Ion sits and pulls my hand until it’s pressed to his heart. One solid beat.
“Do you feel that?”
I nod. The cool of his skin seeps through his golf shirt.
“My heart does not need to beat more than a few times a day, but in your presence it beats often.” He kisses the inside of my wrist, and when he looks up, his fangs are longer. “Your blood sings to me, and this is something that has never happened to me before. I find you both beautiful and interesting. You’ve raised two bright children entirely on your own. Whatever it is that you don’t see when you look in the mirror, Lori, I hope you see as you catch your reflection in my eyes.”
My throat is tight, and tears spring to my eyes. No one has ever said anything remotely like this to me in my life. “Thank you, Ion. I don’t know what to say.”
Brushing aside my tear with his thumb, he smiles. “Say that you like me enough to take this relationship as far as it can go. Say that this date is not our last.”
It never occurred to me that he might feel insecure. “I’m in love with you, Ion. I should have told you last night. I suppose I was overwhelmed by the wonderful night with you, but I’m telling you now. I love you, and maybe have since the moment I first saw you at the police station. You just seemed too far above me for it to matter.”
Dropping to his knees in front of me, he takes both my hands. “I am not even at your level, lovely Lori. You are good, and while I have striven to be so, I have failed more times than I care to count.”
I tug his hands until he sits beside me again. “I’m willing to walk beside you, Ion, but I’ll never believe myself better than you. That can’t convince me.”
Pressing his cool lips to mine, he gently coaxes my mouth open, and when his tongue touches mine, heat rushes through me and shoots like an arrow between my legs.
I moan into his kiss and wrap my arms around his neck. His soft hair barely curls at the back of his neck, and I love the feel of it.
When he breaks this kiss, we’re both breathing hard, and his golden eyes shine with green and brown flecks.
Mesmerized, I can’t take my gaze away. I catch my breath. “Tell me what happened when you told Mari and Tilda about us.”
“They were happy for us, but Tilda raised some concerns about…” He hesitates and looks away.
“About how short my life is compared to yours.” I finish for him.
“Yes.” He runs his fingers along my jaw. “Don’t worry about what others may think. I’m only concerned with your feelings. I wanted to tell my family and know they’ll enjoy the time we'll all have together. After all, they love you and the girls.”
It’s true that Mari, Tilda, and their mates have been very good to me, Dottie, and Livi, but I can see where they worry that in a relatively short time, I’ll be an old woman and Ion will go on without me when I die. “I wish I could say I’m sorry for the shortness of human lives, but it’s what makes each day special.”
When he smiles, it lights up behind his eyes, and the love that pours from him just for me is enough to make me gasp. “You are everything, Lori.”
He kisses my fingers, my neck, and jaw before finding my lips and making love to my mouth.
Someone will have to stop this before it goes too far with my daughters just a hallway away, but it’s going to have to be Ion, because I cannot resist him. I’m so turned on; I want to mount him and ride him all night. Even that thought has me moaning and leaning in.
Pulling back despite the way his cock is pressing against his jeans, he takes several deep breaths. “I should leave.”
“We could drink more wine.” I feel as if I’m poking a bear, but I can’t help myself.
His smile is wicked. “You are too tempting.” He kisses the tip of my nose. From his pocket, his phone vibrates against my leg. He pulls it out and frowns.
“Saved by a phone call.”
Still looking serious, he answers the call. “Hello.” He listens. “This is Ion Radu.” He walks across the room away from me and lowers his voice. “I see. Yes, I’ll come.”
When he looks at me, there’s something in his eyes that I’ve not seen before, and I can’t place the emotion. He almost looks haunted, but that’s not likely for a vampire who’s lived as long as Ion. “I’ll fly out tomorrow.” He hangs up the phone.
“I guess you’re leaving.” I cross to the kitchen and start loading the remaining dishes into the dishwasher. People leave on trips all the time. Sometimes they don’t come back, and sometimes they don’t call. I once had a date who got a call in the middle of dinner. He said he had to take it, and when he walked out of the restaurant, he never came back. I was stuck with the bill and a whole extra bucket of baggage.
That was a long time ago. I’m stronger now.
Instead of rushing out the door or making excuses about the call, he steps behind me and wraps his arms around me. Kissing my neck, he sighs. “That was the monster authorities.”
The agency that took away the boogeyman. I turn into his embrace, terror rocketing through me. “Did that thing get away?”
