the sand between her toes. Good God, she hadn’t felt this warm since that terrible night four years ago. She closed her eyes and relished the liquid heat as it poured through her veins. It was like being on the beach again with the surf pounding in her ears and the salty air tickling her nose. She could almost feel a volleyball in her hands, see the net in front of her, hear her sister laughing beside her.
“Darcy.” Vanda nudged her with an elbow.
She opened her eyes with a jerk. He was still there, still staring at her. Slowly, he smiled. Oh my God, dimples. Her brain turned to mush.
“Are you all right, Darcy?” Maggie whispered.
She took a deep breath and managed a whisper. “Apollo.”
Chapter 4
She was mortal.
Thank God! Austin slowly became aware that he was standing there with a dopey grin on his face. But why not? He’d found the mystery woman, and she was mortal. She had to be. He’d entered her mind so easily, and once there, her thoughts had burst forth like rays of sunshine. She was thinking about warm sand, beach volleyball, and her sister’s laughter. No vampire would have thoughts like that.
And the other two women? The short one with dark hair was definitely a vampire. He recognized her from the parking lot at DVN. And he would bet the purple-haired one was undead, too. She had that flashy look and hungry gleam in her eye. His gaze barely flickered to the other two women, before returning to the lovely-woman in blue. He kept his power carefully focused on her alone, so the other women wouldn’t detect him.
She finally spoke, her voice a hushed whisper. “Apollo.”
Huh? He cocked his head, trying to decipher her meaning. The images in her mind were still focused on the beach. She dreamed of the sun’s warmth caressing her skin. Her face was flushed, her breasts rising with each rushed breath. He realized with a jolt that she’d look the same way if he were making love to her. A surge of blood careened toward his groin, and for a second, he visualized himself pulling her on top of the table and kissing her ’til her lips were swollen and red. And then he’d—what? He couldn’t do anything with one, maybe two vampires in the room.
Why was she here with these two undead women? Was she a prisoner? Were they blackmailing her or threatening a member of her family in order to force her cooperation? The two women kept whispering and nudging her. Was she under their control? But Ms. Stein had told him Miss Darcy was the one in charge.
He needed more information. He needed to gain her trust. And staring at her with a big bulge in his pants was not the way to do it. He placed his photo on the table in front of her. Her smoky blue eyes glanced down, then back at his face.
“May I?” He pulled a black, leather-upholstered chair away from the table and sat, facing her.
Her thoughts flitted into his head. He doesn’t want to stand there and stare down at us like the other men. No, he’s bringing himself down to my eye level. How kind and considerate.
Kind and considerate? Sheesh, he was just hiding his erection. “How do you do, ladies? I’m… Adam Olaf Cartwright.”
The purple-headed one wrinkled her nose. “Olaf?”
“Yes.” Austin knew the most successful lies included as much of the truth as possible. “I was named after my grandfather, Papa Olaf. Best fisherman in Minnesota. My favorite memories are going fishing with him.” He caught some thoughts coming from the beautiful Miss Darcy. He loves his family. And the outdoors. And the simple pleasures in life.
The short one yawned. “You like killing fish?”
“I enjoy the process of fishing, the anticipation of what could happen. If I don’t need the fish for food, I put them back in the water.” He heard more thoughts, coming from Miss Darcy. He’s patient and compassionate. And so gorgeous. Holy moley, she really liked him.
The purple-headed one leaned toward her and whispered, “He’s boring.”
Austin knew
“Darcy.” Vanda nudged her with an elbow.
She opened her eyes with a jerk. He was still there, still staring at her. Slowly, he smiled. Oh my God, dimples. Her brain turned to mush.
“Are you all right, Darcy?” Maggie whispered.
She took a deep breath and managed a whisper. “Apollo.”
Chapter 4
She was mortal.
Thank God! Austin slowly became aware that he was standing there with a dopey grin on his face. But why not? He’d found the mystery woman, and she was mortal. She had to be. He’d entered her mind so easily, and once there, her thoughts had burst forth like rays of sunshine. She was thinking about warm sand, beach volleyball, and her sister’s laughter. No vampire would have thoughts like that.
And the other two women? The short one with dark hair was definitely a vampire. He recognized her from the parking lot at DVN. And he would bet the purple-haired one was undead, too. She had that flashy look and hungry gleam in her eye. His gaze barely flickered to the other two women, before returning to the lovely-woman in blue. He kept his power carefully focused on her alone, so the other women wouldn’t detect him.
She finally spoke, her voice a hushed whisper. “Apollo.”
Huh? He cocked his head, trying to decipher her meaning. The images in her mind were still focused on the beach. She dreamed of the sun’s warmth caressing her skin. Her face was flushed, her breasts rising with each rushed breath. He realized with a jolt that she’d look the same way if he were making love to her. A surge of blood careened toward his groin, and for a second, he visualized himself pulling her on top of the table and kissing her ’til her lips were swollen and red. And then he’d—what? He couldn’t do anything with one, maybe two vampires in the room.
Why was she here with these two undead women? Was she a prisoner? Were they blackmailing her or threatening a member of her family in order to force her cooperation? The two women kept whispering and nudging her. Was she under their control? But Ms. Stein had told him Miss Darcy was the one in charge.
He needed more information. He needed to gain her trust. And staring at her with a big bulge in his pants was not the way to do it. He placed his photo on the table in front of her. Her smoky blue eyes glanced down, then back at his face.
“May I?” He pulled a black, leather-upholstered chair away from the table and sat, facing her.
Her thoughts flitted into his head. He doesn’t want to stand there and stare down at us like the other men. No, he’s bringing himself down to my eye level. How kind and considerate.
Kind and considerate? Sheesh, he was just hiding his erection. “How do you do, ladies? I’m… Adam Olaf Cartwright.”
The purple-headed one wrinkled her nose. “Olaf?”
“Yes.” Austin knew the most successful lies included as much of the truth as possible. “I was named after my grandfather, Papa Olaf. Best fisherman in Minnesota. My favorite memories are going fishing with him.” He caught some thoughts coming from the beautiful Miss Darcy. He loves his family. And the outdoors. And the simple pleasures in life.
The short one yawned. “You like killing fish?”
“I enjoy the process of fishing, the anticipation of what could happen. If I don’t need the fish for food, I put them back in the water.” He heard more thoughts, coming from Miss Darcy. He’s patient and compassionate. And so gorgeous. Holy moley, she really liked him.
The purple-headed one leaned toward her and whispered, “He’s boring.”
Austin knew
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