But now, as she took the city bus back to her studio apartment above the liquor store, she wondered if she’d done the right thing.
Opening the front door revealed the apartment the same as when she’d left it only a few short days ago. Her worn, used paperback books rested on the coffee table, partially covered by a stack of unpaid bills. A cup and a small plate sat in the sink still waiting to be washed. Her answering machine showed no messages. Is this what she was so anxious to run back to? But just as quickly as those doubts appeared, she pushed them away. No, her quiet existence was much better than being sexually used by some crazy vampire, even if she had liked the things he’d done to her.
The next few days unfolded just as they had before she’d met Severus. Joan returned to work, explaining her absence as a nasty case of the flu and, after two days, all was forgotten. Or at least she continued on as if all was forgotten, but the truth was, nothing was ever going to be the same. Crazy or no, Joan kind of missed Severus. He’d made her feel beautiful and desired and now she felt like…well, everybody else. She was a blur that moved through life that no one paid much attention to. And that had been the real reason why she’d turned to vampire hunting. It made her a different person—strange, mysterious, and exciting. Who cared that she wasn’t much of a success? But meeting Severus had changed her view of vampires and, the truth be told, she was kind of ashamed of hunting the ones she had.
Her thoughts turned to Severus once again and she wondered if he had been sad when he’d returned home and found her gone. She doubted it. As he’d boasted, a master vampire didn’t have to spend his nights alone and rarely did. Joan was sure her spot wasn’t even cold while he was telling some other woman how much he wanted to have babies with her. Ugh…men.
Joan stood in front of the mirror in her T-shirt and panties, staring at her reflection. Suddenly, she noticed movement behind her and turned around with a gasp. Severus sat on the bed dressed in a dark gray T-shirt and blue jeans. His long, dark hair framed his sexy face and set off the green of his eyes. Joan backed up a few feet as her heart jumped into her throat.
“You scared the crap out of me.”
“It wasn’t my intention. I’m sorry.”
“What do you want?”
“Just to see you and apologize. I realize I must have scared you with all that talk of having children. It was much too soon. I’m sorry if it frightened you.”
She relaxed a little. Maybe he wasn’t as crazy as she thought. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I snuck out and didn’t say goodbye.” What am I saying? He took me prisoner, for heaven’s sake!
Severus stood up and Joan was reminded how tall he really was. “I should never have taken you captive. I can hardly blame you for escaping. We didn’t exactly meet under the best of circumstances. I hope you can forgive me.” He let his gaze wander around the room. “Are you happier in your old life?”
“Yes,” she said defensively. “It’s modest, but it suits me.”
Severus turned around and headed for the window. It was open, but the night had no wind. She assumed that was how he’d gotten in without her hearing him. “I’ll leave you alone then. Good night, Joan.”
“Wait!” She rushed forward and stopped abruptly when he turned to face her. “Wait. Maybe we can start again and just move slower this time.”
Severus closed the distance between them, sweeping her up in his arms so fast she didn’t have time to react. His mouth claimed hers, pushing against her lips until she could feel the hidden menace of his teeth. Then, he stopped and said, “I don’t want to take it slow. I want you, Joan. I want you as my wife and the mother of my children. I want to fuck you on this small, sorry little bed of yours and take you away with me. What do you say to that?”
“Do I have to commit to all that right this second?”
Severus laughed. “No, but I’m being honest with you. Now, I need your honest answer. What do you really want?”
Fear gripped her heart and all she could think about was becoming this man’s partner for the rest of her life. She didn’t know anything about him. And him being a vampire scared the hell out of her. What if she gave birth to monsters? “I’m afraid to give you my honest answer. I’m afraid you’ll be angry and hurt me.”
“I would never hurt you. But we need to be totally honest with each other. Tell me the truth. Do you see me in your future?”
Joan took a deep breath and let it out slow. “I don’t want to be married to a vampire. There, I said it.”
The vampire’s eyes turned a startling shade of dark green. Then, he dropped his arms from around her and backed away.
Joan suddenly realized she’d just made a terrible mistake. She didn’t mean that they could never be together, only that she didn’t want all that stuff right now. “Severus,” she pleaded, “please don’t go yet.”
But it was too late. In the blink of an eye, he was gone, taking a small piece of her heart with him.
* * * * Severus walked the warm city street, trying to clear his head. Rejection was a new thing for him and it affected him more that he thought it could. Of course, he understood Joan’s reluctance to get involved with him, and he also knew he’d revealed too much too soon. But Severus knew a few things about the quiet, unassuming woman that no one else could. He’d done his homework, talked to people who had known her. She wanted a home and family just as much as he did. Why was she so guarded then?
Because he was a vampire and his life was surrounded by rumors of what his existence was all about. To be fair, many of those were true, like the wild sex and partying, but what people didn’t realize was that this existence could be very shallow and alienating. Because the truth was, the parties tended to blur into one another, and the sex? Well, he would just say that having a never ending supply was great, but they were always the same type of woman. Women who thought he was going to whisk them away to an immortal life where they’d never be lonely or bored.
And, if they wanted it bad enough, he would. But it wouldn’t take those women long to realize he hadn’t done them any favors and, more often than not, they, too, would begin looking for a more meaningful relationship.
Oh yes, he’d had his share of women in every flavor of the rainbow, but none of them compared to Joan. Why? He passed the harsh neon lights of a strip joint and wracked his brain, trying to find an answer. He guessed his attraction to her was because she was so different. She never once asked him to change her, bring her into the life. She didn’t want money or fame. Instead, all she’d ever wanted was to return to her normal, safe, domestic world. Boy, how he envied her.
But the real chemistry was when they’d made love. That was when he’d known how much he wanted her. He’d tapped something warm and kind in her that immediately made him want to protect her from all the hurt in the world. Her luscious body had responded to him with such genuine passion, he never wanted it to end, and then, he’d screwed everything up by moving too fast. What a stupid blunder that was.
Fortunately, though, he had time to make this right. All he needed to do was continue to see her and be patient. After all, it had been centuries since he’d wanted to have a wife and family, and he was confident that, if he showed Joan he was serious, he could win her over. Take it slow and soon she will be yours.
Chapter Nine Five Days Later
The knocking on Joan’s door grew louder and more insistent. She got up from the couch and checked the peephole. Out in the hall, shifting impatiently, was Mac. A surge of guilt came over her. Since all this stuff had happened with Severus, Joan hadn’t thought to contact anyone in the group but Mac to let him know she was all right. Mac knew she was home because she’d emailed him yesterday and let him know. When she didn’t get an email back, she just assumed he hadn’t read it yet, but now, here he was.
She opened the door and stumbled back as Mac hugged her. “Thank God you’re all right,” he said, letting her out of the bear hug. “We were all sure he was going to enslave you.”
; “Well, he was probably planning on it, but then he changed his mind.”
“Why’d he do that?”
Joan pulled Mac in and closed the door behind him. No need to have the neighbors listening in on an already weird conversation. “Honestly, I don’t know. I think he likes me.” She shrugged. “That’s what he says anyway.”
They both took a seat on the couch. “Just so you know,” Mac said, “we were in the planning stages of a rescue.”
Joan didn’t really believe him, but it was nice of him to say. “That’s great, Mac, thanks.”
“So, did he sleep with you?”
“Um…I really don’t want to talk about it, if you don’t mind.”
Mac squirmed uncomfortably. “Yeah, I get it. Sorry.”
“Why did you come by anyway?” Joan asked, anxious to change the subject.
“Oh, I’ve been doing some research. I have some info on your vamp,” he said, taking his backpack off. He unzipped it and pulled some papers out of a file folder. “You’re vamp, Severus, is a very old one. We researched him online and it turns out this guy was a Roman Emperor.”
Joan’s mouth fell open. “A Roman Emperor?”
“His real name is Lucius Septimius Severus. He was apparently born in 145 AD. He was a Roman soldier and statesmen. I brought you his biography in case you wanted to read more.” He placed the file on the couch between them.
She flipped through it. “I wonder how he became a vampire.”
“Historic accounts say he got ill while on campaign in Britain. I’m thinking his illness must have been a vampire bite. After his death, he was declared a god so that would fit with anyone who saw him afterward. How else could they explain a dead man walking?”
Joan sat there stunned. “I guess you’re right. Great detective work there, Mac.” It had never occurred to her Severus could be the actual Roman Emperor. “Wow, this is great.”
Mac stood up, smiling. “I’m really glad you’re okay, Joan. I better be going and let you get some rest.”
Joan walked him to the door.
He paused in the hallway. “So I suppose the vampire hunting club is disbanded.”
“Yes. I really should have thought it through a little better. We could have all been killed and now these vampires know all of us, especially me. I can’t risk endangering anyone. Tell the others there won’t be any more meetings.”
“But that doesn’t mean you have to be such a stranger. You can always email me and let me know how things are going,” he said.
Joan smiled. “Of course I will. Take care, Mac.”
“See you around, Joan. And take care of yourself.”
Chapter Ten The next night, Joan came into her apartment after work to find Severus there. He was sitting at the small table in the kitchenette waiting for her. To say he was handsome didn’t even cover how very sexy he was. Despite being a vampire, Severus had the most gorgeous skin Joan had ever seen. It was light olive and reminded her of the people she’d seen in Italy while traveling Europe a few years ago. His eyes were a mesmerizing sea green that captured attention and pulled you in until you couldn’t look away. His thick shoulders and chest filled out the dark T-shirt he wore, leaving little to the imagination. And not only was he a feast for the eyes, but he had also set the table perfectly. The smell of warm bread and perfectly cooked meat caressed her nose. She tossed her purse onto a chair and stared at him, stunned. “What are you doing here?”
“I made dinner,” he said. “Consider it a peace offering.” She wanted to be mad, but he looked damn good and the food smelled great. “It would have been nice if you’d told me you were coming.”
He grinned. “Don’t be angry. Next time I will.”
Next time. What did that mean? Was he trying to date her now? She gestured to the table. “What’s with all this?”
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“Well, yes, but…” Joan searched for the right words. “You barely even know me. Why go to all this trouble?”
“Because I’m trying to get to know you better.” He held up a hand. “And before you say anything about that, no, it’s not only about my wanting a baby. You fascinate me and I want to get to know you. There’s nothing more sinister here than that. If you’re not interested, just let me know and I’ll leave, never to bother you again.”
Now he was making her feel guilty for being mad about him breaking into her apartment. Even if he had made her dinner, it didn’t excuse it. Finally, she sighed, deciding to let it go. “No, the dinner is very nice. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She sat down at the table and he served her a steak, mashed potatoes, and a roll. Joan ate a little and had to admit, it was good. Better than good, it was great. “Very good. Where did you learn to cook like this?”
“You’d laugh if I told you.”
“Try me.”
“Paris at the turn of the century. When you’ve lived as long as I have, you try to develop hobbies.”
Joan giggled and sipped her water. “Aren’t you going to eat too? Um…can you eat?”
“I can, but I don’t very often.”
“So,” Joan said, swallowing a mouthful of potatoes. “What are your plans with all this? Are we dating now, or what?”
“I don’t know, you tell me. Are you willing to date me?” he asked.
She frowned at him for being elusive. “Usually the sex doesn’t come first.”
“But it can,” he countered good-naturedly. “At least we know that part of our relationship doesn’t need any work.”
“I still don’t get this. Why me when you could have any woman you want?”
Severus rubbed the back of his neck. “I could, but having so many women at my disposal isn’t necessarily a good thing. I haven’t had a real relationship in a very long time and I find I miss it. I miss the intimacy that only a real relationship can offer.” He shrugged. “You can be surrounded by a room full of people and still be lonely, Joan.”
That one surprised her because it was so brutally honest. “So, what’s the after dinner plan?”
“If it was okay with you, I thought we might take a walk around the city.”
Wow, she guessed this really was a date. “Sure, I think that would be nice.”
Chapter Eleven It was almost midnight by the time Severus brought Joan home from their dinner date. They talked for a few minutes, kissed for a few more, and then he left to hunt and she got ready for bed so she wouldn’t be exhausted for work tomorrow.
As she washed her face and brushed her teeth, Joan thought how weird it was that
she was dating a vampire. Never in a million years would she have thought that possible. But, just as he’d promised, Severus had helped her see that the vampires weren’t just mindless beings that sucked the blood of humans. They were people like her who just happened to be afflicted by this…what was it? A disease, a disorder? She didn’t know what they considered it, but one thing was for sure, they didn’t consider it a bad thing.
Joan had to admit, she was a little ashamed that she’d formed a group of vampire hunters without really knowing much about the creatures. Her thoughts wandered back to when Severus had asked her for a child. Weird. Even now, she didn’t know what to make of it. What kind of father would he be? She supposed no worse than some of the fathers out there. At least he really wanted a baby and, at his age, he must have had them before. She’d have to ask him.
Joan heard footfalls behind her and turned around.
Standing a few feet behind her was a tall, elegant vampire woman with long, wild, red hair. Her eyes seemed to burn with a demonic light. Joan recognized her from the abandoned house she and the others had broken into two weeks ago. There were two big, burly male vampires with her. One was white with long, blond hair and the other an African American with a shaved head and piercing, pale blue eyes. They stood behind the woman as if waiting for her orders.
“Hello, Joan,” the woman said. “My name is Myra.” She smile
d, showing off her long, white teeth.
A block of ice settled in Joan’s gut. She didn’t know what this woman wanted, but it couldn’t be good. “Who are you, and what do you want?”
“I’m an old friend of Severus’. He appears to have become quite smitten with you and forgotten all about the favor I asked of him. Pity that. Now it looks like I’m going to have to punish you myself.”
Joan pulled her robe tighter around her. “I don’t understand. I haven’t done anything to you. What would you have to punish me for?”
“You were to be punished for forming your little group of vampire hunters and making a pest of yourselves. It’s too bad he fell in love with you. He was so very good at things like that.”
“If he’s as in love with me as you say, won’t he be angry if you hurt me?”
“He might, if he knew where you were and what happened to you. But I’ll make sure he doesn’t find out. Then, after I’m done with you, I’ll track down your motley crew of hunters and deal with them too.”
Joan wasn’t going to sit around and wait to see what this evil woman had planned for her. Hoping beyond hope, she bolted for her apartment door, but was intercepted by the blond vampire. He wrapped his arms around her and crushed her against his chest. Leaning down close to her ear, he said, “Where are you going, lovely? The night is so dark and you are so vulnerable. Why not stay with us where you’ll be safe?”
His African American partner laughed and there was nothing warm or kind about it. Joan wished there was some way to send Severus a message. She fought the blond vampire’s grip, but he was much too strong. Worse still, he seemed to actually like how much she fought.
“Severus will find me!” she shouted as they dragged her toward the two story window. “He’ll never stop looking until he does.”
“Don’t be silly. By the time I’m finished with your apartment, he’ll think you got cold feet and took off into hiding. He’ll be devastated, of course, but he’ll soon forget you. So why don’t you make things easier on yourself and do as you’re told? Maybe my boys here will take pity on you and let you go sooner.” She bared her teeth and laughed.
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