The Darkest Kiss

“Let it be no one in this little family unit,” I said softly. “I think we’ve coped with enough shit in our lives already.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” He looked at me for a moment, then touched a hand lightly to my still-scarred arm. “The hole is gradually healing.”

“Yeah, thankfully.” Though it was taking its time, it would heal and probably without much of a scar. I was going to end up with one on my face, though, at the point where one of the bakeneko’s claws had dug the deepest. But at least it wasn’t in the middle of my face nor was it that big. I could live with it.

Especially given what could have happened.

“But you still look very tired. Maybe you should go home and rest.”

“Brother, I look better than you do.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t lose buckets of blood and then refuse to let the hospital do something about it.”

No, he’d almost lost something worse. His heart. His soul. “You know I hate hospitals.”

“And I’m giving you the chance to get out of one.”

I studied him for a moment, then said, “Are you sure you don’t want company?”

“I’ll be fine. Liander will be fine. All is good. Go home and rest.”

I leaned forward and kissed him. “Thanks. Just make sure you eat, bro. You’re going to need all the strength you can muster to look after Liander when he comes home.”

He snorted softly. “And you think I’m a bad patient. Wait until we get him home.”

The anticipation was there for the world to see, and I smiled. “Bringing him home has a nice sound to it, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah,” he said, and flicked my nose. “Go.”

I went.

Dusk was settling in by the time I got home. And resting against the front door of our apartment, waiting for me, was a clear plastic container holding a single red rose.

As a cure for tiredness, it was pretty damn fine.

With a smile teasing my lips, I walked into the apartment, tossing my bag and keys aside before sitting down on the arm of the sofa to read the little note.

I really would like to start again, it said, and I’d like to take you to dinner. Our first official date. No strings. Nothing expected. Just you and me, finally getting to know each other.

There was no signature or name, but it didn’t need one. It could have come from only one man.

And it seemed Rhoan wasn’t the only one who finally had something to look forward to.

With a silly grin stretching my lips, I all but ran over to the phone so I could ring my vampire.

About the Author

KERI ARTHUR received a “Perfect 10” from Romance Reviews Today and was nominated for Best Shapeshifter in PNR’s PEARL Awards and in the Best Contemporary Paranormal category of the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards. She lives with her husband and daughter in Melbourne, Australia.