in a ragged breath and let it out in a long, slow sigh. “I’d better go.”
She nodded.
Rising, he left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.
Callie stared after him, not knowing whether to be sorry or relieved.
* * *
Quill stood at the front window in the living room, staring out into the darkness beyond and thinking how close he had come to making love to her. Had she waited another few minutes to slam on the brakes, he didn’t think he would have been able to stop.
Reluctant to travel down that road, he thought how odd it was that he and Ava had been players in Callie’s nightmare. And even more extraordinary that she had imagined him making love to her grandmother under a full moon, something that had actually happened more than a hundred years before Callie was born. Was it just some bizarre coincidence that made her subconscious bring him and her grandmother together? Because he was pretty sure that Ava hadn’t confided the details of her love life to her granddaughter.
With a shake of his head, he padded back to the guest room and stretched out on the bed, only to lie there wishing Callie hadn’t said no. Not that he could blame her. She didn’t seem like the type to indulge in a casual affair, especially with one of his kind. No doubt she wanted the whole nine yards—husband, children, security, a lifetime commitment. He doubted she wanted to share her future with a vampire being hunted by the Knights of the Dark Wood, or give birth to a child who would one day become a vampire.
But he could hope.
* * *
In the morning, before she did anything else, Callie tiptoed down the hall to the guest room. As she peeked inside to see if Quill was still there, she was reminded of all the other mornings when she had done the same thing, usually hoping he’d be gone. But today she was glad he was still there. It seemed right, somehow.
After closing the door, she scuffed into the kitchen. It was there again, she noticed as she poured a cup of coffee and carried it into the living room, that peculiar aura that surrounded the house whenever Quill was here. It made her feel safe, protected.
Sipping her coffee, she thought about last night and how close she had come to letting Quill make love to her. She had no doubt he would be a wonderful lover. After all, he’d likely had centuries of experience. But she just wasn’t ready. For one thing, she had only known him a short time. For another, he was a vampire. And although he seemed like a normal guy much of the time, there was no forgetting what he was. Power clung to him—a tangible presence.
He could speak to her mind—and read it, as well—which was disconcerting, to say the least.
He was a hunted man. It was probably dangerous to even be with him, and yet if he couldn’t protect her, no one could.
He had killed the men in the park to save his own life. She couldn’t fault him for that, but for all she knew, he might have slain countless others.
She was falling in love with him. She knew he wanted her, as she wanted him. But was he in love with her? Were vampires even capable of love?
With a sigh, she carried her cup to the kitchen and rinsed it out, then went into her room to get dressed. She had a lot of thinking to do. And she didn’t want to do it alone. Grabbing her cell phone, she called Vivian.
* * *
Callie met Viv in their favorite coffee shop twenty minutes later.
“You sounded upset on the phone,” Vivian said, stirring sugar and cream into her coffee. “What’s wrong? Did someone die?”
Callie almost choked on her orange juice. “No. I just needed someone to talk to.”
“Well, I’m glad you called. I was beginning to worry about you. In fact, I almost called you last night, but it was kind of late when I thought of it.”
Callie paused to glance around the café. “You remember that guy I told you about?”
“What guy?”
Callie’s shoulders slumped as she recalled that Quill had wiped his memory from Vivian’s mind.
“Callie?”
“I’m just having some man trouble, that’s all.”
“Did you meet someone new? Well, it’s about time. Tell me about him. Is he tall, dark, and handsome?”
“You could definitely say that.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“Our lifestyles and our backgrounds are totally different. I’m