“Watching you.”

“You’ve seen me undress before.”

“So, sue me. I like to watch.”

With a shake of his head, he shrugged out of his shirt and tossed it on a chair and then, ever so slowly, he unbuckled his belt and let it fall to the floor. With his gaze locked on hers, he toed off his boots and kicked them aside.

Megan sat up, grinning, as he pulled off his socks and threw them at her, one by one.

“Are you watching?” he asked, his voice dripping with sexual innuendo.

She nodded, her grin fading as he unfastened his jeans, then made a production of slowly lowering the zipper, sliding the jeans down over his hips, kicking them out of the way.

Clad in nothing but a pair of black silk briefs, he moved toward the bed. His feet made no sound on the hardwood floor as he stalked toward her, lithe and dangerous as a jungle cat.

She laughed when he growled low in his throat.

“Jungle cat, eh?” he mused.

“Stop reading my mind. It isn’t fair!”

He slid under the covers beside her and drew her into his arms. “Are you sure you want me to stop? If I did, I wouldn’t know how much you like it when I touch you here…” His hand caressed the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. “Or kiss you there…” Bending his head, he brushed his lips across her breast.

Megan sighed as the heat of his mouth warmed her skin.

“You’re overdressed,” he murmured, and in a blur of movement, he removed her nightgown and tossed it on the floor. “That’s better.”

She looked up at him, marveling anew at how remarkable he was. He was a man like no other she had ever known, a creature of myth and legend, and she loved him more than life itself. Wanted him beyond words. Locking her arms around his neck, she whispered, “What am I thinking now?”

“Shall I tell you?” He nuzzled her breast. “Or show you?”

“Haven’t you heard?” She slid her hand down his hard, flat belly, her fingertips tracing the narrow line of hair that disappeared beneath his briefs. “Actions speak louder than words.”

Chuckling softly, he wrapped his arms around her. “Ah, fair lady, my only purpose in life is to fulfill your every wish, your every desire.”

“I wish you’d stop talking and kiss me.”

The words had scarcely left her lips when his mouth covered hers. He kissed her slow and deep and then, with a low growl, he rained kisses along her neck and the valley between her breasts before returning to her mouth. His tongue sought hers, an intimate caress that spread through her like lightning.

He kissed her until she could hardly catch her breath and then he drew back, a wicked grin curving his lips. “You’re not going to faint on me, are you?”

“Don’t be silly,” she retorted, and then she frowned. “Don’t tell me you’ve actually made women swoon?”

“Shall I show you?”

“No, thank you,” she said primly.

“We’re not going to stop now, are we?”

“I hope not.” She tugged at the waistband of his briefs. “Who’s overdressed now?”

He was out of them in an instant, boldly displaying the evidence of his desire. “What now, my lady?”

“Do I have to tell you everything?” With an exaggerated sigh, she flung her arms out to her sides, a smile playing over her lips. “Just do what you do best.”

His gaze moved quickly to the pulse throbbing in the hollow of her throat.

“I give you leave to taste,” she said, her voice a whisper. “But only a taste.”

“Aye, my lady. I will do my best to obey.” Gathering her into his arms, he kissed her again, his mouth hot against her skin as he caressed her, his hands and lips arousing her until her whole body thrummed with need.

Megan murmured his name, her pleasure increasing when she felt the prick of his fangs at her throat, and then she was lost, floating in a world without time, without boundaries, where nothing existed except the two of them. It was a sensation like no other, and, for that one moment, when her desire melded with his, she didn’t care if he took one sip or if he took it all, as long as they were bound together, body and soul. As long as she was a part of him.

Rhys made love to her all night long, every kiss, every caress branded in his mind, memories he would carry with him for the rest of his existence when, at last, he told her good-bye.

Chapter 44

As so often happened after a marathon night of lovemaking, Megan woke with a smile on her face. She was getting good at judging the time, she mused as she sat up, stretching. Without checking her watch, she knew it was late afternoon. A rush of tenderness engulfed her when she looked at Rhys, lying peacefully beside her. Was there ever such a lover as he? Tireless, inventive, always careful to see to her pleasure before his own.

Leaning down, she kissed his cheek ever so lightly, then slid out of bed. He didn’t stir, but she wasn’t surprised. Surely even a vampire needed his rest after a night such as they had shared.

She was wishing for a change of clothes when she glanced toward the closet. The door was open, and when she looked inside, she found some of her own clothes hanging there. Bless the man. Sometime in the wee small hours of the morning he had gone to her house and raided her closet.

Humming softly, she pulled a sweater and a pair of jeans from the hangers. Wondering if he had thought to bring her clean underwear, she opened one of the dresser drawers and found a week’s worth of bras and panties. Carrying her clothing into the bathroom, she closed the door and turned on the shower.

Sometime later, her hair freshly washed and her teeth brushed, she dressed and went downstairs. All that loving had left her famished, and she raided the refrigerator, munching on a handful of blueberries while she debated what to have for breakfast. In the end, she cooked a waffle and two strips of bacon, and washed it all down with a glass of orange juice. After cleaning up the kitchen, she poured herself a cup of coffee and carried it into the living room.

Curling up on the sofa, she sipped the coffee, wondering how long it would be until she could go home again. She refused to think that Rhys might lose the battle with Villagrande. Instead, she skipped ahead to the time when the fight was over and Rhys was the victor. He had asked her to marry him, and she had said yes. Sitting there, a cup of coffee in her hand and the sun shining brightly, she let herself think about the kind of wedding she wanted. Something simple yet elegant. Of course, it would have to be in the evening. Refreshments would be light, since the groom and his guests wouldn’t be eating.

Better to just elope. They could go to Vegas and get married there. Erik and Daisy could stand up with them, and when it was done, Megan could call her parents and tell them the good news. Her mother would be hurt, perhaps angry, that her only daughter had eloped, but in the long run, it would be easier than trying to explain why she wasn’t having a big wedding with six bridesmaids, an orchestra, and a sit-down dinner.

Megan blew out a sigh. She should call her parents. Still, she hesitated as she imagined telling them she was getting married. What could she say? Hi, Mom. Dad. Guess what? I’m in love with a vampire and as soon as he destroys the bad guy, we’re getting married.

Megan chewed on her thumbnail. How could she explain why Rhys never went out in the sun or why he didn’t eat? How long could she make excuses for his odd behavior before her parents got suspicious?

When the trouble with Villagrande was over, she would have to go up to Redding and spend a few days with her folks. After all, news like this really should be related in person, at least the part about getting married. The vampire part would have to wait.

A subtle shift in the atmosphere told her that the sun was going down, and the vampires were rising. She knew Rhys would be the first to appear. She could sense his presence in her very bones, and even as she tried to understand how that could be, he was there, striding toward her. And she was smiling, her heart lifting at the sight of him.

She went into his arms gladly, a warm sense of contentment and belonging sweeping over her as he drew her close. His lips moved in her hair, his breath warm as he whispered that he loved her.

“I knew you were coming,” she said, her voice muffled against his chest. “Even before I saw you, I knew you were nearby. How is that possible?”

“It’s the blood link we share. It grows stronger every time you share your blood with me.”

She looked up at him. “Am I going to turn into a vampire?”

“No, love. Not unless you want to.”

“Would you love me more if I was like you?”

Hope sparked in the depths of his eyes. “Megan!”

“Don’t get any ideas!” she said, pushing him away. “I didn’t say I wanted to be a vampire. I just wondered if you’d love me more if I was.”

“I love you more every day.” He drew her into his embrace once more. “Mortal or vampire, it doesn’t matter to me.”

“But I’ll grow old…”

Rhys covered her mouth with his hand. “It doesn’t matter.” At any rate, he wouldn’t be there to see it. If he were an honorable man, he would tell her now that he intended to leave her as soon as Villagrande had been taken care of, but he didn’t want to face the consequences. He knew she would object, perhaps strenuously. She might insist on going home, and he couldn’t allow that. Better to say nothing, he decided, and enjoy whatever time together they had left.

“Oh, sorry,” Daisy said, entering the room, “we didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“There’s a bed upstairs, you know,” Erik said, his voice tinged with amusement.

“Yeah, yeah,” Rhys retorted good-naturedly. “Like you never kissed Daisy in the living room.”

“Well, not when we had company,” Erik said, winking at Daisy. “We’re going out for”—he glanced at Megan and grinned—“a bite, you should excuse the expression. We won’t be gone long.”

“Do you want anything from the store?” Daisy asked.