He had her there. He was right. Her eyes went to Ahmose and locked. She could see it, the depth of his emotion. He had missed her and felt deep pain when he thought that she was gone.

She wanted him, yes, it was true. Denying it seemed as childish as what she'd just accused him of. "Could I convince you to make love to me? Slowly, and properly this time? I know I sound contrary, but right now, at this moment, all I want to do is feel you again. I don't think you mind, am I right?"

Mind. Mind? f.u.c.k, he didn't mind!

Ahmose took Mal's hand and pulled her with him, slowly, down the beach. He lowered her gently onto a blanket he'd left just inside of a cave cut out of a low cliff facing the sea.

"I found this cavern last night before I returned to my room. It actually goes far enough back around that curve that it would be safe for a vampire to overnight. The point, though, is that it's lovely here, and private. I want to make love to you all night, Mal. I need you to see that we are meant to be together."

"Erin will expect me back."

"Erin knows I'm here. No she won't."

"I need to feed Brigitte."

"I understand. You can see that it won't take but a moment for me to get you home so that you can take care of her when you need to."

Mal looked around her. Candles lit the corners of the cave, a bottle of wine sat near wine gla.s.ses, and she saw an iPad lying on one big rock. He'd gone to the trouble to romance her. Her eyes shot up to him, squatting beside her now.

"You're really trying to convince me, aren't you?"

The megawatt smile that invaded her heart immediately was so charming from a powerful man, she did exactly what she promised herself she wouldn't do.

Mal sat upright.

"Take off all of your clothes."

Ahmose hesitated only a moment, but when he did so, they were gone in a moment too. He stood in front of Mal, the most erotic naked man she'd ever seen.

"Please repeat the courtesy," he asked, a full-blown erection waiting for her.

Mal couldn't stop staring at it, and moved forward on her knees to touch him, with her fingers and then with her tongue.

Ahmose shot backward as her tongue slid all the way around the head of his c.o.c.k.

"Please remove your clothes." His voice was hoa.r.s.e now.

Slowly, because she was less sure he would find her post-baby body that amazing, Mal began to peel off her dress and the lace leggings she'd donned underneath.

"I just had a baby, remember that."

"You look perfect, as you always have."

"Oh, there's some flab."

Finished, she threw her underwear onto the pile of clothes they'd discarded.

"There's perfection. I need to sink into you."

He didn't hurry, but he moved forward and lifted Mal up to meet his torso, her legs immediately curling around his waist again. He backed against the cavern wall and lifted her, his eyes on hers.

She nodded. He thrust and she pushed up to meet him as he slid inside of her.

"I hope I don't get pregnant again," she whispered.

He moved his lips to her ear. "I hope you do."

Scatters of pleasure trickled through her belly at the thought of Ahmose inside of her again. Last night had been so unexpected, she hadn't known what to think. How could she know if they weren't just incredibly needy? But tonight, it was absolute. This was more, and her body felt that. She'd always heard that the biggest s.e.x organ is the brain, and she knew that it was true because how they felt about each other did matter.

Mal felt a connection to Ahmose she never had before, because she knew now, incontrovertibly, that he wanted her more than he ever had any other woman. That she wanted him with as much pa.s.sion and need. And that they might really, really be meant to be together.

Her fingers slipped under his hair and around his neck to hold on as he began to move faster, faster, so much that the landscape around her blurred. She could feel every stroke, the full length, the heat and friction building until they surged together one last time, Ahmose pumping into her, hard, fast, and hot as she threw back her weight, suspended in his arms, and cried out.

Oh, G.o.d, was that good!

"I could do that for the rest of my life," Mal whispered as Ahmose lowered them both to the blanket and curved next to her body, his c.o.c.k having slipped out on its own now.

Ahmose brushed her hair from her moist face. "That is the plan. You will come home with me. Brigitte will meet her brother and sister. You will become my queen."

Mal snorted softly on a laugh. "Right, 'cause I'm everyone's idea of a queen!"

"I am serious, my lady. I am ruler of my village, of the children of the moon, for centuries past. We do not use the word often, because I don't like it and I don't feel it applies, but it is true. I am like a king in the village. You will be my queen."

Whoa, Mal thought, one crazy f.u.c.ked-up fairy tale at a time.

"You are not serious."

Ahmose nodded again. "I am completely serious. You will be my queen."

"I don't know, Ahmose, maybe I want to be a cop again when all of this blows over."

"You will not. As vampire, you will live a different life."

"What? Vampire?"

"Mal, you will live with my family. You will become vampire at my side so that we can raise our children together."

Now, he was freaking her out. Mal couldn't think. It all felt overwhelming again. She needed to speak with Erin. And her father. He would be here shortly, and that would help her to clear her mind and perhaps see where she was going.

Reaching for her clothes, Mal stood, holding her dress in front of her as if it could shield her from her jumbled emotions.

"Ahmose, I need to think about this, I really do. Will you take me home?"

"Yes, but for this last night."

He came to her on his knees, bare in more ways than just his body. "I want you, forever, Mal, and I need you to know that. If you do not feel the same way, at least let me have a chance to show you that I will be a perfect partner and I will make you incredibly happy."

Oh, G.o.d, she'd made him beg for her...on his knees! How could she resist a king on his knees? This magnificent man, on his knees, asking for her to accept him.

She did. She already knew she needed him, and they had the baby together. She just had to face her fears.

Mal surged forward into his arms, his face now buried against her chest.

"You've won me. All of my doubts fell away just now. We will come with you. I've learned that to get something, sometimes you have to risk everything. You're worth any price, vampire king."

"Wait till you see your crown," he said, his mouth still against her, while his tongue ventured out every once in a while to taste her.

"What?" Her eyes widened.

"I'm just kidding. We are very organic creatures, little detective. We live on the earth for the earth, for the Mother, because this planet is a living being and we are her children. You will learn who we are as you come to know us. My village holds the collected magics and hearts of almost forty first blood vampires. There is a lot of love and laughter there. Our daughter will be with her kind. She'll be happy."

His tongue curled out and slid across a nipple.

"And so will you."

"Whatever happens, I'm with you. The idea of forever, of centuries, terrifies me, though."

"It won't. It is a gift to stay here to care for the Mother, to love this man who wants you more than anyone who came before or could ever come after, and to watch your children grow up and find their place in the universe."

Ahmose stood, and at the same time, he was dressed and so was Mal.

"What the h.e.l.l?" she yelled.

"It's a way of movement for vampires exponentially quicker than humans. You will love being vampire!"

"I'm so freaked out!"

Lifting her into his arms, Ahmose kissed her.

"I will never let you fall. No one will ever hurt you or our daughter again. Don't be afraid, Mal. You are going to have a huge new family that will protect you, too. Now, hold on, baby, here we go."

Canzone and Ballgame watched, shocked. Ballgame sneaked a peek at his boss, then looked back at the now empty cave.

"What did I just see there?" Canzone finally asked.

Ballgame always tried to provide whatever Canzone wanted, but he couldn't help him here.

"Yeah...I don't know, sir. I've never seen anything like that before."

"Ballpark, I need to find out. I want her under surveillance every minute from here on out, you hear me?"

With an unhappy nod, Ballpark walked away from Canzone as he used his cell phone to arrange for two more guys to come to the island with the appropriate equipment.

Looks like I'll be staying, he thought, as he closed his phone. Although he had to admit that even he was curious to find out what the h.e.l.l had happened on that beach.

They arrived in a rush of air, and when he stopped in front of the house, Mal had trouble catching her breath.

"What..." deep breaths, deep breaths, "...the h.e.l.l was that?"

"That's a method of moving through the world without detection. It's fast and efficient, which is a vampire trait. You'll feel a little dizzy for a moment, but you'll balance out. I've got you, don't worry."

He set her down easily on the deck, but kept an arm around her.

Mal heard a sound and looked to her right, where Jack stood, speechless.

"Guess I can say I've seen everything now. What are you?" Jack said, looking at Ahmose.

"I'm the man that this woman belongs to."

Mal snorted. "With, Ahmose. Not to, with."

"Forgive me. I'm somewhat possessive right now. Mal, what is your relationship with this man?"

"Friends. Close friends. Never more, Ahmose, so no jealous fits."

"Fits? No. It isn't a fit if I throw him into the sea, is it? He wants you, Mal, this I do know. His pheromones reek."

Jack was visibly getting more upset. "Bridget, this man is not good for you. He's an a.s.shole. If you want me to, I'll get him out of here."

"Jack..." Mal held a hand out towards him, afraid he was going to confront Ahmose.

Turning to Ahmose, she said, "You need to let me speak with Jack. Can you go inside? Visit with Erin and spend some time with Brigitte?"

"I will remain with you," he answered.

Mal purposefully trapped his eyes with hers. "You will go inside and stay there until I give you permission to come back out."

Ahmose smiled. "I get what you're doing. All right, I will comply, mistress." He looked at Jack. "But first..."

There was no need to ask Jack to look at him, his eyes were targeted on Ahmose.

Ahmose spoke. "You saw Mal and me walk up this beach to the house tonight. You did not see us arrive instantly."

While Jack looked a little dazed, Ahmose looked back at Mal, tilted his head, and asked nicely. "Please send him home. Or I will. We have a life together we must get back to, little one." Then he kissed her to make sure she knew how much he wanted her.

He made her smile. What an incredible man. Vampire. Man vampire. Whatever he was, she finally said to herself, he was hers.

Jack had come out of the compulsion as Ahmose walked away.

"Bridge, I don't like this guy. Please tell me you aren't considering going with him. I get all kinds of bad vibes."

"I know. I understand why. He comes from South Africa and has a different way about him, I can see where you would think him a bad risk. But he isn't. Jack, he is Brigitte's father, and what I thought I was running from, isn't quite true. I have to give him a chance. I'm going with him to Africa. Please know how much you've meant to me."

Jack looked out at the rolling waves, barely visible tonight, now that the remaining light of the sun was gone.

When he turned back, his eyes were gla.s.sy with moisture. "I had hoped that we could make a family, you, me, and Brigitte. Did I wait too long to make my move? Would you have been able to love me?"

With a deep sigh, Mal moved to him and pulled him onto the cushioned loveseat.