I didn't know why at the time, of course, but now, I could see he had a good reason.
The Durands were vampires. Fast, hungry, way too attractive for deadly killers, and with super hearing to boot.
"Why the kitchen? Why does it matter?" I angled my head to him with a curious arch of my brow. "Not like anything in this house is private. You should know that."
Frowning at my words, Darren continued to walk toward the kitchen. "They aren’t all powerful. They do have their limits. The kitchen will suffice."
"Fine." I sighed and followed him down the hallway and past the door to the basement where I knew our masters of the house were sleeping. I wondered briefly if Rayne were down there, sleeping. Then I shoved it aside.
Don’t think about him.
Once we went through the dining room and into the kitchen, Darren promptly went to the sink. He turned the water on and then went to the cabinet. He pulled down two cups and placed them on saucers before pouring the coffee. I sat the island in the middle of the kitchen, on one of the three bar stools and waited. He sat one in front of me and the other before him the opposite side of the island before bringing a small tray of sugar and cream between us as well as a plate of blueberry scones.
“You can talk freely now.” He gestured to the water faucet still running. “They won’t be able to hear us now.” He pushed the plate of scones closer to me.
"Oh, bringing out the big guns now are ya?" I grinned at him before picking up one of the pastries. "You must really want something from me."
Darren let out an impatient huff as he poured cream into his cup and then added a single cube of sugar. It was strange that they had cubes. Really, who even made them that way anymore? Most people just used the powdered stuff and were done with it. I suppose they thought they were fancier this way.
Once he was done stirring his coffee, he picked it up and took a sip. Watching him was like watching some kind of alien life form. It was all so fascinating. From the way he held his cup like it was something that would break in his hands at any moment to the way his mouth covered the rim of the cup and drank from it without a sound.
"Stop looking at me that way," Darren demanded.
"What way?" I grinned back as I took a bite of my scone. Yum. Crumbly and tart. The cook, Gretchen, must have made these. No way they were store bought.
Darren scowled. "Like I'm some kind of science experiment."
"Sorry," I said through a full mouth. "You're just so... polished." He gave me an exasperated look that made me giggle. "What you are? No one in the real-world dresses like you or is half as sophisticated."
With a disgusted grunt, Darren set his gaze upon his cup. "Believe me, I know."
"So," I sat my scone down and brushed the crumbles from my hands before leaning my elbows on the kitchen island, "you've fed me and watered me. What do you want to talk about?"
Darren's lips pressed into a thin line for a moment as if he were trying to figure out how to word his question. Then after a solid minute, he asked, "Have you told anyone about the flowers?"
My hand froze in mid-lift of my coffee cup. After the dinner party and Rayne's heroic rescue, Valentine had requested to buy me from Antoine, something that appalled me even now the moment I thought of it. Who treated people like cattle or inanimate objects? I was a human being, not a thing.
Thankfully, Antoine had refused him, but that hadn't stopped Valentine from trying. He had sent me flowers every day for the last week since he left, each time with a creepier message than before. 'See you soon.' 'Can't wait to see your smiling face.' 'Your blood smells of the finest wines. I can't wait to taste it.' On and on they went, each day a different kind of flower, like he was trying to woo me in some sick twisted way.
At the mention of the flowers, I glanced around the kitchen. When I didn't see a vase of them waiting for me, I sagged and released a stuttering breath. I turned my attention back to Darren.
"No, I haven't,” I answered at last. “I don't see the point. Antoine told him no. What do a few flowers mean?"
Darren shook his head. "Master Durand might have told Valentine no, but clearly he hasn't stopped trying to pursue you. The flowers are his way of making you remember. That he isn't going to give up, and while we’re on the topic of keeping secrets...” Darren locked eyes with me and stared with such intensity that I was worried I’d done something. I quickly searched my mind for anything I might have broken recently.
Nope. Nothing.
“You should watch your thoughts around Rayne,” the butler finished.
My eyes widened. “Uh, Rayne. What about Rayne? Why should I watch myself around Rayne?” Why the hell couldn’t I stop saying his name? Rayne. Fuck.
Darren gave me an impatient look and tilted his head to the side. “I’m going to pretend like there is nothing there to worry about. However, I think it is the right time to tell you about the masters’... abilities.”
“Uh, abilities?” My brows furrowed. “I already know about that stuff. They’re vampires.” I lifted my hand and ticked off what I knew. “Fast. Hot. Super hearing. No sunlight. Likes blood. What else is there to know?”
Clearing his throat, Darren nodded. “While those are all true, they have other abilities as well.”
“Like what? Changing into bats?” My eyes lit up, and I wiggled in my seat. “Oh, can they poof into smoke like Dracula?”