sort of happened. I was cold, and he shared his blanket with me, and one thing led to another, and… well, you can fill in the rest."

Alec turned his gaze to his friend. "You slept with my woman?"

"Yes," Kristoff said, an interesting parade of emotions passing quickly through his eyes. Surprise, speculation, and acceptance all passed by. "Yes, I did. As the Zorya said, it meant nothing."

"My name is Pia," I said through clenched teeth, hurt by his words. I hadn't said it meant nothing. Was that what he really thought? I wanted to curl up into a ball and sob for an hour or two.

"You slept with her?" Alec asked again, obviously having difficulty with that point.

"I'm very sorry if you're hurt," I said, trying to focus on him and not the hateful monster sitting on my other side. "I didn't intend to betray you in that way. Obviously things can't be the same between us now, but I do want you to know—"

"You knew she was my woman, and you just… what? Thought you'd screw her while I wasn't around?" Alec interrupted me to ask Kristoff.

The two men glared at each other.

"It wasn't like that—" I started to say, but this time Kristoff cut me off.

"I just told you it meant nothing. We've had each other's women before—what's the problem now?"

"The problem," Alec growled, jabbing a finger toward me, "is that she is mine. You knew that and you didn't care."

Kristoff said something in what I was sure was Italian. Alec answered in German. The two of them started arguing in their respective languages, both clearly understanding each other, and I reflected for a moment on just how annoying it was that the only language other than English of which I had a reasonable comprehension was Spanish.

"Habla español, anyone?" I asked, feeling hurt, abused, and left out, not to mention extremely guilty about trampling all over Alec's finer feelings.

You made your bed with another man in it, my inner critic said. Now you have to sleep in it alone.

"You want her? You can have her," Kristoff suddenly said in English, his lovely deep voice sounding very frayed about the edges. He snatched up his leather jacket and, without a single look my way, stormed out of the pub.

Chapter 13

I stared in amazement at the retreating figure of Kristoff, guilt rising with every second.

"Alec, I'm so sorry," I said miserably, slumping down and wishing I could just melt into the floor.

He frowned. "Sorry about what?"

"About everything." I waved a hand toward the door through which Kristoff had just made his stormy exit. "Coming between you two. Sleeping with him. Ruining our relationship."

To my complete and utter stupefaction, he laughed, taking my hand again. "Sweet, adorable Pia—do you think I hold you responsible for Kristoff forcing himself on you?"

I goggled. I truly goggled at him, and I don't believe I've outright goggled at anyone before.

"I've known Kristoff for at least three hundred years. We've worked together for the council, you see, so I know well what sort of mesmerizing power he holds over women." He glanced at his watch and pulled out a cell phone. "Stay here. I'll be back in a minute."

I continued to be stupefied, and goggled a bit more as he strode off, and ducked outside the door.

"I've lost my mind," I told myself, going back over the last couple of minutes, and looking up to ask, "Did he just say he didn't blame me?"

The waitress gave me a bit of an odd look as she deposited our plates. "I don't know. Are you to blame?"

I thought for a moment. "Yes. I wasn't forced, no matter what Alec says."

"Well, then." She nodded as if that settled the matter, and toddled off to deal with other customers.

"My life has become one long confusing situation after another," I told my breakfast.

The door at the front of the pub opened. I glanced up, expecting to see Kristoff, but the two people who entered had me half rising to my feet.