Page 5 of Beautiful Heart

“Car accident,” Gerri answered simply, not sure how much he would want to know. “A tractor trailer hit us, killed my husband, and left me with a damaged hip, pelvis, and upper leg. How old are you?”

“Two hundred and seventeen,” he answered. “I was born in Jamaica in 1804 and became a vampire in 1848. I traveled the world until the 1950s when I settled here in the city. I’ve led the coven for the last sixty years. Tell me a dream you haven’t had a chance to fulfill.”

That request surprised Gerri. “Umm, I’m not sure I have any dreams left. Most of them died in the car accident.”

Livingston looked troubled before he blinked and his expression smoothed again. “Then I guess we’ll have to work on coming up with some new dreams for both of us.”

Gerri shrugged and dropped her gaze to the platter. The delicious-looking cherry Danish called to her. She placed it on her plate, along with half of a croissant filled with some kind of creamy cheesy spread. “I’m too old to dream about a brighter future like I used to. Nowadays, my biggest wish is to win the lottery or find a big bag of money so I could pay off bills and get out of debt once and for all. I just keep forgetting to buy lottery tickets.”

Livingston didn’t tell her that as his mate, she would have access to his millions and millions of dollars. They both turned their attention to sampling the various treats Mystic had brought. As they did, they continued swapping questions.

“Last call, you two. It’s nearly closing time,” Mystic said as she approached the table.

Gerri glanced at her watch, stunned to see that nearly three hours had passed since they’d sat down at the table. She knew Mystic had brought them glasses of water and refilled their hot drinks, but she had no idea they’d been here this long.

“Oh my, I need to go home and get ready for work,” Gerri said as she looked at the food on the table.

At some point Mystic had brought a second platter filled with muffin-shaped main courses of sausage, egg, and potato, and macaroni and cheese with bacon. She’d enjoyed taste-testing those as well.

Patting her pockets, she looked at Livingston. “I’m sorry, I don’t have any money, but I can pay you back.”

She leaned back when he frowned at her. He claimed to be a vampire. A monster according to books and movies. But he was so handsome and sexy, she had a hard time believing vampires were as portrayed in books and movies.

“You are my guest. You will not pay me back,” he said as he handed Mystic a bill large enough to cover their meal several times over.

When the café owner raised an eyebrow in silent query, he shook his head. Mystic smiled, nodded, and tucked the bill into her pocket. Then she looked at Livingston and blinked. Her eyes turned white and her voice sounded like it was echoing out of a well as she said, “Keep a close eye on your mate, Vampire. Danger will be visiting her sooner rather than later.”

Gerri wasn’t sure what was going on, but before she could react, Mystic blinked, her dark eyes returned to normal, and she walked away, as if that past few seconds had not occurred.

Livingston looked troubled before he blinked and his expression smoothed once again. “Now, my princess, I’d like to see you home. Would you prefer to walk or shall I call my driver?”

Though she should probably walk away and forget this crazy encounter ever happened, Gerri said, “Call your driver, please, though I should get the rest of my walk in. Don’t you have to be tucked away in your coffin before sunrise?”

Livingston chuckled as he pulled out his phone and sent a text. “I haven’t slept in a coffin since a few years after I was turned. I can handle being outside at sunrise, at least long enough to see you safely home.”

Standing, Gerri took a moment to stretch her back, shoulders, and hips, surprised that nothing hurt. She couldn’t believe she had spent so much time sitting without her joints and muscles locking up. At work, she had a routine of standing and walking for a few minutes every hour so she wouldn’t stiffen up.

Once she finished stretching, she followed Livingston out of the café, once again using her cane to maintain her balance. She took his arm with her free one and strolled beside him out of the veiled alleyway and back into the street where his car waited.

****

As she climbed into the back seat of his limousine, Livingston took a moment to admire Gerri’s ass. Full, lush, a perfect heart shape that he couldn’t wait to see naked. And more. He took a moment to adjust his long, fat erection before following her into the car, whose lights were protected from bullets and sunlight.

Once they were comfortable and moving, Gerri gave her address and directions to Quinlan, his driver. Livingston picked up her hand from her lap and laced their fingers together. The energy that sizzled in the slight space between their palms had his already hard cock throbbing with need in three heartbeats.

The breath Gerri sucked in told him she also felt the magnetic energy buzzing between them. Livingston asked himself what he should do about it. If he had his way, he would take her home, spend the day claiming her, and the rest of his life fulfilling every one of her heart’s desires.

Too bad it wasn’t up to just him.

Though tempted, he couldn’t just steal her from her life and tie her to his bed until she agreed to be his forever. That would earn him an investigation from the bland police, as well as a reprimand, or worse, from the supernatural council. His membership of the council would not keep them from sentencing him to a slow, painful death, or something worse, if that were possible.

So, for this morning, he would see his mate home and kiss her into submitting to his will before begging to see her again once the sun went down. He didn’t have much time to accomplish this as he could already feel in his bones that sunrise was near. He needed to get home before too much time passed.

When the car pulled to the curb and stopped, he looked out at his mate’s home. It was an older building without security. Not a place he would want his woman living for very long.

Turning to look at Gerri, he asked, “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather come home with me?”

Gerri gave him what he thought was an indulgent smile as she fumbled to undo her seatbelt.

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