Twilight Desires

by Amanda Ashley

  “It amuses me from time to time.”

  “And the rest of the time? Do you ever miss being human?”

  “I don’t even remember what it was like.”

  Ethan frowned. “I don’t believe that.”

  “No?”

  Ethan shook his head. “If you didn’t retain some of your humanity, you’d be a monster. A real monster.”

  “Maybe I am.” Saintcrow jerked his head toward the crowd exiting the theater. “Dinner’s ready.”

  It was remarkably easy to blend into the crowd. Ethan let Saintcrow choose their prey—two unescorted, well-dressed, middle-aged women. The master vampire was good, Ethan mused. His sire mesmerized them from behind, then directed them to turn down a dark, deserted street a block past the parking lot.

  “Black or red?” Saintcrow asked.

  Ethan glanced from one woman to the other. “I’ll take the redhead.”

  With a nod, Saintcrow took the dark-haired woman by the hand and led her a short distance away.

  Ethan turned his back to Saintcrow, then drew the red-haired woman into his arms. She stared up at him, her expression blank, her body limp. Hunger stirred inside him, but it was Sofia’s face he saw as he lowered his head to the woman’s neck, Sofia’s blood he craved.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Sofia’s mind was on what to have for dinner when she stepped out onto the street Monday night after cleaning out her office and came face-to-face with a tall man wearing a hooded sweatshirt and black pants. A lock of inky-black hair fell across his forehead; a thin white scar ran from the outer edge of his left eye, down his cheek, and disappeared beneath his shirt collar.

  Murmuring, “Excuse me,” she tried to step around him, only to find him blocking her path again, even though she hadn’t seen him move.

  “Sofia?”

  She nodded, unable to look away from his eyes—deep black eyes that seemed to trap the breath in her lungs. Every instinct she possessed screamed that she was in danger.

  “Relax. My name is Rylan Saintcrow. I know your brother.”

  Sofia blinked at him. This was the vampire who had befriended Micah and taken Ethan under his wing. She glanced around. Surely he wouldn’t do anything when there were so many people passing by. “What do you want?”

  “I want you to take Ethan up on his offer.”

  “I’d like to, but . . .” She shook her head. “I don’t want to be alone in a ghost town with a bunch of men I don’t know.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  “That’s great, but I don’t know you either.”

  “When you come to work for Ethan, it’ll give us a chance to get acquainted.”

  He held up his hand when she started to protest. “We can do this two ways,” he said. “You can agree to come to Morgan Creek on your own or I can compel you to do it.”

  She didn’t ask how. Just standing there, she could feel his power surrounding her. She had no doubt he could force her to do anything he wanted.

  His smile was a trifle smug when he said, “So, all you have to do is give Ethan a call tonight and tell him you changed your mind. I’ll arrange it so that I pick you up in the morning and Ethan can take you home at night. Does that suit you?”

  Hating herself for not having the backbone to stand up to him, she nodded.

  “One more thing. Let’s not tell Ethan about our little chat, all right?”

  She nodded again. Blinked. And he was gone.

  Her encounter with Saintcrow left her feeling shaky inside and out. She had never been afraid of Micah, she thought, as she unlocked her car door and slid behind the wheel. But then, he was her brother. She hadn’t really been afraid of Ethan either. But meeting Saintcrow had scared the crap out of her.

  At home, she made a cup of tea and wished she had something stronger, but she wasn’t much of a drinker and she didn’t keep booze in the house.

  She gave herself a stern talking-to, assuring herself that she would be all right, that Saintcrow wouldn’t hurt her. Scary as he was, he had helped her brother, saved her parents. And now he was helping Ethan cope with being a vampire.

  Taking a deep, calming breath, she picked up her phone and punched in Ethan’s number.

  He answered on the first ring.

  “Ethan? Hi.”

  “Hey. What’s up?”

  “I’ve been thinking about your job offer.”

  “Yeah?”

  Sofia paused. He didn’t sound very happy to hear from her. Maybe she should just hang up, forget about Ethan, and go back to her normal boring but safe life.

  “Sofie, you still there?”

  “Yes. I was wondering . . . that is, if you still need me . . .”

  “When can you start?”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “What changed your mind?” Silence crept over the line between them. “Sofie?”

  “It’s a woman’s privilege, don’t you know?”

  “Uh-huh. What aren’t you telling me?”

  “Nothing.”

  “You’re lying, Sofia. I can hear it in your voice.”

  She poured as much indignity into her tone as she could muster. “Ethan!”

  “Saintcrow talked to you, didn’t he?”

  She started to deny it, but what was the point when he could read her mind? “Yes.”

  “Do you really want to come here?”

  “He said he’d pick me up in the morning and you could take me home at the end of the day, so I wouldn’t have to spend the night there. If that’s agreeable, I’m willing to give it a try.”

  Ethan cursed under his breath. Damn his master for interfering. He could tell from the tone of Sofie’s voice that she had strong doubts about working in Morgan Creek. No doubt Saintcrow had made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.

  “Ethan?”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Sofie. Dress warm.”

  “All right. Good night, Ethan.” She disconnected the call, then stared at the phone. Why was he mad at her? she wondered. And then she realized he wasn’t mad at her, but at his sire.

  * * *

  Ethan was fuming when he went in search of Saintcrow, but the master vampire was nowhere to be found. No doubt his sire had returned to New Orleans to be with Kadie.

  Jaw clenched, Ethan stood in the middle of Morgan Creek’s main street. His growing anger spiked his hunger. He needed to hunt, but not now. Any mortal he encountered while in this mood definitely would not survive.

  Sofia. He needed Sofia. Just a little of her blood would calm his anger and his hunger. Dropping to his knees, he buried his head in his hands, murmuring her name over and over again.

  Ethan? Ethan, are you all right?

  His head snapped up. “Sofia?” He glanced left and right, expecting to see her there, even though he knew it was impossible.

  Ethan?

  I’m here.

  What’s going on?

  What do you mean?

  You called my name. I heard you. It was so clear, I looked all over my apartment for you.

  Ethan shook his head. He’d tasted her blood, but she had never tasted his. How was it possible for her to hear his thoughts?

  Are you all right?

  No.

  If you come here, I’ll give you what you need.

  Are you crazy? If you’ve been in my mind, you know it’s not safe to be near me.

  You won’t hurt me.

  His laugh was bitter. How can you be so sure?

  You never have before. And if my blood calms you, why would you kill me?

  Ethan shook his head. There was, he supposed, a certain logic to what she said. Get your wooden stake. I’m on my way.

  * * *

  Sofia worried her lower lip as she went into the bedroom and opened the drawer of the bedside table. The wooden stake rested inside, looking as harmless as any old piece of wood. But it wasn’t. At Micah’s insistence, she had taken it to a priest, who had blessed it and sprinkled it with holy water.

  She lifte
d it carefully from the drawer. It fit her hand as if it had been custom made, which she supposed it had; Micah had carved it for her, a fact she found rather ironic.

  She slid it into the pocket of her cargo pants, practically jumping out of her skin when the doorbell rang.

  She took slow, deep breaths as she went to let Ethan in, reminding herself that he had never hurt her before, that when he’d felt out of control, he had fled her presence.

  She unlocked the door, took another deep breath, and smiled. “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself.”

  Stepping back, she said, “Come on in.”

  “In a minute. If I start to lose control, all you have to do is revoke my invitation and I’ll have to leave.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. I don’t know why it works, but it does.”

  “Okay.” She had never noticed it before, but there was a peculiar stirring in the air when he crossed the threshold. Was she somehow becoming more aware of the supernatural? And if so, why?

  He followed her into the living room.

  Feeling suddenly nervous, she sat on the edge of the sofa, one hand clenched in her lap, the other folded around the stake in her pocket.

  Ethan stood several feet away, watching her. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  She nodded. “Let’s get it over with.”

  He closed the distance between them, careful not to make any sudden moves. Sitting beside her, he slid his arm around her waist. “I won’t hurt you.”

  “I know.” The tremor in her voice told him she wasn’t as sure of that as she wanted him to believe.

  He stroked his knuckles over her cheek, then ran his tongue along the side of her neck. When she relaxed in his embrace, he bit her gently, closed his eyes as her life’s blood flowed over his tongue, spreading warmth to every fiber of his being, calming the beast inside.

  He needed only a little, but she tasted so good. Surely a little more wouldn’t hurt, he thought. Just one more taste. Maybe two . . .

  He jerked his head up when he felt the sharp point of a stake against his chest, hissed as it penetrated his shirt and bit into the skin beneath. Cursing, he lurched to his feet.

  She stared up at him, her eyes wide with fright. “I’m sorry,” she said tremulously. “But I was afraid you weren’t going to stop.”

  “You did the right thing,” he said, his voice tight.

  She stared at his chest. Through the hole in his shirt, she could see where the stake had burned his skin black. “Does it hurt?”

  “Like a sonofa . . . yeah, it hurts. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

  “How do you feel?”

  “I’ll live. You’d better keep that stake handy when we’re together.”

  “I will.” She slid it back into her pocket, thinking she would have to call Micah and tell him that it worked. And then she reconsidered. Probably not a good idea to say anything to her brother about Ethan.

  “You soaked it in holy water, didn’t you?”

  “I didn’t. A priest did. And then he blessed it.”

  He had never heard of anybody doing that, but then, he hadn’t been a vampire very long. There was probably a lot he didn’t know.

  Sofia laid a tentative hand on his arm, her gaze searching his.

  Ethan frowned. Was he reading her signals right? Only one way to find out. Leaning down, he kissed her lightly, then more deeply as her arms went around his neck.

  Groaning softly, he fell back on the sofa, carrying her with him, so that she lay sprawled across his chest. His hand delved into her hair, tangling in the long, silky strands. Her breasts were warm against his chest, her mouth on fire as they kissed again and yet again.

  In a sudden move, he rolled over so that she was beneath him. Every instinct he had urged him to take her, to make her his.

  She went suddenly still, her hands falling to her sides.

  Smart girl, he thought. Too smart to fight him, knowing it would only excite his urge to hunt. But he wasn’t so far gone that he couldn’t stop. He eased to a sitting position and gathered her into his arms again. “Thank you for tonight,” he said, his voice thick. He kissed her again, then gained his feet. “If you don’t show up in the morning, I won’t hold it against you.”

  She smiled when, instead of just vanishing from her sight, he left by the front door.

  * * *

  Ethan transported himself back to Morgan Creek, back to the house he’d been staying in. He flicked on the lights, even though he didn’t need them to find his way around. He saw perfectly well in the dark.

  Dropping down on the sofa, he picked up the remote and turned on the TV. Damn Saintcrow; why didn’t he just mind his own business?

  You are my business.

  Get out of my head!

  Then stop acting like an idiot. The two of you belong together.

  Yeah? Since when? As I recall, you said we weren’t made for each other.

  Maybe you weren’t, but you belong together. I can see that now.

  Don’t you think that’s something Sofia and I should decide?

  Just call me Cupid. I’ll see you tomorrow night.

  Ethan shook his head. Why was it so hard to stay mad at Saintcrow?

  It’s part of my charm. Saintcrow’s voice again, followed by his laughter.

  Unable to stop himself, Ethan laughed, too. And felt better for it.

  * * *

  Since Saintcrow had neglected to tell Sofia what time he would pick her up, she was dressed and ready by eight.

  He showed up an hour later, wearing jeans, a gray sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, and a pair of dark glasses. “Ready?” he asked cheerfully.

  “I guess so.” Grabbing her handbag, Sofia stepped outside and locked the door behind her.

  She tensed when Saintcrow’s arm curled around her waist, closed her eyes as he transported her swiftly through time and space. She was slightly dizzy when he set her on her feet inside one of the houses.

  “I set up an office in here,” Saintcrow said, striding into the adjoining room.

  Nodding, Sofia followed him. She didn’t know what had been in the room before, but now it held a large cherrywood desk, a padded desk chair, and a small TV.

  “The computer is set up and ready to go,” Saintcrow remarked, removing his sunglasses. “There’s paper in the drawer, pens, pencils, that kind of thing.” He handed her a checkbook. “All three of our names are on the account. Pay the bills out of that.” Next, he handed her a credit card. “Anything you want for yourself—groceries, clothes, office supplies—pay for it with that. If you don’t like this computer, get another one.”

  Sofia stared at him. “I can’t have you buying things for me.”

  “Honey, I’ve got more money than I’ll ever spend. As long as you’re employed by me, buy whatever you want. Oh, I bought some new bedding, in case you ever want to spend the night here. There’s food in the kitchen. I didn’t know what you liked, so I bought a little of everything. There’s a town east of here, about twenty miles, if you want to go shopping or out to lunch.”

  She raised her eyebrows. Did he expect her to walk?

  Saintcrow chuckled. “There’s a car in the garage. The keys are in it. There’s gas in the tank.”

  “You’re far too generous.”

  His gaze caught hers, dark and intense. “You make Ethan happy.”

  She didn’t know what to say to that. Micah had told her stories about Saintcrow, about how he had killed without compunction when he was first turned, that he had been ruthless, a predator without equal. She found it hard to reconcile the portrait her brother had painted of Saintcrow with the man who stood before her.

  “The workers will be here in an hour. I gave the foreman my cell number. All we really need you to do is answer the phone and pay the bills.” His gaze probed hers. “Are you gonna be all right?”

  She nodded.

  “If you need me, just call my name.”

  Sofia nodded ag
ain and blew out a sigh when he vanished from her sight. And then she pinched herself to make sure she was awake.

  * * *

  In the basement of Blair House, Ethan felt the dark sleep fall away as he caught Sofia’s scent. She was here. Peace settled over him. She was here. Smiling faintly, he tumbled back into oblivion.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sofia spent the morning getting acquainted with her computer. She added her email account. She sent her parents a text, telling them she had a new job, but didn’t mention it was in Wyoming. She had a short email from Micah, saying he and Holly were in Tennessee and having a wonderful time.

  She hit Reply, then sat there, wondering if she should tell her brother about Ethan. After several minutes, she decided against it. Instead, she typed a short note wishing them well and adding that she hoped to see them soon.

  At lunchtime, she went into the kitchen. Saintcrow hadn’t been kidding when he said he’d bought a little of everything. The pantry was filled with a variety of canned goods and condiments, bags of candy, potato chips, three kinds of bread, a new jar of mayonnaise and one of mustard, and anything else she could possibly have wanted. One cupboard held a set of dishes; she found silverware in a drawer, pots and pans in the cupboard under the marble countertop. The fridge was likewise crammed with several kinds of lunch meat and cheese, dairy products, and soda. She found four kinds of ice cream in the freezer.

  “Good grief, I’ll be fat as a pig,” she muttered as she took out the makings for a ham and cheese sandwich.

  After lunch, she went into the bedroom. She saw a package of new sheets—a very pretty flowered print—on the mattress, along with a matching spread and two brand-new pillows. The old bedding had been stripped away. There was no sign of it anywhere. Had he thrown it out?

  The only other furniture was a four-drawer dresser and a pair of matching nightstands.

  It didn’t take long to make the bed. When she finished, she stood in the middle of the room, wondering who had lived here back in the days when the vampires ruled the town and the inhabitants were their prey. The house was nice enough, but even a pretty prison was still a cage if you couldn’t leave.

  She shuddered as the room suddenly grew cold. Ethan said there were ghosts in Morgan Creek. Had one of them once lived in this house? The chill was quickly gone, leaving her to wonder if she had imagined it.