She prodded her finger into his arm, the hard muscles making her think once more about the other muscles of his body and how beautifully they flexed under her hands. "I'm more in l.u.s.t with a dash of why- am-I-doing-this."

"Man, this sounds familiar." Asher's eyes locked with Temperance whose hands went to her hips defensively.

"You vamps are very pushy and don't give a woman time to catch her breath."

The looks the two people shared were caught by Aureliann. I want that. Her eyes went to Valdemar. I have that. So why am I fighting it? That was the question. For someone who considered herself pretty tough, she was actually pretty pathetic when it came to dealing with love. Valdemar gave Aureliann a sudden wink, making her jump in surprise. d.a.m.n, he is s.e.xy.

"From what you say the vampires you have here are different from the ones in Serawych. We live normal lives and vampirism is considered normal in the community."

"Well, it would be for you because you said vampires rule in your town so it's not like the plebs are going to pick a fight with you, are they?" Aureliann pointed out Valdemar. "You're their prince. It's not like someone is going to p.i.s.s you off without incurring your royal wrath."

Valdemar smiled at her knowingly. "Are you wanting to start an argument with me, lovely?"

Maybe. The idea of being angry at him was easier than admitting to loving him. If he left her then she would not have to make a decision about being with him. Aureliann sighed. If I had never picked up that half- priced book then none of this would have happened.

"For you information, we not only have vampires and 'plebs' as you call them but we also have elves and-"

Aureliann looked at him in surprise. "Elves? They exist? You never told me about them."

"If you recall, we had other things on our mind when we were together. Besides you read the book."

"Yes, but I was concentrating on other stuff and must have missed the pixie thing."

Valdemar shook his head. "Elves get really cranky if you call them pixies so I would strongly advise against doing that."

"Are you scared of them?" Aureliann could not imagine this man scared of anything.

"Just remember I warned you."

Asher cleared his throat. "Okay then, we can talk to Marlow. He knows most of the fringe-dwelling vampires in the city."

"He is Sybylla's man." Temperance added the extra information for Aureliann.

"Oh right. The other vamp." Aureliann turned to Valdemar. "Sybylla's a witch."

"Of course she is," he responded urbanely.

"Okay, we should go." Asher handed them his card. "Call me if you need help. I will be in touch."

"And if you need to talk email me and I'll be right over," Temperance told Aureliann before leaving.

"So, we're all alone, lovely," Valdemar murmured as he shut the door and leaned back against the wall and watched her.

"Yes." When he looked at her like he wanted to devour her Aureliann got all fidgety. Her hands wanted to reach out for him but her mind kept reminding her that she barely knew this man. "Maybe we should slow down." Those words sounded dumb to her own ears especially after the very un-acquaintance-like things they had done together.

"Aureliann."

"Yes?" d.a.m.n, now I'm sounding breathless.

"What do you feel at this moment?" "That I shouldn't have left the wet, soggy washing in the plastic washing basket this long." Hard to believe so much had happened since then and she had no clean clothes left.

"Woman, you are going to drive me mad."

Before she had time to react, Valdemar was on her and picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Manhandling was good.

"We have things to discuss." Valdemar walked to her back door and opened it.

"Outside? People will see." It was a small courtyard with fences that people could look over if they wanted. And why does that turn me on?

"I want everything between us out in the open and I could not care less about other people," Valdemar replied as he stalked over to a sun lounger and dropped her none too daintily upon it.

Aureliann tried to get up but Valdemar gave her a look that made her sit back down. A shiver ran down her spine. Yum, forceful men. "Yeah well, I live here."

"Not for long." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Says you."

"d.a.m.n right I do." Valdemar dropped down beside her on the lounge. "What are you scared of?"

"Nothing." What was there to be scared of? She was in love with a vampire from a novel who wanted her to drop her life and go to another world so he could fight his evil cousin. It was not like it was uncommon.

Turn on the televisions and any soap opera could provide the same. The thing was her looking off into the distance with a meaningful stare on her face would not solve her problems.

"Come on, Aureliann, tell me the truth." Valdemar started to tickle her.

This was her weakness. She was very ticklish. "That is the truth," she gasped between giggles. "Stop it."

Valdemar grinned at her helpless laughter and tickled her harder. "Only when you are honest with me."

A minute later Aureliann gave in. "Okay, it's you. I'm scared of you." She saw the worry flare in his eyes.

"Me?" Valdemar's hands stilled on her body.

Aureliann sighed. This was not all his fault. "I'm also scared of me and the way I feel."

"How? And be honest because I will tickle you again."

As torture went that sounded pretty good. "You make me feel like I would do anything for you."

Valdemar looked at her in confusion. "Is that a bad thing?"

"What if I'm not sure if it's the right thing for me?" She reached out and touched his hand.

"If you're not happy tell me. I would do anything for you, Aureliann."

"I know, Val, and you make me happy but, well, you're overwhelming. I don't know whether I'm coming or going with you." This was so confusing. She wanted him but she didn't, but if she didn't have him then she would miss him. Aureliann pulled him down toward her so his head was level with hers. "Just give me time."

Two days was not long enough to get her mind around the sudden turn her life had taken. She was normally quick on her feet but there was nothing normal about any of this.

"Okay."

Valdemar's breath was warm on her cheek. "Okay? Just like that?"

"Yeah." He kissed her nose. "Because I want you in my life and I will do whatever I have to in order to keep you there."

"Good." Valdemar was warm against her body and she snuggled in closer to him. She smiled to herself. He saw that. "What?"

"Well, I thought-"

"Yes?" His hands caressed her gently.

"That we were going to have s.e.x out here when you went all caveman on me."

Valdemar snorted in dismissal. "No, I would never let anyone watch us. It's too personal."

"You are so sweet." They lay wrapped in each other's arms in the sunshine, content for the moment.

Charles Marlow, reformed vampire, went to his old familiar haunts around Brisbane looking for trouble and he knew how to find it. Before he found Sybylla, the love of his life, and cleaned up his act, he enjoyed being the bad boy.

"So who's the new vampire I heard was among us?" he asked a clutch of vampires milling aimlessly down on the docks on the Brisbane River. There was no moon and only those wanting to see trouble would find it.

"Not sure," a very laid-back vampire known only as Arrow replied. "He seems to be recruiting an army."

He looked Marlow up and down. "I heard you turned straight. That you were p.u.s.s.y whipped."

"Yeah, turned by the witch," another chimed in.

Marlow shook his head. "Nah, man, just doing what I have to do to be with the lady any way I can."

Ribald laughter followed his statement. Vampires. Always thought with their c.o.c.ks. Nothing changes.

"Is she a good witch or a very naughty witch?" Arrow guffawed and made suggestions about what he would like to do to the woman in question.

Had I ever been one of them? Their comments were crude and purely s.e.xual. Next to bloodl.u.s.t, the need for s.e.x was paramount to a vampire. "She is the best." Sybylla had changed his life forever and he owed her everything. Marlow wanted to kill them for even speaking of Sybylla that way. But he had a job to do. Maybe afterward he would knock a few heads together. Thinking about that made him feel better. "So nothing's changed with me. Tell me, what's going on?"

"This new guy turns up offering all sorts of things if we help him." Arrow leaned back against a bal.u.s.trade on the pier. "You know, all the riches and power we could desire. Like we care about that stuff."

He snorted in contempt.

That was true. Vampires were essentially after thrills. They were lazy, self-indulgent blood suckers who only did what they wanted when they wanted to satisfy their senses. "No deal, huh?"

"Then the prince offered us something more to our liking."

"Prince?" This had to be the guy Temperance and Asher told him about.

"Well, Marlow, you know how much I care about what people choose to call themselves."

This was the odd thing about Arrow. He was as lazy as the others and yet there was something that was intriguing and hidden about him. Marlow knew it was highly unlikely he would ever know what that was.

"What's the deal?" He knew it had to be good to get this lot off their a.s.ses.

"The blood of thousands of innocents."

The thought chilled Marlow to the bone. Even though he was a reformed vampire, he knew what the l.u.s.t for blood was like. En ma.s.se, blood-crazed vampires were frightening and unbeatable. He knew the people in question would belong to this other world he had been told about. "It sounds good. How do I get in on the deal?" The more he knew then the more he could take back as a warning.

"Stick around. The prince will be here later." Arrow looked him up and down, neither impressed or unimpressed. They had known each other too long to care what the other thought. "What about your witch?"

"The witch is not your concern." And if you touch her I will kill you. Marlow had lost his immortality but not his heart and soul and they were for Sybylla. Loving and protecting her were the only things that mattered.

Marlow stayed around long enough to hear the pitch of the prince. He was a complete and utter evil b.a.s.t.a.r.d who was only interested in taking the crown and dominating a kingdom for his own greed. Marlow was glad to leave.

When he met Valdemar, the other cousin, and told him what was planned, he instantly noticed the difference between the family members. One was born to be king and the other would perish in flames as the evil always did.

"Good luck." Prince Valdemar was going to need it.

Chapter Eight.

"You sidetracked me into bed." Valdemar's voice sounded lazy and contented as he lay beside the woman he loved.

"I did not." Aureliann scoffed at the suggestion.

"Dropping your clothes and announcing you wanted me to f.u.c.k you until you couldn't stand was a huge sidetrack."

She loved the feel of Valdemar's hair flared out on her skin. It was ticklish yet wildly sensual. "Okay, so maybe I did but you needed a diversion." What Marlow had told them had shocked them both and maybe her actions were not politically correct at the time but she wanted to calm Valdemar down before he went off half- c.o.c.ked. Aureliann feared that would land him in more trouble.

He sighed deeply. "I have to go home."

Yes he did. That was a fact. It would kill her if he left without her. Aureliann still hadn't made up her mind what she was going to do. The sidetrack into making love was for her as well as him but it did not solve the problems they faced. In some ways it made them more difficult. Do I go or do I stay?

"And we have to stop doing this." Surely they would exhaust the world's condom supply if they kept this up.

"What?" Valdemar's eyes were keen and bright on hers.

"This...s.e.x." Aureliann felt like she could not get enough of him. She wanted to be with him all the time.

That thought was so alien to her. Going from having nothing to everything. It scared her that she needed Valdemar so much.