Night's Mistress (Children of The Night 5)

“So,” he said, his voice a low rumble in her ear, “do you still think good chocolate is better than great sex?”

Later, after they had showered and dressed, Logan again brought up the subject of her moving in with him.

“This is a big place,” he said. “You can have your pick of the bedrooms. Hell, you’ll have the whole house to yourself during the day.”

He was very persuasive. Staying here was tempting, so very tempting. Living with Logan wouldn’t be a hardship. He had a house that was even bigger than her own, with a lovely view, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, and a Jacuzzi. Best of all, she enjoyed his company. Still, if she agreed to move in with him, she wasn’t just admitting she was afraid, she was surrendering a portion of her free will. The thought rankled.

“If you won’t come here,” Logan remarked, playing his ace in the hole, “then I’m moving in with you.”

“You can’t come into my house unless you’re invited.”

He lifted one brow. “Can’t I?”

She stared at him uncertainly. Thresholds had a mystical power of their own. They repelled vampires and other supernatural creatures. Had Logan found a way to nullify that power?

“The bond between us may be broken, Mara, but you’re forgetting one thing. I’m still a vampire.”

The threat was clear. If she refused to move in with him, or refused to allow him to move in with her, he could forcibly bend her will to his. Without her supernatural powers, there was nothing she could do to stop him. She probably wouldn’t even be aware of it. Not only that, but he had tasted her blood, which meant that no matter where she went, he would always be able to find her, a power she had once used to her own advantage without wondering or caring what mortals thought about her invading their privacy.

“You’re not playing fair,” she said petulantly.

Logan shrugged. “You know what they say about love and war.”

“Are we at war?”

He trailed one finger down her cheek. “No, darlin’, but one of us is in love.”

She had no answer for that. She cared for Logan deeply, but she wasn’t in love with him. And then, in the back of her mind, came that troubling question again: Was she?

Knowing Logan wouldn’t relent, Mara agreed to move into his house, at least until the baby was born.

Logan did his best not to look smug, but he failed miserably. It made her want to smack him.

The following evening, Logan arrived at her house with a small moving van. “I would have hired someone to help out, but the fewer people who see you, the better.”

With Logan’s supernatural strength, there really wasn’t any need for help. In addition to her suitcases, he easily managed the few large items she wanted to take with her.

Two hours later, Mara had settled into the upstairs master bedroom in Logan’s house. It was a spacious room, but it was definitely masculine, from the heavy dark furniture to the gray walls and carpeting. She blew out a sigh as she opened one of her suitcases. The room was nice but not to her liking.

Logan stood in the doorway, watching her unpack. “So, what color are you going to paint it?”

Mara looked up. “What?”

“The room. What color are you going to paint it?”

“Are you serious? You’ll just have to paint it again when I leave.”

He shrugged. “The colors don’t suit you.” She was never meant for insipid shades of gray. “I’ll run down to the paint store and get some samples while you unpack.”

Before she could assure him that it wasn’t necessary, he was gone.

Fighting the urge to cry, Mara sat on the edge of the bed. She hated being so weepy all the time, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. Was it because she was becoming more human every day? Or just because she was pregnant? Pregnant! No matter how often she said it, she couldn’t believe it. All these tears made her feel weak and foolish.

With a shake of her head, she resumed unpacking. Logan had thoughtfully emptied the large walk-in closet and the six drawers in the dresser. He really was a sweet man, she thought, and wondered again why she had left him. Boredom, perhaps, or maybe just her lifelong fear of letting anyone, mortal or vampire, get too close, see too much.

She was hanging the last of her clothes in the closet when Logan reappeared with two dozen color samples. He spread them out on the top of the dresser. “Take your pick.”

She moved up beside him, frowning as her gaze moved over the small colored paper squares. Looking at them made her yearn for the preternatural sight she had once taken for granted. As a vampire, she had seen colors with more clarity. When she looked at fabric, she had seen each individual thread. Now, the various shades of blue, green, pink, lavender, and yellow looked faded, washed out.

Her preternatural hearing was gone, too. As a vampire, she would have been able to hear the traffic noise from the street below, if she wished, the tick of the clock downstairs, the whisper of a moth’s wings. But no more. It was as if she had lost half of herself.

“Mara? Hey, if you don’t like any of these, I’ll go get some more.”

Blinking back her tears, she said, “You pick one.”

Logan slipped his arm around her waist. “Listen, we’re gonna get through this, okay?”

“We?”

“I’m in this for the long haul, darlin’. However long it takes. I love you,” he said, kissing her cheek. “I’ve always loved you. Human or vampire, it doesn’t matter. I’ll be here as long as you need me.”

“Logan, you’re so good to me.”

“Geez, woman, cheer up. Come on,” he said, grabbing her by the hand. “Let’s go for a swim.”

“I don’t have a bathing suit.”

“Good, neither do I.”

The pool was lovely in the moonlight. Logan flicked a switch on the patio and the backyard turned into a fairyland. Twinkling colored lights shone in the shrubs and the trees, and glowed from the bottom of the pool.

Mara sat on the edge of the deck, dangling her bare feet in the water.

Logan, never big on modesty, shucked his clothes while she watched. He was beautiful, a young Greek god come to life, Adonis and Apollo all rolled into one.

He winked at her; then, striking a bodybuilder pose, he flexed his muscles. “Impressed?”

Before she could answer, he dove into the water, then surfaced in front of her. “Come on in. The water feels great.”

“In a minute.”