“Rylan! What a thing to say! And in front of our son.”
“He’s old enough to appreciate it,” Saintcrow remarked, winking at Conor. “You could always mesmerize Bryn and make her believe she loves you.”
“No way!” Conor exclaimed, horrified by the very idea. “Wait a minute. Is that what you did to Mom?”
“Hell, no. She fought me all the way and I loved it.” Saintcrow slid his arm around Kadie’s shoulders. “So did she.”
“It won’t be easy, but you’ll have to convince her that you’re still the same man you were,” Kadie said. “If she really cares for you, she should be willing to give your relationship a chance. But you need to be patient with her. After all, deciding to tie your life to a vampire’s isn’t an easy decision to make. There are a lot more adjustments to make than normal people have to contend with.”
Conor nodded glumly. He was dead to the world when the sun was up. He didn’t eat. He couldn’t give her children. She would grow old and he wouldn’t.Damn. His mother must have really loved Saintcrow to put up with all that.
“There are pluses,” Saintcrow reminded him.
Conor stared at him. “You reading my mind?”
Saintcrow shrugged.
“What pluses?”
“Well, you can take her anywhere in the world she wants to go in the blink of an eye. If you give her a little of your blood from time to time, the aging process will slow down. She’ll never have to take care of an old man, or arrange a funeral, or....” He yelped when Kadie punched him in the arm.
“That isn’t funny,” she said. “And I’m sure Bryn wouldn’t think so, either. Conor, it all comes down to love and what you’re willing to sacrifice to have it. The best thing you can do is call her and see if she’s willing for the two of you to get to know each other better.”
“There are a lot of women in the world,” Saintcrow remarked. “If she turns you down, you won’t have trouble finding another one.”
“I don’t want another one.” Conor slammed his fist on the arm of the chair so hard that the wood cracked. “Sorry, Mom. Dammit, if I’d waited another week to be turned, there wouldn’t be any problem now.” On the other hand, maybe it was best that he hadn’t waited. It was easier to break a relationship than a marriage.
~ * ~
In the next few days, Bryn tensed every time the phone rang, always afraid it would be Conor. Always afraid it wouldn’t be. She didn’t know what to do. She liked him far more than any of the other men she had dated. She’d never fantasized about what it would be like to make love to any of them, never yearned for their kisses or hungered for their touch, never missed them when they were gone. But Conor... She thought of him constantly. Mr. Cummings had commented on her distracted state and asked if she needed a few days off. She had assuredhim she was fine, and then wished she had taken him up on his offer. Maybe a vacation in Morgan Creek...She still had trouble believing Conor was a vampire, but why would he lie about such a horrible thing? And if it wasn’t true, how had he survived a gunshot to the heart? Or transported her from Morgan Creek to Vermont in the blink of an eye? So many questions....
She let out a cry as the kitchen filled with smoke. Grabbing a dish cloth, she removed the pan that held her dinner from the stove and set it on a hot pad, then opened the kitchen window. One of these days she was going to be building castles in the air and set the apartment on fire.
Sighing, she went into the living room and sank down on the sofa. What was she going to do about Conor Saintcrow? She jumped when her cell phone beeped, felt her heart do a crazy little dance when she saw his name. Her hand was shaking when she answered. “Hello.”
“Hey. I happened to be in the neighborhood and thought I’d give you a call.”
“Justhappenedto be?”
“Okay, I wanted to be near you. I miss you. Any chance we can go out for a drink?”
Her mind whisperedno. Her heart criedyes!Her common sense saiddon’t be a fool.
“Bryn?”
“Are you really a...a vampire?”
He hesitated a long moment before answering, “Yes.” He blew out a sigh. “Please give me a chance. You must know I’d never hurt you. Please, Bryn?”
The husky, almost reverent way he said her name melted the last of her resistance. “All right.”
“Shall I pick you up?”
“If you want.”
She heard the smile in his voice when he said, “I’m outside your door.”
Nervous and eager, she fought down her trepidation and went to let him in.