“So you hooked up?”

“Eventually. A few weeks later, we saw each other again when she and her father came to Aldrich’s estate to deliver the clothes and make any final adjustments. Whilst the men were in one room, Maeve and I retired to my quarters so I could try on what I’d ordered, and it was then when she unequivocally announced she found me deliciously appealing.”

“Wow. She does sound like me.”

“I told you so,” Bennett said, snickering. “It had been over thirty years since I’d ever dared imagine having another relationship with a mortal, yet there was something about Maeve that made my heart smile. Her candor was refreshing, and she truly seemed to be a good person.” Bennett took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “A month later, we met up at her father’s shop late one night, and even though I wanted nothing more than to bed this woman, I didn’t. Instead, I sat her down on a cot and told her all about myself. I knew I could erase her thoughts if things went badly, yet what I didn’t know was Aldrich had already shared our secret with Barnaby, and he, in turn, had shared it with his daughter. Therefore, there was no surprise, no anger or fear, and we became lovers that night, and when Max left Cornwall three weeks after that, I stayed behind. At first, I rented a room in town, but that didn’t allow us the privacy we needed, so I moved into a small cottage on Aldrich’s property. We were together for almost two years before Maeve began hinting around that she’d like to be turned. I explained my resistance and made it quite clear I’d never do it, so one night, she sought out one of Aldrich’s men, and he did what she asked.”

“Oh, my God. What?”

“He bit her and then broke her neck, and a few hours later, Maeve strolled into my little cottage with blood lust in her eyes, and she was never the same. Her genuineness all but disappeared, and she became flamboyant and showy, and now with virtual invincibility on her side, she took speaking her mind to an entirely new level. The candor I once saw as uplifting turned into vulgar comments and crude suggestions, and since blood, as I’ve explained, heightens senses, it wasn’t long before Maeve wanted to…um…to broaden her lifestyle.”

“Meaning she started sleeping around?”

“Sleeping around, threesomes, foursomes…you name it, and Maeve was up for it. And at first, I went along.”

“You did?” Ruby said, her voice raising an octave.

Bennett laughed. “I’m not a prude, and with the right partners, it can be enjoyable. And as long as it didn’t involve men, I had no problem with it, except Maeve developed a taste for bondage.”

“Oh, I am so not into that.”