Stake and Dust (Stake and Dust series, Book I) by Karen Michelle Nutt Page B

was over I came home."
    She didn't believe him. She'd hear him sneak
out of the house in the middle of the night when he thought
everyone was asleep. She'd thought he was meeting someone, but she
spied him in the backyard, chatting on the phone. Instinct told her
he was speaking to a girl. His voice had changed when he talked and
he laughed and joked with whoever was on the other line. The real
cincher was when he said: I love you, too.
    When their parents forced him to leave
school, he moped for months and no matter how she tried to find out
what went down, he wouldn't open up to her.
    "I should let you get some sleep," Derek
interrupted her thoughts.
    "Yeah, sure."
    "Stay safe," he said.
    "Stay safe." She placed her phone back on the
end table. She stared at the computer not in the mood now to read
about the evil doings of the Lamia, but forced herself to do so
anyway.
    Eventually her thoughts returned to Tremayne
and the kiss. She'd liked the feel of his lips. Then again the man
had been banished to the States because he knew how to seduce a
woman. "I'm a fool," she reprimanded herself. Tremayne may be a
hunter, but he was a man first and foremost.
    "But you initiated the kiss, not him," she
reminded herself. "Yeah, I'm a fool. Play with fire and you're
bound to get burned." She'd never been one to listen to reason. No,
she had to touch the flame to make sure it was truly hot.

Chapter Ten
    Tremayne had been thinking about Sheerin's
suggestion. All he had to do is take one of Sheerin's experimental
drugs and he would be able to walk in the sun. "Or I could fry,"
Tremayne murmured. But if anyone could come up with a way for
vampires to walk in the sun, Sheerin was the mad scientist for the
job.
    He entered his house and Shakespeare came
bounding toward him with two quick barks for a greeting. His lips
curved as he waited for him. The big hound dog didn't disappoint
him. Seventy-five pounds of loveable beast came barreling toward
him at full speed. He braced himself for the impact.
    "Rrrruff-ruff" , Shakespeare added as
he slobbered all over him. Yeah, he loved this big guy. Black, tan
and white fur marked his hound, making him a beautiful dog in all
respects, but then he could be biased.
    "Missed you, too," he said with a chuckle as
Shakespeare showered him with more doggie kisses. "Are you ready to
go for your walk, lad?"
    Shakespeare's tail wagged with enthusiasm,
the thump-thump against the hardwood floor for his answer. Yep, he
was ready. He opened the door and Shakespeare bounded outside
toward the beach. He followed his hound at a leisurely pace toward
the waterfront. This was his land, his part of the beach, which had
been deemed private property when he purchased the estate decades
ago. Beachfront property represented his front yard and a forest
lined the back.
    His house had large paned windows and all
were tinted to keep the sun out without hampering his beautiful
view. Another invention Sheerin perfected for the sept. The vampire
genius had many inventions, and he hadn't dried up on ideas
yet.
    Steel panels were installed on each of the
windows also, just in case of an emergency. Access buttons were on
the wall next to the light switches in every room, and one at his
desk in the study. He believed on being cautious especially when
the sun's rays could prove detrimental to his welfare.
    His gaze followed Shakespeare as he ran up
and down the beach, chasing the water as if he could catch the
waves. Tremayne loved the Hamptons. He had his pub, his home, and
his dog. What else did he need? He sighed, knowing exactly what was
missing.
    It had been a long time since he had a
serious relationship, but he'd given up hoping for one. They never
lasted. Something was always missing.
    Once he'd been in love with a human. Or at
least he believed it to be true. It was centuries ago when he'd
been a youth and on the verge of going through his change. The
ritual required the male to drink their mate's blood to mature