"You're kidding! There's a cure?" Emma gave him an incredulous look. "Why don't more of you change back?"
He gritted his teeth. "Maybe some of us like being the way we are."
"Oh." She winced. "I didn't mean to offend you."
He arched a brow. "Being undead comes with some valuable talents. Being mortal does, too. I have quite a few mortals working for me. Ye have the advantage of daylight."
"So Austin is still fighting vampires."
"The bad ones, aye." Angus tilted his head. "Ye could work for me. I'd hire ye in a second."
Her mouth dropped open again. "You would hire me after I tried to kill you?"
"Somehow I was under the impression, while ye were climaxing in my arms, that ye'd gotten over yer ill feelings."
Her cheeks tinted pink. "It is true that I no longer harbor any ill will toward you."
"Yer kindness is overwhelming. But ye seemed downright happy when ye were shuddering and screaming in—"
"All right!" She held up a hand. "But that's a very good reason why I shouldn't work for you. People would suspect that we were a bit… involved, and that's never—"
"A bit involved?" He motioned toward the bedroom. "If Connor hadn't returned with yer boss, we'd be in there right now, tupping like rabbits."
She scoffed. "That's not true." She glanced at the bedroom. "I would have—I might have said no."
"When?" He moved closer. "Would ye have said no after I had kissed every inch of yer beautiful body? Or would ye have waited till I made ye scream for a second or third time?"
She pressed her hands to her reddened cheeks. "Please. I–I can't… "
"What?" He held her by the shoulders.
She closed her eyes and whispered, "I can't love you."
The words slammed into him like a thunderbolt. He released her and moved back. His heart squeezed in his chest. The devil take it, he wanted her love. When the hell had that happened? She looked so miserable. Bugger. "I'm sorry. I'll take ye home."
She nodded, refusing to look at him.
He handed her the backpack. "Which apartment?"
"Mine."
"I've teleported there before. I remember the way." He stood next to her, his arms opening. "I have to hold you."
"I understand." She stood stiffly as he embraced her.
"Ye need to hold on." Once she'd placed her hands on his shoulders, he closed his eyes and concentrated. When their bodies wavered, her fingers tensed and she clung to him. In a few seconds, they arrived in her small living room. As soon as she was solid, she released him.
She dropped her backpack on the loveseat. "When will your men be able to guard Central Park?"
"In a night or two. Most of them are working undercover right now in Eastern Europe, so there's a problem with the time difference and locating them. And I'll have to do some shuffling around to make sure my clients are still protected."
"Then tomorrow you and I will patrol the park?"
"Aye. But ye must understand, Emma, we canna kill the Malcontents at this time. It would only serve to push the vampire world into a war we doona want."
She nodded. "All right. As long as the humans are protected. I'll meet you at the stone bridge by the Pond at nine o'clock?"
"I'll be there." He extended his hand. "Allies?" He wanted to say lovers, but this would have to do for now.
She shook his hand briefly, then let go. "Allies."
CHAPTER 15
He was going to be late. Emma checked her watch once again. Two minutes till nine, and he was nowhere in sight. Granted her eyesight wasn't nearly as good as his in the dark, moonlit surroundings of Central Park. She could always reach out to him psychically, but she really didn't want him inside her head. He was already too much in her heart.
She leaned her elbows on the bridge's stone wall and surveyed the area around the Pond. No men in kilts. He could be wearing trousers, though. The rascal looked equally gorgeous in both. Her gaze zeroed in on a young man in the distance, wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. No, not Angus. There was no mistaking his broad shoulders and long auburn hair.
There was simply no one like him.
Her heart grew heavy. Why couldn't he be human? Fifty years from now, he would have forgotten all about her. She'd be one of many humans who had come and gone, swept away like the dead leaves of autumn. God help her, she wanted to be different. She wanted to be special to him. She wanted to be loved.