“I like mine big and juicy.”

Los Angeles, with its endless supply of gourmet food trucks and restaurants, was my official new home. I passed by the hot dog stand in Santa Monica, the one I’d visited countless times since I moved to LA, and my stomach turned. What once had been my passion – food – now left me nauseous. I side-eyed the tall brunette who’d just ordered a jumbo dog, and laughed when she suggestively whispered to the hunky beefcake working behind the counter that she wanted it big and juicy. Ah, Los Angeles. If it wasn’t real, it would be cliché.

Food for me was no longer an option, since I’d been turned into a blood-sucking vampire by Caleb Crane, the sexiest member of the undead I’d ever known. He also happened to be the first vampire I’d ever met, and he wasn’t what I expected at all. Not only was he the hottest film director in Hollywood, but he embodied the vibrancy of a town that never slept. He was powerful, sexy, and for the past month, he’d been all mine.

I jogged the rest of the way back to Caleb’s house, eager to take a shower and rinse the LA heat from my body. As I entered the walk-in shower of Caleb’s massive bedroom suite, I remembered with pleasure how last night’s orgasmic session began in this very spot. I slid the silky robe from my shoulders and smiled into the mirror. My recent transformation into a vampire had done wonders for my figure. I’d always carried about twenty extra pounds that I could never lose, but since I transformed, my body became a lean, mean fighting machine overnight. I had smooth curves, and abdominal muscles I didn’t even know existed.

After I washed the perspiration from my sticky skin, I thought about how lucky I’d been. If Caleb hadn’t rescued me from that terrible lycan Greyson, I wouldn’t even be alive now. Not that I technically was alive, since I’d become a member of the undead when Caleb saved me.

When I was finished in the shower, I wrapped a white cotton towel around my still-ample breasts, and slid into the silky sheets in Caleb’s bedroom. Since he never slept, the bed was reserved for one thing alone. I’d always enjoyed sex, especially with Caleb, but after my transformation, my sexual appetite was insatiable. I needed him, and merely thinking about his bedroom skills made me explode with mind-blowing orgasms. I laid in bed for a moment before I slipped into the casual shift dress I’d opted to wear to work today. Caleb was shooting a movie on a sound stage in downtown Los Angeles, and I was the on-set attorney. I made sure everyone on the crew dotted their I’s and crossed their T’s. I also got to spend all day, every day with Caleb. I couldn’t complain.

When I passed by Caleb’s first floor home office, I heard his voice angrily cursing at the unfortunate person on the other end of the phone. Caleb was usually calm and collected – his centuries of immortality had bestowed upon him wisdom and patience. I cocked my head and peeked around the corner of the heavy wooden door of his office. He stood in front of the UV-shielded windows; he was an impressive figure, even from behind. His firm ass looked edible in his tight black denim jeans. The nape of his neck, smooth and pale, was begging to be licked. His lean, muscular back was on display, since he wore no shirt. I spied his freshly pressed button-up shirt draped lazily over the back of his Aeron office chair, waiting to adorn his body.

His physique was exquisite, and being in his presence still made me tremble, even after we’d been together practically every moment for the past month. His office was lined with one-sheet movie posters showcasing his spectacular resume. He’d directed the very successful vampire franchise, Silent Bite, and he was the director and executive producer of the hit TV show, The Vipers. My best friend’s boyfriend, Ansel Walker, was a former cast member of that show. I spied Ansel’s handsome mug along with my friend Natalie’s in a cast and crew picture taken at last season’s wrap party. I smiled when I saw myself in the picture, dressed in a white chiffon dress, with the most handsome pair of muscular arms I’d ever seen draped possessively around my waist.

Caleb Crane was the most breath-taking man I’d ever met, and even now, when breath had left my body, he still left me speechless. His senses were more acute than mine, honed from his years as a vampire. He’d been turned centuries ago, and he lost his entire family in the process. His years as a vampire had made him stronger, and I doubted that he’d ever had a weak moment, although I knew he had. He’d been used as a sexual toy by Reina, the vampire queen, when he was a new, vulnerable vampire. I hated her for that, almost as much as I lusted after Caleb’s sexy physique.

He turned to face me, and his eyes squinted slightly in the dimmed office lights. One of Caleb’s special powers was that he could see inside my mind, and know what I was thinking—even when I didn’t want him to know a damn thing. His visions were impressions, not complete transcriptions of my thoughts. Still, he had to know how much I wanted him because it was written all over my mind and my body.

His sexy blue eyes turned a deep shade of amethyst, and I knew he wanted me as much as I craved him. The room around us heated, and I felt drawn to him, a magnet pulled towards pure steel. Even after a month of being the only woman in Caleb’s life, it was hard to believe such a male specimen was mine.

Caleb’s chiseled features, his handsome jawline, and his angular cheekbones were in perfect proportion to the rest of his face. His dark, masculine eyebrows framed his striking sapphire eyes. They had the power to seduce me with a single enticing look. But it was his lips that made me swoon the most. I knew the things he could do with that beautiful mouth, and thinking about it transported me into a dreamlike state.

Not to say that his impressive physique was all that I saw in Caleb. Sure, he was by far the most handsome, seductive man I’d ever seen. And the fact that he was immortal only added to his allure. His protection of me softened his dangerous side. As far as vampires went, I was sure he was the most perfect one on Earth. And although it felt weird to say it, I had already fallen in love with him.

His eyes raked over my body, and I knew the wicked thoughts that were on his mind. Even though I couldn’t read his thoughts yet, they were as plain as day on his face.

“Your call time is at eight p.m. I expect you to be there.”

With a decisive thud, Caleb ended his phone call quickly, and slid the phone across his desk, out of reach. His nostrils flared slightly when he looked at me, like a predator inhaling the scent of his prey. He licked his lips and smiled wickedly, with a grin that only meant one thing. He wanted nothing more than to bed me – as soon as possible, and the consequences be damned.

“I just showered, Caleb. And we have to get to set.” My lip quivered.

His eyes closed subtly for a moment, as if he was savoring something sensually perverse. My body tingled with anticipation, half-hoping he’d blow off work and spend his time fucking me instead. Since he was the director, production slammed to a halt when he wasn’t on set. I knew that it was unfair for us to hold up an entire cast and crew just because we couldn’t keep our hands off each other. We should save sex for after work. Still, Caleb was a big boy – one of the most powerful vampires in Hollywood – and he could make his own decisions.

“On your knees,” he winked at me. His voice was breathless and commanding. It caught me off-guard.

“Nope. Your charms won’t work on me today. I’ll meet you at the car,” I winked at him, playing hard to get. I pulled my hair back in a neat chignon, and walked towards his garage, where he stored his impressive luxury car collection, including his all black, UV-tinted Maserati.

“You think you can get off so easily?” He laughed, and I wondered if he realized the double meaning of his question.

“With you, yes, I can get off easily.” I laughed, and tossed my work bag over my shoulder. His strong, capable hands pulled me back to him, and I felt his hot breath against the nape of my neck.

He spun me around to face him, and smoothed his fingertips over my delicate jawline. His mouth found the edge of my earlobe and bit it playfully. My spine tingled at his touch, and the nerve endings in my arms sparked like live electric wires. Since my transformation, every sensation was heightened, especially the pleasurable ones. My orgasms were more intense. When Caleb brushed up against me, I was almost ready to climax. I had to hold myself back, but I didn’t want him to stop.

Not that my transformation had been entirely easy. Caleb said a vampire is vulnerable both physically and mentally during the first few years after turning. The young, naïve vampire could be manipulated into doing things they wouldn’t otherwise do.

I thought about Reina when he said it, the vampire Queen who’d taken Caleb under her wing centuries ago when he’d first turned. He wanted to die, and he spent his time hell-bent on achieving his mission. Reina saved Caleb, but for a price. He was her sexual slave, and he did her bidding in the bedroom and God knows where else. I wondered how long he stayed under her control. Decades? Caleb wouldn’t tell me, but judging by Reina’s stunning good looks, I couldn’t imagine that he minded being her sexual plaything, even if he said otherwise.

Whatever happened in the past between them, Caleb swore it was over now. He was undeniably strong – both mentally and physically – and I couldn’t imagine anyone taking advantage of him, the way Reina had centuries ago.

In fact, the only person who had the ability to make him beg for mercy was me. His lust for me overtook him at the most inopportune times, including days like today when he was needed on set. I hungered for him with equal desire, and in the past month I had all but thrown my entire life by the wayside for him. My job as an attorney and my friendships faded into the background. I felt myself drowning in his presence, but I didn’t have the power to pull myself from his grasp. I didn’t want him to let go.

A glimpse of his sexy smile wore away at the little bit of willpower I had left. His dark crop of hair framed his bright, seductive eyes. My body quaked instinctually, and I couldn’t help but lean closer into him. By looking at him, you’d never guess that Caleb was a vampire, nor the long history he’d suffered since he transformed.

He pushed his lips against my forehead and kissed me softly. “Angel. The devil wants to make you late for work.”

I bit my lip and winked. “The devil? You give yourself too much credit, Caleb. I know you’re bad for me, but I can’t help myself.”

His hand scooted to my ass, and he thrust me against his thigh. His hips locked with mine. My legs weakened. He was by far the most skilled lover I’d ever had in bed. It was probably due to his centuries of experience, but I tried not to think about that. For right now, anyway, I had him all to myself.

“Am I so bad?”

“Mmmm.” My nerve endings tingled as a rush of euphoria sped through my body. “You do realize that the biggest budget movie in Hollywood will come to a screeching halt if you don’t show up on set today?”

“For a day in bed with you? It would all be worth it.” He growled and kissed the exposed delicate underside of my neck. “Let me worry about the movie. It can wait, but you can’t.”

I leaned into him, letting him support the weight of my body. I wanted him with unmatched desire, and when I was near him, he consumed my every thought. He could read my mind, and so it was pointless trying to keep anything from him. He knew how his words aroused me, and that when I was with him, sex was always on my mind.

“Caleb Crane. What am I going to do with you?” I laughed to myself.

He stroked his fingers through my long, silky hair and kissed my cheek. His firm, sultry lips caressed my skin as his tongue slid across my face until it met my mouth. He sucked my lower lip, and then sealed his mouth over mine. If I had any chance of escaping him, that moment had passed. In the short time I’d known Caleb, he’d been able to wield influence unlike anyone I’d ever known. With anyone else it would have been scary, but I trusted him implicitly.

He draped his arms around the curve of my waist and hugged me close to his taut abs. “I want to blow off work today and fly to New York. I have the penthouse suite at the Waldorf Astoria with our names on it.”

“Sign me up,” I cocked my eyebrow at him.

His eyes flashed darkly. “I said I want to. Unfortunately, a one hundred-million-dollar movie hangs in the balance. You know how fickle Hollywood is. I have to…”

“I get it.” I interrupted him. My best friend from childhood was Natalie Thorn, the Hollywood A-List actress on the cover of every glossy supermarket rag. I’d learned from her that Hollywood wasn’t all premiere parties and red-carpet events. Becoming a film director was practically a miracle, since every other starry-eyed dreamer in LA wanted the job. But keeping your star risen was even harder. Everyone, even Caleb, was one box-office flop away from unemployment. As much as he craved me, I didn’t want him to give up the career he’d spent decades building.

“Never mind. My assistant can handle things for a while.” His hands cupped my arms and he whispered softly in my ear. “Go home and grab a few things.” A wry smile escaped his lips, and I laughed to myself.

“Oh, so you were serious?”

He shot me a look that let me know he wasn’t joking. In our game of cat and mouse, I’d neglected to tell him that I had plans this weekend with Natalie. We hadn’t seen each other in weeks, and she’d cleared this weekend to hang out with me. I didn’t want to bail on her.

“Deadly serious,” he smirked.

We walked down the long, dark corridor towards Caleb’s underground six car garage. Except for the assortment of luxurious sports cars and sedans, you’d never guess that this stunning space was used to house automobiles. With high, vaulted ceilings and smooth polished concrete floors, the garage looked clean and pristine. The modern art canvases on the wall reminded me of an art museum, but the plush Persian rugs gave it such warmth and richness, I could pull up a chair and feel right at home.

On the back wall of the garage, an oversized stainless-steel refrigerator housed pints of freshly procured blood, of every variety. Blood type A-positive lined the top shelf, which happened to be my favorite. It was the only one that didn’t make me throw up when I drank it.

Since I’d transformed, I had a hard time keeping any liquid down. Even the smell of blood made me want to hurl. Caleb said that it was normal, and that every vampire went through a transitionary period, but I saw the concerned gleam in his eye. Although my body was leaner than it had ever been, with every passing day, I felt weaker inside and less steady. Even my mind felt fuzzy and unhinged at times. I was looking forward to my time with Natalie to relax and take my mind off things. Girl time R&R was exactly what I needed.

I popped the top on a chilled bottle of A-positive and took a swig. “The thing is, I promised Nat I’d spend the weekend with her. She moved the schedule on Segovia 3: Rise of Tides just so we could spend this weekend doing what we used to do…”

“Which is?”

“Catching up on this season of The Bachelor, and eating Ben and Jerry’s, of course.” I laughed, but Caleb didn’t see the humor in it.

“You can’t eat ice cream anymore, Abby. Besides, I’m not giving you a choice. You will be in New York this weekend.”

“Excuse me?” I almost choked on a glug of the A-positive. “You’re going to have me blow off my best friend in the world, so that I can lay around and be your sexual plaything?”

His demeanor stiffened and his nostrils flared slightly. Anyone else would have been terrified by Caleb’s imposing physical presence, but he didn’t scare me. I knew how he felt about me, and that he’d never lay an unwanted finger on my body.

“Let’s not fight, Abby. Natalie can reschedule. I’ll call her director, Jack Sanders, and have him rearrange Nat’s schedule so she’s desperately needed this weekend on set.”

“You’ll do no such thing!” I blinked at him. “You know how emotionally fragile Nat’s been since she found out about Ansel. I can’t go bailing on her in her hour of need.”

“So, you think she wants to hang out with you, a vampire, to get over finding out that her boyfriend is a vampire? Makes perfect sense to me.” Sarcasm dripped from his honey-ed lips.

I hesitated, not sure if I should answer him. Apparently, I didn’t need to. He’d read my mind.

“Oh, so Natalie doesn’t know that you’re the newest member of the vampire club. How are you going to go about hiding it from her? When you throw up the first spoonful of Ben and Jerry’s, the jig will be up.”

My cheeks reddened instinctually, one of the last vestiges of my human life. “I plan on telling her that I’m on that new Hollywood diet.”

“The air diet?” Caleb laughed. “You mean the one where all you do is drink water and breathe deeply for a week?” He shook his head. “Humans are so dense. Delicious and dense.”

I put my hands on my hips. “Thanks for your vote of confidence.”

“Abby. We’re shooting night exterior shots on location in New York, and I’ll be there a few days. I can’t be apart from you for that long.”

A pit formed in my stomach. I couldn’t bear the thought of being away from him for an extended weekend. Since I’d transformed, he’d been my constant companion. We spent every free moment together, both at work and at play. He was the one who’d nursed me back to health after my transformation. When my world turned upside down, he was the one who stood by my side and didn’t let me fall. It wasn’t just sexual between us, although the sex part was mind-blowing. It was that I didn’t know who I was without him. The thought troubled me, but I pushed it out of my mind.

“I’m glad to hear you’re on the same page.” His eyes narrowed, and I knew he’d just read my thoughts.

I took another sip of the chilled bottle of A-positive in my hands. My sexual appetite for him wasn’t the only reason I didn’t want to be apart for that long. I didn’t want to think about Caleb by himself, on the loose in New York. Movie starlets flocked to him, not to mention the bevvy of vampire fan-girls who would offer themselves up sexually for his every desire. I swallowed, and tried to think about something else. I didn’t want to be the jealous, possessive girlfriend.

“You should go. We could use a little breathing room.” I smiled, catching my own joke. Breathing room? What vampire needs that?

“The last thing we need is breathing room.” He licked his lips, and ran his tongue along the edge of his pearly white teeth.

He was right, and very persuasive.

“We don’t have to decide this minute, do we? If we don’t leave for work now, we’ll have a pissed off crew waiting for us on set.”

He stood steady, his voice low and sultry. “We’re not going anywhere until you say you’re coming to New York with me.”

“Caleb Crane, do you have any idea what you’re asking me to do?” I drummed my fingers against the frosty bottle of A-positive. “I had a very full life up until a month ago. I can’t give up everything to be your flavor of the month.”

“And what a delicious flavor you are.” His searing gaze met mine.

“Now you’re just being silly.”

Caleb motioned me towards the car, a sleek black Maserati with darkened UV-protective windows, parked at the far end of the expansive garage. “You just transformed a month ago, Abby. You’re still incredibly weak from the change. You know you are. I can’t leave you vulnerable, especially when so many of my enemies would love for me to find you dead. Or worse.”

“Worse?”

“Don’t ask.” He gulped. “My point is that I can’t leave you alone when psychos like Greyson’s clan are on the loose. They’ll be looking for revenge, and I can’t protect you if I’m not with you.” He paused and shifted on his heels. “Tell Natalie to come with us. The paparazzi in New York will love her, and she’ll be on the front page of every supermarket tabloid. As much as she protests about the price of fame, you know she secretly loves it.”

“Caleb.” I paused, left at a loss for words. He’d made light of Natalie’s stardom to set me at ease, but I knew the fear that crept below the surface of his banter. It was mere weeks ago that Greyson, the powerful lycan, had hunted me and tried to kill me, all to spite Caleb.

Not to mention, my old boyfriend, Derek, was now a lycan and a member of Greyson’s clan. He’d been attacked by Greyson last summer, while I watched helplessly on the sidelines. Caleb tried to save Derek, but Greyson snatched him back under the light of the full moon, and made him a member of his posse.

Now that I was Caleb’s lover, it put a target on my back half a mile wide. Nowhere was safe anymore, and I didn’t have the strength to protect myself.

I knew better than to argue with Caleb about issues of the supernatural world. While I was practically a newborn when it came to immortals, Caleb had the wisdom of centuries. He was shrewd and tactical when it came to matters of protection, and I knew he wouldn’t let me out of his sight. He told me he’d been waiting for me for centuries, and he wasn’t about to let me slip from his grasp.

Caleb headed towards the tinted car and threw a black motorcycle jacket over his shoulder. “No time to argue, Abby. As you reminded me so clearly, we’ve got a full day of shooting ahead of us.”

I ran to catch up with him, almost breaking the heel on my nude, leather pump. I was faster on my feet than I used to be, but I was still getting used to my new body. Most vampires found that their reflexes were quicker than they ever thought possible. Although I’d started to experience flashes of that, at other times I was so wobbly on my feet that I felt like I might collapse. The dizziness overtook me and I leaned against the shiny black hood of Caleb’s Maserati.

“You okay?” Caleb stopped in his tracks and swiveled towards me, concerned. A brief look of fear crossed his amethyst tinted eyes, and conveyed a worry I hadn’t seen in him before. There was something he wasn’t telling me; I was sure of it.

“Fine. Absolutely fine.” I stood up to my full height and scooted my black linen skirt down my thighs. I didn’t want to burden Caleb with the silly little health issues that had been cropping up since my transformation. I knew he already felt guilty enough that he’d been the one who’d turned me. In the vampire world, the one who turns another becomes responsible for them. Caleb already was in love with me, and now he had the role of my protector, too.

I slid into the plush leather bucket seat of Caleb’s sports car and instinctively reached for the seatbelt. A smile escaped from Caleb’s lips.

“What?” I batted my long eyelashes at him.

“Are you afraid you’ll get in an accident and die?” He raised his eyebrow.

“Oh yeah, that.” I chewed on my lip. I’d temporarily forgotten that my dangers were no longer the same as the humans who surrounded me. No, the things that were dangerous to me were far darker and more insidious. If only a seatbelt could protect me from the likes of Greyson’s clan. But no, I was bare and vulnerable when it came to my place in the vampire kingdom. A lamb ready for slaughter.

Caleb backed out of the garage, spun around in his circular driveway, and sped down the hill towards Sunset Blvd. I’d taken for granted the palm tree lined streets and the clear blue skies Los Angeles was famous for. Now that I couldn’t enjoy the sun or a day at the beach, it seemed even more precious…and out of reach. I leaned back in the luxurious leather seat and sighed.

Caleb slid his hand across my thigh and squeezed it gently. There was something that was on his mind, and damn it if I couldn’t tell what it was.

“You know, what if I went on a girls’ weekend to Palm Springs with Natalie? Greyson’s clan would never find me there, and you’d be able to focus on your work in New York.”

He gazed at me steadily, despite the fast traffic racing by our car.

“Why won’t you ask Natalie to come to New York with us? Are you embarrassed of me? She knows what I am. Hell, she knows her own boyfriend is a vampire.”

“It’s not that.” I braced myself as Caleb weaved in and out of the bumper-to-bumper traffic. He headed towards the 405 freeway, and he didn’t slow down.

“Damn it. Then, what is it?” His voice escalated.

“I haven’t told Natalie about me yet. I’m not ready to tell her.”

His voice faltered. “Are you embarrassed of what you are now?”

His soft tone surprised me. After all this time, I thought he was confident, cocky even, about being a vampire. But now, I wasn’t so sure.

“Of course not.” I licked my lips and chose my next words carefully. “It’s just that Natalie and I have been best friends since we were kids. If she found out, it would change everything. I will tell her, but in my own time. I was afraid that you’d let it slip if she came to New York with us.”

His brow arched, and his sparkling blue eyes caught my gaze. “If you’re worried about my discretion, I can assure you that your secret is safe with me. Natalie will find out sometime, but I won’t be the one to tell her.”

“Fine.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest. I would have been angry at him for his possessiveness, and his inability to let me out of his sight, but I knew his intentions were pure. I was in grave danger, and no one besides Caleb could protect me. With my naivete, I’d likely do the very thing that would lead Greyson’s clan right to my front door.

“Fine?” A slight smile escaped from his pillowed lips.

“I’ll ask her, okay? You know she never turns down an excuse to visit NYC. Broadway is practically in her veins. I’m sure she won’t take much convincing.”

“Well then, I’ll make arrangements for the two of you to be added to the flight manifest. A suite at the Waldorf should suffice for Natalie, don’t you think?”

“That sounds lovely for her, but what about me?” I smirked at him.

“You?” He smiled seductively. “I have something much better in store for you.”

“Oh really?”

“Something I’ve wanted to do with you, to you since the moment we first met.”

“In the pool?” I laughed to myself, remembering Caleb’s sleek, nude body emerging from his turquoise backyard pool on the night we met. I practically died of embarrassment when I barged into his yard unannounced, chasing Natalie’s cat.

“Yes. I knew I had to have you the moment you crashed into my life. I couldn’t stop thinking about you then, and I can’t stop now. I knew you’d shake up my life for good.”

“Is that so?” I squinted at him.

“You rocked my world and turned it upside down. I wanted you so badly, it scared me. Like a hunger that tore me up from the inside. I fantasized about you, dreaming up a thousand scenarios of what I could do to your lush, supple body.”

I bit my lip. “And you got your wish.” My cheeks flushed instinctively. In the time I’d known Caleb, I’d never had more passionate…or more frequent sex in my entire life. He was a sex god with insatiable stamina.

“I’m just getting started with all the things I want to do to you.” He paused. “And I think you feel the same way. I read your mind that night when you entered the pool area. I knew that you wanted me almost as much as I wanted you.”

“That’s an unfair advantage, you know. How many boyfriends can truthfully say that they can read their girlfriend’s mind?” I tried to diffuse the situation with humor, but his words took my breath away. He’d drawn me into his web that night, and he hadn’t let go since. There was darkness and mystery behind his seductive eyes, and I hadn’t begun to scratch the surface of who Caleb Crane really was.

Caleb had a raw, animalistic hunger to his voice when he spoke about me. He would consume me if I wasn’t careful. He’d already made me a vampire, like him, and now he didn’t want to let me out of his sight. I sighed, relieved that he was as obsessed with me as I was with him.

He pulled the car into the studio lot and parked underneath a shaded carport near the VIP staff entrance. He scooted his body closer to mine and wrapped his strong, muscular biceps around my torso.

“You’re the first person I’ve been able to be myself with since…” His voice trailed. I knew what he meant before he finished his sentence.

“You don’t have to say anything…” I whispered.

“No, I do. You’re the only one for me, Abby. I’ve waited so long for you, and now I can’t lose you. I won’t lose you.”

All the nerves in my body ignited, and I felt an electrical pulse course underneath my pale, almost translucent skin. I should have been scared of Caleb and his possessive ways, but all I saw was how much he adored and cherished me. He was a sex god of the highest degree, and he had countless Hollywood starlets throwing themselves at his feet. He could have his pick of woman, and he chose me.

“You’re not going to lose me, Caleb.” I pushed a lone tear from the corner of my eye.

“Good. Because it would destroy me to the core, Abby. You’ve wrecked me. I need to be close to you.”

Tenderly, he held my chin in his hands and pointed it upwards until our lips met. The silky skin of his bottom lip grazed mine, and he whispered. “I love you, Abby March. I always have and I always will.”

Before I could reply, his kissed me, his lips hungry and wanting. He was at once tender and careful with me, and at the same time I knew the primal, raw part of him craved me. The tinted windows in his Maserati were so dark, he could fuck me in broad daylight, and nobody on the outside of his car would be the wiser.

He pressed his body close to mine, and I felt the heat rise to his skin from somewhere deep inside him.

“I could stay here all day,” he whispered.

“And do what?” I laughed, hoping to lighten the mood.

“I can read your mind, Abby March. You know exactly what I mean.”

“Well, what else am I thinking then?” I leaned casually back into the supple leather bucket seat.

He licked his lips and playfully teased me. “You know I don’t like to read your mind, Abby. I want to respect your privacy.”

“But you can, and I know you do know what I’m thinking. So, what is it?”

His voice stiffened. “Well, a moment ago, you were thinking about Reina.”

I glanced away, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

“I was not.”

“Whatever you say.” He let it go. “Well, if you are worried about her, you shouldn’t be. She’s not my type.”

“Oh really?” I rolled my eyes. “Tall, leggy blonde, who is completely smitten with you? How repulsive.”

His demeanor softened. “You know Reina and I have a past, but she’s not my future. You are.”

My stomach lurched and my skin prickled with heat. The mention of Reina’s name set me on edge, even though I knew Caleb and Reina were lovers in the distant past. Still, I hated her with a passion. She took advantage of Caleb when he was his most vulnerable. She…

I stopped myself before I could think another thought. I didn’t want Caleb to know the full extent of my insecurities, although I suspected he already knew.

“With all this sweet talk, we’ll be late to set, Romeo,” I winked at him.

Caleb caught my arm suddenly, and traced his fingers along the soft, delicate side of my forearm.

“I want you, Abby. It’s important to me that you know that. I can’t change the past, or go back to a time before you were born. But when I think about my future, it only works with you in it.”

I leaned against his muscular biceps, and rested my head on his strong shoulder. Logically I knew that I was everything Reina was not. She was a tall, leggy blonde who Caleb once called “Queen of the Vampires.”

I, on the other hand, was a short, freckled brunette whose favorite past-time was deciding which flavor of Ben and Jerry’s to try next. I paused. That’s who I used to be. Since I’d transformed, I hadn’t been able to keep down any food at all, and I hardly recognized the girl I was at the beginning of the summer. I tried not to think about it, and slid my hand across Caleb’s thigh.

He licked his lips, and broke the silence. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Abby. No dragon I wouldn’t slay if it meant keeping you safe. The one thing I won’t do is let you go.”

He kissed me softly on my forehead and traced his fingers down my porcelain cheek. His demeanor changed from tender to seductive in a matter of seconds. His eyes turned amethyst, full of fire in the car’s soft light. His lip turned into a wicked grin that both turned me on and scared me. I knew he wanted me, was addicted to me, and couldn’t live without me.

“Abby,” he sighed and leaned closer towards me. Even the scent of him changed. He smelled like a mixture of musk and his sexual pheromones. Once again, he captured me, and I was unable to pull away from his magnetic draw. My skin shivered with delight, and I laughed quietly to myself. For Caleb Crane, I offered myself to be ravaged. There was no point in resisting.