at them, she grabbed his arm to keep him from falling out.
“It’s beautiful,” he said.
A surge of tenderness softened her heart. He resembled a child, bending over the safety bar, eyes glowing in happiness and amazement. It made her feel responsible, and protective of him. Strange.
He leaned back and gazed at the night sky. “There are lights up there, too.”
She tilted her head back. Stars sparkled in the velvety blackness.
“I see things differently now,” he murmured.
“In what way?”
“Everything is…clearer. I don’t know how to describe it.”
Their car jerked and started moving again. As the wheel turned, Talia lost the urge to laugh. Reminders of Drake’s differences left her with an empty, cold spot in her heart, and filled with doubt. Could she really pull this campaign off? If the Romanians hated the idea, what would happen to Drake? It hurt her head to think about it.
Their ride ended and they joined Felix and Gerri outside the fence surrounding the Ferris wheel.
“What next?” Her assistant hopped up and down like a kid. “That was great.”
“I want to go on the roller coaster,” Gerri said.
Talia shook her head. “Not me.”
“I’m in.” Felix grabbed Gerri’s hand. “Let’s go.”
“Drake?” Her friend raised a brow.
“I’ll stay with Tal.” He stuck his hands in his pants pockets.
“Call my cell when you finish and we’ll meet up,” Talia said. She couldn’t stop the giddy glow of satisfaction sparked by Drake choosing to stay with her. Her self esteem was able to inch up a notch after last night’s debacle.
“What would you like to do?” Drake strolled by her side.
“I always wanted somebody to win a super huge stuffed animal for me.” She gave him a sideways glance.
He grinned. “You’re so funny.” He took her hand and pointed to the arcade area. “Let’s go.”
She felt like a teenager on her first date at the local fair. Back then, the bigger the prize the more the boy loved her. Sort of like bagging big game and bringing it back to the ol’ cave in prehistoric times. It struck her as absurd that she really did want that stuffed animal, even now.
Drake chose pitching a baseball at metal jugs stacked in a tripod. It was a rigged game and nobody ever won, but Drake was rigged, too. A flash of him sending that vampire across the dance floor with no effort at the club went through her mind.
He gave her a grin and did an exaggerated windup. When he let fly, the ball whizzed through the air in a white blur. The game owner broke off his exaggerated promotion calls and froze as the metal bottles tumbled to the ground. And that was just Drake’s first ball.
It took him nine balls to work from a palm sized toy dog to a four foot tall fuzzy panda. He presented it to Talia with a bow.
“I can’t carry all these.” She laughed. Juggling the various animals he’d won.
“Hey, kids,” Drake called to a family with three young children. “Want some stuffed toys?”
They squealed and jumped up and down as Drake handed the smaller animals to them. The parents looked on with amusement, no doubt glad they’d be spared having to spend money to buy toys.
Talia hoisted the bear under her arm and headed down the line of arcade game booths.
“Want another one?” Drake asked.
She chuckled. “No. We’ll have to rent an extra taxi just to get this one home.”
He put a hand on her elbow, stopping her, as he scanned the crowd before them.
“What’s wrong?” She searched the faces ahead, following his stare.
His intent expression eased. “Nothing, I thought I saw something. Never mind.”
“You seemed upset.”
He pressed his lips into a firm line. “I’m sorry. I just want to be ready if there are any other vampires around. It’s dangerous.”
A shiver ran along her arms. She never considered where vampires would hang out. “Why would they choose an amusement park?”
He came around to face her. “Why? It’s full of people,
“It’s beautiful,” he said.
A surge of tenderness softened her heart. He resembled a child, bending over the safety bar, eyes glowing in happiness and amazement. It made her feel responsible, and protective of him. Strange.
He leaned back and gazed at the night sky. “There are lights up there, too.”
She tilted her head back. Stars sparkled in the velvety blackness.
“I see things differently now,” he murmured.
“In what way?”
“Everything is…clearer. I don’t know how to describe it.”
Their car jerked and started moving again. As the wheel turned, Talia lost the urge to laugh. Reminders of Drake’s differences left her with an empty, cold spot in her heart, and filled with doubt. Could she really pull this campaign off? If the Romanians hated the idea, what would happen to Drake? It hurt her head to think about it.
Their ride ended and they joined Felix and Gerri outside the fence surrounding the Ferris wheel.
“What next?” Her assistant hopped up and down like a kid. “That was great.”
“I want to go on the roller coaster,” Gerri said.
Talia shook her head. “Not me.”
“I’m in.” Felix grabbed Gerri’s hand. “Let’s go.”
“Drake?” Her friend raised a brow.
“I’ll stay with Tal.” He stuck his hands in his pants pockets.
“Call my cell when you finish and we’ll meet up,” Talia said. She couldn’t stop the giddy glow of satisfaction sparked by Drake choosing to stay with her. Her self esteem was able to inch up a notch after last night’s debacle.
“What would you like to do?” Drake strolled by her side.
“I always wanted somebody to win a super huge stuffed animal for me.” She gave him a sideways glance.
He grinned. “You’re so funny.” He took her hand and pointed to the arcade area. “Let’s go.”
She felt like a teenager on her first date at the local fair. Back then, the bigger the prize the more the boy loved her. Sort of like bagging big game and bringing it back to the ol’ cave in prehistoric times. It struck her as absurd that she really did want that stuffed animal, even now.
Drake chose pitching a baseball at metal jugs stacked in a tripod. It was a rigged game and nobody ever won, but Drake was rigged, too. A flash of him sending that vampire across the dance floor with no effort at the club went through her mind.
He gave her a grin and did an exaggerated windup. When he let fly, the ball whizzed through the air in a white blur. The game owner broke off his exaggerated promotion calls and froze as the metal bottles tumbled to the ground. And that was just Drake’s first ball.
It took him nine balls to work from a palm sized toy dog to a four foot tall fuzzy panda. He presented it to Talia with a bow.
“I can’t carry all these.” She laughed. Juggling the various animals he’d won.
“Hey, kids,” Drake called to a family with three young children. “Want some stuffed toys?”
They squealed and jumped up and down as Drake handed the smaller animals to them. The parents looked on with amusement, no doubt glad they’d be spared having to spend money to buy toys.
Talia hoisted the bear under her arm and headed down the line of arcade game booths.
“Want another one?” Drake asked.
She chuckled. “No. We’ll have to rent an extra taxi just to get this one home.”
He put a hand on her elbow, stopping her, as he scanned the crowd before them.
“What’s wrong?” She searched the faces ahead, following his stare.
His intent expression eased. “Nothing, I thought I saw something. Never mind.”
“You seemed upset.”
He pressed his lips into a firm line. “I’m sorry. I just want to be ready if there are any other vampires around. It’s dangerous.”
A shiver ran along her arms. She never considered where vampires would hang out. “Why would they choose an amusement park?”
He came around to face her. “Why? It’s full of people,
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