Page 7 of Twilight Destiny

“Rosa?”

“I … I don’t know.”

“Would you mind if I called you?”

She nibbled on her lower lip while she made up her mind. “I guess it would be all right.” Wondering if she was doing the right thing, she gave him her cell number.

“It was nice to see you again, lovely lady. I hope we can get together before you leave town.”

Rosa nodded, her whole body tingling at his nearness. His voice was deep and dark and hypnotic, like his eyes.

She blew out a breath when he turned and walked away, and then vanished from her sight.

She stared after him, the wordvampireplaying and replaying in her mind.

Saintcrow’s eyes narrowed when he saw Rosa that night. What the hell? She’d been with Kincaid. “So,” he drawled softly. “How was your day?”

“Okay,” she said with a shrug. “I went to the movies. I thought it was kind of funny that you were showing an old vampire flick.”

“Is that right?”

“Just seemed odd to me.”

He grunted softly. “Are you ready to go to dinner?”

“I’m not hungry. I had a sandwich a little while ago.”

He nodded. “Maybe you’d like to go vampire hunting again?”

“AtThe Bloody Rose?”

“I was thinking of another place.”

She shrugged. “Might as well. It’s why I came here, after all.”

Saintcrow grinned inwardly, amused by her forced nonchalance.

Rosa groaned when she followed Saintcrow into the nightclub. It was every bit as dark and dreary asThe Bloody Rose. “Are all vamp nightclubs so depressing? What have you people got against cheerful colors and music that doesn’t sound like a funeral dirge?”

Saintcrow laughed as he held her chair for her. “What do you want, bright lights and salsa music?”

“It would be a nice change.”

“Maybe so,” he said, taking the seat across from hers. “But vampires are nocturnal creatures, you know. We prefer the dark. It’s easier to seduce your prey when the lights are low and the music is soft and sensual.”

Rosa shivered as his gaze met hers, felt a sudden unaccountable, irresistible sexual attraction to him. She stood when he did, went willingly into his arms when he led her onto the dance floor.

Saintcrow mesmerized her with a glance, then bent his head to her neck, took a few sips of her life’s blood, and blocked the memory from her mind. She was sweet, he mused, though not near so sweet as his Kadie. But that wasn’t why he had tasted Rosa. Taking her blood formed a link of sorts between them. Should she ever get into trouble, and that seemed likely if she continued to see Kincaid, it would allow him to find her.

When the music ended, he led her back to their table. “Rosa?”

“Hmm?”

Holding her gaze with his, he unblocked the memory of his bite.

She blinked at him and then, wide-eyed, lifted a hand to her neck. “You bit me!” she whispered, her voice laced with horror.

Saintcrow nodded.