“You act like some mythical vampire who comes out at dusk. Your servants call you master like some nineteenth century lord and obey you without question.”

“Is there any reason why I can’t have true loyalty?”

“Loyalty?” Her voice bellowed out. “I don’t doubt their loyalty, but calling you Master is another thing. It is strange.”

“Is it?”

She thumped her fingertips on the chair arm. “You know it is, and since I’m asking questions, I’ve noticed that your car is never gone, yet you don't come and go. It’s like you disappear for the entire day and show up just as the sun goes down. I've seen every room of this house and you weren't sleeping in any of them. Have I missed anything?”

She couldn’t see his face clearly, but he seemed amused. Was he laughing at her?

“Is that all?” Even his voice sounded like he was getting great pleasure at her expense.

“Come to think of it, when do you eat? Ena cooks a marvelous dinner for us, but you're never around to enjoy it.”

He chuckled aloud this time. “Anything else?”

She crossed her arms. “You’re laughing at me.”

“In a way I am. You are so dramatic, right now.”

She let out an exasperated breath. “Well? Does that mean that I still won’t get any answers?”

“No, but ask what you want, and I’ll answer as best I can.”

“Then start answering.”

He lifted his chin. “Was that all your concerns?”

Since she was on a roll, she was going for all of it. “Well, now that you mention it. How did you get me out of the car? Sometimes you seemed to move so fast and have so much strength, you really did seem like a vampire with the strength of ten men.”

His deep voice came out in a loud chuckle. “I thought it was twenty men.”

Argh! He was laughing at her. Now that was rude. He had told her to ask, and now he was amused. She couldn't stand it. “Whatever, Blake. Just answer something, please.”

“If I were a vampire, I wouldn't need the bedrooms to sleep in. All of them have way too much light.”

Even with her frustration, Holly couldn't help laughing. “Be serious, Blake. You're not a vampire.”

His gaze locked on hers, making her nervous. He looked too danged serious. Was he setting her up for a bad joke? “Well, you’re not.”

He brushed his finger across his chin. “Are you sure?”

Was he crazy? Her heart thumped in her temples. Was he trying to scare her? Why was he acting this way? Was their hidden household secret that he was psychotic?

“Why are you becoming afraid?”

“The way you're looking at me is making me nervous. I was expecting you to jump all over me and say your affairs are none of my business and maybe I should be on my way.”

“I'm not going to say that. How should I be looking at you while you charge me with being a vampire?”

“Come on Blake. Stop fooling around. That was just a wild example of your behavior.”

He didn't answer right away. Why couldn’t he be serious? She had been. Dang it! Why did he have to be so vague? Yeah, right. A vampire. If he thought she was so easily fooled, he had to think again. If anything made her mad, it was word games and not getting a straight answer.

“Anger doesn't become you.” His voice was low but reprimanding. “It spoils your lovely face. Now that I know all your concerns, or at least I think I do, ask me one question at a time. Ask what you feel you must know and I'll do my best to answer it.”

Finally, he sounded serious. But would he turn it around again to a farce? “I’ve already done that. You’re just making fun of me, and I don’t like it.”

“One at a time,” he said. “I promise to give a sober answer to every question. Does that suit you?”

She signed. It did and already she could relax a little. “Yes. I never did like being laughed at.”

“I don’t either.”

Well, he said to ask them one at a time. She certainly would. “Where do you go during the day?”

“To my resting place below ground.”

Holly frowned. He was playing with her again, but she wasn't going to stop now. “Why does your help call you Master?”

“Because they are my entranced servants.”

She scrunched her nose. “What’s that?” She didn’t even know what that meant, even if he was playing games.

“They are hypnotized to do my will.”

He sounded so serious. How could he say this with a straight face? He had to be the ultimate actor. “How can you do that?

“Because I am a vampire.”