Page 15

T his is the time of day I hate most. Pacing around the kitchen, I put the last of the clean dishes away. My brother-in-law, Cyrus, and his mate, Annie, came for dinner, but they’ve since gone back to the city. Lily is tucked into her bed upstairs. The house is eerily silent.

It’s these quiet moments when grief rears its ugly head.

This is when sadness engulfs me, shrouding me in its inky black embrace until I’m left to wallow in my own thoughts until morning. This is when I remember all the things I’m missing without Roman.

From the boring conversations about retirement savings and who’s taking Lily to school the next day. To the cozy nights, with him watching the sports channel while I read, my feet in his lap .

His eyes would linger on me from the opposite side of the couch, never ashamed of still finding his wife attractive after countless years of marriage.

Soon enough, I’d end up under him, his hard body pressing mine into the soft couch. His usually steady hands would turn frantic, shoving my nightgown up and pulling my panties to the side so he could slide inside me. The heat between us never died, and I crave it more than ever since his passing.

I’m touch starved, but I’m terrified of finding someone else.

Earlier, Annie asked me if I was ready to start dating. Like always, bile crept up my throat, and I wanted to vomit.

Dating means moving on, replacing Roman. And my heart can’t bear someone else in this house, someone else raising Lily.

Beams of light shine in the front windows, snapping me back to the present. To the utter silence that makes it hard to breathe.

A car door slams. Seconds later, there’s a soft knock on the front door.

When I open it, Viktor is standing on the other side, a pink box clutched in his hands. “Did I wake you?” His voice is quiet, likely not wanting to wake Lily since it’s a little after nine.

Brilliant crimson eyes scan me from head to toe, taking in the oversized t-shirt hanging off one shoulder.

It’s Roman’s shirt from college, when he was on the football team.

After he died, I kept it and wore it for weeks until his scent faded and it began to smell like me.

I still don’t have the heart to throw it away, even though it’s riddled with holes and the fabric is threadbare.

My skin prickles under his perusal, nipples pebbling against the worn cotton and reminding me I’m not wearing a bra. Crossing my arms, I attempt to hide the arousal coming to life in my traitorous body.

How does the simple presence of this vampire take me from melancholy to horny in the blink of his beautiful eyes?

Shaking my head, I will my body to calm the fuck down. “I was awake. Couldn’t sleep. Seems to be a regular problem since Roman died.”

The corners of Viktor’s mouth twitch down. “I have something that might help.” Lifting the pink box between us, he opens the lid to reveal a dozen giant chocolate chip cookies. “Fresh from my favorite bakery in the city.”

“Cream Me Up?” The familiar flying saucer logo catches my eye.

A smile spreads across his face. “You know the place?”

I nod, beckoning him into the house. “It’s Antoinette’s favorite.”

His answering chuckle has goosebumps dancing across my arms. “Right. The dragon. What do you say, country girl? You up for a late-night snack?”

I can’t help but smile when his broadens, flashing his fangs. “I’ll get the milk, city boy.”

As we head to the kitchen, I notice the cloud of grief has dissipated and the uneasy silence is replaced by the soothing baritone of Viktor’s voice. Maybe the reason moving on makes me physically ill is because my body has been waiting for the right person.

Maybe I’ve been waiting for Viktor?

He’s only here temporarily. Do you really want to get involved with someone who’s set on leaving in a few months?

My conscience pipes up, joining the party of emotions currently plaguing my body.

Plus, he makes Lily happy, which is more important than my sexual needs.

Who’s to say we’d even be compatible in that department?

An orgasm isn’t worth fucking up the good thing I have going with Viktor as the nanny. Nope, I’ll just continue to take care of myself with the help of my trusty vibrator.

“How was your weekend?” I ask, pouring two glasses of milk while Viktor takes a seat on one of the stools. With me standing on the other side of the counter, there’s a barrier between us, so I don’t do something stupid like climb him like a tree and kiss his lush mouth.

Viktor rolls his eyes. It’s the first hint of attitude I’ve witnessed from his otherwise polished behavior. I clap a hand over my mouth to stifle my laughter. “About as good as expected. I stood up to my father, though.”

“Good for you!” I raise my glass of milk in a salute.

His answering chuckle has my belly somersaulting. Like I told him before, he really does have a great laugh. Smooth and rich, like a perfectly aged whiskey.

As quickly as his laughter started, it stops, his mouth dropping into a frown. His Adam’s apple bobs with a swallow. “I wish I understood why he doesn’t respect my job. He thinks I’m just a babysitter.”

Around a mouthful of cookie, I ask, “Have you ever explained to him what you do? How you’re not a glorified babysitter?”

“No.” His eyes drop to the rim of his glass, long fingers tracing the edge. His hands, much like the rest of him, are so elegant .

“Maybe you should try. You’re already having an impact on Lily after only a week. She demanded to go for another nature walk yesterday, and I had to look up every bug and flower we came across so we would know the correct names.”

That gets a smile back on his face. A smile I’m starting to see in my dreams.

“What about you? Besides becoming an encyclopedia of insects and flowers, how was your weekend?”

“The weather was beautiful, so we went to the pool in town. Lily got to see some of her friends who were in her preschool class last year. But we both got a little sunburned.” In fact, my skin is still itchy and red. “And we had dinner with Cyrus and Annie tonight.”

Viktor chews a bite of cookie while I talk. He’s such a good listener. His eyebrows rise at the mention of Cy. “Cyrus is your brother-in-law, right?”

Before I can think better of it, I reach a hand across the counter and brush the crumbs clinging to the corner of Viktor’s mouth. At the same time, his tongue swipes across his bottom lip, skimming my thumb. Eyes flaring, I swear his tongue lingers on my skin for longer than is appropriate.

Sucking in a gasp, I snap my hand back.

Why did I do that? Stupid hormones!

“S-Sorry. You had some crumbs.” I wave a hand at him as my cheeks flame.

“Umm, Cyrus. Yes. He’s Roman’s older brother.

He pitches in a lot around here when he can.

But he and his mate, Annie, just opened their own commercial real estate firm, so they’re a lot busier now.

We try to have Sunday dinner at least once a month.

You’re more than welcome to join us next time. ”

“I’d really like that.”

Finishing the rest of his milk, Viktor stands and pulls his car keys from his pocket. “It’s getting late. I should let you get some rest.”

I wish you wouldn’t , I want to scream. But my mouth splits open on a yawn instead, the full belly of cookie and milk taking hold. “I’ll see you tomorrow, city boy.”

He smiles. “Goodnight, country girl.”