Drifting, floating somewhere between worlds, she ran her hands over his shoulders and down his arms, marveling at the latent strength that flexed beneath her questing fingertips. His hair, soft and silky, brushed her cheek as he lowered his head to kiss her, a long, slow kiss that had her wanting him again.

“So soon?” He nuzzled her neck, his tongue hot against her cooling flesh.

“Only if you want to.”

“Silly question,” he murmured, and then he was moving inside her again, carrying her away to heights only he could climb, evoking sensations only he could arouse.

He was gone in the morning, but she was used to that by now. At loose ends, nervous at the thought of seeing Shirl later, Megan did something she hadn’t done in months. She went to church.

Not wanting to talk to anyone, she arrived a few minutes late. Slipping into the back row, she closed her eyes and listened to the choir. They were singing “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” which was one of her favorite hymns. The words soothed her.

When the hymn ended, the reverend began to preach. He spoke of the resurrection, when the soul and the body would be reunited, never to be separated again. Did vampires have souls? Or did the soul leave the body when a person was turned? But that didn’t seem right. Wasn’t it the soul that kept the body alive? What happened to vampires when they were destroyed? She knew Rhys had killed to survive. Would he find forgiveness in the next life? And what about hunters? If vampires didn’t have souls, was killing them a sin?

Megan pressed her hands to her temples. Maybe coming to church hadn’t been such a good idea after all.

When the service was over, she went for a walk in the park across the street from the church. Here, with the touch of the sun on her face and a gentle breeze stirring the leaves on the trees, it was hard to believe that vampires were real, or that anyone would choose to become one. And yet, Shirl didn’t seem to have any regrets. Was it that easy to go from human to vampire? To exchange warm sunny days for endless night? To give up strawberry sundaes and bread fresh from the oven for a warm liquid diet? To give up the chance to marry and have children and grandchildren and instead, live long enough to watch everyone you knew and loved pass on?

Driving home from the park, she thought about Rhys. He had lived alone for centuries. When you had no family, no one to share your life with, what was the point in living at all?

Overcome by a sudden longing to hear her mother’s voice, Megan called her parents when she reached home. She felt better as soon as she heard her mother’s “hello.”

“Hi, Mom, it’s me.”

“Megan! Is something wrong?”

“No, of course not. I know I haven’t called in a while. I’m sorry. I just wanted to say hi and see how you are.”

“We’re fine,” her mother said, relief evident in her tone. “Your dad’s been very busy with the Boy’s Club. It’s fund-raising time, you know. We’ve hardly been home at all this last month or so.” Megan’s father was Ways and Means Chairman of a local organization that supported a homeless shelter for teenage boys. “So, how are you doing, Meg?”

“I’m good. Busy at work, as usual.”

“How’s Shirl?”

Megan hesitated before saying, “She’s fine.”

“Tell her hello for me. Listen, sweetie, I hate to cut this short, but your dad’s waiting for me out in the car. We were just leaving.”

“That’s okay, Mom. I didn’t want anything special. I just wanted to say hi. Give my love to Dad.”

“I will. Come see us when you can. We miss you.”

“I miss you, too. Love you.”

“Love you more, sweetie. Bye.”

Megan sighed as she closed her phone. She really needed to call home more often. It grounded her in a way nothing else could, reminded her that, no matter what other craziness was going on in her life, there were two people in the world who loved her unconditionally.

It was near dusk when Megan’s cell phone rang. Caller ID showed it was Shirl. After taking a deep breath, Megan answered.

“So,” Shirl asked, getting right to the point. “What have you decided?”

Memories of good times, shared times, flashed through Megan’s mind. “Why don’t you come over later? Say around seven thirty?”

“Sounds good! I’ll see you then.”

Doubts assailed Megan as soon as she ended the call. Was she making a mistake? How could she trust Shirl as long as Villagrande was in the picture? Still, she felt she owed it to Shirl and the friendship they had once shared to give her friend one more chance.

She managed to shake off her melancholy mood before Rhys arrived that evening. As always, when she knew he was coming, she dressed with care. Tonight, she wore a pair of slinky black pants and a hot pink, off-the-shoulder blouse.

Rhys whistled softly when he saw her. “If you’re trying to seduce me, babe, you wore the right thing.”

“Maybe later,” Megan said. “Shirl’s coming over in a few minutes.”

“I can wait,” he said with a wicked grin. “Just don’t make me wait too long.”

The gleam in his eyes sent a rush of heat to every nerve ending in her body, then the fire pooled low in her belly. She went willingly into his arms, lifting her face for his kiss, a long, slow kiss that left her senses reeling.

He kissed her again, then jerked his chin toward the stairs. “I’ll be up there.”

“You don’t have to hide. I mean, Shirl will know you’re here, won’t she? Can’t you sense each other?”

Rhys shook his head. “I can shield my presence from her.”

“More vampire magick?” Megan muttered.

With a grin, he chucked her under the chin. “She’s here.” Rhys kissed Megan on the cheek, then went up the stairs, moving so fast he was little more than a blur.

A moment later, the doorbell rang.

Megan took a deep breath. When she had talked to Shirl on the phone earlier, inviting her over had seemed like a good idea.

Now, she wasn’t so sure.

Chapter 38

Forcing a smile she was far from feeling, Megan invited Shirl inside.

As she followed Megan into the living room, Shirl asked, “Is Rhys here?”

“Why do you ask?”

Shirl made a vague gesture with her hand. “His scent…I can smell it.”

“I’m not surprised.” Megan sat on the sofa and crossed her legs. “He’s here every night. He’ll probably come by later.”

Shirl dropped into the chair across from the sofa. Megan fought off a twinge of envy. Shirl looked radiant. She wore a strapless white sundress and three-inch heels. Her pale complexion made her blue eyes and pink lips seem more pronounced; her luxurious silver-blond hair fell over her shoulders in a riot of waves.

Amazing what vampire blood could do, Megan thought. Too bad you had to become one of the Undead to enjoy the benefits.

Shirl smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle from her skirt with one pale hand. “Has Rhys said anything about my being with Tomás?”

“Why should he?”

“Well, it’s customary for fledglings to stay with their makers, so…” She shrugged. “I just wondered how he felt about my leaving.” Shirl leaned forward, her gaze intense. “I really wish you’d join us, Meggie. I would have done this years ago if I could have,” she said exuberantly, and then laughed softly. “Of course, I didn’t know vampires really existed back then. It’s so amazing! It’s a high unlike anything you can imagine. I can have any man I want.”

“I guess you don’t want Greg anymore.”

“Mortals and vampires don’t mix. You’ll never understand Rhys, or truly be his, until you’re one of us. Greg was nice, and we had fun together, but now I can have as many men as I like.”

“Nothing new about that,” Megan remarked. Men had always flocked around Shirl. What man over puberty and still breathing could resist a gorgeous cover model?

“It’s different now. It’s part of being a vampire. We all have it. It’s some kind of supernatural glamour that makes us irresistible to mortals. When I see a man I want, all I have to do is call him, and he comes running.”

Part of being a vampire, Megan thought. They all have it. Was that why she was so attracted to Rhys? Had he worked some kind of vampire mojo on her? Was she really in love with him, or was he manipulating her emotions for his own amusement? And how would she ever truly know?

“You’re not thinking of turning Greg, are you?” Megan asked.

Shirl’s brow narrowed in a frown, and then she shook her head. “No, I don’t think he’d make a good vampire. He’s too…oh, I don’t know, too moral. Too rigid. Maybe you and Rhys and me and Tomás could get together some time,” she said, brightening.

“Shirl, you do know that Tomás is planning to take over the West Coast, don’t you? I hardly think Rhys is in the mood to socialize with him.”

Shirl leaned forward, her gaze focused on Megan’s face. “Is Rhys going to give Tomás what he wants?”

“Is that why you came here? To find out if Rhys is going to surrender?”

Shirl’s eyes grew wide. “Of course not, Meggie. How could you even think that?”

“I think it’s time for you to go. Rhys will be here soon.”

Shirl rose elegantly, effortlessly. “I’m sorry you can’t see things our way, Meggie, truly I am.”

“I am, too,” Megan said. Rising, she pointed at the door. “Please leave now. Your invitation is rescinded.”

Megan watched in astonishment as Shirl left the house; it was almost as if a giant hand had pushed her out the door.

Megan was trying to process what had happened when she sensed Rhys behind her.

“She didn’t come here because she missed me,” Megan said without turning around. “She just came to find out what you were going to do.”