Everlasting Desire (Everlasting 2)

“Shirl, you do know that Tomás is planning to take over the West Coast, don’t you? I hardly think Rhys is in the mood to socialize with him.”

Shirl leaned forward, her gaze focused on Megan’s face. “Is Rhys going to give Tomás what he wants?”

“Is that why you came here? To find out if Rhys is going to surrender?”

Shirl’s eyes grew wide. “Of course not, Meggie. How could you even think that?”

“I think it’s time for you to go. Rhys will be here soon.”

Shirl rose elegantly, effortlessly. “I’m sorry you can’t see things our way, Meggie, truly I am.”

“I am, too,” Megan said. Rising, she pointed at the door. “Please leave now. Your invitation is rescinded.”

Megan watched in astonishment as Shirl left the house; it was almost as if a giant hand had pushed her out the door.

Megan was trying to process what had happened when she sensed Rhys behind her.

“She didn’t come here because she missed me,” Megan said without turning around. “She just came to find out what you were going to do.”

Rhys slid his arms around Megan’s waist and pulled her back against him. “I’m sorry, love.”

“She said I’d never understand you unless I became a vampire. She said she can have any man she wants, that she can manipulate them.” Megan paused and then, before she could change her mind, she asked the question that was bothering her. “Is that what you’re doing with me? Are you playing with my emotions?”

Rhys grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him. “No.”

“How can I be sure that what I feel is real?”

“I guess you’ll just have to trust me.”

“That’s easy for you to say.”

“Megan, do you seriously think I’d be happy making love to a woman who was little more than a robot?”

“But, when we make love, I feel what you feel….”

“It’s because I’ve taken your blood, not because I’m deliberately influencing you.” He smiled down at her. “You like it, don’t you?”

She felt a rush of heat flood her cheeks. “Yes, it’s wonderful.”

“I told you once I’d never do anything you didn’t want me to do. It was a promise I didn’t make lightly. And one I intend to keep.”

How could she doubt him when he looked at her like that, his gaze open and honest? “I believe you.”

“Maybe we could go upstairs, and I could prove it to you.”

“Oh, I’d like that.” Megan was reaching for his hand when the doorbell rang. Frowning, she glanced over her shoulder. “You don’t think Shirl’s come back, do you?”

“No, it’s Erik and Daisy.”

“What are they doing here?”

“Only one way to find out.”

With Rhys at her heels, Megan went to invite his friends inside.

“Sorry to bother you,” Erik said when they were all seated in the living room, “but we found the body of a young woman not far from here.”

“Recently drained,” Daisy added with a grimace.

“It has Villagrande’s stink all over it,” Erik added.

“I guess that means he’s back in town,” Rhys muttered. “Dammit.”

“We didn’t mean to spoil your evening,” Daisy said, “but we thought you ought to know.”

“Yeah,” Rhys said. “Thanks.”

“We’re leaving for home tonight,” Erik said. “Daisy’s dad called earlier. Her mother is in the hospital.”

“I hope it’s nothing serious,” Megan said.

“She took a tumble down the porch stairs and broke a few ribs and her left leg,” Daisy said. “My dad assured me that she isn’t seriously hurt, but…” Daisy shrugged. “I’m sure she’ll be all right, but I need to be there.”

“Of course,” Megan said.

“Be careful, you two,” Erik said. He slipped his arm around Daisy’s shoulders. “If you need us, all you have to do is call.”

Rhys nodded. A moment later, Erik and Daisy took their leave.

“What are you looking so pensive about?” Rhys asked when they were again seated on the sofa and alone.

“I was thinking about what Daisy said, about being sure her mother will be all right.”

“Go on.”

“Do you think Daisy would turn her mother into a vampire if her injuries were life-threatening?”

“I don’t know, but I doubt it. It’s my understanding that, except for her own daughter, Irene O’Donnell doesn’t have much love for vampires. I guess you can’t blame her, since vampires turned her daughter and killed her youngest son. Last I heard, Daisy’s surviving brother, Alex, was on an extended vacation, one he paid for with my money,” Rhys added.

“Your money?” Megan exclaimed.

“Yeah. It’s a long story, but he had a hand in finding a traitor who had put a two-hundred-thousand-dollar reward on my head.”

“Two hundred grand! Wow. He must have wanted you dead awfully bad.”

“She,” Rhys said.

“What happened to her?” Megan asked. Then, seeing the merciless look in his eyes, she said, “Never mind, I don’t want to know.”

“So,” Rhys said, his voice suddenly low and seductive, “where were we?”

“I think you were about to prove that my feelings for you are my own,” she said, and then murmured, “although I don’t know how you can do that.”

“It’s easy. We’ll go upstairs and get undressed. I’ll lie on your bed, with my eyes closed. And anything that happens after that will be all your idea.”

“Really?” She slid her hand under his shirt and raked her nails over his chest. “So, if I don’t want you to touch me, you won’t?”

“That seems unlikely,” he said dryly.

“Never mind.” Her fingers curled in the hair on his chest. “If I say I just want to go to sleep, then that’s what we’ll do, right?”

He cleared his throat. “If that’s what you want.”

Her fingers trailed downward, sneaking beneath the waistband of his jeans. “And if I want you to spend the night and the day in my bed, will you?”

“Megan…”

“Having you spend the day with me is the one thing I know is my own idea.”