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  “There was a man,” she said, moving to open the gate. He followed her into the courtyard.

  “What man?”

  “While I was running yesterday. He jogged up next to me by the Mint. Said you weren’t what you appeared to be. That you were dangerous. Then he warned me away from you. Said next time there wouldn’t be a warning.”

  The look on his face was one of genuine alarm. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

  She glared at him. “Don’t go all macho on me, Lazarus.” She unlocked the front door and flipped on the light. Her hackles rose, alerting her to danger. She put her finger to her lips, directing him to be silent, then reached into her bag for her subcompact Beretta semiautomatic. The bag slid to the carpeted floor and she chambered a round then released the safety. “Stay here.”

  She’d slipped into law-enforcement mode automatically, holding her gun double-handed, muzzle pointed down, index finger on the body of the pistol above the trigger guard. With head cocked, she listened. She shook her head. Whoever had been here was long gone, but she wasn’t taking any chances.

  Crossing the living room, she peeked into the formal dining room, then pressed herself against the wall and spun low into the kitchen. Clear. The French doors leading from the family room to the deck stood ajar. Fuckers. She pulled it closed and thumbed the lock. Through the den, up the hall, a quick peek in the guest bath, all clear.

  The door to the guestroom was open. She ducked inside, sweeping her gun in an arc, checked the closet and bathroom. Her computer was on, a message in large font resembling dripping blood scrolled across the screen. One word—ABOMINATION. With a snarl, she spun and reentered the hall.

  The master suite was the last room to check, and for some reason, she didn’t want to go in there. She took a deep breath and went in low. She swept the bathroom, the walk in closet, and peered under the bed. Clear. But someone had been here, and they’d left her a present. There, in the middle of her bed, was a dead bat.

  The hardwood floor creaked and she spun around, leveling her gun. “Jesus Christ, Noah! I nearly shot you!”

  “But you didn’t.”

  She sighed and ejected the chambered round. “What the fuck is going on here? Someone went to a lot of trouble to disable my security system, but nothing’s been taken. There’s a dead bat on my duvet cover and a message on my computer that reads ‘abomination.’ Why is someone trying to warn me away from you? Do you have enemies that think you’re some kind of psychic vampire?”

  There was a haunted look in his eyes, eyes that suddenly looked old beyond his years. “No, they think I’m a real vampire. And they’re right.”

  Olivia laughed. “Right.” But he was obviously serious and that sobered her. “Noah? Explain, please.”

  He walked to bed and picked up the bat, then opened her French doors and pitched the offensive thing over the wall. His walk was decidedly predatory when he approached and took her hand. “Come into the living room. We need to talk.”

  Chapter Five

  Stunned, Olivia stared at him in disbelief. “You don’t really expect me to believe that cock-and-bull story, do you? One true mate, a secret society stalking your women?”

  “It’s true.”

  “Noah, there’s no such things. Vampires, or werewolves, or witches or fairies, for that matter, they’re just stories invented to scare people. This is more likely about a jilted lover or disgruntled employee. I mean, seriously. It’s just too . . . have you seen a doctor about these . . . fantasies?”

  His laughter surprised her. “Don’t you mean delusions?”

  She bit her lower lip. “Well, I was trying to be . . . understanding.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Don’t upset the freak?” He gave her an appraising look. “You’ll require proof, I suppose.”

  “Uh—yeah.”

  This was ridiculous! A vampire? She’d had such high hopes for this budding relationship. He’d seemed so normal, seemed to genuinely care about her, and the sex was phenomenal.

  He reached up and stroked her temple. “I’m anything but normal, kitten, but I do care about you. And the sex is phenomenal.”

  She flinched. “You’re a telepath?”

  “I can probe your mind, yes, but I’m not a telepath. Not in the true definition of the word. Vampires are able to tap into people’s minds, delve into their thoughts.”

  A mix of disappointment and fear swamped her. The delusion was much stronger than she thought if he believed his sixth sense made him a vampire. Still, his gaze was steady, lacking the feverish fanaticism of someone possessed by magical thinking. And it occurred to her that she’d never seen him in the full light of day. His skin was pale from a lack of sun. She drew away from him. “I’ve never seen you out during the day.”

  “No. I burn easily and become dangerously dehydrated. I must be completely covered to walk in the sunlight. That will change as soon as we’re bound to one another.”

  She frowned. Bound together? What the fuck? “Yeah, what’s that about, exactly?”

  “My species carries an abnormal gene in our DNA. No one knows where it came from, but if we meet our true mate, and they agree to bond with us, we take on the ability to walk in the light. We can also reproduce.”

  God, she almost believed him. He sounded so reasonable. “You can’t have children?” Now, why did that disappoint her? She’d never thought about having children before.

  “Not currently, no.”

  “But if—”

  “If you transform me, I will be capable of giving you children.”

  Riiight. “And if I did this, speaking hypothetically, what would be required?”

  “You would have to willingly allow me to feed from you.”

  “Drink my blood, you mean.”

  “Yes.”

  “And would that turn me into a vampire?”

  His face was carefully neutral, and a sense of alarm skittered up her spine. “Not necessarily. Although, I would hope you would choose to do so, after a time.”

  “Why?”

  “So you wouldn’t grow old and leave me.”

  She blew out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Crazy as a bedbug.

  “Wow.”

  “Quite so.”

  Olivia sighed. His delusion was so firmly entrenched, he almost had her believing. “You can understand why I might be . . . skeptical.”

  He laughed at her declaration. “What can I do to prove it to you?”

  “Well, you could show me your fangs, I suppose. Although you’ve had your mouth all over my body and I don’t recall feeling any extra-sharp teeth.”

  Noah snorted. “I’m not a fledgling, Olivia. I can control my urges. Have you not wondered why I only take you from behind?”

  “Because you know I get the most pleasure that way?”

  A little growl escaped his throat. “No, but I’ll certainly keep that in mind. It’s so I’m less tempted to feed from you. When my mouth is close to your neck, I can practically hear the blood whispering in your veins. When I’m fucking you, the pleasure is so intense, I fear I’ll lose control if I nestle my face in your neck.”

  “Okay,” she said slowly, stretching the word out.

  “All right, I can see the only way to convince you is to show you my red eyes and sharp teeth. But I need a little incentive.” When she raised an eyebrow in question, he continued. “A kiss, kitten.”

  Dear God, the man could kiss! His mouth took hers, his lips sliding across hers in a slow, sensuous glide. He sucked on her bottom lip, then gave it a tug. With one knee on the couch, he tugged her against him and moved his hands to her ass to raise her up. His tongue plunged into her mouth, and he leaned back, pulling her on top of him to kiss her.

  She lay sprawled on top of him, his hands lifting her dress to caress her ass. And his mouth, his mouth was doing the most wonderful things, nibbling her jawline, nuzzling her neck, and then he spoke. “Look at me, Olivia.”

  “Shit!” Sh
e threw herself to the floor, crab-walking backward. “What the fuck?” He was looking at her, gray eyes glowing red, fangs fully elongated and ready to feed.

  “Are you afraid, Olivia? Do you think me a monster?”

  Her breath came in gulps andshe tried to steady herself. Jesus Christ! He was exactly what he claimed to be. Vampires were real? When he made no attempt to approach her, the fear subsided somewhat and she sat tailor-style on the floor, shaky but strangely intrigued. “How long have you been this way?”

  “I was turned in eleven hundred ninety-nine, during Richard the Lionheart’s reign.

  “Holy shit. The crusades?”

  He smiled, exposing his eyes and teeth, which were back to normal. “Yes. I was nearly eviscerated, dying. The vampire who made me gave me a choice of an agonizing death, or life everlasting. I chose life.”

  So, you’re over eight hundred years old?”

  He nodded. “I am.”

  “Wow.” She sat there for a moment, stunned, unconsciously scooting back until she was leaning against the wall. “So, what about garlic and crosses?”

  “I like garlic, especially when I’m eating Italian.”

  “You can eat regular food?”

  He nodded. “And a cross is just a cross.”

  “Stake through the heart?”

  “Will piss me off, but it won’t kill me.”

  She blew out a breath.

  “What will kill you?”

  “Fire does the job quite nicely. And, of course, there’s beheading.”

  “And the person who broke into my house and left those charming messages for me, any ideas?”

  “Sentinel.”

  She took a deep breath and blew it out. “Sentinel?”

  She stood and went to sit on the couch beside him. He wouldn’t harm her. She knew that now. He’d had every opportunity if that was his intent. He held out his hand, and she took it, settling in beside him to hear his story.

  “The Sentinel is a secret society dedicated to the destruction of my race, especially my unique species.”

  “Because you can reproduce.”

  He grimaced. “Yes. They killed Ian’s wife sixty-some years ago. He’d just come home from the war. She was pregnant.”

  Her hand covered her mouth. “So that’s the sadness I sometimes see in his eyes. Have you ever been married?”

  “No. I only just found my mate.”

  “Me.” Lord love a duck. Why did those words sound so good to her? She’d never been in a real relationship before, had never really wanted one.

  “You, kitten.”

  “And this secret society means to kill me?”

  “If you transform me they will try, but I won’t let that happen. You must believe me. I won’t let that happen.”

  “But why do they go after the women? Why not throw a Molotov cocktail through your bedroom window?”

  “As you’ve noticed, vampires are capable of great speed, and we’re very strong. Getting close enough to kill one of us is extremely dangerous. It’s easier to kill the women.”

  He stood. “I should leave. They mustn’t be allowed to believe you’re the one.”

  In a move that shocked her, she stayed his attempt to get up. “Does it hurt?”

  “Does what hurt?”

  “When you feed from someone. Does it hurt?”

  He pulled her into his embrace. “I’m told it stings. I would do it while making love to you, which intensifies the experience and lessens the discomfort.” He looked into her eyes. “Be certain, Olivia, because it can’t be undone. Once we bond, I will not take that responsibility lightly. When the Sentinel see me walking in the light, they’ll know, and they will not stop trying to take you from me. That’s something I will not allow.”

  “So, what, you’ll be even more obnoxious than you were in your office?”

  He chuckled. “Count on it. And I’ll feel free to take you any time and any place I want. You might be bending over to clean the tub and feel my cock plunge into you. Then there you’ll be, hanging on to the edge of the tub, howling like a banshee as I fuck you insensible. And now that I know you like to be fucked from behind, I promise you can expect it.”

  She swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry.

  He stood up. “Now, I should be going. You’re being watched, so I dare not stay any longer.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “Think about what we’ve discussed, and I’ll see you tonight at the club.”

  Olivia blew out a breath. “It’s a lot to take in, that’s for sure.” She followed him out, locking the gate behind him. Think about it? How could she think of anything else? She waited until he pulled away, then turned and went back into the house.

  His mate? How was it possible? Could that be the reason she’d never had any strong feelings for the men she’d dated, slept with? Had fate decreed she be with this man, love only this man, spend an eternity with him? As bizarre as it seemed, it certainly went a long way toward explaining her failure to form attachments with the men in her life.

  Oh, sure, there’d been one or two she’d felt some genuine affection for, but love? Never. Not even once. She’d thought her lack of feelings had more to do with her relationship with her father—a cold, distant man—than anything else. Didn’t all the psychology books say that a girl learned to love men through the relationship forged between father and daughter?

  She reset her alarm system and went into the bedroom, stripping the duvet and sheets from the bed, shivering in disgust. Dead bats and threatening messages on her computer aside, she was damned well pissed off that this Sentinel organization felt free to invade her personal space. So what if Noah was a . . . vampire. Jeeze. Try wrapping your mind around that. Did that mean the other monsters from her childhood were real? Werewolves, witches, fairies? Holy crap! Her safe, comfortable life had just been turned upside down. One thing was certain, the likelihood of getting any sleep tonight was nil.

  Chapter Six

  Olivia dressed carefully for work. On this particular Saturday night, Flirt was hosting a bachelor auction to benefit breast cancer research. Since she’d lost her mother to the disease, the cause was near and dear to her heart. She and Ian had put in many hours planning the event, and both he and Noah were up for bid. She was selling some unsuspecting woman a date with a vampire. Unfuckingbelievable.

  She chose a lush, crimson silk dress with a distinctive forties flare. The double-capped sleeves fluttered delicately, and the bodice was cut low in the front and back, with gathered shoulders and upper bust, and button closures at the back of the inverted v-shaped waist. The full skirt fell to just below her knees.

  Just for fun, she combined the sexy red dress with a choker of brass chain, red silk cording, antique glass cameos, and a variety of other beads, along with her grandmother’s ruby and gold earrings. It was just the touch of funk she was looking for, taking her from serious to flirty. To the overall look, she added a pair of open-sided, ankle-strap pumps. She did a little spin in front of the mirror. Noah apparently had a thing for the forties sex kitten look, and this outfit definitely delivered. She had a feeling he’d love the black thigh-high stockings with the seams in the backs. All in all, she felt very sexy, indeed. She gave herself a little wink, grabbed her black pashmina, and headed for work.

  * * * *

  Expensive cars packed the parking lot of Flirt, and several limos idled in line, waiting to pour out their sparkling occupants. Olivia maneuvered her BMW around the crowds and parked in her assigned spot. Gabriel met her at the door before she could even get her key in the lock. “Ian’s having a meltdown. When they delivered the catwalk, they forgot to include the skirting.”

  Olivia snorted. “If that’s the least of his worries, things ought to run smoothly.” She handed Gabriel her keys. “Go to that Christmas store, the one that’s open year-round, buy a dozen boxes of those icicle lights—eight white and four multicolored. Then stop and pick up a couple of spools of thin-gauged wire. We’ll wire the lights to the fr
ames. Once they’re lit up, nobody will care there’s no skirting.”

  “You got it, boss.” He slid behind the wheel and keyed the ignition. “Sweet ride.” He gunned the engine and peeled out.

  “Boys,” she said with an exaggerated sigh and went inside.

  She found Ian in Noah’s office, raving about the lack of professionalism in business these days. When she closed the door behind her, he took a deep breath, ready to regale her with the horror of no skirting for the catwalk.

  She beat him to the punch. “It’s being handled, Ian. Relax, you’re going to give yourself a heart attack.” She looked at Noah, raised a questioning brow. “Can vampires actually have heart attacks?”