She started to glare at him, but saw the twinkle in his eyes and her glare turned into a grin. "Fine. We'll see how I do, but I'm wearing three inch heels - it would've been nice if you'd let me know to bring athletic shoes."

"I noted the size and brand you wore when we went rappelling, there are some socks and shoes in the back of the Range Rover that should fit you. You can put them on while I get the bikes down and the front wheels back on."

Once on the bike, Kendra was pleasantly surprised to discover the old adage about riding a bike was true, and within about ten minutes she had enough confidence to ride around town. They rode across the pedestrian bridge going over the Tennessee River, and then covered a good bit of the riverwalk. She couldn't handle the sharp curves going up to the Hunter Art Museum, and was forced to walk her bike over that section, but she managed to handle everything else. After several hours of riding and talking, they made their way back to the theater parking lot, and Eric stowed the bikes back on the Range Rover and took her home. He kissed her goodnight at the door and asked if she'd go out with him the next Sat.u.r.day night.

And so it went for the next four weeks. They went out on Sat.u.r.day night, and exchanged a few emails during the week. Eric did no more than hold her hand or put his arm around her during the date, and then he kissed her goodnight when he took her home. They saw a movie once, and went to a couple more plays at other community theaters, and afterwards he always had something else for them to do. Once he brought four different size rollerblades for her to try on, and he taught her to rollerblade. Another night, he took her dancing at a club not owned by Abbott, so she could relax and let go without feeling as if she needed to act as bouncer, should people act up.

And finally, on a Sunday morning as he was taking her home after a night of dancing, when he asked if she would go out with him again the following Sat.u.r.day night, she said, "I'd like to take you out Tuesday night, if you're free."

Eric's face and scent told her he was both surprised and happy. "I'd love to see you Tuesday night."

"Good. I'll pick you up about thirty minutes after the sun goes down. Wear a couple of layers - long johns and a middle layer, and then warm tech-fleece over the top. Everything on the outer layer should be black, and don't forget something for your head and hands, preferably black, or at least dark, as well."

Chapter Ten.

Kendra's project with The Library was coming along nicely. Abbott had agreed to let the a.s.sistant manager at TBC make the move to manage it, the interview process for the other positions was coming along, the contractors were just about finished, and opening night wasn't too far away. This had worked out well, keeping her occupied while she and Eric slowed things down.

Friday night was the new moon, but Tuesday night was close enough, and she had the evening free. Plus, the small sliver of moon wouldn't rise until almost four in the morning, and she planned to have him home by then.

Kendra was going to take him flying tonight, so it was important it be dark. People pretty much only noticed when she took off and landed, but still, it was something the vampires had to be careful of since nearly everyone owned a camera phone.

She had two harnesses - one connected them at the shoulders and the other at the waist. She'd start out with him on top of her to let him get used to it, and could put him on bottom, later. Riding on top was easier because his entire body weight could rest on her, but flying under her, face down, was more exciting because there was nothing below him. However, with his weight totally held by the harnesses, it wasn't as comfortable.

When she arrived Tuesday night, he was in the gra.s.s beside the parking lot, feeding the ducks again. When he saw her, he tossed the rest of the food to the ducks in the back, and strolled to her car.

"So, what are we doing tonight?" he asked as he slid into her pa.s.senger seat.

She grinned at him. "It's a surprise."

She'd made arrangements with the Alpha of the local werewolves to use his land, but she couldn't tell Eric werewolves existed, as supernatural law only allowed her to tell the secrets that were hers to share.

As they pulled off the road and traveled a few miles on a private drive, they talked about how the security system for the house was working out. Eric had put a palm scanner at the top door going down to the bas.e.m.e.nt, and a retinal scanner on the bottom door. It was perfect, since there were no keys to lose, or to fall into the wrong hands... and no combinations to forget, or for the wrong person to get their hands on. Only people who were authorized, or who were with someone authorized, could get in. Each vampire had needed to be scanned twice - one while in human form, and another time when vamped out, but otherwise, the scanner didn't have a problem with their eyes.

Eric was working on a more complex system now, so only people authorized to bring guests in could do so. Eventually, even if the retina scanned correctly at the bottom, the door wouldn't open if there were more people than allowed, and an alarm would sound while the beings in the stairwell were trapped there until security could check them out. Vampires could bring up to three humans in, and a few humans would be allowed to bring one human, but a human could never bring a vampire in. This would keep a rival vampire from taking control of a human and using him or her to gain entry.

"Your system will be able to tell a vampire from a human?"

"Yes, though Abbott doesn't want that part to get out. I'm using a combination of scanner to determine the number of bodies, and then a body temperature scanner of each body, and a measure of carbon dioxide. However, a vampire who knows how to raise body temperature, with a balloon of carbon dioxide he lets out as he walks down the steps, could fool it."

Kendra smiled, impressed with his ingenuity and resourcefulness. "Right, because we breathe out the same oxygen we breathe in, while humans convert a portion to carbon dioxide."

As they talked and brainstormed, Kendra drove past Randall's house and kept going, eventually parking in a field. She popped the trunk and walked to the rear of the car.

"Come here, Eric. Time to get you suited up."

She pulled one of the harnesses from the trunk, and Eric let her put the straps around his thighs and waist and adjust them. He lifted the remaining straps hanging from his front and looked at them and then her, trying to figure out what she was up to. She just grinned at him and put the other harness on his shoulders, snugging it behind his shoulder blades and across his sternum so the strap would stay put. She told him to put his gloves and hat on, and grinned when he obeyed.

She stepped in front of him with her back to him and began attaching herself to him and Eric couldn't stay quiet any longer. "Exactly when am I going to find out what this is all about?"

Kendra decided to stop messing with him, and she went into super vamp speed to get herself into the rest of the harness, and within about six seconds she was in and they were securely attached at the waist and shoulders. She slowed long enough to double-check everything, and then leaned forward and let her feet float up until she was horizontal, with him lying on top of her, though only a few feet off the ground.

"I'm going to take you flying tonight, Eric."

She heard his heart go into overdrive and smelled the adrenaline rush. He put his hands around her torso just under her armpits, resting them below her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and said "This is incredible, Kendra, you're just hovering, above the ground!"

"Cross your legs at the ankles and rest them on top of my feet. If you hold them up you'll get tired - just relax and let me support you."

She waited until he complied, and then flew straight up while staying horizontal, rising like a helicopter until they were about twenty feet up, and then she flew.

Since he was an adrenaline junkie, she gave him the F-15 version of her flying skills, taking off like a bat out of h.e.l.l almost straight up into the air. Once she was up, she darted around all over the place and gave him a ride to remember. She could tell he was enjoying himself or she'd have backed off, but she was happy he trusted her, and was capable of enjoying it.

Kendra had a blast, both with the exhilaration of flying through the inky-black sky dotted with stars, and with the pleasure of giving him this special treat. How many humans got to fly around on the back of a vampire? Yes, he'd lose out on some things in life by dating her instead of a human, but she wanted to show him what he'd gain, as well.

His hold on her was firm, but it wasn't a death grip, and she knew he was enjoying himself despite the fact his breathing and heart rate were all over the place. She could smell excitement and healthy fear, but not the scared s.h.i.tless kind of fear. She kept her hands over the top of his for much of the flight, mainly because she just wanted to touch him, connect with him. She flew by magic and didn't need her arms.

After a while she figured he needed to catch his breath so she leveled off, held her hands out like an airplane, and said, "Put your arms on top of mine."

Eric had never experienced anything like this, and considering all of the hang gliding, sky diving, back country snow skiing, kayaking over waterfalls, and other crazy-a.s.sed adventures he'd had... Kendra had given him a gift larger than she could possibly imagine, and he wasn't sure he could explain it to her, but he vowed to try.

For now, he rested his arms over hers, and his heart soared as she seemed to glide through the air now instead of catapulting them through it as before, and he had a chance to observe the texture of the dark land below them as she tilted sideways to make long, slow, sweeping turns.

Where before she'd given him the crazy-a.s.sed g-force fighter-jet version of flying, now he felt like a crane, or a hawk, gliding on air even though he'd already figured out this was flight by magic, not by manipulating the winds.

"Kendra, this is... this is incredible. It's even better than the first time I flew in a glider. Better than my first parachute jump. I think you may have just given me one of the top three experiences of my life."

She made another gliding, graceful turn, and straightened. "Glad you like it. When you've had a chance to catch your breath, hold onto me again."

He enjoyed the slow pace another couple of minutes, and then put his arms around her again, and she started a series of loop-de-loops. For a brief moment he was so scared he wanted it to stop, but she slowed down a little going down the backside of a loop, and by the time they levelled off, he wanted her to do it again.

She didn't disappoint, and as they topped the second loop, upside down and backwards, he could revel in the adrenaline shooting into his system, could ride the excitement and enjoy it. Kendra didn't slow down this time, but seemed to go even faster, and his war-whoop of pleasure seemed to just egg her on to go even faster and higher.

After a dozen loop-de-loops, she made a sharp right and dove for the ground, skimming a few feet above a meadow before making another sharp ascent just before they reached the edge of the woods. They missed the tree tops by a few feet, and Eric's heart had a hard time keeping up. Kendra wasn't afraid to take risks, to have fun, to play, and he never wanted this to end.

Later, when she returned to the car and he thought she was about to land, he asked her for a few more loop-de-loops, and she gave him what he wanted before returning them to the car.

Kendra decided to save putting Eric on bottom for another time. Tonight had been full of new experiences, and she'd be able to surprise him with something else new the next time she took him flying.

As she got herself out of the harness she luxuriated in his energy, practically vibrating with vitality and life. She breathed him in, and wanted a taste of him so bad her mouth watered. His smell was intoxicating.

She'd brought blood in a cooler because she knew she'd be hungry after flying, but she wanted his blood. Badly. She got him out of the harness and he took her into his arms, angling his mouth towards hers. This wasn't the goodnight kisses she'd been getting, but a kiss designed to set her on fire.

She let herself get lost in his arms, let him control the kiss, control her, but when he finally ended it, she kissed her way from his mouth, to his cheek, to the back of his jawbone, and finally slid her lips to the tantalizing pulse point she desperately wanted to sink her teeth into.

"Eric, I want you. I want to taste your excitement, your adrenaline." She kissed the point again. "Please, tell me I can."

"I don't want to o.r.g.a.s.m right now. I want to take you home and make love to you, and have you bite me then, as we come. But if you can bite me now without making me o.r.g.a.s.m, that'd be nice."

Kendra put her arms around him to support him in case his knees gave out, quietly let her fangs down, and closed her eyes in bliss as she bit and got the first taste of him on her tongue. She injected the numbing agent first thing, and then the right combination to give him bliss but no o.r.g.a.s.m. As his knees went weak she held him firmly so he didn't fall.

She didn't drink too much, about five or six ounces - she'd make sure he drank some fluids on the way back so she could take as much again later. She wanted to make love to him, too. She liked his idea.

He tasted like sunshine and blue skies, and his blood was intoxicating - the adrenaline, joy, and arousal in it not only tasted exquisite, but those chemicals in her bloodstream made her feel as Eric did.

He gave a full-body shudder as she gently pulled her teeth from him and licked the punctures, and she held him until she felt him get his legs back under him. She gradually let him go, making sure he could stand okay, and then walked him to the pa.s.senger side and sat him down, fastening his seat belt for him before she closed the door, grinning at his relaxed, happy, goofy smile.

She tossed the harnesses in the trunk, grabbed some bottled water, slid into the driver side, and started the car. She opened one of the bottled waters and handed it to him. "Drink."

Kendra started to open hers, but liked having the taste of him in her mouth and didn't want to wash it away just yet. She would before they got back to the marina, so he wouldn't taste his blood in her mouth, though. Humans sometimes got a bit touchy about that.

When they arrived at the marina he'd fully recovered, and they held hands as they approached his boathouse. At about thirty yards away, a heartbeat sounded as if it were coming from his yacht, but at first she a.s.sumed it was from a nearby boat. However, as they got closer, she zeroed in on it, and at about twenty yards away she stopped and held him back. "There's a heartbeat, coming from your yacht. Someone's in there."

"You can hear a heartbeat inside the yacht, inside the boathouse, from here?"

"Yes. I told you, I have excellent hearing."

"Kendra, excellent hearing is a bit of an understatement if you can hear a heartbeat from here."

"Wait here while I go investigate."

"No, it's my boat, I'll check it out. I was about to tell you to wait here, but... oh, h.e.l.l. Let's just go together."

Kendra wasn't up to arguing with him, so she just went, which meant it looked to Eric like she disappeared again. She was already in the boathouse when she heard him exclaim, "Dammit, would you stop doing that!"

Kendra knew it was a werewolf before she opened the door, so she was prepared to take down a supernatural before she reached him. He only had a few seconds warning from when she opened the door to her rushing him and taking him down, her weight on his legs, one knee in his back, his arms held so he couldn't move without hurting himself, and couldn't shift into a wolf without dislocating important joints.

"Explain who you are and why you're here, now."

Eric came sprinting into the yacht through the open door, stopping when he saw Kendra, his eyes wide.

"Umm, Kendra, please let him go. This is my uncle."

Kendra immediately relaxed her grip on the man's arms enough to stop hurting him, but didn't let him up, yet. "Your uncle? Were you expecting him?"

"No, but he has a key and it's never been a problem before, for him to let himself in. It wouldn't have been this time, either if you hadn't, err, realized someone was here."

Kendra released him, stood, and stepped back.

The man stood, keeping a wary eye on Kendra as he spoke to his nephew. "Eric, is this your girlfriend? And if so, then what the h.e.l.l have you gotten yourself into?"

"Hi, Ranger. I'd like to introduce you to Kendra. Kendra, this is my Uncle, Ranger."

Ranger stood with his arms loose at his sides and tried not to let his nephew know she'd hurt him. He pulled it off visually, but she could smell differently. As a werewolf, though, he'd be able to heal quickly, thank goodness.

Kendra felt like she should apologize, but wasn't really sure what to say. Ranger knew she was a vampire, but she didn't think Eric knew his uncle was a werewolf, so Eric wouldn't know Ranger could smell her and know what she was.

Eric filled in the silence with, "Kendra, I told you my uncle is spec ops. I doubt anyone has single-handedly taken him down in decades, so he's probably wondering what kind of training you've had, and how you managed to sneak up on him and immobilize him."

No, he wasn't wondering, but she couldn't explain why not. Instead, she turned to Ranger and said, "I'm sorry if I hurt you. I thought you were an intruder. I feel bad we seem to've gotten off on the wrong foot, should I let you knock me down so we'll be even?"

Ranger was standing at alert, as if he expected her to attack again at any minute, and he'd be ready for her this time. He glanced at Eric, but quickly brought his eyes back to Kendra, fully prepared for another attack.

"How much do you know about this woman, Eric? What has she told you she does for a living?"

Eric sighed. "Ranger, I'm really not up for the third degree about Kendra right now. She took you down, your ego is bruised, end of story. Let's all get a drink and get to know each other. Nicely, with manners. And, as happy as I am to see you, why didn't you let me know you were coming?"

Ranger's jaw muscle flexed, and he finally looked away from Kendra and towards Eric. "I wasn't planning on retiring from the government, but an elite security company offered me a fantastic job opportunity, and I've been working for them overseas. I couldn't tell you, because they didn't want it widely known I'd retired until I finished the initial a.s.signment they hired me to do." He eyed Kendra a few seconds, as if debating whether she could hear this, and must've decided she could. "The a.s.signment ended unexpectedly and they got me out of the country in a hurry, and brought me home on the company plane. Lucky for us, their home office is in Chattanooga. Sorry I didn't have time to let you know, but since I'm here, I thought I'd drop in for surprise visit. I'm just here for a debrief before I head back out on a closely related a.s.signment. I don't know how long I'll be in town."

If Ranger was working for Aaron Drake, she could get Abbott to find out about him. Kendra relaxed a little, knowing Aaron was particular about the kind of men he let represent his company.

"No idea? Days, or weeks?" Eric asked his uncle.

"Probably less than a week, possibly only a day or two. If you have plans, I can stay somewhere else."

Kendra stood. "Since the two of you aren't going to have much time to spend together, I'll leave you alone so you can catch up."

Eric put his arm around her. "Actually, if you could stick around a bit, I'd like you to get to know Ranger a little, and I'd kind of like for him to have a better impression of you than the one your knee probably left in his back. He's family, and you're important to me. Please, stay for a while."

She couldn't help but smile as she told him, "Well, since you asked nice, I guess I kind of have to."

As they all took a seat, Ranger asked, "So Kendra, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm kind of independently wealthy, but I like to keep busy, so I work with a friend who owns several bars and restaurants in town. Most recently, I've been opening another bar for him downtown. Just something to do to occupy my time and stay busy, mostly."

"How did you become independently wealthy?"

"I used to work as an a.s.sa.s.sin, and it paid really well."

He raised his eyebrows, not believing her, but waiting for her to say whatever came next. She gave something between a grin and a glare. "Sorry, but it sounded like the kind of answer you were looking for. The truth is kind of boring - I got an inheritance and invested it wisely. I continue to make more money than I spend, and if I can keep doing so then I'll never have to find a regular job. I'm not dating Eric for his money."

"Most people who haven't killed aren't eager to claim they have."

The guilty dog barks the loudest, so proclaiming to have never killed wouldn't be wise. Besides, she didn't want to lie to him, probably best to try to turn the tables. "Spoken by someone who has killed?"

He just observed her again, probably noting she hadn't denied killing. "You say you aren't dating Eric for his money, which hints there's another reason you're dating him. Why are you dating my nephew?"

She caught the undercurrent of possession. His wolf claimed Eric as his, and if she tried to claim him, there could be a problem.