“What am I doing here?” Tory asked in a husky voice. “What happened?”
“You are back on my estate,” Simon replied as he stepped around the bed. “You fainted last night after…”
“Oh!” Tory’s eyes widened as the memory of what happened last night washed through her. “Oh my!”
*.*.*
Simon picked up his trousers that were lying on a small bench at the end of the bed. He quickly slid them on, never taking his eyes off of Tory’s face. The flaming blush on her cheeks and her beautiful brown eyes that suddenly seemed too large for her face confused him.
The strength behind her thrust was enough to seal the fact that she was anything but human. But, it was her transformation into a small, plump bat and back again that shook him. Everything about her was now screaming immortal creature, yet her scent was still that of a human.
“Yes, oh,” he said, watching her with a wary expression. “What are you, Miss Carson?”
Her eyes skirted from him to the bedroom door behind him and back again. She chewed on her bottom lip in indecision for several long seconds. Panic swept across her face when he took another step closer to her.
Simon saw her eyes flicker to the door again and knew she was going to try to get by him. What he hadn’t expected was that she would be as fast as she was when she made up her mind to try to escape. He almost missed her as she swept past him. The minute his hands wrapped around her, she shifted again. One moment he had a beautiful, curvy woman in his grasp, the next he had a trembling, plump bat looking up at him with soulful, dark brown eyes.
He gently cupped the shivering creature in his hands. Pulling his hands closer to his chest, he stepped over to the large set of windows. Early morning sunlight filtered through the glass. Indecision flickered through him again as he wondered if it would hurt Tory. He held Tory up so he could see her peeking out between his fingers at him.
“The sun did not harm you yesterday,” he murmured in a low voice. “Can you go out in it at any time?”
The tiny bat peeked out between his fingers. A soft chuckle escaped him when it looked like it tried to roll its eyes at him. This bat wasn’t like any bat he had ever seen before. Her dark brown fur was soft, her eyes large and filled with emotion, and her mouth, while filled with sharp, tiny teeth, was puckered into an adorable, little pout.
“I assume that means ‘no’,” Simon chuckled. “If I release you, will you not try to escape again?”
It took a moment before he saw the little head move up and down. Drawing in a deep breath, he slowly opened his hands. A reassuring smile curved his lips when he felt the slight tremble of the creature in his hand before it turned and jumped off his outstretched palms.
He watched in fascination as Tory’s soft, curvy figure formed a few feet away from him. He frowned when he noticed that when she transformed, his dressing gown was on her. When he transformed to the beast, he had to remove his clothing and redress otherwise it was destroyed.
“I… The sun doesn’t bother me,” Tory nervously replied, pushing a strand of wayward hair behind her ear as she glanced toward the window. “I like the sun.”
“What are you?” Simon asked in a quiet voice.
Tory laughed nervously. “Duh! I’m a Vampire,” she replied with a roll of her eyes. “Haven’t you ever met one before?”
“No,” Simon whispered as he stared at her in fascination. “Are there others? How can you go out into the sun? Why aren’t you cold? How… What the hell happened last night and does it happen every time you...?"
Simon sighed when Tory blushed again and bowed her head. She shook her head frantically back and forth before she replied. Simon stepped forward and tilted her chin up so that she was forced to look at him.
“No, there are not others? No, what happened last night doesn’t happen with anyone else?” He asked in frustration.
“Yes, there are others. There are lots of us, well, not lots and lots, but a whole town full of everybody,” she whispered, staring up at him. “No, I’ve never had that happen before. I don’t normally suck on people’s necks, it’s rude. But the few times I have, I’ve never experienced that before.” Her voice faded and her eyes dilated when he leaned down to brush a kiss over her upturned lips.
“Good,” he replied against her lips before kissing her again.
A low groan escaped him when she shyly returned his kiss. The feel of her soft, plump lips against his sent a shaft of need through him. The beast, having had a taste of what could happen, wanted it just as much as the man did. His hands slid down her body and gripped her hips.