A Vampire for Christmas - By Michele Hauf Page 0,119

to Portland or even somewhere in California, any place that would keep him too busy to think about what he might have held in his arms only to lose it minutes later.

CHAPTER NINE

THE MORNING CAME WAY TOO EARLY, but somewhere between slumber and awake, it hit Della that she’d left the kitchen a total wreck last night. What had her staff thought about walking into a room splattered with flour and blood? How could she explain it when her hand no longer had even a hint of a scar? She couldn’t very well tell them that her lover had magically healed her wound. Heck, she hadn’t come to terms with Eagan being a vampire herself.

She bolted upright and charged for the bathroom. A quick shower and clean clothes did little to disguise the effects of a night spent…well, spent the way she’d spent hers.

Flexing her wounded hand, she couldn’t detect even the smallest amount of stiffness or pain, all thanks to Eagan and the gift of his trust. She poked and prodded, trying to figure out how she felt about the knowledge that she owed the use of her hand to the ingestion of his blood.

Definitely grateful, even if a bit queasy if she thought about it too much.

She also checked the side of her neck, looking to see if he’d given her a love bite. She had vague memories of a brief pain right before he exploded deep inside her. Nope, no mark, but the memory of how spectacular the sex had been left her smiling. It might have been a long time since she’d last had a man in her bed, but no one else had ever made her feel the way Eagan did.

Which left only one question unanswered: would he disappear from her life as quickly as he’d appeared?

She very much feared the answer was yes. Obviously he’d never meant for her to know the truth about what he was. That she’d want him in her arms and in her bed had clearly come as a shock to the man. She’d been a bit surprised, too, but couldn’t regret her decision.

His reluctance to share the secret of his people’s existence was understandable. After all, he wasn’t just outing himself to her. Who else hid their secret nature right in plain sight? Were there only vampires or did some of the other ancient myths actually walk the streets of Seattle?

Now wasn’t the time. She really needed to get downstairs and do damage control on the mess she’d left behind. Explaining the flour was one thing; the blood would definitely be harder.

Bracing herself for the inquisition, she paused at the bottom of the steps for a calming breath. Turning the corner, she stared in amazement. Everyone was calm—well, as calm as a diner kitchen ever was at the height of the breakfast hour.

Skillets sizzled; pots banged; and dishes rattled. Orders were shouted, and the cook was complaining that his assistant wasn’t keeping up and where the hell was the dishwasher? All normal. All the usual. “Good morning!”

Tennessee glowered at her. “Not now, Della. You know how I hate when you’re bright and chipper in the morning. Either pitch in or get out of the way. Daniel didn’t show up again.”

Okay, that was worrisome, but right now she didn’t have time to hunt the boy down. He was out of school for the next two weeks, which is why he was scheduled on a morning shift. Daniel always wanted more hours when he had a break from school.

“I’ll fill in for him.”

She ignored Tenn’s glare and gave him a quick pat on the cheek as she passed by. He pretended to hate it, but she didn’t miss the way his lips twitched in a brief smile before he could hide it. The man had showed up six months before looking for a job. He had an interesting past; she was sure of it. Maybe even a questionable one, but hiring him had been the smartest thing she’d ever done.

As she tied on an apron, Tenn poured her cup of coffee and plated up a couple of eggs and toast for her. “Eat first. By the way, thanks for cleaning the grill, Della. I meant to do it yesterday, but ran out of time.”

She’d done no such thing, but she could guess who had—Eagan. When he’d found the time, she had no idea, but bless him for doing so.

“It was nothing.”

Literally. She made quick work of her meal. The two of