She studied him in silence. Several months earlier when Vlad had wanted to kill Palea Dumont, their mother, Tat had been hard-pressed to get Andrei to agree to accompany her on a search for Vlad to try to dissuade him from killing her. "What brings on this change in att.i.tude?"

"She touched me and cried when she asked me to stay and allow her to hug me. She called me her little Andrei..." He swallowed several times, raking both hands through his hair. "That's what she used to call me. When she looked into my eyes... I remembered how safe and loved I felt with her and Father... when we were all together as a family. That's a feeling I haven't felt in a very long time."

He sighed, staring at her. "Do you remember those times, Tat?" She swallowed hard to dislodge a lump as she recalled sitting on her father's lap as he held her and told her how lucky he was to have such a pretty little girl. A memory of her mother tucking her in and kissing her cheek and telling her daddy would be in to say good night to his "treasure" made breathing difficult. "Yes," she whispered, tears

filling her eyes. "I remember Father...and I miss him so much-even after all this time." He nodded. "As do I. I think we're always going to miss him, Tat." The thought of the hurt and anguish she'd felt at losing her beloved father and mother in one night never abating filled her with dismay. The only time in her life when she had come close to being happy and not dwelling on her loss had been the three years she'd spent in love with Tim.

"Yes, I suppose we will." "We have our memories, bittersweet though they are." He closed his eyes briefly.

"He's lost to us forever-but she's not. We can recapture part of what we lost." "Can we? Can we really go back?" He nodded. "I think so. When she touched me, I felt like a little lost boy-her lost little boy, her Andrei." She crossed the room and embraced him. "Then do what you need to do, Andrei.

Meet her... get to know her again." "What about you? You need to resolve your issues with her as well." "I know, and I will." "How and when?" "I'll meet with her soon. I just need a little more time to adjust." He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face against her hair. "It's been so long since I felt that way... so helpless and needy. She's so small and fragile-looking and yet...I always felt safe with her around."

As had they all. Even before they realized their mother was a full-blood vampire, they had known there was a wealth of power invested in her diminutive frame. Tat eased away and stroked his cheek. "Then make peace with her...after you accompany Coda to her family reunion."

He narrowed his gaze. "I haven't said I would." She stroked his cheek again. "But you will do this one thing for me. Yes?" He blinked. "You sound like her when you do that." "Like who when I do what?" "When you say yes like that... Mother used to do that all the time." "Did she?" She shrugged. "Perhaps I'm like her in ways I hadn't imagined." He tilted his head. "You look like her. Granted, your skin is darker and your eyes are blue and you're much taller... but your features are like hers-especially now that your hair is long."

She wasn't sure if she wanted to be like their mother. She crossed the room to the patio doors. "So you'll go with Coda?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Why not?"

He shrugged. "I've heard from Veelee."

d.a.m.n, why wouldn't the b.i.t.c.h leave him alone? "And?"

"She's on her way home."

She turned to stare out onto the patio. "Is she?" She'd hoped the other fem would like Paris so much she'd want to stay there-permanently.

"Yes."

"Look, Drei, you and Veelee have been dancing around each other for what... at least thirty years? She can spare you for a few days."

"I'm not about to be off playing with your... friend when I could be playing another type of game with Veelee."

"Andrei! Please. Do this one thing for me."

She heard him sigh. "d.a.m.n it, Tat, one of these days I'm going to stop allowing you to wind me around your fingers."

Turning to face him, she smiled slightly. "If she wasn't such a great friend, I wouldn' t ask this of you, Andrei."

He sighed again. "Fine. I'll go, but you'd better warn her not to expect me to behave like a happy little camper. And I am not sleeping with her. If she's hoping for a f.u.c.k, she' s going to be disappointed."

She frowned. "For G.o.d's sake, Andrei, not every woman you meet wants to have her p.u.s.s.y stretched out of shape by that monster you call a c.o.c.k!"

He grinned. "Yeah? Well, I've never had any complaints. Screams of absolute bliss and sobs for me not to stop? Yes. But never a single complaint."

Recalling the bemused look on Coda's face the first time she saw Andrei's picture on her desk, Tat sighed. "That being the case, what would it hurt?"

"What would what hurt?"

"Your giving her a quick f.u.c.k or two?"

His eyes glowed and he bared his incisors, his nostrils flaring. "h.e.l.l, no, Tat! I'll accompany her and I will pretend to be her man, but heaven and h.e.l.l will dissolve before I'm reduced to f.u.c.king her."

She tightened her lips. "Oh, Drei, I know she's not a beauty in the traditional sense, but she's a sweet, beautiful person who deserves a little happiness. If you're going to reinforce her family's jabs about her lack of traditional beauty, do me a favor and don't go!"

He gave her a cool look.

She stared back. "I mean it, Drei. Her friendship means too much to me for you to go and only succeed in hurting her. I will not have that. Is that clear?" He threw up his hands. "Fine. I'll do her proud in front of her family, but I will not be sharing a room with her. Forget f.u.c.king her. Take it or leave it, Tat."

Dacoda was a warm, sweet woman with a case of the big-time hots for Drei. Like most vampires, he was h.o.r.n.y as h.e.l.l. She was confident that if he and Coda were alone long enough, nature would take its course. She smiled. "I'll take it, Andrei."

"Why are you smiling like that? What are you plotting?" "When have I ever plotted against you?" "I know that smile, Tat." She dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand. "Stop being so paranoid." His blue gaze caught and held hers. "While I'm gone... you'll be all right? I mean, if you need to talk to someone and I'm not here..." "I'll talk to Sei." "Sei's away." "They do have telephones in Arizona, Drei. I'll be fine." "If Timbersmith comes around again-" "I can handle him." She crossed the room to slip her hand through his arm.

"Now let's talk about our plan to do Coda proud." He groaned. "Must we?" She laughed and pressed a kiss against his cheek. "I'll owe you for this, Andrei." "d.a.m.n straight, you will."

Chapter Four.

Two nights later, Andrei stood with a forced smile on his face, his hand extended as he surveyed a tall, surprisingly voluptuous woman who, other than a pair of stunning dark eyes, held no claim to beauty. He cast a panicked look in Tat's direction. What the h.e.l.l have you gotten me into?

Tat gave him a serene smile. Trust me on this, Drei, one day you'll thank me.

Not in a thousand years! It wouldn't be so bad if her hair were at least blonde.

What difference does hair color make? It's time you discovered the beauty and pa.s.sion vested in an independent, strong black woman.

The hint of censure in Tat's words p.i.s.sed him off. I've dated plenty of black women. So don't you go there.

Every one of them a silly airhead. Coda is worth two of every silly woman you've ever bedded, so stop whining.

Whining?

Ignoring his anger, Tat touched her friend's arm. "Coda, Andrei's looking forward to the trip."

Dacoda turned those dark, beguiling eyes on him. Placing her hand in his, she gave him a shy smile that lit up her face and sent tiny lights shooting through her gaze. "I don 't know how to thank you."

Her voice, soft and lyrical, caressed his ears. Her perfume, subtle and earthy, filled his nostrils. Looking into her eyes, he saw a s.e.xual need and hunger. How long had it been since she'd been with a man who knew how to please a woman? He inhaled deeply, allowing the slightly musky scent of her aromatic p.u.s.s.y to dance over his senses.

What the h.e.l.l had he gotten himself into? Although he usually preferred slender blondes with long, thick hair, he grudgingly admitted there was something to be said for a woman with large b.r.e.a.s.t.s, long legs, a round a.s.s, clear, dark skin and hair she wore very short and natural. He sucked in another deep breath. And a p.u.s.s.y so alluring he was hard-pressed not to rip off her clothes, grab her big a.s.s and plunge his tongue deep into her p.u.s.s.y. So she wasn't what Tat insisted on calling a "traditional" beauty. A woman with such a naturally fragrant p.u.s.s.y might not need to rely on her looks alone to attract a man.

He felt Tat's quiet satisfaction brush across his thoughts and tightened his lips. Releasing Dacoda's hand, he turned to glare at Tat. Get the h.e.l.l out of my head, Tat.

She gave him a serene smile. You're going to thank me for this one day, Drei.

Don't go getting delusional on me, Tat.

Her smile widened.

Annoyed, he turned back to Dacoda. Although dressed in a sedate dark suit that fell below her knees and a pink silk top that was neither tight nor revealing, she nonetheless managed to appear wanton yet shy-an intriguing combination.

He smiled. "My pleasure."

A flicker of hope sparked in her gaze. He suppressed a groan. He would need to choose his words wisely or risk giving her false hope. Tat would have his head if he inadvertently hurt her.

Tat spoke. "I know you two have a long drive ahead of you, so I won't keep you." She kissed Dacoda's cheek. "Drei will do you proud." She then embraced him. Treat her gently and please, Drei, consider giving her a f.u.c.k or two.

I'm saving all my pa.s.sion for Veelee.

If you pa.s.s up a chance for an interlude with Coda because of Veelee, you're more of a fool than that bony blonde makes you seem.

Leave her out of this.

I'd like to leave her out of your life period!

I feel the same way about that fickle b.a.s.t.a.r.d with the tattooed c.o.c.k.

She turned and walked away, the tension in her body revealing her agitation.

He stared after her. Maybe that exchange would finally teach her not to keep starting s.h.i.t she couldn't finish.

"Andrei?"

He focused his attention on Dacoda. "Yes?"

"I'm ready."

"Great." Fifteen minutes later, they were seated in his SUV with a six- to seven-hour drive ahead of them. Six to seven long, boring hours. d.a.m.n him for allowing Tat to manipulate him!

"If you like, I can share the driving," she offered.

He cast a quick, disbelieving look in her direction. "No one drives any of my vehicles but me," he told her.

"I just thought I'd offer in case you wanted a break at some point." She ran her palm along the custom-made dashboard. "I can't say I blame you for not allowing anyone else to drive. This is a powerful vehicle."

He softened at the admiration in her voice. A woman who could recognize and appreciate his custom-outfitted SUV couldn't be all bad. "Yes, it is." He hesitated and then talked about just how powerful the engine was. To his surprise, she asked knowledgeable questions about such things as the torque and revolutions.

After a while, they lapsed into silence. He turned on the CD player and soft jazz filled the dark interior.

Just as he was beginning to feel comfortable in the silence, she spoke. "How did she get you to agree to come?"

d.a.m.n. Women. You couldn't please them. He had allowed himself to be talked into doing her a favor. So instead of being grateful, she wanted to give him the d.a.m.n third degree. "How did who get me to agree to what?"

"Come on. I know accompanying me was Tat's idea. And I'm fairly certain she had to twist your arm to get you to agree."

Her voice held no trace of self-pity and he abandoned his half-formed intent of being brutally honest. "What makes you think I had to be persuaded to accompany you? I admit I wasn't crazy about the idea-but that was before I met you."

A short silence followed his words. "Please don't do that."

He frowned. Now what? "Don't do what?"

"Pretend. While I appreciate your coming with me, I'm not going to pretend I believe this is anything but what it is."

So she was going to be a pain in the a.s.s, after all, and throw his attempt to be chivalrous in his face? G.o.d save him from women who viewed so-called honesty as a virtue. And women wondered why chivalry was dead? h.e.l.l, they'd killed it with their incessant insistence on being viewed as equals-as if that were really possible between a man and his woman. "And what is that?"

"Tat twisted your arm because she felt sorry for me."

"The h.e.l.l she did. If there's one thing Tat does not feel for you, it's sorry. She respects and admires you. Does she feel you're getting a raw deal? Yes, but that does not equate to feeling sorry for you. I came because there's not much she can ask me to do that I won't. Let's leave it at that."

"You're angry."

"No, I'm p.i.s.sed off. Trust me when I tell you there's a big difference between the two."

"I didn't mean to annoy you."

Now she sounded like tears were imminent. If she pulled that s.h.i.t on him, he was turning around and taking her back. He had no tolerance for women who resorted to tears to get their way.

"What's it like?" The question, asked in a perfectly steady voice, surprised him. So she wasn't a weeper after all.

"What's what like?"

"Being a vampire. When Tat first told me what she was, I didn't believe her."

Her voice held a note of awe instead of the fear he had grown so accustomed to hearing. Recalling some of the good and bad times, he shrugged. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"And yet Tat told me of a time when you and she...tried very hard to pretend you were human."

His grip tightened on the steering wheel. Why had Tat felt the need to discuss him with this nosey woman? There was no way in h.e.l.l he was going to put up with her probing questions. He was getting off at the next exit and turning around. "While she was telling you all my d.a.m.ned business did she also mention my c.o.c.k size?"

She drew in a quick breath, but when she spoke her voice was cool and steady. "Please take me home."

"What?"

"I want to go back. Please. Take me home."

Since that was exactly what he'd planned to do, his displeasure at her words annoyed him. Why the h.e.l.l couldn't she do or say what he expected her to? "Don't be ridiculous," he said coolly. "We're going to go to your reunion, and you're going to enjoy yourself-whether you want to or not!"

She retreated into a cold silence. Keeping his gaze on the dark road ahead, he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. It would be a cold day in h.e.l.l before he did Tat another favor.