“Abby, open your eyes.” Caleb’s breath, warm on my skin, titillated me. We’d been driving for hours, both drunk on the euphoria of last night. He’d held me in his arms, while I went into a state of near-sleep. It was the most peaceful rest I’d had since I transformed. At some point last night, the limo had stopped, at a gas station perhaps? I was so warm, and Caleb’s skin felt so good, I didn’t have the energy to sit up and look out the window.

Now our car had come to a stop, and Caleb held me from behind, his hands placed gently over my eyes. I’d realized hours ago that the limo wasn’t taking me home. Caleb had said something to the driver right before he got in the limo. I was too focused on the situation with Owen to care at the time. Once we’d driven out of the city, Caleb told me he wanted to surprise me. I knew he had something special planned.

“Where are we?” I looked out the window as morning erased the last bits of nightfall. The sky was periwinkle, and dusted with the color of pink roses.

Caleb slid his shirt back on, and pulled up his boxer shorts and pants. They’d been around his ankles since last night. I looked for my bra and panties, which had been thrown to the other side of the limo. I fumbled with the bra, and slid the panties over my nude skin.

“I like you better when you’re undressed.”

“Caleb,” I narrowed my eyes. “Are you taking me to a nudist vampire colony?”

“Ha,” he laughed. “If only such places existed.”

Once he was clothed, Caleb grabbed my black dress from the crumpled heap on the floor and slid it up my legs. As he scooted it past my thighs, I leaned over and held his shoulders for support. His fingers sliding up my skin felt impossibly good, but after last night, I couldn’t take anymore.

“Don’t get any ideas, Caleb.”

“I promise to be a good boy.” He smiled. “Mostly.”

We’d driven down a paved road, to a spot deep in a cool, leafy forest. I looked around to try to get my bearings and figure out where exactly he’d taken me, but it looked nothing like Los Angeles. The sun barely peeked through the thick treetops overhead. Redwoods, wider than our limo, towered above us. Caleb opened the limo door, and smiled.

“After you.”

“You still haven’t told me where we are.”

“You’ll see.”

As we exited, Caleb tipped his hand to the limo driver.

“It’s been a pleasure driving for you, Mr. Crane. Do you need anything else?”

“No, it’s just as I told you,” Caleb said.

And with that, the man nodded and turned the limo in a circle. The long, sleek car headed out of the forest, leaving Caleb and I alone in the wildest, most remote place I could imagine.

My anxiety quickened. I had to get home. It was already morning, and I had to get to work. People were expecting me at the studio’s legal offices. Not to mention, I had to check in on Natalie. I felt protective of her after she’d stayed at Club Venom with Drew. At the very least, I needed to talk to her to make sure she got home okay. I opened my purse, and slid my phone into my hand. No reception, and only eight percent battery. Of course, I hadn’t brought a charger.

“Relax,” he smiled. “You’ll like this place.”

Off in the distance, I saw a cypress green, two story Craftsman bungalow shaded by leafy trees with wide leaves. The house was almost invisible, camouflaged by the overgrowth and the lush vegetation. There was a cedar swing on the wide, wrap-around front porch. The natural wood and the cedar shake accents blended into the hardwood trees surrounding the property. A stained-glass front door was the focal point of the home. Its deep purple and green glass looked exquisite, even from a distance.

“Caleb. It’s beautiful. But I have work? And…”

“Don’t forget, Abby. I’m still technically your boss. The studio is borrowing you from me.”

I bit my lip. He had a point.

“I’ve already let the studio know that filming is on hold for the next few days.”

“You can just do that?” I licked my lips.

“Yes,” he laughed. “I don’t do it very often, but this is important.”

My body tensed with anticipation as I wondered what could be so important that Caleb would delay the filming of his biggest movie to date. Besides, I didn’t want to seem unprofessional. I was still a new attorney, and building my reputation in Hollywood.

“I’ve let the studio know that you’re helping me with business out of town,” he said, obviously reading my mind.

“Okay,” I relaxed.

Caleb held my hand as we walked towards the house at the end of a smooth dirt road. I still had my heels stuffed into my purse, and it didn’t seem like the time to slip them back on. They weren’t exactly hiking shoes. I pressed my bare feet into the soil, and let the cool mud massage my toes. The breeze was fresh, and it smelled like morning. I let the dew settle on my skin as I looked out at the natural beauty surrounding us.

The air was crisp, at least thirty degrees colder than our sunny, perpetually eighty-degree Los Angeles. I rubbed my arms for warmth, and tried to bring my blood flow to the surface. I still hadn’t mastered that trick, and I wished Caleb would wrap his arms around me to keep me warm.

While I stood there in a daze, admiring nature, Caleb scooped me up into his arms. His strong biceps held my frame as if I was as light as a feather. He carried me confidently towards the home, his pace picking up speed as he gently held me in his arms.

“Caleb.” I looked up at his beautiful face. He’d been punched last night, and his skin had been badly bruised. I’d seen the blood on his shirt from Owen’s claw marks. The blood was dried now, and Caleb didn’t act like the cuts on his back bothered him. They were still raw and red, as I’d expect after what Owen did to him.

A faint shadow of a bruise was under his jaw from where Owen had gotten in a solid right hook, but it seemed to fade even as I stared at it.

Caleb looked down at me, again reading my mind. “Vampires heal quickly. The older you are, the more you learn how to harness the unique healing abilities we have.”

“Oh,” I said quietly. I thought about Owen and wondered how he’d fared since the fight. Caleb gritted his teeth when he saw the image of Owen flash into my mind. I quickly shut my eyes, and tried to think of something, anything besides Owen. The first image that popped into my head was gorgeous Reina, driving off in Caleb’s Maserati like she’d just fucked him.

“Stop it,” Caleb growled.

“That’s what you get for reading my mind,” I shot back.

My response quieted him, at least for the moment. We were almost to the Craftsman bungalow, and with each step I took, it looked even more beautiful than I’d first imagined. It was much larger than it looked from afar. Caleb carried me up the wide, stone steps, and set me down gently on the cedar porch swing. The imposing oak door had a golden plate on the front. Caleb touched his hand to it, and the door unlocked.

Better than a key. I raised my eyebrows, impressed.

The inside of the home was grand, with quarter sawn oak railings and Dale Tiffany stained-glass light fixtures. The space had a warm, earthy feeling to it. I ran my hands along the original Arts and Crafts Stickley furniture, and admired the intricate textile fabric curtains. The home was not a modernized replica. It had to be at least a hundred years old, built during the turn of the twentieth century. Even though it was obviously an older home, it looked pristine, in perfect condition, as if it had just been built.

Caleb walked over to the fireplace and sat down on the impressive stone hearth. His strong hands arranged the fresh wood inside the fireplace, and he fished a match from the matchbox nearby. As if by magic, he had a roaring fire blazing in the fireplace by the time I’d finished checking out the first floor.

“Make yourself comfortable,” he said.

I still didn’t know where we were, or whose house this was, which put me on edge. I sat down on the leather couch in the living room and brought my knees up to my chin.

I looked out the window at the lush vegetation surrounding the property. It was as private as any place on Earth could be. I was flattered that, after everything, Caleb wanted to spend time alone with me. With no phones or television, or even internet in the home, we only had ourselves as entertainment.

I walked over to the picture window and placed my hands on its cool glass. The air outside misted with a light, refreshing rain, and droplets fell against the side of the house.

“How did you find this place?”

He raised his eyebrow. “This is my secret place in NorCal.”

“NorCal?”

“Northern California. We’re in the middle of the redwood forest, a few hours north of San Francisco. I’ve wanted to take you here for months, but it never seemed like the right time.”

His tender voice made me think all was forgiven with Owen and the movie premiere last night. But I knew that vampires held grudges, especially vampires as powerful as Caleb. Would he try to hurt Owen and keep me away from Los Angeles, so I wouldn’t find out until it was too late? I questioned Caleb’s intentions, and his thirst for revenge. He’d become more possessive, crazier about me, with each passing day. I wanted my freedom, but I didn’t want to let him go, either.

I glanced around the living room at the understated, classic décor. The quarter-sawn oak moulding surrounded the cased openings that led between rooms. The built-in bookshelves lining the walls were filled with volumes of the classics. The furniture was comfortable and luxurious, with velvet fabric across the seat cushions of the chairs and lounger. The brightly colored rug below my feet was plush, and it looked expensive. I started to step on the rug, and noticed my dirty feet.

“Is there a place for me to wash up?”

Caleb nodded and took my hand, leading me to an elegant, curved staircase. The second floor was even more exquisite than the first. The large master suite led to a well-appointed vintage bathroom, complete with an oversized clawfoot tub. The bedroom had a giant four poster American cherry bed, with deep green chiffon fabric draped over the sides. The textiles in the room were a mixture of deep green and blue velvet pieces. I wanted to touch every fabric and lay naked amongst the silk covers on the fluffy feather bed.

A large, framed painting hung over the bed. I didn’t recognize the artist. The painting depicted a man and a woman, walking hand in hand, with a child at their feet. I wanted to look closer, but Caleb steered me towards the bathroom. The cool marble tiles chilled my feet, and I clutched my arms to my chest for warmth.

“I’ll draw your bath while you undress.”

I opened the armoire on the far side of the bathroom to hang my dress, and gasped when I saw that it led to a secret room. From what I could see, the inside of the room was filled with clothing, books, photographs, and more paintings. It looked as if many of Caleb’s personal belongings from centuries past crowded the hidden space. With the sound from the bath running, and Caleb’s back to me, I didn’t know if he’d noticed I’d opened the armoire and discovered the secret room. I closed the doors quickly and laid my dress across a brass chair in the corner.

When Caleb turned around, he smiled at me. “Almost done.”

He turned to leave the room, and I panicked. Was Caleb abandoning me in the middle of the forest? How would I ever find my way home?

“I’ll be right back, don’t worry. Get comfortable. The water is nice and warm.” He walked towards me and slid his fingertips over my silky skin. “Now more than ever, I want this time alone with you. The film industry, Hollywood…none of it matters. All that matters is that we’re together.”

I pushed into his embrace, and closed my eyes as a warm sensation spread through my body. His arms made me feel safe and whole. I could almost forget we were both vampires when I closed my eyes and breathed in his heavenly scent. It was the two of us against the world.