“How long have you been a hunter?” Tessa asked. “It seems like very dangerous work.”
He nodded. “It is that, but it’s exciting, too.”
“From what I’ve seen, I’d hardly call it exciting,” Tessa said. “Tell me, does someone pay you to hunt vampires?”
“You bet! There’s a hefty government bounty on their heads. Of course, you can only get proof of death on the young ones,” Luke explained. “Fledgling vampires don’t wake up when you stake them and they don’t disintegrate unless you drag them into the sun, so it’s easy to get proof of death. Ancient vampires immediately turn to dust and ash when you destroy them. Unfortunately, the government won’t accept a pile of ashes as proof.”
Shuddering at the grotesque images his words had conjured, Tessa pushed her plate aside.
Noticing Tessa’s discomfort, Jileen said, “This really isn’t the kind of conversation to have over dinner. Has either one of you seen the new art exhibit at the museum?”
* * *
“I think I’m in love,” Jileen confided later, after Luke had gone home.
Tessa shook her head as she placed another glass in the dishwasher. “Jilly, you’re always in love.”
“I know what you’re thinking. I just met him. It’s too soon to tell. Yadda, yadda, yadda. But he’s . . .”
“Different.” Tessa grinned. She had been down this road with Jileen a dozen times before.
“All right, I can’t blame you for what you’re thinking. But I really think it’s different this time.”
“Well, for your sake, I hope you’re right.”
“Enough about me. Have you heard from Mr. Gorgeous? You’re still going out with him tomorrow, right?”
“I guess so.” Tessa bit down on her lower lip.
“You mean he hasn’t called to confirm?”
“I never gave him my number,” Tessa admitted sheepishly.
“What? Girl, you really are out of practice, aren’t you? Rule number one: Always make sure he has your number, even if you have to write it on his—”
“Stop! I get the picture.”
“Well, make a note of this, too. I expect a full report of your date first thing Sunday morning.”
“Yes, Mother dear.”
Grinning, Jileen walked Tessa to the door. “Maybe Andrei Dinescu is your Mr. Right. Did you ever think of that?”
* * *
By Saturday afternoon, Tessa was as giddy as a teenager getting ready for her first date. She changed clothes three times before deciding on a pair of black skinny jeans and a pale pink sweater. She put her hair in a ponytail, then in a French braid, and then brushed it out and let it fall around her shoulders. She put on a pair of black heels. She put on flats, then put her heels on again.
Stomach aflutter with excitement, she drove to the theater, wondering if he would be there. After all, they’d had no contact in a week. For all she knew, he had forgotten all about her and their date.
After parking her car, she forced herself to walk sedately to the ticket window, but she couldn’t help smiling with pleasure—and relief—when she saw Andrei was already there, waiting for her. “You’re early,” she said.
“Guilty as charged. I confess, I couldn’t wait to see you again.”
“Just let me buy my ticket.”
“Already done,” he said with a wink.
“But . . .”
“Is there a problem?” He ushered her through the door, handed their tickets to the young woman waiting to take them.
“I hadn’t really thought of this as a date.”
“No? What did you think it was?”
“Well, we were just meeting. . . .” She felt her cheeks grow warm when she realized how foolish that sounded.
She trailed behind him as he went to the concession stand and bought a large popcorn. Glancing over his shoulder, he asked what she wanted to drink.
“Root beer, please.”
When they reached their seats, he handed her the popcorn bucket and the soda.
“Thank you.” She ate a few bites, then whispered, “Don’t you want any?”
“Not right now.”
“I can’t eat all this by myself.”
“Perhaps later.”
He settled back in his seat and, after a moment, so did Tessa.
The lights dimmed and after numerous trailers, the movie started. It was one Tessa had been anxious to see, yet she found herself more interested in the man beside her. Time and again, she found herself surreptitiously watching him instead of the screen. His profile was sharp and clean and strong, his lips firm, his hair thick and black.
She had never been so attracted to a complete stranger before. Of course, he was amazingly handsome but it was more than that. There was an air of mystery about him—even a veiled hint of danger—that intrigued her. Of course, if he was a vampire hunter, danger was likely a way of life.
With an effort, she forced herself to pay attention to the movie, although, at this point, she had no idea what was going on.
She nibbled on the popcorn, her thoughts turned inward. Maybe what she felt for Andrei was simply gratitude. After all, he had saved her life.
She glanced at him again, and found him staring back at her. At that moment, everything else fell away and there was just the two of them. His dark eyes seemed overly bright, almost hypnotic. Without conscious thought, she found herself leaning toward him. She moistened her lips with her tongue, closed her eyes as he lowered his head to hers.
His kiss was gentle, gradually growing deeper and more intense. His tongue swept over her lower lip, then dipped inside, sending heat sizzling straight to the core of her being. Feeling suddenly light-headed, she reached for him, the bucket of popcorn tumbling to the floor as her hands fisted in his shirtfront.
She was breathing as if she had just run a marathon when he drew back. For a brief moment, in the flickering light of the screen, his eyes seemed to take on a faint red glow.
* * *
“Did you enjoy the movie?” he asked as they left the theater.
“What? Oh, yes.” But not as much as I enjoyed your kiss.
“Would you care to go out for a drink?”
Tessa glanced at her watch. It was a quarter to five. It would be dark soon. But the thought of spending more time with Andrei was far too tempting to refuse. “All right,” she said, “but just a quick one.”
“There’s a little hole-in-the-wall club on the next block.”
Nodding, Tessa fell into step beside him. She knew the place he meant. She and Jilly had gone there once. “Have you lived here long?”
“For about fifteen years. It’s a nice town.”
She hadn’t lived here that long, but it seemed odd that she had never seen him before. It was, after all, a small town. “I used to think so, but lately I’ve been thinking of moving.”
“Oh, why?”
She looked at him as if he was one brick short of a load. “Because of all the vampire attacks, of course. I’m thinking of going back home.”
“Where’s that?” He opened the door for her, then followed her into the club.
“Ashland, Nebraska. I moved here after I graduated from college. Look. There’s a booth over there.”
He slid in beside her, his thigh brushing intimately against hers. “Why did you leave?”
“Have you ever been to Ashland?” Her parents still lived there. She called them every week; went to visit them during summer vacations and at Christmas.
“Not lately.” Nebraska hadn’t been a state the last time he’d been there. “But I’m pretty sure there are vampires wherever you go.”
“I suppose that’s true, although it seems we have more than our share.”
And she was the reason, Andrei thought. But there was no need to tell her that. At least not now. He crossed his forearms on the table. “Ashland’s a small town, yet you moved to Cutter’s Corner, which isn’t much bigger. I can’t help but wonder why.”
“
It wasn’t the size of the town, so much, as the fact that everyone in Ashland knew who I was. They all expected me to get married right out of high school, settle down and have a family. No one really saw me. I wasn’t Tessa. I was Alice and Henry’s daughter. Here, I’m my own person. Does that make sense?”
“Indeed it does.”
When the waitress came, Tessa ordered a vodka martini, Andrei ordered a glass of pinot noir.
“It’s still hard to believe vampires exist,” Tessa remarked. “I mean, it seems like one day they were just myths and the next, they were terrorizing the town.” Now that she thought about it, it seemed as if the vampires had arrived shortly after she did.
“Terrorizing,” Andrei mused. “Yes, so it would seem.”
“Are you a hunter?”
“A hunter?” He laughed softly, genuinely amused. “Yes. And no.”
“Which is it? Yes or no?”
“Depends on the prey,” he replied with an easy smile.
When the waitress brought their order, Tessa lifted her glass. “What shall we drink to?”
“New friends?” he suggested.
“New friends,” she repeated, touching her glass to his.
Tessa glanced around the room. The music was soft and low, the lighting discreet. It was a place for lovers, or for men and women who were cheating on their spouses, which was why she and Jilly had never come here again. A place for lovers . . . Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of being Andrei’s lover. She quickly shook the idea from her mind. She’d just met the man, for heaven’s sake!
Andrei sipped his drink, then put his glass aside. “Would you care to dance?”
Tessa hesitated. Being in Andrei’s arms seemed dangerous somehow. Dangerous and exciting. Like vampire hunting, she mused.
When he offered her his hand, she quickly finished her drink, then let him pull her to her feet and escort her onto the dance floor. A tingle of awareness swept through her when he drew her into his arms.
The music was low, sensual. He held her close, his hand warm and firm at her waist.
“I knew we would dance well together,” he murmured.
“Did you?”
He nodded, his gaze drifting to her lips. Her yearning for him filled the air, hot and musky.
Tessa loosed a deep, shuddering sigh as he slowly lowered his head and claimed her lips with his. As had happened before, the rest of the world seemed to fall away when he was this close. Desire spiked through her, stealing the breath from her lungs, the strength from her legs.
His arm tightened around her waist, drawing her body intimately against his as they danced. She had the oddest sensation that they were gliding above the floor, that they were encased in a silken cocoon that hid them from the rest of the world. For this moment, there was only Andrei, his voice whispering in her ear, his eyes darkly mysterious and compelling....
He kissed her again and in the space of a heartbeat, reality returned.
She looked up at him, her brow furrowed in confusion. “What just happened?”
“I kissed you. Do you mind?”
“That’s not what I meant . . . I . . . you . . .” She glanced around the room. No one in the club seemed aware of anything out of the ordinary. Several couples swayed nearby, their attention riveted on each other. The room was filled with the low hum of conversation, sprinkles of laughter, the clink of glassware. She shook her head. “Nothing. I think I must have . . . I don’t know . . .”
“How do you feel now?”
“Fine.” She smiled. “I guess I shouldn’t have finished my drink so quickly. It seems to have gone right to my head.”
“That’s probably it,” he agreed, leading her back to their table.
“I should go before it gets any later.” She glanced at her watch. “Oh, no! How did it get so late? It’s dark out.”
“There’s nothing to worry about. I’ll walk you to your car and follow you home.”
“Thank you. I know you probably think I’m a terrible coward . . .”
“Not at all. Would you like another drink before we go?”
“I guess so,” she said, smiling, “since I have a bodyguard to see me safely home.”
One drink turned into two, followed by another dance. She was feeling a little tipsy when Andrei suggested it was time to leave.
“It’s a lovely night,” she remarked as they walked back to the theater parking lot.
“Yes.” He took her hand in his as they crossed the street. “Do you like the night?”
“I used to love to go walking after dark, or sitting on my balcony to look at the stars. Or at least I did until the vampires showed up. Thank you for tonight. It was fun.”
They were at her car now. She unlocked the door, wondering if he would kiss her good night.
“Perhaps we can do it again?”
“Yes, I’d like that.” She pulled her business card from her purse and handed it to him. “I wrote my cell number on the back. Call me.”
“I will.”
“Well, good night.”
He caught her arm when she turned away. Pulling her close, he kissed her until her toes curled.
“Good night, Tessa. And don’t worry, I’ll be right behind you.”
“Thanks.”
Andrei followed her home, noting, when he glanced in the rearview mirror, that two other cars had fallen in behind his. Keeping a discreet distance, they followed him to Tessa’s apartment complex.
Andrei drove past, nodding when the other two cars pulled up across the street.
He chuckled softly as he parked on the next block, thinking, as he dissolved into mist, that there would soon be two fewer vampires for Tessa to worry about.
Chapter Four
After parking her car, Tessa got out, house key in hand, and hurried up the stairs. She had expected Andrei to walk her to her door to make sure she got safely inside.
She wasn’t sure what it was that warned her. A faint creak on the stairs or the way the hairs along her arms suddenly stood at attention, but she had no sooner slid her key into the lock than someone pushed her to the ground.
A large hand covered her mouth, stifling her scream.
It took her a minute to realize that there were two men on the landing, each tugging on one of her arms as if she were a wishbone.
And then a third man appeared, his hands slashing through the air like knives, and she was free.
“Get inside!” Andrei barked. “Lock the door.”
She obeyed without question. After practically hurtling into her apartment, she slammed the door shut behind her and shot the dead bolt home.
Gasping for breath, Tessa went to the window and peered out.
Three men, all dressed in black, struggled on the landing. She had no trouble identifying Andrei. He was taller than the other two and moved with the kind of speed and grace she had only seen in martial arts movies.
It was a silent battle, vicious, and quickly over.
Tessa covered her mouth with her hand when Andrei broke the neck of one vampire and drove a stake into the heart of the other.
She gagged when he pulled the stake—dripping with dark red blood—from the second body and drove it into the heart of the first vampire.
She had seen things a lot more gruesome and violent on TV shows. But this wasn’t TV. It was real life.
Sick to her stomach, she bolted for the bathroom.
* * *
Andrei frowned at the sounds of retching coming from inside Tessa’s apartment. He supposed he couldn’t blame her for being sick. Still, she had seen him kill before. Then again, it wasn’t something most mortals ever got used to.
He had intended to walk her from her car to her door, only there had been a third vampire lurking in the shadows by the sidewalk. By the time he questioned that one, then dispatched him, the other fledglings had already reached the landing.
Hoisting the dead vampires—one over each shoulder—he whisked them out of the city to the local dump. A
fter tossing their bodies on top of a heap of trash where the early morning sun would quickly turn them to ash, he returned for the third vampire and added him to the pile.
A thought took him back to Tessa’s apartment. He stood at the door a moment, pondering what he’d learned as he questioned the first vampire. In fear for his life, the fledgling had gasped, “Madame Murga . . . she tells of a woman named Tessa whose blood can enhance a newly made vampire’s strength tenfold.”
Andrei hadn’t waited to hear any more. At the sound of Tessa’s name, he had ripped the heart from the vampire’s chest and tossed the body aside.
He was still considering the fledgling’s words when Tessa’s pale face appeared at the window. Her eyes widened a moment and then, recognizing him, she breathed a sigh of relief.
A moment later, the door swung open.
With a tentative smile, she invited him in.
Not a smart move on her part, Andrei mused as he stepped across the threshold. But then, she had no idea what manner of man she had just welcomed into her home.
He glanced around her apartment. Several inexpensive paintings of flowers adorned the pale yellow walls. A narrow cabinet held a collection of Disney princess figurines. A striped sofa and matching love seat faced each other in front of a small fireplace. A half wall divided the living room from the combination kitchen–dining room. There were two closed doors to the left of the dining room.
“I knew you were a hunter,” she said, gesturing for him to take a seat.
“I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“Me too. But it wasn’t the first time.” Tessa sank down on the sofa. “I don’t know why it bothered me so much tonight.” She shook her head, as if to clear the memory. “Let’s not talk about it.”
“Whatever you wish.”
“Have you killed many vampires?”
“I thought you didn’t want to talk about it.”
She made a vague gesture with her hand. “I guess I’m just morbidly curious.”
“I haven’t kept count.”
“Oh. You told me you sold antiques. So, what are you, some kind of merchant by day and superhero vampire slayer by night?”