Page 67 of Twilight Destiny

They made back it to her apartment in record time. After parking the car, Kincaid lifted her into his arms and carried her swiftly up the stairs. Once inside, a thought closed and locked the door. And then they were lying on the floor in front of the fireplace and he was caressing her, kissing her, whispering that he adored her. She couldn’t think when he was kissing her like that. Right and wrong didn’t seem to matter when every fiber of her being was on fire for his touch. She had a sudden yearning to give him anything and everything he wanted.

She had no idea what would have happened if the ringing of her phone hadn’t penetrated the haze of passion that engulfed her. She grabbed the phone as if it was a lifeline, gasped, “Hello?”

“Rosie! What’s this I hear about you dating a vampire?”

Kincaid swore a silent oath when he heard a woman’s voice on the other end of the call. Sitting up, he raked his fingers through his hair. Of all the lousy timing, he thought.

“Sofie, can I call you back? Oh, hang on a minute,” Rosa said, as Jake tugged on her arm.

“Take your call. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “It’s for the best.”

When she frowned at him, he said, “Things were getting a little out of hand.”

She couldn’t argue with that. Still, she was sorry to see him leave. With a sigh, she put the phone to her ear again. “Sofie? I’m back.”

Her sister cut right to the chase. “So, a vampire.” Sofia drawled. “Seriously?”

“If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me,” Rosa retorted.

“Where did you meet him?”

“Saintcrow introduced us.”

“Saintcrow! When did you see him?”

Rosa blew out a sigh. “I hope you’re sitting down, sis. It’s a long, long story.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

With nothing better to do, Kincaid transported himself toThe Crimson Rose, where he ordered the house special. He couldn’t decide if he was relieved or angry with the way the night had ended. As badly as he wanted to make love to Rosa, he was worried that he might lose control and drink from her at the same time. Then, too, she was a virgin. He still found that hard to believe. They were a rare breed in this day and age. No doubt her sister’s call had come at just the right time.

He tossed back his drink and ordered another. One downside of being a vampire was that it was damned near impossible to get drunk. He had never intended to fall in love with Rosa, but he’d been hooked the minute he looked into those guileless, dark eyes. And once he’d kissed her, all thought of a brief fling had been forgotten.

“Women,” Saintcrow said, taking the barstool beside him. “How they mess with a man’s mind.”

“Yeah. Why aren’t you home in bed with yours?”

“She was watching some mushy love story on TV.”

Kincaid grunted.

“So, trouble in paradise?”

“No. We were going at it pretty hot and heavy when her sister called. It came at just the right time. I could have waited around, I guess, but I figured I was going to be the main topic of conversation.”

“She’s got a lot of family.”

“No shit.”

“They’re good people. Give them a chance.”

Kincaid nodded. For better or worse, he was willing to put up with just about anything to make her his.

“Have you heard anything from Rhinehart?”

“Not since the other night. I found the witch who made my talisman. She said she would magick one for Rhinehart in exchange for something that belongs to Luca. Maybe the hunter hasn’t been able to get ahold of anything. It’s only been a couple of days.”

Saintcrow grunted. “Can’t be easy, stealing from a guy as powerful as Luca Sasan. Let me know if you hear anything. And tell Rosa ‘hey’ for me when you see her again.”