Page 18 of Midnight Enchantment

A short time later, he pulled into the parking lot of charming Italian restaurant. A discreet wooden sign proclaimed they were atMamma Sardino’s.

Raedan parked the car, then came around to open her door.

“Have you been here often?” Lily asked as he reached for her hand.

“Once or twice.”

She was dying to ask who he’d been with but stifled the impulse.

The restaurant was dimly lit. Red-and-white checked cloths covered the tables, candles flickered in wrought-iron wall sconces. There was a bar to the left, tables and booths to the right, and beyond that, a doorway that led to what Lily guessed was the dance floor.

“Would you like a drink before dinner?” Raedan asked.

“No. Maybe later.”

They didn’t have to wait long for a table. A waiter seated them in a booth near the back and handed them menus. Another waiter brought a basket of warm bread sticks and two glasses of water.

Lily opened her menu. Everything sounded wonderful but she finally decided on lasagna. Raedan ordered a bottle of chianti.

Suddenly tongue-tied, Lily reached for a bread stick.

Raedan smiled inwardly. She was so young, so vulnerable. So beautiful with the candlelight dancing in her hair. The beat of her heart so tempting. “You went to the beach today,” he remarked.

“How do you know that?”

“I can smell it on you.”

“Really? Even after I showered?”

He nodded. “Also the scent of your soap and your toothpaste.”

“I don’t know why I’m surprised,” Lily said, with a shrug. “I come from a family of vampires, after all.” She had learned early in life that it was very nearly impossible to keep a secret in a family of vampires and witches.

She glanced up as a waiter came with their wine and two glasses.

Raedan nodded his thanks as the waiter filled the goblets. “To us,” he said when the waiter stepped away. “May we spend many evenings together.”

“To us,” Lily murmured, her gaze meeting his over the rim of her glass.

Lily experienced a moment of self-consciousness when her dinner arrived. She didn’t remember ever eating in front of someone who wasn’t also dining and it was a little disconcerting at first.

“I can make you think I’m eating a big plate of spaghetti and dripping Marinara sauce down the front of my shirt if it will make you feel more at ease,” Raedan remarked, sensing her discomfort.

His words had the desired effect. With a laugh, she said, “Please, don’t.”

They made small talk over dinner—their likes and dislikes in movies and music, favorite books they had read.

When dinner was over, Raedan paid the check, then led her to the dance floor. There were only two other couples in the room. The lighting was low, the music soft and romantic, the man beside her ever so sexy.

Lily shivered with anticipation as Raedan took her in his arms. She was acutely aware of his nearness, his scent. Even relaxed, she could feel his power. Although he was much taller than she was, they fit together well, her body nestling against his. She had never been more aware of being a woman. Time lost all meaning and there was only the two of them, slowly swaying back and forth, her cheek resting against his chest, his arms warm around her.

Raedan brushed a kiss across the top of her head, his nostrils filling with the scent of her hair, her perfume. Her desire. She wanted him and the thought filled him with delight. And terror. Her blood sang to him. The demon within urged him to bury his fangs in her soft flesh, to taste her blood on his tongue, to feel the warmth of it flowing through his veins, sweeter than honey, chasing away the eternal cold of his existence.

He closed his eyes as he called on every ounce of self-control he possessed to resist the terrible hunger that engulfed him.

The blood-demon roared in his ears as he sensed he was losing the battle.

“Raedan?”

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