"You must be right, because I already feel different. Would you mind if we ended our meeting for now?

You've given me a lot to think about."

"I wouldn't mind at all. You do have a lot to think about."

We both stood and he reached into the pocket of his jacket, pulled out an envelope and set it on the table.

He sniffled a few times. "I don't know what your fees are, but there should be enough in here to hold me for a while. Just let me know when you need more. I promise to make an appointment next time."

He extended his hand and I took it. The coolness of his flesh surprised me and I caught my breath. He noticed my reaction and released my hand.

"I'm sorry. Since I don't drink enough blood, my skin is always cold. I hope I can do something about that. Thank you for today."

I smiled. "'You're welcome. I look forward to our next ses-sion. You might want to consider hypnosis.

Perhaps we can gently uncover more of the memory that's causing the problem."

I walked him to the door and opened it.

He blew his nose on a fresh tissue, nodded and left.

I briefly considered sitting at my desk and writing up case notes for Apollo, but I was tired and wanted to go home. I'd write up the notes at home later with a glass of wine.

It wasn't likely I'd forget any of the details.

I thought about Apollo's story and the poor child who'd died in his arms. As sad as it was, I'd actually heard much worse from my human clients.

Who would've thought that a vampire would have the same issue as anyone else?The universal experience of a crappy childhood.

Maybe vampires weren't really so different after all.

Yeah, right.

Chapter 20.

It was a miracle.A quiet, drama-free evening.

After I wrote up my case notes for Apollo, I enjoyed a long, glorious, undisturbed shower, still wearing the necklace that wouldn't go away. I stood under the spray until the hot water cooled, which was saying something because I have a very large hot water tank. My skin had gotten satisfyingly pruned. I slathered myself with the exquisite and obscenely expensive skin moisturizer my friend regularly sent me from her European exploits I snuggled into my Sigmund Freud pyjamas-seriously, they're white silk with Sigmund's face splattered like black, Rorschach inkblots all over the fabric. They were a hot novelty item at the last American Psychological Association conven-tion inLas Vegas . And, if that wasn'tcozy enough, I dug out my furry Miss Piggy slippers, complete with snout and curly tail, and covered up with my ever-present pink robe.

I pulled my hair, which occasionally can feel very heavy, up into a pony tail on the top of my head, and let it cascade down in spiral curls around my shoulders.

I was in the midst of total and complete relaxation.Or total and complete denial, whichever you prefer.

I'd just poured a glass of liquid bliss in the form of white wine when the doorbell rang.

I turned on the porch light and squinted through the peep hole. Either there wasn't anyone there, or my visitor was hiding out of view. Or some other option I didn't even want to think about.

After the events of the last week, none of the possibilities were good news.

I chose the "when in doubt, do nothing" approach and was rewarded by a repeat performance of the doorbell tones.

Leaving the chain engaged, I cracked open the door barely enough to scan a small area, which basically wasn't in the least helpful. I still couldn't see anyone there.

I was just about to close the door, when it occurred to me I should ask an obvious question. Who's there?" It is I, Kismet. Devereux. Please let me in."Devereux? If it was Devereux, why was he ringing the doorbell? Why didn't he just pop in unannounced, uninvited, as always? Why didn't he simply swoop in like an intrusive bat and snatch me off to another creepy-crawly adventure?

"Why are you here?"

I was batting a thousand with Questions for Dummies. I have come to make love to you." What?" I croaked. Couldn't say I'd heard that one before.

Since I was still staring at the floor in front of my door, I recognized the black leather boots that stepped into my line of vision.

I raised my eyes but could only see more black and a flash of what could've been blond hair.

Apparently, he could also see the floor on the other side of the door because he said, his voice oozing amusement, "What are you wearing on your feet?"

I glanced down at the dual MissPiggys and felt the need to defend them.Her?

"None of your business.What do you really want?" Al-though, I had to admit I'd rather enjoyed the previous answer.

"I spoke the truth. I have come to make love to you. Please open the door."

How arrogant! And you just assume that's okay with me?ThatIm just going to open the door and make another deal with the devil? That Pm even remotely interested in having sex with you after our last trip to the Twilight zone?

"How do I know it's really you? You usually materialize out of thin air.""As you wish."

I heard that familiar little popsound, felt a rush of air and suddenly knew he was behind me. I turned, hands on my hips.

"Hey! That wasn't an invitation!"

A dazzling smile spread across his face. "You forget I have that handy little mind reading ability."

He bowed from the waist, wearing a variation of his usual leather-god outfit. "I rang the doorbell because I thought you would prefer me to enter your home the normal, human way. I understand you are weary of the drama that has taken over your life. I do not wish to contribute any further to your discomfort."

He brought his hands around from behind him. They held a huge bouquet of pink roses and a ludicrously large box of chocolates.

"Gifts for you, my love."

He bent forward and brushed my lips lightly with his. The familiar, delicious scent of him took my nostrils hostage and my lips instinctively puckered in anticipation of more of the same.

He burst out laughing.

"You have pigs on your feet!"

He thrust the roses and box of chocolates into my hands, scooped me up into his arms and walked us over to the couch. As soon as he was seated with me on his lap, he reached over and lifted my feet,inspecting thecolorful porcine coverings. 'I have never seen such a thing. Do modern humans wear all animals on their feet or only pigs?' The longer he stared at the fluffy piggy shoes, the harder he laughed.

He thumped the snout with his thumb and first finger and pulled on the tail.

As annoying as it was to be laughed at, something about his mirth was infectious and I found myself chuckling, which eventually gave way to snorts and belly laughs.

Once again, whatever resolve I'd built up against Devereux had leaked away in direct proportion to the number of minutes I spent gazing at his perfect face. It was a waste of time for me to argue that I was immune to his charm, or his eyes, or whatever it was that caused my normal inhibitions to catch the first planeoutta town.

At some point I must have put the flowers and chocolates on the coffee table, because my arms were free to ensnare his neck.Which then led to my being flat on my back in my Freudpjs and my piggy shoes with an absurdly gorgeous vampire on top of me, attached at the lips.

So much for a quiet, relaxing evening.

We made out like teenagers on the couch.

As always with Devereux, I couldn't stop touching him.Couldn't run my fingers through his long, silky, aromatic hair enough.Couldn't feast on his lips even remotely enough.Couldn't imagine anything more important than having him inside me.

Even counting my close call with Alan, I hadn't techni-cally had intercourse for two years and the muscles in my vagina contracted in gleeful, moist anticipation.

He lifted his hot mouth from mine long enough to whis-per, "Will you invite me to your bed, my love?"

Geez, the guy's voice should be a registered weapon. It could take you down in three seconds.

"What happened to all the mind reading? I've been send-ing out the welcome committee for the last thirty minutes."

He raised himself up just enough so I could see his smile. "I know, but it is important to me to hear the words from your own sweet lips."

He somehow managed to lift himself off the couch in a flowing motion while scooping me up at the same time.

"Shall we?"

He carried me up the stairs, the twinPiggies bobbing up and down, but my mind was no longer on footwear. In fact, my entire brain was focused on the fastest way to get us both naked.

We entered my bedroom and Devereux paused at the foot of my bed.

"You have not changed the sheets since you shared your bed with Alan. I can smell him. I wish to be the only pres-ence here with you."

He put me down and stood in front of me.

I started to explain that I hadn't "officially" had sex with Alan and there really wasn't any part of him left behind, but Devereux gently pressed a finger to my lips, ending the flow of words.

"None of that matters.Nothing that happened before me matters. I simply wish to make love to you right now in your own bed on fresh sheets. Yes?"

He removed his black leather duster and threw it in the rocking chair in the corner.

Enjoying the view of the physique that'd been under the coat, I moved over to him, lightly kissed his lips and smiled."Definitely, yes."

I opened a brand new set of silk sheets I'd had for a long time, but never used, while Devereux stripped off the old bedding.

Quite an efficient team, we smoothed on the new sheets, watching each other with hungry eyes.

"Do you have candles?" he asked.

Uh, did I? I thought for a moment and remembered which box in the closet I'd stashed them in. I wouldn't tell him that I'd only bought them in case the electricity went out and I needed emergency light. I was trying to learn to keep my unromantic explanations to myself.At least under cer-tain conditions.

While I was in the closet I stepped out of the Miss Piggy shoes and put them back in their special place, next to my Glenda Good Witch sandals.

Okay. So I let my inner child out sometimes.

He took the candles and the holders I'd also retrieved, placed them on the night stands on either side of the bed and stood back, appreciating his handiwork. He smiled, pointed a finger at each of the candles, and the wicks burst into flame.

He laughed and said out loud what I was thinking."Moreparlor tricks."

I turned off the light switch on the wall and basked in the lovely glow of the candles. The soft illumination was the perfect setting for Devereux. His eyes sparkled, his hair was a shining radiance, and his skin assumed the hues of the firelight.

He glided over to the window and closed the mini-blinds, then circled back around to the door and silently sealed it. Ambling over to me, he gently released my hair from the ponytail and eased the longcurls down over my breasts.

"Your hair is beautiful.'' He nestled his face in my hair and breathed in the fragrance, then ran his fingers through it and smiled. "You are beautiful. I had given up hope of ever finding you. And now you are here.

Now you are mine."

"I'm yours? What does that mean?"

"It means we belong to each other. We always have."

I started to question his assumptions, and he silenced me with a kiss.

He reluctantly pulled away, and leaned against the wall to balancehimself while he removed his boots.

He pulled his shirt off over his head in one slow, elegant motion.

Vampire Chippendales.

Even though I'd seen him without his shirt before, the effect in the candlelight was almost overwhelming.

The muscles of his shoulders, arms, and abdomen were perfectlychiseled .A magnificent work of art in flesh and bone. I started to think about what the odds were of a human being so exquisitely built, then remembered he wasn't human. Not even close.

But that didn't matter. In a very short, intense time pe-riod, I'd gone from thinking Devereux was mentally ill-an unfortunate having psychotic delusions about being a vam-pire-to waiting breathlessly for that very same vampire to fill me with what was already making its presence known in-side his tight leather pants.

I splayed my hands on his chest, relishing the firm warmth of him, and moved close enough to take one of his nipples into my mouth. He moaned and relaxed his head back, embrac-ing me with his strong arms.

I started to unbutton the waistband of his pants and he covered my hand with his."Wait. We must remove your shirt first."

Vampire rules?

I didn't ask why. He lifted my hair back behind my shoul-ders and unbuttoned my pyjama top. Letting the slippery silk fall away, he used his fingers to guide the fabric from my shoulders and down my arms.

He bent and slid his face over my breasts, taking one nipple at a time into his mouth with a gentle sucking motion. He cupped both breasts in his hands and laid tiny kisses all over them, before using his tongue to harden my nipples to painful, throbbing points.