Staying behind, Olivia looks at me. “Are you going to tell us a story tonight, Mr. Radu?”
“If you wish.” I’m powerless to refuse any of the Mannings.
She brightens and nods. “The nightmares stay away when you tell your stories.”
“Then I will come. You know, those dreams will go away eventually. Human brains are amazing, and dreams are where you store many thoughts and fears. After a while, happier thoughts will dominate your mind, and those will push aside the nightmares.” I’m surprised this little girl has so much trust in me and stands close despite what I am. Harmony Glen is the only place I’ve ever lived where children did not fear me.
“Do you think so?” She seems older than when I first met her and older than her twin.
The sun shifts, and I’m forced to dip my head lower so the bill of my cap shields my face. “I know it to be true.”
The hint of a smile pulls at her lips, and she brushes her hair off her forehead. “I believe you.”
Watching as she runs toward her mother, I’m once again struck by how beautiful Lori is.
Lori leans down and says something to Olivia. The child walks through the pumpkin patch, once again in search of the perfect one, while Lori heads in my direction.
What is it about this human woman that makes me doubt long-held beliefs about getting involved with short-lived species? I’ve managed over eight hundred years without anaffair with anyone warm-blooded. Looking at her in her snug jeans and burnt-orange sweater, all I see is beauty and goodness. Even her asking me to help and losing her temper didn’t dissuade me from being attracted to her.
Her cheeks are pink as she stands in front of me. There’s a weariness in her eyes and a hint of dark rings on the skin beneath, which she’s attempted to cover with makeup. “Hello, Ion.”
“Lori.” I love the way her name feels on my tongue. “Olivia has asked me to tell her and her sister a story tonight. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes.” Her blush deepens. “They slept through the night without any nightmares. That’s more than the psychologist can do.”
“The therapist’s skills are of equal value.” It is important for the twins to have an adult to talk to other than their mother, who is also dealing with the aftereffects of the kidnapping.
“I know.” She rubs the bridge of her nose.
“Have you had much sleep?” I shouldn’t make personal inquiries, but my mouth and my brain don’t seem to be on the same page when Lori is nearby.
“When the girls go to sleep, I check on them. Then I worry and check every few minutes again.” She shakes her head. “I have the alarm, and their window has bars, which isn’t the best optic for anyone. They’re as safe as they can be. Still, I can’t help the panic that sets in whenever I close my eyes.”
“I could spend the night.” Inside my head, there is a voice screaming to shut up.
Wide-eyed, she stares for a long moment. “You want to…um…to sleep at my house?” Her blood rushes faster, and her pulse speeds up. On the side of her curved throat, it throbs like a beacon.
As her reaction makes my blood rush downward, and I push aside my growing desire. “You would sleep. I would watch over the house and check in on the children. You would be in no danger from me, and it might offer you some peace of mind. However, if I am overstepping, you may disregard the offer.”
“No.” Her voice is loud enough that Mari and Sam turn from where they’re watching the twins. Just above a whisper, she clarifies, “What I mean is, I would be grateful for a good night’s sleep if you don’t mind watching over my girls.”
“It would be my honor.” The fact that she trusts me so completely is almost as arousing as the hints of desire in her breathing and the dilation of her pupils.
“I’m not entirely sure you being in the house is conducive to my sleeping well.” The warm scent of her arousal fills the air around me.
A knot forms in my throat. It’s been many centuries since I was nervous. For that matter, it’s been that long since the sight of a woman excited me so thoroughly. “I suppose we’ll find out tonight.”
The thrill of knowing that Lori Manning is attracted feels youthful. The memory of my youth is so far behind me, it’s a wonder anything remains. I should stay away. A smart man might even leave Harmony Glen and get as far away from such temptation as soon as possible.
Yet, at eight o’clock, I ring her doorbell.
A moment later, she’s standing in the open threshold. In gray sweatpants and a black long-sleeved T-shirt, and carrying akitchen towel, she has her hair pulled up in a ponytail. With her face free of makeup, those dark rings are fully visible. “Thank you for coming, Ion.”
“I said I would.” That was the final argument that kept me from staying away.
Stepping back, she invites me inside. “Yes, well, people don’t always do what they say they will.”
Olivia keeps me from responding by tugging on my hand. “Mr. Radu, you came.”
