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once could make him tipsy, but there was nothing to be done about that now.
Adrian returned to the lobby and spotted Maura waiting by the front door. She d
stand out in a crowd simply by radiating natural internal beauty, rarely found in the
city. Women there were often made of hard edges and sharp barbs. Not this one.
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Ashlyn Chase
In profile, with the light behind her, Adrian could see that Maura s shape in
clothing was almost as alluring as when she was nude. Well, not really, but she sure
knew how to flatter her figure. The smooth pants cupped her ass without panty lines
and she must be wearing the kind of bra made to go under T-shirts. The fluid line of her
torso flowed uninterrupted over and around her soft, full breasts. Adrian imagined
how good it would feel to spoon her while in his actual body or eat her with a spoon.
Come on, Adrian. Be smooth. Be charming. Be like you were as a cocky, young vampire
when no woman could resist you. But this one could and he was already falling for her.
Either that, or the wine was going to his brain. Yeah, the wine must be causing this dull,
slow fogginess. Regardless, he wasn t going to use his mind control on her. He wanted
to take her willingly when they coupled. Ideally, they d have more than a one-night
stand.
He came up beside her so silently, she jumped and put a hand to her chest.
 Oh! You startled me. I didn t hear you.
Adrian smiled and placed his hand on the small of her back.  Sorry. You startled
me too with your beauty.
Maura rolled her eyes.
Okay, so much for the lines. She s probably heard them all. Adrian shook his head and
escorted her outside. The blinding light hit him in the eyes and he quickly pulled a pair
of black sunglasses from his pocket and jammed them on his face. Ah, better.
She turned to look at him and smiled.  Sexy shades! Where did you get them?
 In New York. Some little boutique in the Village.
 Really? I live in Greenwich Village.
 No kidding. Apparently she didn t remember much from the cab ride and maybe
that was best. She had wrinkled her nose at his museum s theme and had thought he
might be gay. Sometimes a guy lucks out and gets a second chance to make a first
impression. Or in his case, possibly a third. At least this time she was sober and
remembered him.
 Are you in the mood for a walk? It s not too far from here.
 Oh yes, a walk sounds great. The world rushes by too fast to appreciate the details
as it is. Once you re in any kind of vehicle, you miss the nuances.
 You re so right, dear lady.
She dropped her head and looked at the sidewalk.  Um, can I ask you to do me a
favor?
 Of course. You can ask me anything.
She leveled her gaze at him and offered a weak smile.  Would you mind not calling
me  dear lady ? It makes me feel kind of old. I m not a young girl anymore, but I m not
ready to be an old lady, either.
Adrian took a step back.  I m sorry. I didn t mean to infer 
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 I know, I know. She waved her hand as if to erase his thought.  It s silly, but I
guess I m getting a little sensitive about my age these days and you look a little younger
than me.
If she only knew. Adrian crooked his elbow and offered his arm. When she slipped
her hand around it, he figured his gaffe wasn t fatal. They walked together across the
uneven bricks and the breeze plus the shade of each tree they passed offered welcome,
cool relief.
 You shouldn t be sensitive about getting older. I consider a woman who has lived
long enough to gain experience and wisdom more magnificent with every year.
She grinned but her eyes quickly met her moving feet.  That s a nice philosophy.
Most men don t really believe that.
 I do. One thing I don t do is lie just to puff up someone s ego. I learned a long time
ago that the person you flatter falsely can get so full of themselves, they think you don t
deserve their time or attention anymore.
 Gotcha. I did that when I was younger with a couple of high school boyfriends.
Dumb jocks. Oh, sorry. Are you into sports? I didn t mean anything by it.
Adrian chuckled.  Not to worry. I enjoy watching them, but I don t play games.
He turned to her and hoped she d read his other meaning.
She nodded. Looking ahead, she pointed to a pristine church looming at the top of
the square. Elaborate and imposing, the building looked as if it were the patriarch
protector of the town.  Isn t that a beautiful church? You don t find ornate architecture
like that in America.
Adrian took in a deep, proud breath, remembering when that church was new.  It
was built in the fifteenth century as are many of the beautiful buildings you will see.
Some of the castles on this tour are even older.
 The long history is one of the reasons I came to Romania. Did you know that
despite all his faults, Vlad Dracul built much of this ancient city? This kind of historical
landmark I could never see at home. It takes my breath away.
 Yes, many things you will see are breathtaking. She thinks I m ancient. Now who
feels old?
She cocked her head and turned toward him.  It sounds as if you ve already been
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