Page 121 of Vampires of Eden

The subtle buzz and dark fruity essence of him shocks my system and a warm, almost gooey arousal floods my belly and groin. I’ve been fighting and ignoring this for so, so long. The heat of his energy and what it does to my body. What it could do to my nature and heart. Wreak a disastrous and emotional havoc like I can’t even fathom.

He pulls up and the separation leaves my head and nature hungry. Confused.Why have we stopped?It asks.We need more.

Daniel’s inky-black lashes flutter as he looks down at me. His voice is sultry and hushed.

“Stop distracting me. We have important work to do.”

CHAPTER 27

Alexander

Ihave a lot of work to do.

“Start with the housing laws, then let’s seriously address taxable income,” Leoni says. She joined this endeavor two hours ago and is sitting in front of her own laptop and legal pad full of handwritten notes.

“I’m visiting the local villages and building relationships,” she goes on, “and it’s clear to me that there needs to be a cap on the income that’s being taxed in accordance with what vampires are earning. No one can get ahead because they’re always drowning in taxes! It makes healthy trade and disposable income impossible.”

I nod, making a note of her observation on Daniel’s legal pad, which now sits in front of me like a very intense to-do list. “I remember looking into the local tax situation in Oliver’s family’s realm. I was shocked at how high the annual percentage is. Much worse than Central’s. It’s no wonder the housing and communities there are deteriorating. His fathers aren’t managing the local economy well at all.”

Daniel stands from the table and stretches his arms up. “I’m tapping out for tonight. I think we’ve established a tangible start, yes?”

“We have,” I answer. “I was overwhelmed when GovernorEllis asked me for the proposal. But this is promising. Thank you both for helping.”

There’s a clear path for me to walk now. Also, I don’t feel alone in walking it. I’m amazed by how quickly Daniel and Leoni have risen to this daunting task.

“Good,” he says, turning slightly. “You’re welcome. I’m going to shower and head for bed. You’re welcome to join me, for whichever you please. Night, Leoni.”

My groin pulses as I watch Daniel leave the kitchen in silence. Cautiously, I shift my gaze toward Leoni.

She blinks. “You know he wasn’t talking to me, right? About the shower and bed part.”

Running my fingers through the top of my hair, I breathe. “I know.”

“He was talking to you, Puercoespííín.”

“Iknow.” Massaging my head, I close my eyes. I want him and I want to try. I told him that I would, but saying something is a lot easier than doing it. He only kisses me and my nature acts as if it’s going to burn me alive. What the hell is going to happen if we do more?

“Sooo… are you gonna go upstairs?”

“Leoni.”

“Yes?”

“Mind your business.” I roll my shoulders, then twist and stretch my neck to each side, trying to alleviate the stress.

“You may not have realized this, but Danny is constantly doing tons of mental and emotional work on himself,” Leoni goes on, unprompted. “He’s healed so much within these past two years, but… there’s only so much healing he can do on his own. He needs this. And so do you.”

I fold my arms, taken aback by her rationale. “How do you know whatIneed?”

She shrugs. “It’s obvious. You need a partner that can handle you. Someone sharp who isn’t afraid, easily offended or intimidated by you, cariño. You’re the Golden Prince with atender heart. You want real love—even if you don’t quite know what that looks like yet.”

We stare at each other and I’m bewildered by her sharp assessment. It’s uncomfortable, so I turn the tables. “Fine. Alright but, what do you need, Leoni? What about you?”

Leoni chuckles and closes her laptop. “I need a full staff for the vineyard, because I love it here and I want it to be prosperous and functional. But for that to happen, I need local vampires to trust me. And forthatto happen, I need the taxable income laws to be more relaxed. I want to build a comfortable community. It can’t ever be perfect, but I have vision. The mayor of Hollywick believes in it, too.”

This sparks a specific memory. “Mayor Hart, right? The Royal Order approved her request to host the annual Summer Fête. I was at that meeting.”

“That’s right. The Summer Fête is a huge opportunity for her to show off the value of local goods and services. Last year, the mayor of Evanshire hosted the Fête, but he allowed the Akuffo Clan to hire everything and everyone from outside of Eden.”