It hit him like a blow to the chest. Lilin might leave. She would go back to the Queen and she would forget he existed.
And he would never forget her.
In that single crystal-clear moment he realized how much she had come to mean to him over the period of time he’d known her.
He didn’t want to lose her.
Archer was on the verge of grabbing her, taking her into his arms and holding her tight so she could never leave him. Then she blinked as if coming back to reality and looked at him for a long moment.
His words and his breath caught in his throat as she took the sock he had hidden the diamond in, and slipped the stone inside so that it dropped to the toe.
Lilin handed it to Archer and smiled. “I choose to live a mortal life if it means I can be with you.” She bit her lower lip before adding, “If you’ll have me.”
The relief was so great it stunned him.
“Will I have you?” Archer tossed the sock-covered diamond over his shoulder and it landed on the floor with a thump. “Does that answer your question?” He planned to take that damned stone and bury it in the landfill first thing in the morning.
She grinned and flung her arms around his neck. “I think I love you, Archer.”
“I know I love you, Lilin.” Archer couldn’t keep the love out of his smile and voice as he looked down at her. “And I’m never letting you go.”
Paranormal Romance Blues
Kelley Armstrong
“When I said I was in the mood for a meat market, I meant that metaphorically. I don’t actually want to be anyone’s dinner.”
Tiffany rolled her eyes. “It’s not that kind of vampire bar, Mel.”
“What other kind is there? It’s for vampires. What do they drink? Blood. And we’re their primary suppliers of that beverage. Ergo ...”
If she rolled her eyes any higher, they’d disappear into her skull. As I sipped my beer, I overheard a guy at the bar talking about women and not-so-discreetly jerking his chin our way. Cute guy, too. Hmm.
“I’ll take the blonde,” he said to his friend. “You can have the brunette.”
“No, I want the blonde.”
It was always nice to be argued over. Too bad I was the one they were arguing over not wanting. There are distinct disadvantages to being a half-demon with super-charged hearing.
“So this vampire bar,” Tiffany tried again. “It’s for dating. It’s not easy being a vampire, you know. You think you have dating issues? Try being immortal.”
“They are only semi-immortal. And why would I want to date one?”
“Uh, because they’re hot.”
Sure, if you went for tall, dark and parasitic. I gulped the rest of my beer. Sadly, it didn’t make anyone in the bar look better.
And, considering the only guy glancing my way was at least sixty, apparently the booze wasn’t doing the trick for them either.
I signalled the bartender for a refill. Even he ignored me.
“Hello?” Tiffany waved her hand in front of my face. “Earth to Melanie. Can we blow this joint please? The vampire bar is calling. Hot guys who’ve been waiting centuries to meet you.”
I snorted.
“Oh, come on,” she said. “Don’t you find it the least bit romantic?
A creature of the night, tormented by the emptiness of his life, searching for that one special woman, knowing if he doesn’t find her in time, he’ll be condemned to eternity as a soulless monster.”