Page 59 of Into The Light

“And the part where he pissed himself? Did that really happen?”

Aiden laughed louder. “That little tidbit was your present from Mark. He insisted I add that in for good measure... to really seal his fate. Mark says I’m supposed to say ‘Happy birthday, sweetie. You’re welcome.’”

“There is no one in the world who will work with the guy who stood up at Madison Square Garden and pissed his pants.” Laughter erupted from deep within me and continued until I struggled to breathe. I kept hearing him say the words, “I just pissed my pants” over and over in my mind and each time it got more ridiculous and hysterical.

“I can’t wait to see the YouTube videos of this,” Aiden said.

“Mark will die when he sees this! We’ll be laughing about it for years!”

We reached the exit and Aiden held the door for me while I stepped out into the open air. I felt lighter, and it made me do an impromptu twirl. I caught Aiden’s appreciative glance when my skirt flitted up a bit too high. His intense gaze made my cheeks flush and soon I felt my chest follow. Thank God I’d insisted on underwear tonight.

While I smoothed my skirt back down, I looked at Aiden and tried to comprehend how I’d ended up here... on this perfect, amazing, incredible night with a vampire. And only one thing could make my night even better. The one thing I knew I shouldn’t do.

A kiss.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Emilia

We made our way past the crew members loading trucks in the lots and Aiden pulled out his phone and texted Cyrus.

Aiden put away his phone. “He’s two blocks over. With this traffic it will be faster for us to walk to him. Is that all right?”

“Lead the way!” I practically sang. “I’m so exhilarated I could run ten miles right now. Even in these shoes, and that’s saying something.”

“This way,” Aiden pointed to the alley across the street.

We moved through the traffic to the shortcut that cut across to where Cyrus would be waiting. When we stepped into the dim lights of the alley, it gave me pause, but then I remembered who walked beside me.

“Are you all right? Your heart sped up.”

“I forget that you can hear my heart. It’s a little strange.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”

“No need to apologize. I don’t mind. And yes, I got a little scared coming down here. I’m not the kind of girl who walks into dark alleys. I’m the kind of girl who stays in the lights and the crowds for safety. I’ve seen the movies. Nothing good ever happens in alleys. Don’t run up the stairs when the killer is chasing you, don’t yell, ‘who’s there?’ into the creepy room, and don’t walk down dark alleys. And never ever collapse next to the killer’s ‘dead’ body and sob. That son of a bitch is still alive. It’s ‘How to Survive a Horror Movie 101’.”

He laughed, and I loved how natural it sounded now.

“It’s a good thing you’ve got me, then. Although it sounds like you’ve got things covered. Since I’m making you break a rule, I’ll make sure you make it to the end of this movie.”

He stepped closer to my side, and his close proximity caused a wave of desire to move through my body again. “I suppose it’s a good thing to have you by my side.”

“Did you have a nice time tonight?”

“A nice time? Are you kidding? A nice time is what you have when you go for dinner and a movie. This... this was straight out of a fairy tale. Honestly, Aiden. I can’t believe you did all this for me. And on such short notice, no less. There aren’t enough words to thank you for this perfect evening.”

“Your smile is thanks enough.”

Heat flushed back to my cheeks and chest again. Tonight, something had shifted between us, and I found myself even more drawn to him than before. It wasn’t just his looks I found intoxicating now... it was him. All of him. Beneath that cold exterior beat the heart of a charming, funny, and even romantic man... vampire. He sucked me in like a vortex I had no desire to fight. In fact, it was all I could do to keep myself from running straight at it and leaping into the depths without questioning where it would take me. All I knew was that I wanted to taste his lips again and feel those cool hands on every inch of my body.

Aiden froze, and it snapped me out of my fantasy of feeling his tongue invade my mouth again. I heard cans clank and I spun to see the silhouette of three men emerging from the shadows.

“Emilia, don’t move,” he commanded and pushed me behind him.

The men stepped into the dim lights and the gun glinted when the man in front drew it to chest level. “Don’t resist and you’ll both walk out of here just fine,” he said, stepping toward us. His bald head shone bright as he stepped further into the light. “Just give us your wallets, jewelry and other valuables and we’ll be on our way.”

Aiden lowered his head, blocking me behind his body. “Leave. Now.” The primal tones in his growl sent a shiver snaking up my spine.