the extreme.
At home, she took a long, cold shower, brushed her teeth, slipped into her favorite Snoopy sleep shirt, and climbed into bed, only to lie there, wide-awake, her fingertips pressed to her lips.
If she went to the club tomorrow night, would he kiss her like that again?
Would she still be able to deny him what they both wanted if he did?
Chapter 9
Friday morning, Daisy decided she had avoided doing her job long enough. It took considerable effort, but she pushed all thought of Erik Delacourt and his sizzling kisses out of her mind. She ate a quick breakfast, made her bed, and then read her e-mail.
Humming “Someone Like You,” she shut down her computer. The morning mail had brought her a dozen new orders. It was time to put her fears behind her and get back on the street. She had bills to pay, after all.
After dressing in a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, her favorite jacket with the roomy pockets, and comfortable shoes, she grabbed her handbag, her keys, and her compass and left the house. Surprisingly, she didn’t feel the least bit of anxiety at going out on the streets again. She had destroyed a vampire and in so doing, she had proved she could handle herself when the going got tough.
Smiling with new confidence, she slid behind the wheel. She drove with one eye on the road and the other on the needle of the compass, which jumped and quivered when she turned down a cul-de-sac in a very old, very elegant part of town. There were only three houses on the street, each separated from the other by large yards and tall fences. The needle turned red when she neared the house on the left. It was set well back from the street. The windows carried a dark tint, no doubt to block the sun’s light. For all that it looked abandoned, the house itself was in good repair. There was no grass in the front yard, only a variety of cactus plants that needed little watering.
If it hadn’t been for the blinking red needle on her compass, she would have sworn the house was empty. She wasn’t sure why she felt that way, and then grinned. Technically, no one “lived” there, unless the vampire had a human companion. Daisy shook her head. She knew there were people who served the needs of the Undead and counted it a privilege to do so. She had never understood the attraction.
After making sure she had everything she needed, Daisy stepped out of the car and walked up the narrow walkway to the front porch. She rang the doorbell, heard it echo inside the house. When there was no answer, she knocked. And when there was still no answer, she got out her handy-dandy lock pick and went to work.
Minutes later, she stood just inside the doorway, her head cocked as she listened to the house, and heard nothing. A quick glance showed a large living room with a corner fireplace, leather furniture, and mahogany tables. Thick, floor-length drapes kept the sun at bay.
The compass guided her through the living room and down a narrow hallway, which led to a stairway. Moving cautiously, she tiptoed down the stairs, which ended at a large steel door. She assumed the door led down to the cellar. A common vampire resting place. She glanced at the compass in her hand. In the dim light of the stairwell, the needle glowed bright red, assuring her that she was in the right place.
Tucking the compass away, she pulled a syringe from a pocket of her jacket and then regarded the door, wondering if she should have brought her crowbar with her. Only one way to find out.
She was reaching for the handle when the door swung open to reveal a tall man clad in a pair of sweatpants and nothing else. Several candles burned in the room behind him. The light cast dancing shadows on the walls and gilded his thick black hair with silver highlights.
Daisy’s heart jumped into her throat, and then plummeted to her toes. “You!”
A slow smile spread over Erik Delacourt’s handsome face. “Does this visit mean you’ve decided to go exploring with
At home, she took a long, cold shower, brushed her teeth, slipped into her favorite Snoopy sleep shirt, and climbed into bed, only to lie there, wide-awake, her fingertips pressed to her lips.
If she went to the club tomorrow night, would he kiss her like that again?
Would she still be able to deny him what they both wanted if he did?
Chapter 9
Friday morning, Daisy decided she had avoided doing her job long enough. It took considerable effort, but she pushed all thought of Erik Delacourt and his sizzling kisses out of her mind. She ate a quick breakfast, made her bed, and then read her e-mail.
Humming “Someone Like You,” she shut down her computer. The morning mail had brought her a dozen new orders. It was time to put her fears behind her and get back on the street. She had bills to pay, after all.
After dressing in a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, her favorite jacket with the roomy pockets, and comfortable shoes, she grabbed her handbag, her keys, and her compass and left the house. Surprisingly, she didn’t feel the least bit of anxiety at going out on the streets again. She had destroyed a vampire and in so doing, she had proved she could handle herself when the going got tough.
Smiling with new confidence, she slid behind the wheel. She drove with one eye on the road and the other on the needle of the compass, which jumped and quivered when she turned down a cul-de-sac in a very old, very elegant part of town. There were only three houses on the street, each separated from the other by large yards and tall fences. The needle turned red when she neared the house on the left. It was set well back from the street. The windows carried a dark tint, no doubt to block the sun’s light. For all that it looked abandoned, the house itself was in good repair. There was no grass in the front yard, only a variety of cactus plants that needed little watering.
If it hadn’t been for the blinking red needle on her compass, she would have sworn the house was empty. She wasn’t sure why she felt that way, and then grinned. Technically, no one “lived” there, unless the vampire had a human companion. Daisy shook her head. She knew there were people who served the needs of the Undead and counted it a privilege to do so. She had never understood the attraction.
After making sure she had everything she needed, Daisy stepped out of the car and walked up the narrow walkway to the front porch. She rang the doorbell, heard it echo inside the house. When there was no answer, she knocked. And when there was still no answer, she got out her handy-dandy lock pick and went to work.
Minutes later, she stood just inside the doorway, her head cocked as she listened to the house, and heard nothing. A quick glance showed a large living room with a corner fireplace, leather furniture, and mahogany tables. Thick, floor-length drapes kept the sun at bay.
The compass guided her through the living room and down a narrow hallway, which led to a stairway. Moving cautiously, she tiptoed down the stairs, which ended at a large steel door. She assumed the door led down to the cellar. A common vampire resting place. She glanced at the compass in her hand. In the dim light of the stairwell, the needle glowed bright red, assuring her that she was in the right place.
Tucking the compass away, she pulled a syringe from a pocket of her jacket and then regarded the door, wondering if she should have brought her crowbar with her. Only one way to find out.
She was reaching for the handle when the door swung open to reveal a tall man clad in a pair of sweatpants and nothing else. Several candles burned in the room behind him. The light cast dancing shadows on the walls and gilded his thick black hair with silver highlights.
Daisy’s heart jumped into her throat, and then plummeted to her toes. “You!”
A slow smile spread over Erik Delacourt’s handsome face. “Does this visit mean you’ve decided to go exploring with
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