Ravenous

Holly stepped out of his arms. 'Oh, Goddess, we were supposed to meet him!' And if the ghouls had found him first… Holly could not even bear to complete the thought.

Alessandro already had a cell phone out, but Holly didn't recognize it.

'Whose is that?'

'It belonged to one of the changelings.'

'Why are you using it?'

'To see who is expecting a call from this phone.'

Holly heard the ring at the other end, but she was distracted by the gathering frown on Alessandro's face. She heard the click of the phone being answered.

'Giuseppi?'

It was Mac's voice. Holly sagged against the car.

Alessandro shut the phone. 'We were set up.'

Chapter 20

Macmillan is going to pay for this stunt.

Alessandro signaled to turn. He was going to see Holly safely home, report to Omara, and then tear Macmillan's head off. He might reverse the last two items. Options were important.

'But why would he do something like that?' Holly smacked the dashboard.

Alessandro flinched, protective of the car. Who knew what an angry witch could do to vintage leather? 'I don't know. Somehow our enemies got to Macmillan.'

Holly looked perplexed. 'Last night he seemed fine.'

'What did you talk about after I left?'

She sighed. 'I don't remember. I kind of blanked out. I was doing a lot of magic, warding the house against more demon invasions. Grandma thinks I might have popped a psychic gasket. Like I was telling you before, I seem prone to memory loss.'

Alessandro frowned. This isn't good. 'You lost all memory of last night? I thought you said you had dinner and conversation.'

'Yeah, well…' Holly twisted her ponytail, as if pulling at her hair might stimulate brain cells. 'I remember dinner. Good food, but pretty much everything else after you left is just… gone.'

'Are you sure it was simply stress?'

'What else would it be? That's what Grandma thinks, anyway.'

Holly's grandmother was seldom wrong. He relaxed a little. 'It wouldn't be the monotony of the detective's company? Perhaps there was nothing worth remembering?'

'Yeah, right.' Once more Holly thumped the dash with her fist. 'What happened to him? He seemed like a nice, normal guy.'

He hated seeing her so upset. How can I fix this? 'Leave Macmillan to me. I'll find out what's wrong. If he can be helped, I will see that it is done.'

Holly turned to face him, her features fading from light to dark as they passed under streetlights. 'Thanks. I'd hate to think he ended up collateral damage.'

'You like him.'

'He's a decent guy. I'm sure he was pleasant company, even if I don't remember.'

'A night with me would be unforgettable.' Alessandro let all the unspoken heat between them leak into his tone, let it wash away the fear and uncertainty he could hear in her voice. 'You would not forget me.'

Holly's eyes glittered in the darkness. The look was pure feminine fire. Whatever else was happening that night, there was still unfinished business between them. Is it business we can risk finishing?

Alessandro pulled into her driveway. Streetlights shone through the lacy branches of the hawthorn trees. He turned off the motor, a stampede of sensations raging through him. The taste of her was still in his mouth, everything she was, the salt and the sweet.

The blood he'd tasted had been the merest tease, but it was all he'd dared take without causing harm. It had been her perfect trust that had saved her. If she had struggled just once, the instinct to hunt might have won.

She trusted me. He loved her for that. All of him, the vampire and the man. He would go to his final death, walk into hell itself, if that meant she would live her life in safety.

The solemnity of his thoughts brought on a moment of panic. Not even Omara had that kind of power over his soul. I think I am in trouble. How can I lose a heart that barely beats?

Holly shifted, leaning over the seat to get her backpack. The air stirred with her scent, reeling him closer still. 'Are you coming in?' she asked, getting out of the T-Bird.

Alessandro sat for a moment, his hands clutching the wheel, before he could move. He was frozen, caught in a brief wave of terror and need. He was a monster. She was vulnerable.

I love her. I will make sure everything is safe inside her house; then I will leave. 'Of course. I know you warded the house, but I still want to check it over. Just in case.'

'Yeah, I'd hate to have to send you out for more mousetraps.' Holly ran up the steps to unlock the door. There was a flirting invitation in her tone that was impossible to miss. He followed, using vampire speed to catch up.

He allowed himself to dream for the split second it took to reach her. What if I could be the man, and not the monster, for the smallest slice of time? Surely that is not asking the moon and the stars?

He shouldn't. There was too much to do. He had responsibilities. There were risks.

She switched on the entry light. 'Come on in.'

'Thank you,' Alessandro said, wavering for the merest second before stepping inside her doorway.

Holly watched as he stood for a moment, every line of his body uneasy. Then, after a quick look down at himself, he peeled off the shredded remnants of his jacket, dropping the ruin on a chair. She would miss that fringed leather, or at least the fantasies it inspired.

'Make yourself at home,' she said, leading the way into the living room. She grabbed for a note of normalcy. 'Can I get you some tea?'

'Yes, thank you.' There was a shred of uncertainty in his voice. Things had changed between them, but neither yet knew what that meant.

'I won't be a moment.'

As she turned to head for the kitchen, he directed his attention to her shelf of CDs, methodically flipping through the jewel cases.

I let a vampire taste my blood. That should have terrified her, but it didn't. The experience hadn't been frightening at all. Instead her stomach felt curiously light, buoyed by nervous anticipation. Maybe all her assumptions were wrong, and there was some way that she and Alessandro could be more than partners. Or maybe she was just believing what she wanted to think. How can I know?

The kettle quieted to a rolling boil, rattling gently on the crooked old burner. She spooned Lady Grey, lemony and comforting, into the pot and filled it. Steam curled out of the spout, reminding her of a miniature ghost.

She let the moment linger, full of possibilities. Around her the house felt serene, its consciousness turning inward like a cat drowsing by the hearth.

It was a moment of peace. I'm so tired.

Holly took the tea tray into the living room and set it on the old walnut library table that sat under the window. With deliberate care she poured the tea and passed Alessandro his cup. He sniffed the steaming liquid, holding the raku vessel in both hands.

'Do you think we will be safe here tonight? No more changeling armies on the agenda?' she asked.