The Vampire's Valentine Surprise(10)
“Are you all right?” He went to her side, looping his arm around her waist. “You don’t look well, my love.”
She sank against him with a sigh. “I just got really tired all of a sudden.”
“Are you coming down with something?” Pandora asked. “Is that even possible for you guys?”
Hugh knew she meant vampires. “Not really. You’d better test that coffee.”
Pandora nodded. “Where is it?”
Delaney pointed. “That’s it in the Hallowed Bean cup.”
“Okay.” Pandora picked it up, pried off the top and sniffed. “I don’t smell anything odd. I need some alone time with this to do what I really need to. I can’t cast a spell right here in front of everyone.”
Hugh helped Delaney sit on the folding camp chair that Stanhill had thoughtfully added to her inventory. “Take it to the first aid tent. It’s just behind this one. Tell them you need to make a call and I said you could have the tent to yourself. If that doesn’t get you some privacy, call me and I’ll personally come over and make it happen.”
Pandora smiled, then reached over and gave Delaney’s shoulder a squeeze. “I’ll be back as soon as I can with an answer.”
“Thanks,” Delaney said.
Pandora left and Hugh knelt beside Delaney. “I think we already know the answer. I’m going to call Sheriff Merrow and have that woman arrested.”
“We don’t know for sure.” Delaney patted his cheek. “I feel better just sitting. Maybe I picked up something. There must be some kind of bug vampires can get.”
“There isn’t. But we’re not immune to everything.” Like poison.
Delaney tipped her head. “And how would Vicky be able to figure out what sort of thing would make a vampire sick? She doesn’t even know I’m a vampire.”
“I don’t know. Dumb luck? That’s probably the only kind she has.”
Delaney smiled weakly. “I have a cake to finish.” She pushed to her feet with visible effort.
“You can barely stand.”
“I can stand just fine.” She leaned on the table. “I’m not giving up.”
He frowned at his beautiful, stubborn wife. “Then I’m going to stand right next to you and help hold you up. That’s not against the rules, is it?”
Her grin strengthened. “No.”
He planted himself next to her, keeping one arm locked around her waist. “Good. Because even if it was, that wouldn’t stop me.”
“I know,” she said softly. “You wonderful, obstinate man.” She picked up the raspberries and went back to work adding them to the layer.
Hugh kissed her neck. “I could help.”
“That’s definitely against the rules, so no.”
He kissed her again, a little higher this time and right on the spot beneath her ear that always got a response.
She giggled and swatted at him. “Stop that now or I’ll have you thrown out.”
He whispered into her ear, “Maybe we could get thrown out together.”
“For what?”
He gripped her hip possessively. “Inappropriate public displays of affection.”
“Hugh,” she exclaimed. “Behave yourself.”
But there was happiness in her voice and that was enough for him. Anything to keep her mind off whatever was happening to her.
He let her work, watching with interest at how careful Delaney was with everything, and how skilled. He’d never seen her at work this closely before. She was amazing. It filled him with pride and at that moment he didn’t want her to have to leave the competition either.
She deserved to win this.
She topped the cake with the last layer. “There. Now I just need to crumb coat it and give that time to set, then I can do the final frosting and decoration.”
“You’re very good.”
A little half-smile bent her mouth. “You say that like you’re just realizing it.”
He smiled back. “Seeing you work, I’m just appreciating it for the first time. You have to stay in the competition because you’re going to win.”
“You think so?”
He nodded. “I do.”
“Thanks, honey.” She bumped her hip against his. “I need to get my buttercream.”
“You’re not going to make me taste it again, are you?”
She laughed. “No. Not this time.”
Chapter Four
Delaney was feeling better. Still tired, but that seemed to come and go in waves. At least the nausea was gone. But she kept that to herself. She liked having Hugh right next to her, all lovey and sweet. Not that he wasn’t always, but there was something so tender and wonderful about him right now that she didn’t want to do anything to break the spell.