all these years? Sublimation.
She was a pro at sublimating—and she’d deal with this strange little reaction the same way. Redirect her desire into her writing.
So he was attractive. So what?
Jude finished his evaluation of the house, avoiding Ellina’s office. He wasn’t ready for another run-in with his interesting client. Then he headed back to her lavender and gold living room. Easing down on one of the chairs, he let his tense muscles relax as much as he could.
He wasn’t going to be able to do this. If he was smart, and he liked to believe he was, he’d try to find someone else for this job.
But still Jude didn’t rise to leave.
Really, how could he? He didn’t know anyone to contact, and he wasn’t the type to trust someone else to do the job right. And what if something happened…
He was stuck.
He leaned back in the chair, resting his hands on either arm. The brocade material was oddly rough and satiny all at once under his fingers, the cushions firm, but comfortable. A weird paradox like the house itself. Like its owner.
He sat still, silent. Just listening. Just taking in the feel of the house.
He could hear Ellina moving. The faint creak as she shifted her chair. The tap of her fingers over her keyboard. Noises that reached him across a distance as if he were drifting off to sleep and they might be real or they might be a dream.
He wondered how he could still recall that somnolent state, that place between reality and slumber, considering he hadn’t slept in hundreds of years. Funny the memories that never faded. Even over centuries.
He listened to Ellina’s steady rhythm for—well, he didn’t really know how long.
Suddenly the even, lulling tempo stopped, but before he could barely register the break, a small, sharp cry broke the sudden silence. Definitely real.
Jude leapt to his feet and was down the hall in one fluid, instantaneous motion. When he reached the office doorway, he saw two men standing in center of the room, their tall frames blocking Ellina from his view.
Both men turned when they heard him at the door, and Jude was struck by the strangeness of their looks. They were identical, except they seemed to be negative exposures of each other. One had black hair, a true black with no hint of any other color in the locks, and the darkest eyes—like bottomless caverns—Jude had ever seen. Both his hair and eyes seemed to eat the light, absorbing it like a black hole.
The other had white hair, pure white like newly fallen snow, and the palest eyes, his irises only a shade or two darker than the whites of his eyes.
Both men had ivory skin and dark red lips the color of deoxygenated blood.
Clearly not human. And the vibe in the room was not one of affability.
That was all Jude needed to register before bracing himself and inventorying his best plan of attack. The dark one was closest to him, and if Jude went low, he could possibly knock him off center and into the lighter one. That was, of course, if he could still get the element of surprise.
He suspected that aspect was gone.
Judging from their sizes, he’d be okay on sheer strength, even with two of them, but that was assuming they didn’t blindside him with some supernatural ability.
Not the best scenario. He wished he had his Benelli. A few large pumpkin-ball slugs with rock salt added for even more pain would slow them down enough for Jude to get the upper hand. But his shotgun was still in his van. He’d been stupid not to bring in his weapons as soon as he’d decided to take the job.
Was he decided then?
Jude frowned.
Not the time to continue that debate, buddy.
From the looks of the strange guys in front of him, he was in the midst of the job. He remained coiled, trying to read their slightest movements, their expressions, and also trying not to be distracted by the strangeness of their looks.
Two he could definitely handle, but not if his attention was being drawn back and forth between them. Damn, their appearances were disconcerting.
But neither man, or rather creature, seemed inclined to move toward him. Instead, in unison, they turned back toward Ellina, who Jude managed to catch a glimpse of between their broad shoulders.
Jude couldn’t tell from his position which one of the weird twins spoke, but he heard the words clearly.
“Who’s the dude, sis?”
Chapter 5
Ellina glared at her brothers.
“You know I hate it when you just appear like that,” she stated, ignoring their question. “Can’t you come to the front door like normal people?”
Pasha leaned a hip on her desk, which Ellina noticed brought Jude farther into the room, his gaze shifting back and forth between her brothers, gauging their slightest actions. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him it was okay. That the odd-looking twosome were her half brothers. But something stopped her.
“We aren’t normal,” Pasha said drawing her attention back to him. Boredom tinged with condescension filled his nearly white eyes. Not an unfamiliar look from her loving brother.
“And we aren’t people,” Andrey added, moving to browse her bookshelves with the same disparaging demeanor as his twin. Again, nothing new.
Ellina fought the urge to roll her eyes. Ask a stupid question…
“So who’s the guy?” Pasha asked again, gesturing to Jude with a jerk of his white head.
Ellina ignored the question, realizing why she hadn’t explained who they were to Jude. Then she’d also have to explain who Jude was, and she had no desire to tell these two that Maksim had hired her a bodyguard. They’d think it was a riot. Their silly half-breed sister who couldn’t take care of herself.
But this time, when she didn’t answer, Andrey stopped feigning interest in her books and turned directly to Jude, his black stare pinning the other man.
“Maybe you’ll tell us who you are, since our baby sister doesn’t seem so inclined.”
Jude stood rigid, his arms down at his sides, but he still looked poised to strike, and Ellina had no doubt he would, if necessary. That was what he was paid for, after all.
She also had no doubt he’d tell her brothers exactly who he was, and they’d find it all highly amusing.
But before Jude could answer, she piped in.
“He’s my boyfriend.”
What? Boyfriend? Had that really just come out of her mouth?
Wincing, she looked at Jude, expecting to see surprise, irritation, perhaps general disgust on his face. But instead he regarded her evenly, his sea-green eyes unreadable, his features placid, as
