“I haven’t been a vampire long to kill a hundred people,” he said dryly. “But no, I haven’t killed anyone yet.” He didn’t tell her how hard it was to stop feeding before it was too late, how many times he had been tempted to glut himself. Or how badly he wanted to drink from her again.
“Did you come to Susandale because of the other vampires?”
“Yes and no. I don’t know any of them. I haven’t even met any of them. But I heard this town was a kind of haven for … for their kind and I was looking for a safe place to stay until I figured out how to live with what I’ve become.”
“Aren’t new vampires supposed to stay with the one who made them? Seems I read that in a book somewhere.”
“Yeah, well, that didn’t happen in my case. There was no love lost between me and my sire.”
Love, she thought. Were vampires even capable of it?
“Is there any chance we can still be friends?”
Friends? She stared at him. They had only known each other a short time, but the few nights they had shared had been wonderful. She had felt the attraction between them and hoped it might lead to a lasting relationship. Of course, that had been before she learned that he had been keeping a dreadful secret from her. Not that she could blame him for that. “What does ‘being your friend’ entail, exactly?”
“You know. Hanging out. Going to the movies.” He shrugged. “Pretty much what we’ve been doing.”
The memory of his kisses rose in her mind. But, of course, there’d be no more of that, she thought sadly. Because no one had ever kissed her the way he did or made her toes curl with the sheer pleasure of being in his arms. If only he wasn’t a vampire, he would be the perfect guy. “We can give it a try, if you want.”
“I won’t hurt you, Sara. I swear it on my mother’s life.”
She nodded, hoping it was a promise he could keep. “Carl said he thought I’d be safe, here in town. That the other vampires wouldn’t hurt me because they don’t hunt where they live. Is that true?”
“From what I know, I’d say he’s probably right.”
“So, what would you like to do tonight?”
His gaze moved to her lips, to the pulse throbbing in the hollow of her throat. “Anything you want to do is fine with me.”
“We could go to a late movie. They’re showing the newest superhero flick over in Langston.”
“Sounds good.”
“Just let me get a jacket. Oh! My car’s in the shop for another week.”
“That’s okay,” he said, glad that he had decided to drive over. “We can take mine.”
Travis tried not to stare at Sara as he drove to the theater, tried not to notice how tense she was. Not that he could blame her for being on edge. She had a lot to be nervous about.
He parked in the lot next to the theater. It was late and there was no line. Travis paid for the tickets. Sara bought a candy bar at the concession stand.
It was late on a week day night and the crowd was light. They found two seats in the middle section just as the lights went down.
Travis stared at the screen, acutely aware of the woman beside him. The scent of her skin, the fragrance of the soap she had used earlier in the day, the whisper of the blood flowing through her veins, the rapid beat of her heart. She refused to look at him, but he sensed that she was as aware of him as he was of her.
The movie started after numerous trailers. Gradually, she relaxed enough to nibble on the candy bar. He took heart when her arm brushed his and she didn’t pull away. Maybe there was hope for them, after all.
It was after midnight when they left the theater. They talked about the movie on the way home—a nice safe topic of conversation. They both agreed it wasn’t as good as the first one, but then, sequels were rarely as good as the original. His favorite superhero was Batman. Hers was Thor.
“What is it with women and Hemsworth?” he asked as he turned onto her street.
“He’s gorgeous, for one thing,” she said with a dreamy smile. “And sexy with a capital S.”
Travis grunted. “If you say so.”
Pulling up in front of her house, he shut off the engine, then got out of the car to open her door. Side by side, they walked up the stairs to the front porch. He stood behind her while she unlocked the door.
“Thanks for this evening,” he said.
She smiled at him over her shoulder. “I had a good time.”
“Would it be okay if I called you tomorrow night?”
Sara nodded. Vampire or not, she enjoyed being with him. “Good night, Travis.” She stepped across the threshold, only to be stayed by his voice.
“Sara?”
She turned and looked up at him, felt her heart skip a beat.
“Would it be all right if I kissed you good night?”
“Is that what friends do?”
“I don’t know, but I’ve been wanting to kiss you all night.”
It was what she wanted, too. She had felt him watching her during the movie, had hoped he might kiss her, even though she knew she shouldn’t. But since he’d asked … She nodded, her eyelids fluttering down as he crossed the threshold to cover her mouth with his.
It was little more than the brush of his lips and yet it unleashed a longing deep within her. When he broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers.
Sara blinked against the tears welling in her eyes. She could feel his loneliness, his need to be held, and her heart ached for him. Wanting to help, she put her arms around him, gasped when he wrapped her in
