Daisy stared at the front door of her parents’ home. Even with the door closed, she could smell their blood, hear the beating of their hearts. “Will they be able to tell that I’ve changed?”
Erik shook his head. “Not unless you tell them.”
She had kept in touch with Alex and her parents. Her mom and dad were still mourning Brandon, of course. To Daisy’s surprise, her mother had informed her that Alex was spending a lot of time with Paula O’Reilly.
“I think he’s in love with her,” Irene had remarked during one conversation. “Perhaps it was inevitable. They started out comforting each other and, well, it looks like Paula might eventually be a part of the family after all.”
Daisy was summoning the nerve to knock on the door when she heard footsteps behind her. She didn’t have to turn around to know that Alex was coming up the walk, and that he wasn’t alone. Paula was with him.
“Hey, sis!”
Slowly, she turned to face him. “Hi, Alex. Paula.”
Alex nodded at Erik, then threw his arms around Daisy and gave her a quick hug. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“It was kind of spur of the moment,” Daisy said. “Paula, I don’t think you’ve met Erik.”
Erik extended his hand. “Pleased to meet you, Paula.”
“Likewise.”
Annoyed with the amenities, Alex opened the door and ushered everyone inside.
The next few minutes were spent on introductions as Erik met Daisy’s parents. Even though Daisy knew her mother and father were uncomfortable with having a vampire in the house, they handled his presence better than she had expected. Her mother invited Erik to sit down and soon they were all seated in the living room, with Erik and Daisy on the love seat, Alex, Paula, and Irene on the sofa, and Noah in his favorite chair.
“So, daughter, how was your trip?” Noah asked. “Did you fly or drive?”
Daisy slid a glance at Erik. “We flew.” In a manner of speaking, she thought, smiling inwardly.
“How’d you get here from the airport?” Alex asked. “I didn’t see a rental out front.”
“We took a taxi,” Daisy said. She didn’t like lying to her family, but the truth was out of the question.
“Of course, no need for a car,” Noah said, “since you’ll be staying here.”
“Thanks, Dad, but we’re staying at a hotel.”
“Now, you know I won’t hear of that,” Irene said, her hands fluttering. “You can stay in your old room and Erik can…can…”
“Erik can stay in Brandon’s room,” Noah finished.
“Thanks, Dad, but we’ve already made reservations.”
“Oh, well, if that’s what you want,” Irene murmured.
Daisy didn’t miss the look of relief in her mother’s eyes when she realized Erik wouldn’t be staying the night.
“Well,” Irene said briskly, “where are my manners? Can I get you all anything? I made a devil’s food cake this afternoon.”
“Sounds good, Mom,” Alex said with a wink.
“None for me, thank you,” Erik said.
“Me, either,” Daisy said. “We ate just before we got here.”
“But, Daisy,” Irene said, “it’s your favorite.”
“I know,” Daisy said, smiling. “Maybe later.”
“I’ll have some of that cake,” Noah said, “with a little ice cream on the side. And a cup of coffee.”
“Let me help you, Mrs. O’Donnell,” Paula said. Rising, she followed Irene into the kitchen.
“You seem a little uptight, daughter,” Noah remarked after Irene and Paula left the room. “Is anything wrong?”
“Why should anything be wrong?”
“I don’t know.” He leaned forward in his chair, his eyes narrowed. “You tell me.”
“I’m fine, Dad, just a little, ah, jet-lagged.”
“Uh-huh.”
Daisy looked at Erik for reassurance. Should I just tell them the truth?
It’s up to you, love.
“All right, Daisy, spit it out,” Alex said. “You’re hiding something.” He sent a suspicious glance at Erik, and then swore softly. “You didn’t. Dammit, you bloodsucker, tell me you didn’t!”
Noah looked at Alex, then at Daisy, and then at Erik. “Didn’t what?” he asked, and then comprehension dawned in his eyes. “Daisy, no.”
She couldn’t face the disappointment in her father’s eyes, the disgust in Alex’s. Sobbing, “I knew this was a bad idea,” she fled the house.
When Erik started to follow, Alex stood and blocked his path. “You filthy bloodsucker! How could you?”
“It was her decision.”
“I don’t believe that for a minute,” Alex said, his voice tinged with bitterness.
“Remember Mariah? Well, she had a boyfriend. Damon wasn’t very happy about what happened to his lady love. He attacked Daisy. My guess is that you would have been next. Of course, that’s neither here nor there. Daisy was dying when I found her. I gave her a choice.”
“No.” Noah O’Donnell gained his feet and took a menacing step toward Erik. “She would never agree to that.”
Erik swore under his breath. Daisy had been right. Coming here had been a bad idea. Judging by the looks on the faces of Daisy’s father and brother, things were about to get really ugly really fast. Unable to think of a safe way to defuse the situation, he was about to dissolve into mist when Daisy materialized beside him.
“Erik’s telling the truth,” she said, taking his hand in hers. “It was my idea.”
The sound of breaking dishes rang out from the kitchen. Before anyone could go see what had happened, Irene appeared in the doorway. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she murmured, “Oh, Daisy, no.”
“I’m sorry, Mom.” Daisy tugged on Erik’s hand. “Let’s go.”
“No!” Hurrying across the room, Irene O’Donnell threw her arms around her daughter. “I don’t care what you are. All that matters is that you’re still here, with us.”
“Irene—”
She turned on her husband like a mother grizzly defending her young. “Hush up, Noah Patrick O’Donnell. Would you rather she was gone forever, like Brandon?”
Shoulders sagging, Noah shook his head. “No.” Head bowed, he took several deep breaths and then, heaving a sigh, he straightened his shoulders and offered Erik his hand. “Welcome to the family. Son.”
With tears in her eyes, Daisy threw her arms around her father. “Thank you, Daddy,” she whispered.
Alex snorted softly, and then he, too, offered Erik his hand. “Welcome to the family. Vampire.”
Sitting on the edge of the bed in their hotel room, Erik pulled Daisy onto his lap. “I told you everything would be all right.”
“All right? Is that what you call all right?”
“Well, at least your old man didn’t drive a stake through my heart,” he said with a wry grin. “Or yours.”
“Very funny.”
“They’ll get used to the idea. Just give them a little time.”
“Strange advice coming from you,” Daisy retorted. “You said you left your home and your family after you were turned, and never went back.”
“It’s not the same thing. I didn’t have anybody to show me the ropes when I was turned. No one to tell me I didn’t have to kill to survive. I didn’t know anything about vampires, and there was no one with me when I woke up that first night, no one to tell me what to expect. All I had was a raging thirst.”
Daisy nodded. He was right, of course. She didn’t know what she would have done if Erik hadn’t been there. He had made her transformation from mortal to vampire almost painless. He had even made a joke the first night he had taken her hunting, asking her what she was in the mood for, Italian, French, or Chinese. She hadn’t been amused at the time, but she saw the humor in it now. What couldn’t be changed must be accepted. And if you could do it with a smile, so much the better. And looking at Erik always made her smile.
He was watching h
er, his dark eyes filled with concern, and she loved him the more for it.
“Stop worrying about me. I’m okay.”
“You’re better than okay, darlin’. You’re perfect. And you know what else? I don’t think we should let Alex and Paula beat us to the altar.”
“What?”
“Marriage, Daisy Mae. I’m asking you to marry me.”
She blinked at him. “You want to marry me?”
“Well, I thought I did. But if you don’t want to…”
“Of course I want to. Now, hush up and kiss me.”
Stifling a laugh, he said, “You sound just like your mother. Maybe we can have a double wedding. Rhys can be the best man.”
The very thought made Daisy burst out laughing.
“I love you, Daisy darlin’, more than you’ll ever know.”
Warmth and affection flooded Daisy’s heart and soul as she wrapped her arms around him. “And I love you. Only you. All of you.”
He knew what she wanted even before she did. Falling back on the bed, he finessed her clothes away, then drew her down on top of him, his hands sliding up and down her bare back.
There were a lot of perks to being a vampire, Daisy mused when he kissed her. All of her physical senses were enhanced, which served to heighten her pleasure when they made love, so that every kiss, every touch, was experienced on a deeper, more sensual level. She slid her hands under Erik’s shirt, loving the way his muscles bunched and quivered beneath her fingertips, the latent sense of power that radiated from him. But best of all, he never got tired, and neither did she.
With a heartfelt sigh, she surrendered to the sensual magic of Erik’s touch, reveling in each tender kiss, each languid caress.
There was no need to hurry.
Dawn’s first light was hours away.
Dear Reader:
I hope you enjoyed the tale of the Blood Thief. I found myself reluctant to see the last of Rhys, and so I decided he should have his own story, which is currently in the works. If he cooperates, and my Muse doesn’t let me down, his story should be coming soon.
May God bless you and yours.
Amanda
www.amandaashley.net
If you liked this Amanda Ashley book, check out some of her other titles currently available from Zebra…
NIGHT’S TOUCH
One Kiss Can Seal Your Fate…
Cara DeLongpre wandered into the mysterious Nocturne club looking for a fleeting diversion from her sheltered life. Instead she found a dark, seductive stranger whose touch entices her beyond the safety she’s always known and into a heady carnal bliss…
A year ago, Vincent Cordova believed that vampires existed only in bad movies and bogeyman stories. That was before a chance encounter left him with unimaginable powers, a hellish thirst, and an aching loneliness he’s sure will never end…until the night he meets Cara DeLongpre. Cara’s beauty and bewitching innocence call to his mind, his heart…his blood. For Vincent senses the Dark Gift shared by Cara’s parents, and the lurking threat from an ancient and powerful foe. And he knows that the only thing more dangerous than the enemy waiting to seek its vengeance is the secret carried by those Cara trusts the most…
NIGHT’S KISS
He Has Found His Soul’s Desire…
The Dark Gift has brought Roshan DeLongpre a lifetime of bitter loneliness—until, by chance, he comes across a picture of Brenna Flanagan. There is something hauntingly familiar about her, something that compels him to travel into the past, save the beautiful witch from the stake, and bring her safely to his own time. Now, in the modern world, Brenna’s seductive innocence and sense of wonder are utterly bewitching the once-weary vampire, blinding him to a growing danger. For there is one whose dark magick is strong…one who knows who they both are and won’t stop till their powers are his…and they are nothing more than shadows through time…
NIGHT’S MASTER
Passion Has A Darker Side…
Kathy McKenna was sure that the little Midwestern town of Oak Hollow would be isolated enough for safety, but the moment the black-clad stranger walked into her bookstore, she knew she was wrong. Raphael Cordova exudes smoldering power, and his sensual touch draws Kathy into a world of limitless pleasure and unimaginable dangers…
Oak Hollow was supposed to be neutral territory for supernatural beings. Instead it has become home to an evil force determined to destroy them—and kill any mortal who gets in the way. As leader of the North American vampires, Raphael has always put duty first, but then, no woman ever enthralled him the way Kathy does. And as the enemy’s terrifying plan is revealed, Raphael’s desire could be a fatal distraction for all his kind, and for the woman he has sworn to love forever…
NIGHT’S PLEASURE
Desire Casts A Dark Spell…
Savanah Gentry’s life was so much simpler when she was a reporter for the local newspaper. That was before her father’s sudden death drew her into a mysterious new world she was just beginning to understand. A vampire hunter by birth, Savanah has been entrusted with a legacy that puts everyone she cares for in danger—including the seductive, sensual vampire who unleashes her most primal desires…
Rane Cordova has always been alone, half hating himself for his dark gift even as he relishes its extraordinary power. But one look at Savanah fills him with the need to take everything she has to give and carry her to heights of unimagined ecstasy. And though he never intended their relationship to go this far, now Savanah is in more danger than she knows—and facing a relentless enemy determined to eliminate Rane and all his kind…
IMMORTAL SINS
Desire Is The Darkest Magic Of All…
Three centuries ago, vampire Jason Rourke succumbed to temptation with a wizard’s lovely daughter—and that brief taste of pleasure earned him a powerful curse. Trapped within a painting, unable to quench the hellish thirst that torments him, Jason has given up hope of escape until Karinna Adams purchases the painting and unwittingly frees him…
At first, Jason plans only to enlist Kari’s help in navigating this strange new world so he can find and punish the wizard who entrapped him. But Kari’s enticing sensuality and innocence incite a growing need in Jason to touch and taste her, to possess her utterly. For the gulf between them—and the danger that awaits—is nothing compared to a potent, primal hunger that will last for all eternity…
And here’s a sneak peek at the latest from Amanda, coming in October 2010!
Megan was ringing up a sale for the lead guitarist in a popular rock band when she felt an odd sensation skitter down her spine. Looking up, she felt a nervous flurry in the pit of her stomach when she saw the young man who had come into the shop late last night. Rhys Costain.
Her smile was forced as she bid good night to her customer, then quickly turned away, pretending to check something on the computer, all the while hoping Mr. Parker would come forward to assist their customer.
But Mr. Parker remained in his office, with the door closed.
Megan didn’t hear Costain’s footsteps come up behind her, but she knew he was there. She could sense his presence, feel the intensity of his gaze on her back as he waited for her to acknowledge him.
Megan took a deep breath, counted to three, and turned around. “Good evening, Mr. Costain,” she said coolly. “How may I help you?”
“How, indeed?” he murmured.
His voice was smooth and soft, yet she detected a sharp edge underneath, like satin over steel. “Excuse me?”
“I’m looking for a black leather jacket.”
“What length?”
He shrugged, a graceful, unhurried movement. “Mid-thigh?”
“We have a few back here you might like.” Without waiting to see if he followed, she walked toward the back of the store. Pulling their most expensive coat from the rack, she held it up. “How about this one?”
He ran his hand lightly over the supple leather.
Watching him, Megan couldn’t help imagining that pale
, graceful hand stroking her bare skin.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
“Y-yes, very much.”
“Do you mind if I try it on?”
“Of course not.”
His hand brushed hers as he took the coat from the hanger. His skin was cool, yet a rush of heat flowed through her at his touch.
The coat fit as if it had been made for him, emphasizing his fair hair and broad shoulders.
“What do you think?” he asked.
Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded. What was there about this man that made her feel like a tongue-tied teenager?
She felt her cheeks grow hot when he looked at her and smiled, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.
“So, you like it?”
Striving for calm, she said, “It looks very nice. There’s a mirror over there. See for yourself.”
“No need.” Still smiling, he turned away, heading for the other side of the store.
Megan felt her blush deepen when he picked up several pairs of silk briefs, all black. Why was she acting so foolish? Men came in here and bought underwear six days a week.
Frowning, she watched him pick up a dozen wife-beater T-shirts before moving to the check-out counter.
Regaining her senses, Megan stepped up to the register. “Are you going to wear the coat?”
With a nod, he removed the price tag and handed it to her.
She quickly rang up the sale, dropped his briefs and T-shirts in a bag, and offered it to him, careful, once again, to avoid his touch.
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