Page 17 of Top Secret Vampire

At my command, shadows crept around us, light and insistent. A hint of sweet chocolate engulfed us, wrapping us up like a living blanket. That was the secret to mistification. To everyone else, it would appear as if our bodies had turned to steam, when in reality, the mist encircled us, and we could then travel anywhere within it.

Holding her felt wonderful, and I savored the moment. The mist flowed and coiled around us, drawing us tighter and, I swear, reinforcing the bond growing between us.

She gasped, gripping me with enough pressure to stir longing deep inside my chest. I enjoyed how she clung to me, how she made my heart thud with a delicious rhythm.

The emotions I harbored for her already could be dangerous, especially with her a human and me, a vampire. Wewerepredators—and humans were our prey.

Shoving the thought aside, I steeled myself and focused, channeling the energy needed to travel. The pull of her essence surged through me and became a part of the dark mist, brightening its hues to gold.

“Hold on,” I said, both to comfort her and make sure she gripped me firmly.

With a rush, we plummeted into the void.

An instant later, the mist swirled away from us, and we stood on the beach at the base of a cliff.

“Whoa.” She clung to my chest, looking up at me with wide eyes. “That was . . .”

“Stunning?” I quipped.

The salty tang of the ocean air mingled with the rich scent of her hair—a blend that deepened my connection to her. Flowers danced around us, planted in flowerbeds framing the path. Sunlight glittered on the bay like diamonds sparkling as brightly as the feelings with my chest.

Her lips curled up on one side. “Disconcerting but sure, let's call it stunning.”

“I didn't frighten you, did I?”

She shook her head. “It was almost fun.”

“Almost?” I teased, tugging on a strand of her hair. I wanted to stroke it. Slide my fingers down her back. Draw her back into my arms.

Too soon.

I'd waited multiple lifetimes to find my fated one. You'd think I could bear waiting a little longer before claiming her fully.

There was something sweetly endearing about her that tugged on my newly awakened heart, and I wasn’t sure how to deal with the feelings threatening to overwhelm me. I’d lived a stark, somewhat cold life, the usual for a born vampire.

Now I not only possessed a heart that beat only for her but emotions unlike any I’d experienced before in my life. They would destroy me or set me free.

“That’s my home,” she said proudly, gesturing to the house above us, a sentinel overlooking the sea. Perched partway up the rugged cliff, it was a Victorian masterpiece with gray, weathered cedar shingles, white shutters, and a copper roof. Stained glass windows glistened in the sunlight. “It was vacant for years and was in rough shape when I bought it, but I fixed it up. Not me specifically.” She shot me a sweet smile. “I hired out some of the work. But I painted, refinished floors and woodwork, plus ordered all the fixtures myself.”

“It's lovely,” I said.

She smiled up at me. “Isn't it? It cost way more than I wanted to pay, but I fell in love with it when I saw it. I've worked hard and saved as much as I could, and I made a tidy profit on my apartment in New York City, so I could swing the price. I had to finance some of it, but I have a solid fanbase and my books sell well. I plan to pay it off as soon as I can.”

“I congratulate you on your success.” Would she welcome me reading her books or would she see that as an intrusion into her mind? I'd ask her one day.

“Follow me.” she waved toward the cliff. “I'll show you around the house after I've made sure everything's okay online.”

As we walked along the sandy path toward the base of the cliff with a long stairway ahead to reach the top, I studied our surroundings for threats. Leaves rustled in the wind. Seagulls called in the distance. And waves lapped on the shore. Reese walked beside me, her focus miles away, absorbed in her thoughts about online accounts and her former assistant. I took in her beautiful profile. Her furrowed brow revealed the stress weighing on her mind.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement near the second-floor window of her home, a shadow flitting past. My instincts screamed.

“Reese,” I whispered, reaching out to grab her wrist. “Someone's . . .” I squinted into the sunlight but didn’t see anything. Was I mistaken or—

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Just . . . let’s proceed cautiously.” I kept my voice low. I had to keep her safe.

The shadow shifted again, this time on the first floor, and I sped up, pushing down the fear coiling in my gut. Before we reached the base of the stairs leading up the cliff, I spied someone climbing out a window on the left side of the building, tumbling to the ground between tall hedges.

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