The Reluctant Vampire(50)

So, her plan hadn’t been the best, Drina thought with a shrug. At least it had worked. If nothing else, she was now pretty sure that she just had to keep hammering at Harper’s walls with sex. As her life mate, he would find it hard to fight their attraction. So, every time the ghost of Jenny Harper slipped between them, and he threw up a wall, she would use sex to tear it down, Drina decided. She could handle that.

“Good Lord, girl!”

Drina blinked her thoughts away at that exclamation and glanced to Teddy Brunswick to see him eyeing her boots with dismay.

“It’s no wonder you can’t stay on your feet. Those boots are for looking at, not walking,” the chief of police muttered. Shaking his head, he took her arm as if afraid she wouldn’t be able to stay upright long on the heels, and then he urged her forward.

“They’re fine,” Harper said quietly, slipping his arm around her waist and drawing her against his side. It was a possessive act and one that sent a stream of warmth through her, as well as the hope that they would overcome his guilt and work things out after all.

Teddy chuckled. “Well hell, Stoyan, I’m not surprised you like them. If those aren’t a pair of FMs most red-blooded men would like to lick, I don’t know what are.”

“You know about FMs?” Harper asked with surprise over Drina’s head.

“I may be old, but I’m not brainless,” Teddy said dryly, and then paused to glance both ways as they reached the road.

Drina bit her lip to keep back a chuckle at Harper’s disgruntled expression, and asked, “You were at the house, Teddy. Is everything all right?”

“Fine as far as I know,” Teddy assured her, urging them to cross the street. “I was just stopping by to check on things on my way home. I wanted to ask about Tiny’s turning too and had just pulled into the driveway when your helicopter showed up, so I waited to walk in with you.”

“Tiny’s turning tonight?” Harper asked tensely, and Drina didn’t need to read his mind to know he was thinking of Jenny’s turn. The ghost had returned, but with Teddy there, she couldn’t trip Harper and throw herself on him again. She would have to be patient.

“Not tonight, no,” Teddy said. “But I’m sure it will be soon. Anders brought the blood down for it, and Leonius isn’t in the area, so there’s no worry of his attacking while everyone is distracted . . .” He shrugged, and then added sensibly, “There’s no use in waiting. I’m sure it will be in the next day or two, and I want to be on hand when it happens in case they need extra help.”

“Right,” Harper muttered grimly.

“So how was your outing in Toronto?” Teddy asked, as they started up the driveway to the house. “Heard you got snowed in.”

“Yes, but it was still nice,” Drina said quietly when Harper remained silent. “In fact, I’m almost sorry we had to return.”

“Uh-huh.” Teddy nodded. “So you two are life mates?”

Drina turned on him sharply. “Did Stephanie and Mirabeau tell you—”

“They didn’t tell me a thing. You two just have that new-life-mate glow about you. I’ve seen five new life-mate couples now, not counting you two, and recognize the look.”

“Six,” Harper said tightly.

“What’s that?” Teddy asked.

“You’ve seen six new life-mate couples,” Harper explained.

“No, I don’t think so,” Teddy said with a frown and began to count them off. “Now, let’s see, there’s Victor and Elvi, DJ and Mabel, Alessandro and Leonora, Edward and Dawn, Mirabeau and Tiny . . . That’s five.”

“You forgot—”

“Oh wait, you’re right, I forgot Lucian and Leigh. They were still brand-spanking-new life mates when they came down here that first time,” Teddy said with a nod. “So it is six. And you two are seven.”

“I meant Jenny and I,” Harper said firmly, unable to leave the woman out.

“Hmm.” Teddy was silent as they traveled along the side of the garage toward the deck, but then said, “Well, here’s the thing. You two weren’t like the others.”

Harper looked startled by the words, and it was Drina who asked, “What do you mean?”

“Well, sure enough Harper seemed eager, but Jenny was another kettle of fish. She treated Harper like she did poor old Bobby Jarrod when they were in high school. The boy was crazy for her,” he explained. “Over the moon, and they even dated for a while, but she kept him at arm’s length, treated him real cool.” He shook his head with distaste. “Everyone knew she was just using him for free tickets to the movies. He was an usher at the Cineplex in London,” he explained.