Page 75 of Twilight Destiny

He lifted one brow. “You can’t lie to me, you know? I can smell a lie at a hundred paces.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“That’s amazing.”

“So are you.” Sliding his arm around her shoulders, he drew her closer. His kiss, when it came, was warm and infinitely tender. “You know I’m crazy about you, don’t you?” he murmured.

“I had an inkling you might be.”

“Can I hope you feel the same about me?”

“I wouldn’t be moving in with you if I didn’t.”

“I know. I just wanted to hear you say it.”

“Next Friday is my last day at work.”

“I’ll call a mover to pick up your furniture Saturday morning. If you pack your clothes and whatever else you need, I’ll transport it to Morgan Creek.”

Rosa sighed. Next week, she would be starting a whole new chapter in her life. She couldn’t help wondering how it would end.

Tuesday after work, she stopped to pick up some packing boxes, then made a quick trip to the bookstore, thinking she’d need something to read in Morgan Creek. There was no bookstore in the town, and the library didn’t always get new books right away. She had always loved to read, especially historical romances set in the Old West. She grinned as she remembered Jake telling her he had once been a cowboy. She would have loved to have known him then, she thought. She’d always had a weakness for horses and men in cowboy hats.

She picked up two historical romances and a new mystery and then went to O’Shay’s and bought a pair of black jeans. She was about to leave the store when she saw a tee shirt featuring the very sexy Damon Salvatore on it. Unable to resist, she grabbed one off the rack, wondering what Jake would say when he saw it that night.

Jake laughed when she opened the door. “I guess you probably drooled over him, although he was such an unrepentant killer, I’m surprised you didn’t like his brother better.”

“Oh, Stefan was nice,” Rosa said. “But not nearly as sexy as Damon.”

Kincaid snorted.

“You probably didn’t even watch the show,” Rosa said, leading the way into the living room. Of course, she’d been a little girl when the series had first aired, but she had seen it in reruns on TV.

“Of course, I did,” he said. “It was as entertaining as it was unrealistic. I’ve never seen vampires make such a mess when feeding.”

Rosa grimaced. She had forgotten about that. “Well, I loved the show. I had quite a crush on Damon.”

He jerked his chin toward her tee shirt. “Looks like you still do.”

Rosa shrugged. “Well, I don’t think he’s nearly as sexy as you are, if that makes you feel better.”

“You can have a crush on as many fictitious vampires as you like,” he growled as he pulled her into his arms. “As long as I’m the only flesh-and-blood one in your life.”

Chapter Thirty

Paul Rhinehart hadn’t been able to find an address for Rosa Ravenwood, which he thought was strange, although he’d found one for a Luciano Ravenwood. The same address was on her driver’s license, and since she wasn’t married, he assumed the address was her family home, and that she’d never taken the time to change her residence on her license.

Now, as he drove by the house, he considered how he might convince her parents to tell him where she lived without arousing suspicion or sounding like a stalker.

He drove around the block and parked in front of the house. He was still trying to think of a believable reason to knock on the door when a man stepped out onto the front porch.

Rhinehart frowned. The man was too young to be her father. A brother, perhaps? There was a definite resemblance.

Taking a deep breath, he exited the car and strolled up the walkway. “Excuse me, I’m looking for Rosa Ravenwood. This is the last address I have for her.”

The man eyed him suspiciously. “How do you know my sister?”