THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

were so few of them, and the symmetry was unlikely.
    “What?” She looked up to see Delano regarding her with an unreadable expression. She tried reaching out to catch his thoughts as she was sometimes able to do, but his mind was closed. Anxiety beat in her breast like the wings of a frantic bird. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
    “That mark on your arm…”
    “Omigod, I’m infected.”
    “No, nothing like that.”
    “You’re sure?”
    “I’m sure.”
    “Then what it is? What does it mean?”
    He lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck. “You appear to be blood-bonded. To me. But it can’t be.”
    “Blood-bonded?”
    “Enthralled, if you prefer to use a Hollywood term. A condition characterized by a profound infatuation, coupled with an intractable reluctance to be parted from the object of your infatuation.”
    Oh no oh no oh no. “You enthralled me? It wasn’t enough that you dragged me into this mess, you had to go and do a number on my head, too?”
    His dark brows beetled in a fierce frown. “I did no such thing.”
    “But you said—”
    “I also said it was impossible,” he interjected. “There must be some other explanation. For one thing, blood-bonding can happen only between vampires. If, in fact, the phenomenon really exists. I’m not entirely convinced it does.”
    Infatuation between vampires? “I thought you said vampires didn’t desire other vampires?”
    “Vampire couplings are rare,” he confirmed, “but they do occasionally happen. The exception that proves the rule, I suppose. And rarer still is the vampire union that gives rise to a blood-bond. In fact, I have seen only one such instance in all my years. Or I should say, possible instance. I wasn’t in a position to subject it to scientific scrutiny. But as I said, it just doesn’t happen between vampires and unmutated humans, no matter how much blood is taken.”
    “Thank God.” The bird thrashing in her chest subsided to a mere fluttering. If it was strictly a vamp-on-vamp thing, there had to be another explanation. “I thought the whole enthralling thing was a feeding strategy. You know, so vamps could compel donors to bare their throats.”
    He snorted. “Another product of Hollywood. Which is not to say vampires don’t have an impressive arsenal of tools to gain a potential donor’s compliance. But like the glamour we use to obscure our — how shall I say? — vitality , seduction requires a certain willingness on the part of the subject to be seduced. Any human with a strong will and a dash of charisma can learn the skill, if they’re taught how to focus their…”
    “Yeah, yeah, I get it. But why am I feeling like this if it’s so freaking impossible?” She thrust her arm at him. “And why do I have these damned dots?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Then speculate.”
    He sighed. “It could be psychosomatic.”
    She shook her head emphatically. “Un-uh.”
    “Don’t be so quick to dismiss the idea. I’m not suggesting you’re neurotic by any stretch of the imagination. But think about it, Ainsley. You’ve been under a degree of stress no one should have to endure, not to mention—”
    “Not to mention the series of psychic shocks I’ve been subjected to. Yada, yada, yada. I won’t argue that. And for the record, I’m as neurotic as the next woman. But answer me this — how can I possibly manifest weird symptoms I’ve never even heard of? Huh?”
    Something flickered in his eyes, so quick she couldn’t read the expression.
    “Perhaps you plucked the details from my mind.”
    “No.”
    “No?” He lifted an eyebrow. “It hasn’t escaped my notice over these past weeks that you have a certain talent for divining what’s in my thoughts.”
    She rolled her eyes. “That’s because all men think about that, all the time.”
    To her satisfaction, he blushed.
    “I was referring to other situations.”
    “I know.” It was her turn to sigh. “Unfortunately, it’s a pitifully weak and sporadic talent. I can only catch fragments, and only when you let me. In fact, it’s probably your doing, not mine. I’m probably just catching what you’re projecting.” As soon as she said it, she realized that was by far the likeliest scenario. Hadn’t he said any strong mind could be trained to project suggestions? The idea was oddly deflating. “Which begs the question: have you recently thought about the vamp-on-vamp blood-bond and its triangle-producing side effects?”
    “Not that I