Everlasting Kiss (Everlasting 1)

"Don't. Ever. Do. That. To. Me. Again." Rhys bit off each word; then he dropped his hands and took a step backward. "Why didn't you tell me you were a witch?"

Erik rubbed his throat. "The subject never came up."

"So, what now?"

"Meet me at my place tomorrow night."

"I won't find any hunters waiting for me when I get there, will I?"

"Give it a rest, will ya? My place, tomorrow night. And leave the attitude at home."

For the tenth time in as many minutes, Daisy glanced at her watch. She hadn't heard from Erik since last night. Why hadn't he called? She knew he couldn't go out until after sundown, but she had expected to hear from him before now. Surely he knew she would be worried about him, curious to know how his meet with Costain had gone. She chewed on her thumbnail. Maybe it had gone horribly wrong.

"Stop fidgeting," Alex said. "I'm trying to watch the news."

Daisy shook her head. The news was always the same--a horrible accident on the freeway, fires in the mountains, floods in the South, and a stock market that went up and down like a yo-yo. "Do you think something went wrong last night?"

"How the heck should I know? Damn, look at that pileup on the 101."

"Alex, I know you don't like Erik, but he's trying to help."

"Yeah, right. He probably made a deal with the devil last night."

"Alex."

"All right, all right, I'm sorry. I just don't trust him." He held up his hand when she started to speak. "I know, he saved our lives, but..." Alex shook his head. "He's a vampire. Killing mortals is what they do. We're mortal, natural enemies, you know? No matter how much you might want to keep a tiger for a pet, it's never a good idea because you never know when they'll turn on you."

"He's not a tiger."

"No, he's worse." Daisy glared at him and Alex shook his head.

"It's like talking to the wall," he muttered sourly. "Have you forgotten a vampire killed Brandon?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten!"

Daisy glanced at her watch again. She had awakened in her own bed this morning with no recollection of how she had gotten there. But, oh, she remembered everything that had happened before she fell asleep. Just thinking about it now, recalling how she and Erik had made love, brought a rush of heat to her cheeks. She had read books and seen movies depicting love, she had daydreamed about making love, but the reality had been far more than she had ever imagined.

Her cheeks grew hotter under Alex's suspicious gaze.

"Why are you blushing?" he asked.

"Am I?"

Alex stared at her, his eyes narrowing. "Anything you want to tell me, little sister?"

Daisy shrugged, her gaze sliding away from his. "I can't think of a thing."

"I never heard you come in last night. Where'd you go with him?"

"We just...we went for a drive up in the mountains."

"Is that right?"

"You're not my father," Daisy retorted, lifting her chin defiantly. "I don't have to answer to you."

Alex grunted softly. "You don't have to say anything. I've got a pretty good idea what you were up to last night." He shook his head. "How could you? Dammit, Daisy..."

She turned her back to him when her cell phone rang. After a quick glance at the caller ID, she flipped open the phone. "Erik! Are you all right?"

"Yeah. Is Alex home?"

"Yes, why?"

"Rhys is here with me. We're coming over."

Daisy glanced over her shoulder at Alex, who was still engrossed in the news. Lowering her voice, she said, "Rhys is coming here?"

"Is that going to be a problem?"

"Not for me, but..."

"We'll be there in about twenty minutes," Erik said, and hung up. They could have been there in moments, but Erik wanted to give Daisy time to prepare Alex for their visit.

"Who was that?" Alex asked as she disconnected the call.

"Erik." She debated whether to tell him Rhys was also coming and decided against it. "He'll be here in a little while."

Daisy fought down a rising sense of panic as the minutes ticked past. She told herself there was nothing to be afraid of. Erik wouldn't bring Rhys to her house if there was any danger.

"Are they coming here?" Rhys asked.

Erik slipped his phone into his pocket. "No, we're going there."

Rhys lifted one brow in obvious consternation.

"What's the matter? Don't tell me you're afraid of meeting with Alex and his sister?"

"Don't be an idiot. But if either of them tries anything, the deal's off and they're dead." Rhys drummed his fingers on the arm of the sofa. "So, who do you think it is? Some stupid mortal, or one of us?"

Sitting back in his chair, Erik stretched his legs out in front of him. "I don't know, but my money's on one of us."

"Why?"

"Why would a mortal offer a reward to have you destroyed? Most mortals don't even know you exist. A hunter would do it on his own."

"Yeah, but the government isn't offering hunters two hundred grand."

Erik grunted softly. Fifty years ago, the government had offered a thousand-dollar reward for every vampire destroyed. Those had been dangerous times. More than one Goth had been killed by mistake. As more and more innocents were killed, the government's reward had dropped to five hundred dollars, and then two hundred and fifty. When people decided two-fifty wasn't worth dying for, the frenzy to hunt vampires had dwindled until only dedicated hunters remained. Now there was more money to be made by selling vampire blood than by destroying them.

"Come on," he said, rising. "It's time to go."

Rhys stood beside Erik on the O'Donnells' front porch. Thrusting his hands into his pants pockets, he took a deep breath as two familiar scents reached his nostrils. Scents he remembered all too well.

"Behave yourself," Erik admonished, and knocked on the door. From inside, he heard Daisy telling Alex that Rhys was also coming, and Alex's stunned silence in reply.

Moments later, Daisy opened the door, a tentative smile on her face. Clad in a pale yellow sweater and a pair of faded jeans, she looked as lovely and fresh as the flower she had been named after.

For a moment, he forgot everything else as the memory of the hours they had spent together at the hotel flashed through his mind. Erik had never been one for wishful thinking, but at the moment, he wished he could sweep Daisy into his arms and carry her back to that suite in the hotel. The flush that rose in Daisy's cheeks told him she was remembering it, too.