Page 48

K adie found herself looking for parenting books and magazines at the library and the grocery store.

She went online and looked at cribs and strollers.

She drove to the Mall in Cheyenne to look at baby blankets and sheets, bottles and booties, baby clothes and toys.

Feeling a rush of excitement, she went to a maternity store to look around.

She was tempted to try on one of the tops, but decided it was silly.

She didn’t know if it was even possible for her to get pregnant.

With that thought in mind, she made an appointment with a doctor, which seemed like a good idea in more ways than one.

After all, she hadn’t seen a doctor in years.

And then she frowned. What if being a vampire had changed her somehow?

Would a doctor be able to tell she had undergone a transformation?

Would her blood be different now? For all she knew, her entire physiology could have changed.

On the way home, she told herself she was worrying needlessly. Her appetite was good, she felt fine, she didn’t have trouble sleeping or doing anything else. Still, she couldn’t help thinking that being a vampire for so many years might have left its mark.

Saintcrow was waiting for her when she pulled into the driveway. She had no reason to feel guilty, she thought. But she did. If only he couldn’t read her thoughts. She tried to think of something else but knew by the look in his eyes that she had failed miserably.

She smiled uncertainly as she turned off the engine and stepped out of the car.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to Cheyenne?” he asked as he walked her to the front door.

Kadie shrugged. “It was a spur of the moment thing. Besides, I knew you were busy at the hotel.” Friday was payday and some of his employees preferred to be paid in cash.

He followed her inside and closed the door. “What makes you think you need a doctor?” When she didn’t answer, he turned her around to face him. “Kadie? You might as well tell me.”

“Why, when you can read my mind?”

He didn’t answer, merely looked at her.

She huffed a sigh. Sometimes, being married to a vampire was a pain in the ass. “It just occurred to me that being a vampire for so long and then becoming human again might have messed up my metabolism or something.”

He grunted softly. “Go on.”

“And I wanted to know if I could still get pregnant.”

The truth at last. “I don’t know if you can get pregnant, but there’s nothing wrong with you physically. I’d know if there was.”

Relief washed through her. She looked up at him, wide-eyed, as he reached for her.

“Life would be so much easier if you’d just let me turn you again,” he murmured, his breath warm against her cheek. “We were happy then, weren’t we?”

“Yes.” She closed her eyes as memories of their life together floated through her mind—the nights they had made love until dawn, the romantic trips they’d taken to foreign lands, his unfailing kindness and generosity. She had never wanted for anything.

“It can be that way again, sweetheart.”

It was tempting, so tempting. All she had to do was give up her desire for a baby.

“You could turn me again when the baby is grown.”

“But I’ll be human,” he reminded her.

She frowned a moment. “Kincaid could turn us both.”

Saintcrow nodded, though the idea of being a fledgling again was less than appealing.

It had taken him hundreds of years to become as powerful as he was now.

The idea of starting over, of being trapped in the dark sleep during the day …

He swore softly. He hadn’t liked it a thousand years ago, and he didn’t like the idea now.

“He could, couldn’t he? Turn us both?”

Saintcrow nodded. Kincaid was a master vampire in his own right. Some of Jake’s centuries-old power would be passed on to him and Kadie.

“Are you angry with me?” Kadie asked.

“No, sweetheart.” The instinct to procreate was as old as Adam and Eve. He could hardly blame Kadie for wanting to experience motherhood. “I know you can’t get pregnant now,” he said solemnly. “But maybe we should go inside and practice.”

Kadie stared at him, wide-eyed, then grinned ear-to-ear as she grabbed his hand and led him to their basement lair. Even if she never got pregnant, she was always willing to try.

In the morning, Saintcrow got a call from the hotel manager saying that one of the guests insisted he’d been charged for five nights when he had only stayed four and wanted to talk to the owner.

“Okay, Russ,” he said. “I’ll be there in ten minutes or so. And as long as I’m there, bring me yesterday’s receipts.”

“Trouble?” Kadie asked as he ended the call.

“Nothing serious,” he said, with a shrug. “But I sure miss the days when Ethan was here full-time to handle mundane things like this.”

“Why don’t you ask him to come back?”

“I did. He’s happy just being my partner.

He loves what he’s doing now.” Ethan and Sofia had bought a house in Arizona when Jenny started school, fixed it up, and almost doubled their investment when they sold it a year or so later.

Apparently, he and Sofia had a knack for flipping houses.

Of course, moving every few years kept neighbors from getting too friendly or asking too many questions they would rather not answer.

Couldn’t answer. After all, there were only so many excuses you could use to avoid lunch or dinner invitations or other neighborhood functions.

It also meant that Jenny had to change schools frequently.

So far, she didn’t seem to mind. That would likely change once she was in high school.

Pulling Kadie into his arms, he gave her a long, slow kiss. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

She nodded, her lips still tingling from his kiss, her body aching for his touch.

She stood there a moment, then shook her head.

She couldn’t just sit around dreaming of him while he was gone.

She needed to go to the store. She had never been crazy about cooking.

That had been the best thing about being a vampire, she thought, with a grin. She’d never had to cook.

Kadie had just stepped out of the grocery store, a bag in each hand, when she saw Eleni sashaying down the street toward her.

The vampire was just as beautiful as she remembered, her hair framing a flawless face, her figure shown off to perfection in a pair of skinny jeans and a hot pink tee shirt that fit like a second skin.

Kadie’s first instinct was to turn around and run, but of course, she didn’t.

It was never a good idea to let vampires know you were afraid, although Kadie was sure Eleni could hear the sudden pounding of her heart.

Taking hold of her courage, Kadie kept walking toward her car.

Until Eleni blocked her path.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the little housewife,” the vampire remarked, a sneer in her voice.

“Jealous?” Kadie asked, with far more bravado than she felt.

“Of you? Don’t be absurd.”

“Would you mind getting out of my way? My ice cream is melting.”

Eleni stared at her, then glanced around. The street was crowded. This wasn’t the time or the place to cause a scene or put this pitiful human in her place. “I’ll see you again. Soon.”

Kadie swallowed hard. There was no mistaking the blatant threat in the vampire’s voice, or the hatred that burned in her eyes.

Eleni turned away just as Saintcrow appeared at Kadie’s side. A quick bit of preternatural power enveloped the three of them, making them invisible to anyone on the street.

Eleni smiled at him. “So, the fair knight came to rescue his lady love. Well, don’t worry. I was just leaving.”

“What in holy hell are you doing here?”

“I’m sure you know,” Eleni retorted. “I’m here to collect what you owe me, and I’m not leaving Morgan Creek until you do.” She glared at Kadie. “I can’t guarantee this puny mortal’s safety until your debt is paid. You might want to think about that until we meet again.”

Before he could reply, she was gone.

Saintcrow wrapped his arm around Kadie and willed them to the house on the hill, groceries and all.

Settling her on the sofa, he took the bags from her arms, carried them into the kitchen, and set them on the counter.

He stood there a moment, his hands clenched, until he had control of his anger.

Damn Eleni. She was determined to get him into bed.

What he didn’t understand was why. She could have any man she wanted.

Was it a matter of pride? Did she find him so attractive because he was likely the only man who had ever refused her?

When he returned to the living room, Kadie was still shivering.

“When I first met you, I thought you were the scariest thing I’d ever seen,” she said. “But Eleni takes the cake.”

Saintcrow dropped down beside her and wrapped her in his arms. Damn his sire to hell! What was he going to do about Eleni?

Kincaid couldn’t hide his surprise when he opened the door and saw Saintcrow standing on the porch. “Hey, what’s up?”

“I was wondering how you’d feel about giving me a drink?”

Kincaid arched one brow? “I take it you’re not talking about a glass of wine?”

“No. I mean some of that ancient blood in your veins.”

“You want my blood? What the hell for?”

“I’m hoping a little of yours will add a big kick to mine.”

“Why?”

“Eleni.”

“Ah. Come on in.”

Saintcrow followed Jake into the living room, noting that Rosa hadn’t made many changes to the interior of Blair House. There were a couple of new pictures on the wall over the sofa, the furniture had been rearranged, but that was about it.

Kincaid sank down on the sofa. Saintcrow took the easy chair across from him.

“I take it Eleni’s giving you a bad time.”

“She’s threatening Kadie. If it were any other vampire, it wouldn’t be a problem, but Eleni was ancient when she turned me.”

“Yeah.”