phone—it was a black crow. Until very recently, she wasn't used to seeing them around. "Just like the cat..." she whispered to herself while chills ran up and down her spine.
She could hear, "Hello? Salena, are you still there?" coming up from the floor.
"Oh." She picked the phone up off the floor. "Yes, sorry about that. I have butter fingers." She looked back toward the window, but the bird was already gone.
Rob cleared his throat and pressed forward, "Salena, can we have dinner tonight at seven? I'd really like to get to know you better."
"Um, I don't know if I'm ready." She kept her eyes fixed on the window, but there was nothing there now.
"I know you're upset," he said softly, "and I want to help you if I can—just dinner, no expectations."
Salena didn't want to hurt Rob's feelings, and she didn't think he was going to give up, so she agreed. "Okay, pick me up at The Edgar Degas House at seven thirty; I have to pick up some papers there anyway." The truth was, she didn't want to invite him to her house and be expected to invite him inside. She already had one man in and out of her house without her desire or consent. Then, as she hung the phone up, a chilling thought occurred to her—what if Rob is the one who has been scaring her, stalking her, and making her afraid to be in her own home? It would certainly make more sense than the vampire theory. Then again, what about what she'd witnessed during the vampire tour? There was no denying that. Also, he doesn't look like her mystery lover, at all, unless he can somehow change his appearance to blend in. So, if it isn't Rob—and it really is a vampire stalking her—then either way, going to dinner could be a huge mistake. She needed more answers; Heloise would just have to see her today.
Chapter 42
Devin perched outside Salena's window; he was out of sight but not out of earshot. He heard Salena agree to meet Rob for dinner, and he would just have to intervene.
He peered inside and watched her nervously pacing through her small house while biting her fingernails. He wished he could put her fingertips in his mouth; first, he would plant kisses, then he would suck on them gently, and finally, he would nibble on them ever so slightly to make her body shiver from desire.
Pulled from his daydream, Devin saw her pick up her cell phone and, with shaking hands, type in a number.
Salena's voice trembled, "Heloise, can I come visit you?"
Chapter 43
Salena left for Heloise's house quickly. It had started to rain, and there was a chill in the air; driving the curvy highway would not be pleasant. It was just a light sprinkle at first, but just as she was backing out of the driveway, it turned into a downpour. Through the deluge, she didn't see the black wolf running along in the woods and keeping pace with her car.
Feeling chilled, Salena reached over to adjust the heater. Her eyes were off the road for only a second, but that is all it took. Regretfully, she hadn't noticed the huge puddle of standing water lying just ahead. Her car hit it and caused her to hydroplane; in a panic, she overcorrected her steering wheel and slid off into the ditch. This scared her to no end but, thankfully, she wasn't hurt. The car seemed to be okay too; luckily, it was a ditch and not a tree.
After she collected her wits, she tried to pull out of the ditch but couldn't; the rain was coming down harder and faster, and the tires were stuck in the mud. After spinning the tires and figuring she was making matters worse, she turned the engine off and grabbed her purse to call AAA for a tow. Just as she began to dial, though, she felt the car shake. Salena dropped the phone in a panic and tried desperately to see out the rain-streaked windows; however, everything was blurred. She felt the car moving and gripped her seat and steering wheel so tightly, her knuckles turned white. She hasn't gone to church very often, but now she said a silent prayer. Suddenly there was a soft thud, and
She could hear, "Hello? Salena, are you still there?" coming up from the floor.
"Oh." She picked the phone up off the floor. "Yes, sorry about that. I have butter fingers." She looked back toward the window, but the bird was already gone.
Rob cleared his throat and pressed forward, "Salena, can we have dinner tonight at seven? I'd really like to get to know you better."
"Um, I don't know if I'm ready." She kept her eyes fixed on the window, but there was nothing there now.
"I know you're upset," he said softly, "and I want to help you if I can—just dinner, no expectations."
Salena didn't want to hurt Rob's feelings, and she didn't think he was going to give up, so she agreed. "Okay, pick me up at The Edgar Degas House at seven thirty; I have to pick up some papers there anyway." The truth was, she didn't want to invite him to her house and be expected to invite him inside. She already had one man in and out of her house without her desire or consent. Then, as she hung the phone up, a chilling thought occurred to her—what if Rob is the one who has been scaring her, stalking her, and making her afraid to be in her own home? It would certainly make more sense than the vampire theory. Then again, what about what she'd witnessed during the vampire tour? There was no denying that. Also, he doesn't look like her mystery lover, at all, unless he can somehow change his appearance to blend in. So, if it isn't Rob—and it really is a vampire stalking her—then either way, going to dinner could be a huge mistake. She needed more answers; Heloise would just have to see her today.
Chapter 42
Devin perched outside Salena's window; he was out of sight but not out of earshot. He heard Salena agree to meet Rob for dinner, and he would just have to intervene.
He peered inside and watched her nervously pacing through her small house while biting her fingernails. He wished he could put her fingertips in his mouth; first, he would plant kisses, then he would suck on them gently, and finally, he would nibble on them ever so slightly to make her body shiver from desire.
Pulled from his daydream, Devin saw her pick up her cell phone and, with shaking hands, type in a number.
Salena's voice trembled, "Heloise, can I come visit you?"
Chapter 43
Salena left for Heloise's house quickly. It had started to rain, and there was a chill in the air; driving the curvy highway would not be pleasant. It was just a light sprinkle at first, but just as she was backing out of the driveway, it turned into a downpour. Through the deluge, she didn't see the black wolf running along in the woods and keeping pace with her car.
Feeling chilled, Salena reached over to adjust the heater. Her eyes were off the road for only a second, but that is all it took. Regretfully, she hadn't noticed the huge puddle of standing water lying just ahead. Her car hit it and caused her to hydroplane; in a panic, she overcorrected her steering wheel and slid off into the ditch. This scared her to no end but, thankfully, she wasn't hurt. The car seemed to be okay too; luckily, it was a ditch and not a tree.
After she collected her wits, she tried to pull out of the ditch but couldn't; the rain was coming down harder and faster, and the tires were stuck in the mud. After spinning the tires and figuring she was making matters worse, she turned the engine off and grabbed her purse to call AAA for a tow. Just as she began to dial, though, she felt the car shake. Salena dropped the phone in a panic and tried desperately to see out the rain-streaked windows; however, everything was blurred. She felt the car moving and gripped her seat and steering wheel so tightly, her knuckles turned white. She hasn't gone to church very often, but now she said a silent prayer. Suddenly there was a soft thud, and
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