If she was still human she’d undoubtedly be sore tomorrow. But she was no longer human and could already feel her body healing itself.

  There were definite benefits to being a vampire.

  She loved the way he saw to her pleasure first, the way he touched her gently and then just rough enough to send her senses soaring. She just plain loved him.

  He was still hard inside her, his cock pulsing deep within her core. He hadn’t come yet, was holding on for reasons only he knew. Maybe he was afraid to have this evening end, afraid it was all just a dream.

  She understood. She’d been through so many difficult trials she didn’t quite trust this new happiness she’d found. Maybe over time she’d begin to believe it was real.

  And speaking of real, she squeezed her inner muscles, clamping down on his hard shaft. Stefan swore and his fingers dug into her hips hard enough to leave bruises.

  “Shit. I’m sorry.” He yanked his hands away. “I’m so sorry.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not. I don’t even feel them.” She knew they were already healing. She was well fed from their earlier tryst in the woods. And after everything she’d been through with her leg over the years, a simple loving squeeze was nothing. Laurel Rose felt stronger than she had in her entire life.

  He rubbed his palms over the areas he’d squeezed. “I never want to hurt you.”

  “Then never leave me again.” She was still reeling from earlier this evening when he’d walked out on her. She swallowed hard. “That hurt more than you’ll ever know.”

  He leaned over her and kissed her nape, sending shivers of desire skating down her spine. “Forgive me. I only sought to do what was right for you.”

  “I forgive you, but next time argue with me. I’d rather fight about our differences than watch you walk away.”

  “I promise.” He rocked his pelvis and they both groaned. “But can we talk later, I’m a little busy right now.”

  Laurel Rose laughed. She’d always thought sex was serious business, but Stefan made it fun too. “By all means.”

  He gave her nape one last kiss and sat up. The motion drove his shaft deeper. She didn’t know whether to laugh or moan. “Will every night be like tonight?”

  “We can only hope.” The hopeful tone of his voice made her laugh.

  “We’ll never last. It will kill us.” Honestly, she couldn’t imagine making love every night with such intensity.

  “What a way to go,” he muttered. He reached around and cupped her breasts in his hands and began to thrust.

  She was past talking but silently agreed with his assessment. What a way to go.

  He quickened his pace, his hips beginning to slap against her faster and faster. She dug her fingers into the sheets, tearing them in her frantic attempt to find something to anchor her.

  Their emotions mixed and mingled as the mental barriers between them fell. Lust, desire, and love were in every thrust, every touch, and every thought.

  He drove deep. “Come for me, Laurel Rose,” he commanded. “Now.”

  Like all the other times before, she couldn’t stop the explosions that rocked her. She let herself fall over the edge of passion with total trust that her lover, her man, would catch her.

  • • •

  Stefan tipped back his head and howled. The long, eerie sound filled the room and spilled out into the night. Laurel Rose was truly his. It wasn’t a dream. She knew what he was, what he’d done, and what their life together would be like.

  And still she welcomed him.

  He was a selfish bastard pushing her so hard so soon after her conversion. It was as though he was testing her to see if she would stay once she saw the worst of him.

  Totally spent, he managed to pull out before collapsing onto the bed next to her. He wrapped his arm around her and dragged her against his body before he turned them so he was spooning her from behind. “Mine,” he uttered with absolute authority.

  Laurel Rose was gasping for breath, her body shaking and shivering. He might no longer be inside her but they were still mentally joined. He could feel her pleasure and it sent another spasm shooting through him. Their connection would continue to grow stronger over time. They were truly part of one another now.

  Laurel Rose squirmed against him until she found a spot she liked. She grasped one of his hands in hers and placed it over her heart. The frantic rhythm slowed to a steady beat before growing even fainter. When her breathing evened out, he knew she was close to falling asleep.

  He knew he should ask her if she was all right, but thought and speech were beyond him. Nothing in his life had ever felt as right as being with her. Using the last of his energy, he mentally checked every window and door in the house, making sure they were all closed and locked tight. With the heavy curtains closed and the extra blanket over the window, the room was pitch black. Satisfied that they were both safe, Stefan relaxed. Dawn was yet a few hours away, but he was content where he was. Cradling his woman in his arms, Stefan allowed sleep to take him.

  Chapter Thirty

  Laurel Rose snuggled deeper into her pillow, not wanting to wake yet. She’d been having the most wonderful dreams. Sighing, she tried to stretch but found she couldn’t move. A large male body was wrapped tight around her, effectively caging her in place. She stilled and her eyes popped open. It hadn’t been a dream. They’d really done all those things.

  Once she’d confronted him about his walking out on her, they really had made love again and again. Stefan had driven her to heights of ecstasy she’d never imagined existed. She squirmed at the memory of their bodies coming together again and again. Her breasts swelled and her nipples puckered. She stifled a groan, as just thinking about it began to arouse her.

  “How do you feel?” Stefan’s breath teased her neck as he placed a soft kiss on the nape.

  Laurel Rose wanted to bury her head and hide, not quite ready for the morning after—or evening after, as the case may be. Fighting the instinct to just burrow under the covers and feign sleep, she turned in his arms so that she was flat on her back looking up at him. He propped himself up on one heavily muscled arm and loomed over her. How did she feel? She gave his question serious thought before replying.

  “I feel like myself, only more. Does that make sense?” She couldn’t quite explain exactly what she was experiencing, only that she was changed. Yet she was the same. It was confusing.

  Stefan picked up a strand of her hair and began to stroke it over her arm. The man did seem to love to play with her hair. “Yes. It makes sense. You’re still Laurel Rose, still the same person you’ve always been.” He allowed the dark strand to sift through his fingers and fall across the swell of her breasts. “But now all your senses are more developed. You’re more powerful, have greater abilities than you can even imagine.”

  She frowned and he immediately rubbed the pad of his thumb between her eyes, trying to erase the frown lines she knew had formed there. “Do not worry so. We have all the time in the world for you to discover and test all your new powers. Your land is safe and the threat to you is gone.” When his features hardened and his eyes began to glow, she knew he was remembering all that had happened.

  “It’s over now,” she reminded him. “You saved me.” She stroked her hand over his chest, the need to comfort him overwhelming all else. He carried so much responsibility on his broad shoulders. She didn’t want to become a burden to him. She wanted to share his burdens with him.

  A smile played around the corners of his mouth. “You could never be a burden. You are a joy.”

  “You’re doing that mind-reading thing again, aren’t you?” She sighed deeply, pretending to be exasperated with him. In truth, she found she didn’t mind the fact that they could share each other’s thoughts. She knew he would not trespass indiscriminately and that she had her own defenses. Time would enable her to block her thoughts completely if she chose to. It was only the fact that she was relaxed and wanted contact with him on every level that her mind was an open book for him to read at will.

  “Hmmm.” Ignoring her question, he lowered his head until their noses were almost touching. “As much as I’d like to continue this conversation, right now we have another slight problem.”

  “What?” Her heart began to pound. Did he sense a new threat to them?

  “My family is waiting below.”

  Expecting something totally different, it took her a second to digest his words. She shot upright in bed. She forgot she could move much faster now and clunked her forehead against his. Pain shot through her but it didn’t slow her down. She shoved her hands against his chest and jumped out of bed.

  Stefan groaned dramatically and fell back against the mattress, pressing his hand against his forehead. “I think I’m mortally wounded.” His laughter was rough and deep.

  Laurel Rose was torn between her delight at his spontaneous laughter and her horror that his family was downstairs waiting for them to appear. She knew that he seldom laughed and the fact that she had been responsible for it pleased her to no end. But on the other hand, his family was downstairs in her home waiting to meet her. And they were all vampires. She rubbed her hands over her face, trying to get a grip on herself.

  “They are not so frightening, my love. They are just like you and me.” Sprawled across the entire bed with the covers kicked off him, Stefan was a truly impressive sight. He stacked his hands under his head and watched her with a familiar gleam in his eyes.

  “Oh, no, you don’t.” Realizing she was as naked as he was, she plucked a sheet off the bed and wrapped it around herself. It still amazed her just how quickly she’d gotten used to being naked around Stefan. It felt totally natural and right.

  “Of course it is natural.” Reaching down, he stroked a hand over his rather impressive erection. Laurel Rose licked her lips and was leaning toward the bed before she shook herself.

  “You are such a bad influence.” Frowning at him, she hugged herself, suddenly feeling cold. “That’s your family down there,” she hissed. What if they didn’t like her? She wasn’t sure she knew how to fit into a family anymore. She’d been on her own for so long.

  Stefan rolled out of bed in one quick motion. All traces of humor had fled, leaving only concern. Framing her face in his hands, he stared down at her. “They will love you because I do.”

  Taking a deep breath, she plastered a smile on her face. There was no escaping this. The best thing to do was to just get it over with. Stefan sighed and planted a quick kiss on her lips. “I can see that we will have no peace until this is done. Get dressed and I will take you down to meet them.”

  Laurel Rose had the worst of her nervousness under control by the time she walked down the stairs beside him. A quick shower had rejuvenated her and given her time to plan what she would say. Stefan’s palm rested on the small of her back and she drew strength from that contact. It didn’t really matter what these people thought of her. She liked who she was and so did Stefan. That was enough.

  Stefan gave an exasperated sigh as he all but pushed her into the living room. Two men, dressed impeccably in black pants and silky black shirts, were flanking the fireplace. There was no mistaking the fact that they were Stefan’s brothers. They were both large men with midnight black hair. But it was the similarity in their facial features and their brilliant green eyes that marked them as family. They had been with Stefan when he’d rescued her.

  Stepping forward, Laurel Rose held out her hand. “I’m Laurel Rose McCaffey. Welcome to my home.” The man on the right stepped forward and closed his fingers around hers. Instead of shaking her hand, he raised it to his lips, placing a kiss on her knuckles. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, she gave her hand a quick tug and was grateful when he immediately released her, although she could see him trying to hide his smile. “Thank you for helping Stefan rescue me,” she added.

  The man gave her a short, formal bow. “It was our pleasure. We could not allow such a threat to you to continue to exist. I am Cristofor Dalakis.”

  So this was the oldest brother. She replayed everything Stefan had told her about him. He was the one who lived in the castle in Transylvania just like a real vampire. Stefan tried to stifle a laugh next to her, but failed miserably. She elbowed him in the stomach. She would not allow him to embarrass her in front of his family.

  Stefan leaned down and whispered in her ear. “We are all real vampires, my love.”

  She shot him a quick scowl, letting him know she wasn’t pleased with him before turning back to the other man. This had to be the middle brother. He stepped toward her with a smile on his face and gave her the same courtly bow that Cristofor had given. These men certainly had impressive manners.

  “I am Lucian Dalakis and I am pleased to meet you.” He did not put out his hand, but she sensed that he was waiting for her to do so. Sighing, she reluctantly held it out to him. Once again, she received a kiss on the back of her hand rather than a handshake. These men would be lethal among the female population with their dark, handsome looks and their Old World charm.

  “I’m very happy to meet Stefan’s family.”

  Soft, feminine laughter came from the sofa and Laurel Rose turned toward the sound. She recognized the woman in the blue jeans and soft blue wool sweater who was rising to stand. Laurel Rose thought that she didn’t look like a vampire. In fact, she appeared perfectly normal.

  “I know we can be overwhelming, but we just wanted to meet you and make sure you were all right before we went home.” Laurel Rose found herself smiling at the woman. Her natural friendliness was infectious. The fact that she was dressed casually in jeans made Laurel Rose feel less self-conscious about her own appearance. “In case you don’t remember, I’m Delight, Lucian’s much better half.”

  Laurel Rose offered her hand to Delight and as their eyes met, she sensed a kindred spirit in this woman. After all, she had been human until recently as well. Laurel Rose had so many questions she wanted to ask. But that would have to wait. There were still more people to meet.

  Another woman stood and offered her hand. This woman was a little older than herself and was dressed in a pair of light brown wool trousers with a matching jacket. A camisole of rich chocolate brown peeked out from between the lapels. Everything about this woman screamed class. Once again, Laurel Rose was aware of her own appearance. She was definitely beginning to feel underdressed for the occasion. Stefan growled low in his throat. Both women ignored him.

  “I’m Johanna Dalakis, Cristofor’s wife.” The minute she smiled, Laurel Rose relaxed. Once again she felt a gentle kindness flowing from the other woman.

  “I’m pleased to meet you, Johanna.” And surprisingly, she meant it. The more time she spent with them, the more she was beginning to relax.

  Stefan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tucked her under his arm as he turned her toward another man who was standing in a far corner of the room. This man was wearing blue jeans and boots with a white cotton shirt under his sport coat. His features were harsh and she had a feeling that his shrewd blue eyes saw everything. “That’s Sam Cassidy. He hangs around so much, we consider him family.”

  The tall blond man smirked at Stefan before offering her a charming smile. “Ma’am, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He inclined his head but made no move toward her.

  “Mr. Cassidy.” Laurel Rose returned his greeting, wondering how he was connected to the Dalakis family. Stefan, as if sensing her unasked question, answered it for her.

  “Cassidy is a police detective in New Orleans.”

  “Oh.” She arched a questioning brow.

  Cassidy laughed. “I met the Dalakis brothers a few months back and my life hasn’t been the same since.”

  Laurel Rose smiled and glanced at Stefan. “I think I know what you mean, Mr. Cassidy.”

  “Just call me Cassidy, ma’am. And I just came along to help out and to make sure this crowd didn’t get into any trouble.” The Dalakis brothers scowled at him, but Cassidy just smiled. “I thought you’d like to know that Aaron Higgins and Clem Simms were arrested and are sitting in the county jail alongside Cyril Jenkins. Both of them are more than willing to share what they know in hopes of reduced sentences for their own crimes. Jeremiah Stoner is missing, but the police are searching for him.” There was no need for anyone to confirm that he’d never be found. It was ironic that his final resting spot was beneath a church.

  “Thank you.” And she meant it from the bottom of her heart. She was glad that this nightmare was finally over and she could start to live again. Begin her new life with Stefan.

  “But what about Aaron and Clem?” She glanced at Stefan. “Won’t they say something about Stefan?” She didn’t want to come right out and say they might start spreading the word that Stefan was a vampire.

  Cristofor’s smile sent a shiver racing down her spine. “They remember little beyond attacking Stefan. Only that he beat them before he ran off to rescue you.”

  “Really?” How was such a thing possible?

  “Trust me.” She wasn’t about to question the eldest Dalakis and nodded. These men really did wield an enormous amount of power. It was a good thing they seemed to have a code of ethics.

  Now that the introductions were all made and her immediate concerns were laid to rest, Laurel Rose wasn’t quite sure what to do next. She really wasn’t used to having company.

  It was Johanna who took the problem right out of her hands, taking charge of the situation. “We won’t stay long. I just wanted to reassure you that your land is safe. One of the family companies now owns a large enough chunk in RW Hotels to prevent them from being a problem.”

  “How? Why?” Laurel Rose couldn’t fathom why they had done such a thing. The amount of money that they must have spent to acquire a large share of that company was simply mind-boggling.