Fire Within - By Ally Shields Page 0,53

dark blue pillows were tossed on top. On the left was a small private lounge; a private bath and spa on the right.

“It’s beautiful.” She looked at him. “Did you choose the decor?”

His voice lit with pleasure. “I did. It is mostly Queen Anne.”

“A man of many talents. You know women even better than I thought you did.”

“I am glad you like it,” he said smoothly, ignoring the other implications.

Who had inspired this room? How many women had he entertained here? Disturbing to think about, but Ari knew he hadn’t been a monk. She’d drive herself crazy if she delved into that part of his past.

“It’s perfect,” she said. “Who wouldn’t like it? But I’m still going home.” No way was she staying in the same house with Andreas. Not ready for that. There was too much chemistry between them for a simple sleepover.

“Then I will drive you,” he said, accepting her decision. “No need for you to get soaking wet.” He pointed down the staircase. At the bottom, they exited into a four-car garage with two black vans, a silver Lexus SUV, and a sleek, black Ferrari. Andreas opened the passenger door of the Ferrari, and Ari slid onto the luxurious seat.

The car purred its way through the wet city streets, putting an end to the evening. When Andreas pulled over in front of her apartment building, she leaned over with a quick kiss. She wasn’t quick enough. He caught her and pulled her against him, deepening the kiss. When he ran his tongue over her lips, she opened for him. By the time the kiss ended, Ari thought the windows must be steaming.

Andreas gave her a wry grin. “Sweet dreams, cara mia.”

Stifling a reluctant sigh, Ari jumped out into the rain without waiting for him to get wet too, and sprinted for the building. She closed her apartment door and leaned against it. Andreas’s kiss lingered on her mouth. She had a lot to think about. Until those last moments, he’d been on his best behavior tonight, the perfect gentleman, asking nothing of her. And he had let her into his private life. A big step for both of them, but no matter what her racing pulse thought, she didn’t want to rush the other steps. No hurry, she thought, a warmth growing inside. All the best wines took time.

Chapter Ten

By morning the rain had become intermittent, providing a low canopy of clouds. Despite the threatening skies, Ari completed her morning run and took a quick swing through Goshen Park. Everything there appeared to be in order. She sprinted the rest of the way home and jumped in the shower. The first of two office appointments rescheduled from yesterday were due in less than an hour. Before then, she intended to check in with Ryan as promised.

On her way out the door, Eddie West called her cell.

“You sound cheerful,” Ari said. She closed the door behind her and hurried toward the Magic Hall.

“You bet! Any day out of jail is a good one.” His voice had a grin in it. “But I heard about the latest shooting. Was Andreas hurt?”

“He’s fine. No one was hurt.”

“Is this connected to the other shootings?”

“Who’s asking? Eddie the concerned friend or Eddie the crime reporter?”

“We’re inseparable. But most of the facts were in the police report. I’ve already read it. I’ll only print what’s public info,” he coaxed. “Isn’t my time of incarceration worth something?”

“Actually, it’s a good reason not to discuss the case with you. But off the record, we haven’t ruled out anything. The shots at Andreas were from a drive-by. The earlier incidents were up close and personal.”

“But the victims are all vampires. And the perp was someone with a gun. A human’s choice of weapon. Got a vamp stalker, don’t we?” His voice held suppressed excitement.

“Whoa! That sounds like a headline-in-the-making to me. Exactly the kind of speculation we don’t want tossed about. There’s no proof for that theory, Eddie. The cause of death in both murders is undetermined.”

“Wait a minute. Undetermined? The two victims weren’t shot? When was that decided?”

“No comment. And that’s official. So drop it. You’ve got all you’re getting. And don’t you dare print any unsubstantiated speculation.”

“OK, guess I owe you one.” Eddie sighed. “Can we at least talk about what happened at the club? That was a gun, right? The police report said Andreas specified a handgun.”

“Yes, it was a drive-by.”

“So are you thinking this is different than the murders? A copycat, basing