With a sigh, Daisy lowered the back of her seat and closed her eyes.
Erik watched her from the corner of his eye. It took only a few moments for her to fall asleep. His hands tightened on the steering wheel as he listened to the slow, steady beat of her heart. Her scent filled his nostrils. For a brief moment, he imagined pulling off the freeway, finding a dark, secluded place, taking Daisy in his arms to still his hunger and ease his desire. There was just one problem, and it was snoring softly in the backseat.
With a sigh of exasperation, Erik rolled down the window. It wasn't easy, being in such a confined space with two mortals, especially when one of them was as tempting and tasty as the woman sleeping only inches away. Everything about her called to him--her beauty, her humor, her laughter. The way she looked at him, always a little wary, yet unafraid. The way her body molded itself to his, the intoxicating taste of her lips, the womanly scent of her skin, and yes, her blood, warm and sweet, unlike anything he had ever had before. Since that first small taste, he had hungered for more, knowing he would never again be satisfied with the blood of another.
He glanced at her again. She was so young, so beautiful. Even now, after knowing her, it was difficult to imagine her as the Blood Thief. Harder still to imagine that they could have any kind of future together. And yet, how could he let her go? Only now did he realize how empty, how meaningless, his existence had been. He had accepted being a vampire centuries ago. He had put the past behind him, made the necessary adjustments. Told himself he was happy. Lies, he thought. All lies to make the emptiness of his life bearable. But now, with Daisy, his life was no longer empty.
Which led to another problem. He wanted her. She wanted him. Finding a way to make their relationship work might be a problem. Finding a way to coexist with her family would be an even bigger obstacle. And then there was her brother, Alex, who was already suspicious. Erik wondered how much longer it would take for Alex to figure things out. Not long, since he was already suspicious. And then there was the other brother to consider.
Erik raked a hand through his hair. He hadn't made many mistakes in his life, but falling in love with Daisy O'Donnell could prove to be fatal.
Alex woke an hour or so later, demanding to be fed. Erik exited the freeway and pulled into the first hamburger place they came to. He opted to stay in the car while Daisy and her brother went inside.
After a few minutes, he got out of the car to stretch his legs. He was hungry, too, he mused, but not for a cheeseburger and fries. He wanted something warm and fresh. The thought had no sooner crossed his mind than a couple of teenagers approached, heading for the restaurant. It took only moments to hypnotize the two of them and lead them into the shadows.
Erik fed quickly, released them from his spell, and was back in the car before Daisy and her brother returned.
"I bought you a burger and a Coke," Daisy said, thrusting a brown paper sack into his hand.
Erik looked at her, one brow arched in amusement as he muttered his thanks, then pulled out of the parking lot.
"You'd think we could stop long enough to eat inside," Alex said. "I don't know about you two, but I could use a break."
"Forget it," Daisy said, unwrapping her cheeseburger. "I want to put as much distance between us and Rhys as possible."
"Smart girl," Erik murmured.
"What do you know about it?" Alex asked brusquely.
"Just what Daisy told me," Erik replied mildly.
"Yeah?" Alex said, frowning. "Just what did she tell you?"
"Just that some pervert named Costain is after her, and that she's afraid of him."
"That's all she said?"
Erik shrugged. "Pretty much. The guy sounds like some kind of psycho to me, and that makes him dangerous."
"I can look after her."
"Yeah," Erik said, unable to keep the sneer out of his voice. "I saw how well you did that the last time you and Costain tangled. I don't want the same thing happening to Daisy."
Daisy glanced over her shoulder. Alex's jaw was so tight she thought it might crack.
When the silence got unbearable, Daisy turned on the radio, then scanned the stations until she found one playing soft rock, hoping it would ease the tension in the car.
It didn't, but try as she might, she couldn't think of anything to say. Some time later, Erik pulled into a gas station. Daisy and Alex got out of the car to use the restroom and pick up some snacks, leaving Erik to fill the tank. While they were gone, Erik tossed the hamburger and Coke Daisy had bought him into the trash.
The tank was full and he was standing by the driver's side door when Daisy and her brother emerged from the mini-mart. He felt a twinge of jealousy as he watched them talking and laughing together. He had never had any brothers or sisters. His parents, his wife, and his children were long dead. He had lived alone so long, he could scarcely remember what it was like to be part of a family, to share a house with people you loved, people who loved and cared about you in return.
"Are you sure you don't want anything?" Daisy asked as she climbed into the passenger seat.
"I'm sure."
"You don't eat much, do you?" Alex asked, settling himself in the backseat.
"I eat when I'm hungry," Erik replied. Sliding behind the wheel, he started the car and pulled onto the street.
Moments later, they were back on the highway.
It was near dawn when Erik pulled off the freeway onto a side road. "One of you will have to drive for a while," he said. "I need to get some rest."
"Suits me," Alex said. Climbing out of the backseat, he stretched his back and shoulders. "I was getting claustrophobic back there."
Erik sent Daisy a meaningful glance as he took Alex's place in the backseat. She nodded, silently letting him know that she would make sure the windows stayed up.
He winked at her, then reached for the blanket on the floor. Drawing it up over his shoulders and head, Erik closed his eyes and felt himself falling into nothingness.
Alex jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "He's kind of strange, don't you think?"
Daisy's heart skipped a beat, afraid that they were about to have a conversation she definitely didn't want any part of. "Strange? No, I don't think so. Why?"
"Well, let's see. He sleeps all day. I've never seen him eat. He wears a lot of black." Alex shrugged. "Remind you of anyone? Or anything?"
"So he's a little eccentric," Daisy said, struggling to keep her voice calm. "He's an artist."
"Uh-huh."