Five minutes later, she stood in the middle of a luxury suite while Andrei tipped the bellboy, who gushed his thanks as he backed out the door.
“How much did you give him?” she asked.
“Fifty bucks.”
“Fifty dollars!”
Andrei shrugged. “He needs the money. He supports his invalid mother and younger sister.”
“Oh.” Tessa shook her head. She loved Andrei, but there were times, like this, when she realized she really knew very little about him. Who would have thought that a seven-hundred-year-old vampire would feel compassion for a mortal he didn’t even know? He really was a wonderful guy, she thought.
“You just finding that out?” he asked, drawing her into his arms.
“I always knew you were wonderful,” she said. “But you still manage to surprise me.”
“Really?” He smiled down at her. “There’s a big, oval bed in the other room,” he said. “If you’re game, I have a few other surprises I can show you.”
“Will I like them?”
He dropped butterfly kisses on the tip of her nose, her lips, the curve of her throat. “I can guarantee it.”
Wrapping her arm around his neck, she murmured, “Then I’m definitely game.”
In the blink of an eye, she was lying on her back on the big round bed. Her clothes—and his—had magically disappeared and she was wrapped in his arms.
“You are still going to make an honest woman of me, aren’t you?” she asked, and then, as his hands caressed her and his mouth covered hers, she forgot the question, forgot she needed an answer, forgot everything but the fire that swept through her as his kisses worked their sweet magic, carrying her away to a place where there was no need for words or promises, only the joining of his body with hers, her heart with his.
* * *
“I’m so nervous!” Tessa stood in front of the hotel closet, frowning. “Should I wear this? Or this? Or . . .”
Andrei shook his head. “Tessa, they’re your parents. They don’t care what you wear. Just pick something. If you can’t relax, they’ll know something’s wrong without your saying a word.”
She whirled around, a blue dress in one hand, a lavender print in another. “Relax!” she exclaimed. “Relax! How can I? This isn’t like bringing home a prom date. I’m a vampire. You’re a vampire!”
“It’s not like a scarlet letter,” he said, his voice laced with patience and amusement. “It doesn’t show.”
“Oh! How can you make jokes?”
Taking the dresses from her hands, he tossed them on the bed and drew her into his arms. “Tessa, it’ll be fine. Forget that you’re a vampire. You’re just a young woman going home for Christmas. We’ll visit for a while and see how it goes. If you can’t handle it, I’ll know, and I’ll make some excuse for why we have to leave. All right?”
She took a deep breath. He was right. She looked pretty much the same as always. There was no way her parents would jump to the conclusion that she was a vampire.
Murmuring “Thank you,” she picked up the blue dress.
* * *
Thirty minutes later, Andrei knocked on her parents’ front door.
It opened almost immediately. “Tessa!” Beaming, her mother threw her arms around her. “Come in, you two. Did you have a nice flight?” Alice Blackburn asked, ushering them into the living room.
“Tess.” Smiling, her father wrapped her in a bear hug. “Welcome home, sweetie.”
She hugged him back, trying not to notice the beating of his heart, the scent of his blood. This was her father, not prey.
“Mom, Dad, this is Andrei. Andrei, my parents, Alice and Henry.”
Andrei shook her father’s hand. “Pleased to meet you, sir.”
Henry nodded. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“All good, I hope.” Andrei bowed over her mother’s hand. “Mrs. Blackburn.”
“Let’s sit down, shall we?” Alice suggested. “Have you had lunch?”
Andrei glanced at Tessa, then said, “We ate on the plane.”
Alice nodded. “Well, I hope you saved room for dinner. I made Tessa’s favorite homemade lasagna and garlic bread.”
“Thanks, Mom.” She sat on the love seat and Andrei sat beside her, while her parents sat on the sofa. “The house looks good, Mom. I like the new carpet and drapes.”
Alice smiled. “We redid the upstairs, too. Except for your room, of course. I didn’t want to do anything without asking you first.”
“Mom, it’s your house.”
“But it’s your room. I want you to know you always have a place here.”