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Rhys dismissed the Council with a wave of his hand, and then he smiled. It had been a long time since he’d fought another vampire to the death. He discounted the fight with Mariah. That hadn’t been a battle so much as an execution.
But tonight, he had a date with Megan DeLacey.
A knock at the door had Megan’s heart racing like a runaway train. He was here.
“You okay, girlfriend?” Shirl called as Megan went to answer the door. “You’re looking a little frazzled.”
Frazzled didn’t begin to cover it, Megan thought. Just thinking about Rhys sent her hormones into overdrive.
“Don’t worry,” Shirl said, a smile in her voice. “As soon as I get a look at him, I’ll make myself scarce.”
Megan nodded. She paused to take a deep breath before she opened the door. “Hi.”
Lord, the man was gorgeous. Tonight, he wore a gray-and-black–striped shirt with the sleeves rolled up over a black T-shirt, black jeans, and boots. When he smiled at her, she thought she might melt.
“Hi.” He arched one brow at her. “You gonna invite me in?”
“What? Oh, yes.” She took a step back, thinking how good he smelled as he moved past her into the living room where Shirl waited.
Megan quickly introduced Rhys to her roommate, and then, true to her word, Shirl excused herself and went upstairs, but not before giving Megan a wide-eyed nod of approval.
“So,” Megan said, gesturing for Rhys to sit down, “what did you do today?”
He lifted one shoulder in a graceful shrug. “Nothing much. Worked on the books. Ordered some new stock for the bar, that kind of thing.”
“Oh. How did your business meeting go?”
“About as I expected.”
“Have you owned the nightclub very long?”
“A few years. It keeps me busy.”
“So, what do you think of Shirl?”
“She’s a knockout.”
It was the response Megan had expected, but she couldn’t help feeling a little jealous just the same. Men rarely paid any attention to her when she and Shirley were in the same room.
“But not as pretty as you.”
“That’s nice of you to say, but it isn’t necessary. Or true.”
“Hey, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And to me, you’re beautiful.”
She felt her cheeks warm at the compliment. “Thank you.”
“Okay if I kiss you?”
She laughed softly. “You’ve never asked before, but, yes, it’s okay.”
She closed her eyes as his arm slid around her shoulders, drawing her closer. His lips were cool, yet, at their touch, heat flowed through her, turning her blood to liquid fire. She had been kissed by other men, but never with such intensity. If kissing were an art form, he would surely be the master, she thought dreamily. The Michelangelo of osculatory delights. The Picasso of kissers.
Somehow, they were lying on the sofa, with Rhys’s body covering hers, his mouth trailing fire as he rained kisses on her forehead, the tip of her nose, her eyelids, and her cheeks before returning to her lips. She moaned softly, every nerve and cell in her body straining toward him. It had been years since her divorce, years since she had taken a man to her bed. Or wanted to.
She felt bereft when he took his mouth from hers and gained his feet.
A rush of heat flooded her cheeks when she looked past Rhys and saw Shirl standing in the doorway, a smirk on her face. “I hate to interrupt you, but Mr. Parker just called.”
“He did?” Sitting up, Megan smoothed a hand over her hair. “I didn’t hear the phone.”
“I’m not surprised. Anyway, he said he’s going to be late tonight and wants to know if you can go in a little early and open up.”
“Is he still on the phone?”
“No. He said to call back if you can’t make it.”
Megan glanced at her watch. It was seven fifteen. “I guess I’d better get ready.”
“Sorry for the intrusion,” Shirl said, looking at Rhys. “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Costain.”
He grinned at her as he raked a hand through his hair. “Just Rhys.”
“Rhys it is,” she said, returning his grin. “See you tomorrow, Meggie. Good night, Rhys.”
He waited until Shirl left the room before taking Megan by the hand and pulling her to her feet. “Meggie?”
“I hate that name.”
“Would you like me to drive you to work?” he asked.
“That isn’t necessary.”
He was about to say he would be glad to do it when his cell phone rang. “Excuse me.” Turning his back to Megan, he flipped open the phone. “What is it?”
“There’ve been three more murders,” Rupert said. “Bodies all drained of blood.”
“Where?”
“Fort Worth.”
“Thanks for letting me know,” Rhys said, and ended the call.
“Is something wrong?” Megan asked.
“Some business at the club I need to take care of,” he replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
A quick kiss, and he was gone.
“He’s a hottie, that one,” Shirl said, coming up behind her.
“What? Oh, yes, he is.”
“He sure left in a hurry.”
“Some business at his club. I’ll have to take you there some time. You’ll love it.”
“He’s gorgeous, but I can see why he scares you. There’s an edge about him, something…I don’t know.”
“You sensed it, too?”
“How could anyone miss it?”
“I thought maybe it was just me.”
“Another thing, he seems really, I don’t know, really worldly wise and self-assured for someone so young. You know what I mean?”
Megan nodded. She had noticed that, too. “He doesn’t act his age, that’s for sure.”
“Be careful, girlfriend,” Shirl admonished. “I think this one plays for keeps.”
Rhys swore softly as he drove to the club. He didn’t want to have to worry about some rogue vamp, or what it might mean if the renegade decided to come to LA. As Master of the West Coast Vampires, Rhys had only one rule for those in his territory—don’t leave any bodies drained of blood where they could be found. Most vampires were smart enough not to call attention to their kind. They preyed on transients or the homeless—people who wouldn’t be missed. But this rogue, he was killing indiscriminately, and that boded ill for all of them.
