"No, ladies first."

Julie stepped back another step until Roger's hands dropped from her waist. She wrapped her arms around herself. "Mine can wait. Yours sounds more important."

"Okay." Roger pushed a hand through his hair and stared into the far corner. "Whew. How do I say this?"

"I'm not liking it already." She rubbed her arms as though she felt chilled.

"Just wait. You're not going to believe this."

"Then tell me."

"The chief called every policeman in from off duty for a big debrief on what's been going on with all the murders lately."

Her eyes narrowed. "Yes. Go on."

"You really aren't going to believe this."

Julie scowled and stomped her foot. "Tell me already."

"Okay, okay. He told us that Houston has been invaded by vampires. That's who's been killing all those people." He stopped, his brows raised. He'd expected her to laugh him out of her apartment. When she didn't, it was his turn to scowl. "You don't look shocked by the news."

"I'm not."

"But the chief said vampires." Roger couldn't believe how well she maintained a straight face. Was she just a really good actress, or what? "Aren't you afraid our police chief has gone off the deep end?"

Julie shrugged, but didn't respond.

"I thought it was a big hoax until they showed us the evidence. Every victim, and there have been eight so far in the past two weeks, had two puncture wounds somewhere on their bodies. Most of them were on the neck."

"Go on."

"I thought it was someone's idea of a big joke, but then they brought in a couple of plainclothes policemen who'd been out on the beat when one of the attacks occurred. They gave the same description as our guy from the restaurant parking lot."

"They did?" Again, her reaction was little more than lukewarm.

"Yeah. That's when I started listening. He attacked them too and they confirmed what we already knew. He's got superhuman strength and bullets didn't faze him."

"d.a.m.n." Julie's face paled. "Our friend Luke gets around." An uneasy feeling crept through Roger. Something wasn't right with her reaction to his news. She acted as if vampires were an everyday occurrence to her. "Aren't you just a little bit scared?"

"More than you can know."

Okay, at least this response was more realistic. "Well, that's what I had to tell you. If what they told us is true, you can't wander around at night without some kind of weapon. The chief suggested a wooden stake."

Julie smiled. "Sorry, fresh out of stakes. I used the last one over a week ago."

"You did?"

"No, silly." She stepped close and ran her hand over his temple, threading her fingers into his hair. "I was just kidding about the stake." Then she smiled for the first time since the night they'd made love. "What is it you wanted to talk about? You didn't look very happy at work this morning? Is it something I did?"

She pressed a finger to his lips then followed it with a kiss. "No. You're perfect. I just...well..." Julie broke contact and left the circle of his arms to pace her living room floor. "I...I am...I have this friend," she finished in a rush.

"I imagine you have lots of friends." He closed the distance between them and reached out to take her back into his arms. "I'm okay with that as long as they're not all guys."

Evading his grasp, she ducked past him and continued her pacing. "Since you've already been briefed that there are vampires in the city, maybe this will make more sense." She glanced at him. When he met her gaze, she looked away again. "If this friend was what your chief said..."

"A vampire?" What was she talking about? Surely she didn't believe all that nonsense about vampires. Although, Roger had to admit he was beginning to lean that direction.

"Let's just say for the sake of argument, I have a friend who is a vampire."

"I'd say you should share some of that wacky weed with me." He smiled to soften his words. "I'm not ready to fall for all that garbage, as convincing as the chief was."

"Okay, say you believe in all that garbage for the sake of my story."

"But I don't."

She threw her hands in the air. "Just pretend, then."

Roger held up his hands. "Okay. I'll pretend I believe in vampires."

"If my friend was a vampire and she seemed normal in every other way but that she was a vampire, would you hate her?"

Roger's brows drew together. He could tell his answer meant a lot to her. "Are you telling me you have a vampire for a friend?"

"a.s.suming vampires exist, yes."

"If you trusted that friend, then I'd trust your judgment."

"But would you hate that my friend was a vampire?"

More confused than he wanted to admit he told her what he hoped she wanted to hear. "No."

Julie let out a long breath, her stiff shoulders loosening. "Good." "Good, good." This time when he closed the distance, she didn't back away. Roger pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "I think you're terrific and any friend of yours is a friend of mine."

"One more thing-"

"I'd love anyone you care about. Enough talk. I've been waiting for this since I saw you at the hospital."

Julie gave up. With Roger warm and willing, kissing her on the neck and lower, she could resist no longer. h.e.l.l, she'd all but told him she was a vampire and he didn't seem to be repelled by the thought of someone being a vampire. He'd be all right when he learned the truth, wouldn't he?

He lifted her shirt up and over her head and Julie lost her ability to think. Roger's hands were everywhere she wanted them and then some. Her jeans and panties were next to go and she stood naked in front of him.

Julie had never felt as complete with any other man as she did with Roger. He made her whole. Her hands moved to the b.u.t.tons on his polo shirt, slipping them loose. Then with more eagerness than grace, she yanked it up and over his head, tossing it to the corner where it hung on a floor lamp. Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered if it would catch fire. Following that thought was the surety the sheets would ignite first.

All her adult life, she'd gone from relationship to relationship despairing of finding a man who shared her interests. Roger cared about people, preferred walking in the rain rather than using an umbrella and liked the same mix of action adventure and science fiction movies. He was a man who enjoyed reading as a form of entertainment and scuba diving. Not that she'd get to do much of that, now that she was a vampire. Her activities would be limited to nocturnal pursuits.

Everything had changed and yet everything was the same.

She was a vampire and couldn't go out in the sun, but she still loved this man who was dropping kisses on her bare shoulder. As his warm, wet tongue flicked at her collarbone, she planted hands on either side of his face and guided him farther south to her left breast. "Ahhh. You're getting warmer."

"You got that right. Too warm." He sucked her breast into his mouth and tugged on it gently. At the same time, he struggled with his belt and the clasp on his jeans. When he almost fell over, his mouth left her breast and he grinned. "I think I need both hands to get out of these."

She liked the way he could joke about the little things and how his smile melted her knees. "Let me help."

With both hands, she grasped the snap and flicked it loose. The zipper slid downward with ease and she had him out of those jeans so fast she surprised even herself. Oh yeah, vampire speed, better than the internet speed on her home computer.

Roger stood in the middle of the room, naked and glorious with brows raised.

A glance downward made her flush with a rush of sensual awareness.

His c.o.c.k jutted out, hard and full.

A smile curved her lips and she reached out to take his p.e.n.i.s into her hands. "Miss me?" Her fingers curled around him, reveling in the dichotomy of velvety soft skin and the steely hardness beneath.

Roger's chest filled with a deep breath and he let it out in a groan. "More than you can imagine." His hands rose to grasp her arms. "You sure you're okay?"

"As good as I can be." Given that I'm a vampire and I don't have the guts to tell you.

"Come here." He pulled her to him, his c.o.c.k b.u.mping against her belly. "I need to be inside you." "And I need you there." With one hand, she moved his hand downward guiding his fingers to her c.l.i.t. Her other hand slid along his length, smoothing over the skin and down to his b.a.l.l.s.

"If you're not careful, I won't make it to the whipped cream."

"We can always have dessert later." She lifted one leg, wrapping it around his hip, her c.u.n.t pressed against his thigh.

"Don't you want to move into the bedroom?" Two rough fingers, pushed up inside her, spreading her open, widening her channel for a much larger insertion.

Her p.u.s.s.y responded with a rush of cream and suddenly every nerve cell in Julie's body ignited, sending heat flaming through her body. "How about here...now." She dropped to the carpet, pulling him down with her.

"What about foreplay?"

"Later." Julie's knees fell open and Roger settled between them, pressing the tip of his c.o.c.k to her wet p.u.s.s.y.

He paused. "Somehow I pictured this seduction a little differently."

"Are you disappointed?"

He dipped the tip of his c.o.c.k into her c.u.n.t. "No."

"Good." Then she grabbed his firm b.u.t.tocks and slammed him home. "f.u.c.k me, Roger. f.u.c.k me hard."

He chuckled, his d.i.c.k sliding in and out in a slow steady rhythm. "My sweet Julie has a dirty mouth."

"Does that bother you when I say that?"

"No, it makes me hot." His pace increased, the friction heating up her insides.

"Then what are you waiting for?" She pulled her knees back to allow him deeper penetration. "I want it hard and fast."

"I can do that." He leaned down over her and kissed her lips. "I never dreamed being with you could feel so good."

With her eyes closed to his gorgeous face, she internalized every stroke, memorizing the feeling of him sliding in and out of her. His thrusts pushed her closer to the edge, the rough fabric of the carpet against her naked b.u.t.tocks only added to the experience.

When he draped her legs over his shoulders and held onto her thighs, she thought she'd come all over him. But she forced her o.r.g.a.s.m back, waiting until he was closer.

"Open your eyes, Julie." Roger slowed, dropped her legs from his shoulders and leaned over to kiss her eyelids. "I want to see your eyes when you come."

The gentle touch of his lips coaxed her to open them. With his c.o.c.k filling her to full and heat burning through her body, her gaze focused on the throbbing pulse in his throat. Oh no. She shouldn't have opened her eyes.

Don't do it, Julie. Don't bite him. You don't need his blood. It felt so good to be f.u.c.ked by him. The only thing that could maximize the experience was to sink her teeth into his neck and taste the blood coursing through his body.

When his pounding tempo reached a crescendo, Roger dropped down on top of her, gathering her close for one final thrust. His neck was within a hairsbreadth from her lips.

She'd kiss him. Only a kiss.

When her lips pressed against that throbbing pulse, Julie lost all control. She could feel her fangs extending and she couldn't do anything to stop it.

With Roger's final thrust, Julie's teeth sank into his neck.

He stiffened. "What the f.u.c.k?" His surprise quickly evaporated as his o.r.g.a.s.m shook him from head to toe.

Roger's c.o.c.k jerked inside Julie with the force of his s.e.m.e.n shooting out.

Julie was lost in a heart-stopping explosion of sensations from red-hot blood coursing down her throat to waves of heat spreading from her c.u.n.t outward. The combination was overwhelming and completely consuming.

When her desire cooled and her thirst for blood was slaked, Julie released her hold on his neck and she lay back on the bed, wondering if she'd ever felt anything quite like that.

Then she turned to Roger, who'd rolled over next to her, a smile across his face, his skin a little pale beneath the tan.

Holy c.r.a.p! Had she taken too much blood? Julie chewed her bottom lip. "You all right?"

"Never felt better." His words were slightly slurred. "What was that you did? I've never had quite so intense an o.r.g.a.s.m."

"Me either." He sounded drunk, but alive. Maybe she hadn't overdone it.

One of his hands reached up to touch his neck where she'd bit him. "Did you bite me?"

"Uh...a little." At least she didn't lie. She could have bitten him a lot more.

"That's what I thought." His eyes drifted closed. "I'm very sleepy. Mind if I crash here?"

"I'd love it."

As he drifted off, he whispered, "There's so much I don't know about you."

"No kidding."

"And I want to learn it all." His voice faded, and he was asleep. A deep sleep, almost as if he was dead.

"Roger?" Julie leaned over him and shook his shoulders. "Roger?" Her heart squeezed tight choking off the blood she'd drained from his body. Was he dead? She pressed an ear to his chest.