Diners in the surrounding tables cast us a look. I felt the blush spread across my face. So much for not being embarrassed. But the worst was yet to come.
“When are we going to meet him?”
I thanked God that I’d swallowed water instead of food, or I would have choked. As it was, I coughed and spat out water. A passing waiter asked if I was all right.
“I’m fine,” I gasped. “No problem.”
“I asked when we were going to meet—”
“I heard you the first time.” People watched us; some smiling, some frowning. “You aren’t going to meet him for a while. I just met him. When I know him better, I’ll bring him by one night—”
“Why don’t we all meet for lunch this weekend?”
She was persistent, as always. “No, we’re going to be busy.” Because Danial would combust in the sun. And I doubted he would eat regular food, though I had yet to find out for sure.
“He’s the first man you’ve mentioned since Brennen. Of course, I want to meet him. I want to know everything about him. Chris will want to take him fishing.” She grasped my hand, her eyes moist. “I’m so happy for you.”
Crap. I couldn’t fault her for wanting me to be happy. So, of course, I put my foot in it and said, “We’ll try to stop by Friday night.”
She smiled happily, said that would be fine, and went back to her dessert. I thought to myself that I was grateful to have a mother like her, for her to care so much about my happiness, but I’d just added another problem for Danial and I to navigate..
Kat was easier. I spilled the story to her with relish, editing the parts where I’d rescued Daniel, him being a vampire, and the fact that someone wanted to kill him. In short, everything except that he was handsome, had a good job, and was taking me out on Friday. She was ecstatic for me and didn’t add anything judgmental, such as: you’re letting him live with you and you’ve known him only a week or you’re going to sleep with him, and you’ve known him only a week?
When she asked how we’d met, I told her it was through a mutual friend at the friend’s house, which was kind of true. I’d met Danial on my neighbor’s property.
It was then that I remembered something I’d forgotten.
Right after lunch, I headed home. When I pulled up to the access road, much to my relief and consternation, I saw that the chain was up. On closer inspection, it clearly wasn’t the same chain; it was newer and without rust. I got back in my car, mollified. Now I just had to make sure it had been Danial who’d replaced the broken chain, and not my neighbor.
* * * *
Thursday night, I did some housecleaning, which included Danial’s room, though he kept it pretty neat. It gave me a charge being around his things, even if it was ridiculous
I walked the dogs. Ghost was a little antsy again but Darkness was her usual self. I hadn’t seen any signs of bear, but maybe the coyotes were around. The neighbors had sighted a pack of five, but I’d only ever seen one by itself. There used to be a few around, but as the farms in the county failed, forests replaced the fields. More animals used these “corridors” to make their way south from Canada. Hell, I’d seen a bobcat out my window one night.
I listened and looked as we walked, but I saw no sign of any predator.
* * * *
I opened my eyes and grinned. Friday. I’d waited all week, and it was finally here. I would see Danial tonight, and we’d have our first real date: dancing and a movie. I’d left all the details to him, so I wasn’t sure where we were going. But I wasn’t going to sweat it. I was a decent dancer and I could hold my own on the dance floor. I’d taken professional lessons when I was younger, which was about the only girlie thing I’d done. I had good movement and grace, though I was out of practice. Seeing the movie would be easier and would tell me more about him, at least from my point of view. One of my standing rules of dating was choosing a movie together and enjoying it. If a couple couldn’t do that, they probably weren’t compatible. We’d see if we could pass the test by what he suggested and how much he liked what I suggested.
I wanted to stay in bed and imagine being with him, but it was past time to get up. I wanted to be early to work to handle anything that came up and still be able to leave on time. The day went by in a blur, and I got home around five. I didn’t expect Danial to be there until seven, so I had a little time. I walked the dogs, gave them their daily Cheweez, and showered. I initially wanted to dress up for him, but decided against it. He hadn’t said to, and I felt more comfortable in casual clothes.
God, even in my mind, I felt like I was babbling.
I put on a long multicolored gypsy skirt with tiny beads, and a sexy but not too revealing white bustier for dancing. Over that, I put a loose white tunic sweater. This was for the movie, where I would probably be cold. I put on some simple gold hoops and looked in my jewelry chest for something else. I pulled out a bracelet but stopped. Sitting in the chest were my wedding rings. I hadn’t worn them for almost a year. I remembered picking them out with Brennan and how happy I’d been. A tear formed in my eye, and I blinked it away.
Damn it, I didn’t need to think about this now. I shut the chest and neatened up, picking up the few clothes I’d thrown here and there in my search for the perfect outfit.
When I made the bed, I found Danial’s shirt. After my dream, I hadn’t worn the shirt to bed again, afraid I’d lose the scent too fast. Instead, I’d draped it over the bedpost to make that wonderful scent last longer. I’d asked Danial what the fragrance was and he’d said it was a mixture of cedar and nutmeg, plus a few other “secret ingredients.”
The shirt had fallen off the bedpost during the night. I picked it off the floor and hung it up again. It still smelled wonderful. I breathed in the fragrance, suddenly aroused.
Shit, I had to move it! I gave one last sniff, and then hurried to put on a little makeup. I wanted to look good. Screw that, I wanted to be breathtaking—or as breathtaking as I could be. I wasn’t a supermodel, but I was striking. Or at least, I had been once.
I put on some foundation and a little blush and added eye shadow to enhance my green eyes. My hair had dried since the shower, and it tumbled down my back to my waist. It was various shades of blonde, both from the sun and the highlighting kits I used occasionally to streak it. It was almost all one length and moderately curly, so I fixed it to stay out of my eyes with a barrette. I had a hair appointment soon and debated cutting it off to send to a cancer charity. But I kind of liked it now and thought about putting off the appointment for another six months.
My eyelashes were so light that I needed a little mascara if I wanted anyone to know I had them, so I put that on, as well as lip liner and a touch of gloss. None of the makeup was stark or noticeable, but I wasn’t going for the Victoria’s Secret model look. Maybe I’d try that on Saturday.
I admired myself in the mirror. Pretty damn good.
I thought about wearing high heels, which would make the outfit swish better, but I hadn’t worn any for a while. My standard work shoes these days had steel toes. I went to the closet and got some low-heeled slip-on sandals. These were nice enough to dance in, but not too high that I’d be hobbling by the time we got to the movie.
Oh shit, I hadn’t painted my toenails. My fingernails I’d had to give a pass to.I never did much for them beyond making sure they were clean and filed. It was another brand of the life I lived; handling steel parts and firewood broke nails off in a nasty way if I didn’t keep them short. But tonight was special, it was our first date. Even if Danial never saw me with painted toenails again in my life, I wanted to go all out tonight.
Did I have enough time? I checked the clock. Yes, if I hurried.
I put on two coats in record time and a top clear coat over that. Fortunately, my few bottles of polish were all of the fast-dry variety. Another fact of my life was that any pampering I did lasted a half hour at the most.
I double-checked that everything was set to go and that I had money in my pur
se, just in case. Just as I was closing it, I saw headlights out of the corner of my eye coming up the driveway.
Danial parked in the basement garage. I heard the sound of the garage door closing, his footsteps coming up the stairs, and then he was there. He set a package down and crossed the room to hug me. It was so good to feel him in my arms again. He was almost warm, and I leaned back to look up at him.
He’d been ash pale when I last saw him. Though he was pale now, it wasn’t an abnormal pallor, and the luster to his skin was back in spades. His hair had been a dark brown, soft and shoulder length, with a slight curl. Now it was darker, a shade away from black, and curled only at the ends. It was also cut short and was feathered back on the sides. Had he done his hair for me?
He was dressed in jeans and an ivory linen shirt with an open collar. He had on leather boots that had to be handmade.
“Do you like what you see?” he said, tilting his head and looking at me.
Was he kidding? I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
“I take that as a yes?” There was satisfaction in his voice.
“Very much,” I said huskily, “You seem to have recovered from your injury.”
“Yes,” he said sturdily, maybe to reassure me.
“You never told me, but what was it that hurt you so badly?”
He was silent for a moment. “Believe it or not, an arrow. Someone tipped it with a special mixture just for me. Vampire poison—lethal. The only cure is human blood, a lot of blood, which has to be taken within forty-eight hours of being poisoned. The toxin stops our systems from regenerating, and it takes the massive influx of blood to jump-start our system again.”
“So if I’d waited much longer?” I murmured quietly.
“If you hadn’t done what you did when you had, you wouldn’t be talking to me now. That’s why I reacted the way I did,” he said uncomfortably. He grasped my hand, and brought it to his lips. “I’m sorry for that. Forgive me?”
“I thought you weren’t going to apologize,” I said teasingly.
“I changed my mind.”
“I accept your apology. But it’s okay; I knew when I gave you blood there was risk.”
“Can’t you ever just agree with me?” he asked sardonically.
“I promise to agree all night,” I replied, smiling gently.
He pulled me closer. “I’ll hold you to that,” he whispered and kissed me. It was as good as I remembered, and I lost myself in him. I ran my hands up to his newly cut hair. He stopped kissing me long enough to say, “Do you like it?”
“I love it.”
“Come,” he said eagerly. “I have something for you.”
“If you’re the one who fixed the chain to the quarry that was all I needed.”
“I had it fixed before I left the first time, but I got you something special, as I told you I would.”
“You didn’t have to,” I said coquettishly.
“It would be rude of you not to accept it when you promised to agree with me only a minute ago.”
Danial handed the package to me. It was wrapped in expensive gold paper with a huge bow. I unwrapped a blood-red velvet box and opened it. Inside was a necklace, but none like I’d seen before. It was a choker, but made entirely out of— “Is that gold?”
“Eighteen karats. Anything purer and it won’t last.”
“It’s beautiful.” And it was. The clasp wasn’t like any I’d seen before and didn’t even seem functional. I didn’t have a lot of expensive jewelry so I couldn’t say. The links were delicate, the filigree somehow twined together so it resembled cloth, like chain mail, but more delicate. It looked decidedly feminine. On the front, a tiny symbol hung.
“Is that a wolf?”
“A fox. That’s my symbol—my family’s symbol and my company logo.” He raised his hand and showed me the heavy gold ring on his finger. It was old and bore the same figure. A fox with its head down, eyes staring up, baring no teeth. “This was my father’s ring. The eyes on your necklace are small rubies, like the ones here.”
“Thank you,” I said appreciatively. “I love it.” I was a little worried about the money he’d spent on me. It was hardly the kind of present to give me so early in our relationship. But I had saved his life and it felt wrong to make a comment that might make me sound ungrateful or rude.
He reached into the box and brought it out. It made a soft clinking sound as he fastened it around my neck. It fit perfectly, and I slid my hands over it.
“How did you get it the right size? Where did you even get something like this?” I faced the hall mirror to admire how I looked. The filigree banded my neck, while the fox hung in the hollow of my throat, the eyes winking softly in the overhead light.
“I had it custom made for you. I know a goldsmith who does excellent work, especially rush orders.”
I grew uneasy. “You didn’t have to pay extra to rush—.”
“Sarelle,” he interrupted, “this is more than a necklace. It’s security for you.”
“Why would I need security?”
“This identifies you as someone who means something to me. Vampires aren’t very numerous, contrary to what all the books and shows say. There aren’t many in the country, and most are familiar with my symbol. They would know what this choker signifies and leave you alone. I want you to wear it for me. When I’m not here with you, be sure to wear it, so you’re safe.”
“Why? No one knows you’re here. No one knows about us.”
“We can’t keep our relationship a secret forever. That arrow was meant for me, and I’ve been able to track down the culprit. It wasn’t just another mercenary. This was a vampire. Should he somehow track me to you, he’ll see this and leave you alone, even if he attacks me. It’s against vampire law to do otherwise.”
I touched the necklace. “I don’t like any of this, but I’ll wear it.”
A horn sounded, and Danial said, “He’s waiting. We’re going to be late.” He noticed me picking up my purse. “Leave your purse; tonight’s on me.”
I set my purse down and grabbed my driver’s license for ID, then hesitated. Wait a minute, He who?
I locked up and walked out with him. There was a black Expedition in the driveway, gleaming in the faint light from my porch. When we reached the SUV, I saw someone in the driver’s seat. Danial opened the back door and followed me into the car.
“This is my most trusted employee, Theo.”
Theo turned around, pulled down his sunglasses, and gave me a wink.
Sunglasses at night? I chalked it up to some supernatural ability and let it go. Theo was a little younger than Danial, maybe late twenties. He had sandy hair and blue eyes, a lean build, but also an ease of movement that told me he was strong and most likely fast.
“Hi, Sar.” He spoke casually, with mirth. “It’s good to meet you after hearing so much about you.”
I could see he didn’t have any fangs when he grinned. Then I realized what he’d said and was glad it was dark. What had Danial told him about me? “I hope it was all good things,” I said gamely. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”
“I’ve checked the property and no one seems to be here,” Theo said to Danial “But I left Aran on the access road to watch the house while we’re gone.”
“Good.”
“You must be more worried about an attack than I thought to have set up all this security.”
“There have been attempts on and off for as long as I’ve run my company. But recently, due to the past few jobs, I’ve added at least one more enemy who may be out for revenge. The security is just in case.” He smiled faintly at me, his eyes troubled. “Don’t worry. You’re safe.”
Why worry, just because I felt like I was living in one of the Godfather movies? Was it always like this around him?
Theo added his own assessment. “In any case, this vampire who tried once already thinks he’s on some kind of mission. He’ll attack again, and soon.”
Danial gave him a dark look, t
hen turned to me. “When he does, I’ll handle him.”
“We’ll handle him,” Theo said pointedly, not looking at Danial.
“We’ve been over this,” Danial said icily. “The matter is closed, Theo.”
I wisely said nothing.
“It’s better if we—”
“Enough,” Danial growled. “We are going to be late.”
Theo wasn’t intimidated. He just put the Expedition in gear and drove off.
“So,” I said to fill the silence, “where are we going?”
“To the college town a little north of here,” Danial replied. “There’s a club there called the Haunt.”
That settled, I sat back and enjoyed the ride. It would be about thirty minutes.
Danial held my hand. His was a little cooler than mine, and I covered it with my other hand to warm it. When I remembered just what he was, I wondered what it would be like when we were together tomorrow. All of him was sure to be cool, not just his hands. I shivered a little. Danial mistook my apprehension for a chill and asked Theo to turn up the heater. I was a little cold, so I didn’t correct him. I tried to get my mind off sex and started listening instead. When I resumed listening, I realized Danial and Theo were talking about business. From the way they shared and gave information, I deduced that Theo was something akin to head of security for Danial’s company. More than that, they seemed to be good friends. Theo had a wicked sense of humor, but he was ruthless.
“We’ve got to take care of the Phoenix problem,” Theo said, exasperated. “We can’t just let it hang out there until it decides to bite us in the ass.”
“We can’t act right now, you know that. Not unless we’re willing to kill the man pulling the strings.”
“Then let’s kill him and be done with it,” Theo said. “Better one dead patriarch than a bunch of our guys wounded when Maximillian sends a bomb to your office.”
I was shocked that he would talk so casually of killing, like ordering out for dinner. My feeling of unease came back, but I said nothing. Danial’s company was a little larger than I’d envisioned. I’d thought it was a small business, just him and two others. Maybe he was Vampire Entrepreneur Extraordinaire.
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