android. No one would ever program a machine to be as outrageous as you.”
“You wouldn't want me to be a machine, would you?”
“No, but I still don't know what or who you are.” She turned and opened the dryer door. “You might as well get dressed. It's obvious you're not going to tell me.”
“Lara.” He touched her shoulder. “I am sorry.”
With a sigh, she removed his black T-shirt. “I don't understand why you can't tell me.”
He took the warm T-shirt. “It's a matter of security. There are… others who would be in danger if I said too much.”
“Others like you?”
He pulled the T-shirt over his head. “I really shouldn't say.”
“There's got to be a way around this.” She shut the dryer door. “What if I did the talking, and if I'm wrong you can say so, but if I'm right, you say nothing.”
That might be safe for a few questions. He seriously doubted she would ever guess he was a vampire.
“Are you an alien?”
“No.” He tucked his T-shirt into his jeans.
“Do you have any metal parts, like the Bionic Man?”
“No.”
She placed a hand on his chest. “You're a live, human male?”
“At the moment.” His heart was beating now, but it would stop at sunrise.
Her mouth quirked. “You're only male at the moment?”
“If you doubt my masculinity, love, just slide your hand a little lower.”
She laughed. “You never give up.”
He touched her cheek. “I'm afraid I have to, for the night. I need to go to work.”
“Where do you work?”
“Wherever I'm assigned.”
She grabbed his shirt and squeezed the cotton in her fists. “You're driving me crazy!”
“Cara mia.” He slid his hand around the nape of her neck. “The feeling is mutual.”
“Why can't you trust me?” she whispered. “You came to my rescue. You probably saved my life. We shared a really nice kiss—”
“Nice?”
“Really nice.” She gave him an annoyed look. “Okay, it was super-duper
über-hot The point is, I would never do any thing to hurt you. You can trust me.”
His heart ached. He knew she meant the words now, but if she knew the truth, she'd consider him a monster. “Lara.” He rested his forehead against hers. “I wish I could be the man you want me to be. The kind of man you deserve.”
She touched his face. “What's stopping you?”
He closed his eyes. “Life… and death.” She was one, and he was the other.
“I don't understand.”
“I know.” He pressed a kiss against her brow. It was best for him never to see her again. But the thought of never holding her in his arms again, never hearing the sound of her laughter, never gazing into the blue heaven of her eyes—it was wrenching his heart in two.
But what choice did he have? Either she could remain ignorant and remember him fondly, or she could learn too much and recall him with disgust. The former option was the best for both of them. “Good night, Lara.”
Good-bye, cara mia. He strode from her apartment, wishing he were dead. Unfortunately, that wish came true with every sunrise.
Five days passed with no word from Jack. Lara tried not to think about him, but how could she forget the most intriguing man she'd ever met? Or forget the hottest kiss she'd ever received?
Five long days. He had to be avoiding her. Obviously, he didn't want to tell her about himself, but couldn't they still be friends? Deep inside she felt he could be trusted. He'd come to her rescue. He'd protected her from harm. He'd been very apologetic about his inability to explain. He had to be a good man. And he was one hell of a good kisser.
LaToya kept bugging her to call him, but Lara resisted. LaToya had run his plates, so she knew his address, but Lara refused to go see him. She was hurt and disappointed that he hadn't confided in her, so she was avoiding him, too.
She wasn't supposed to return to work yet, so she spent the days cooking, cleaning, and watching DVDs, mostly romantic comedies. None of the heroes were as sexy as
“You wouldn't want me to be a machine, would you?”
“No, but I still don't know what or who you are.” She turned and opened the dryer door. “You might as well get dressed. It's obvious you're not going to tell me.”
“Lara.” He touched her shoulder. “I am sorry.”
With a sigh, she removed his black T-shirt. “I don't understand why you can't tell me.”
He took the warm T-shirt. “It's a matter of security. There are… others who would be in danger if I said too much.”
“Others like you?”
He pulled the T-shirt over his head. “I really shouldn't say.”
“There's got to be a way around this.” She shut the dryer door. “What if I did the talking, and if I'm wrong you can say so, but if I'm right, you say nothing.”
That might be safe for a few questions. He seriously doubted she would ever guess he was a vampire.
“Are you an alien?”
“No.” He tucked his T-shirt into his jeans.
“Do you have any metal parts, like the Bionic Man?”
“No.”
She placed a hand on his chest. “You're a live, human male?”
“At the moment.” His heart was beating now, but it would stop at sunrise.
Her mouth quirked. “You're only male at the moment?”
“If you doubt my masculinity, love, just slide your hand a little lower.”
She laughed. “You never give up.”
He touched her cheek. “I'm afraid I have to, for the night. I need to go to work.”
“Where do you work?”
“Wherever I'm assigned.”
She grabbed his shirt and squeezed the cotton in her fists. “You're driving me crazy!”
“Cara mia.” He slid his hand around the nape of her neck. “The feeling is mutual.”
“Why can't you trust me?” she whispered. “You came to my rescue. You probably saved my life. We shared a really nice kiss—”
“Nice?”
“Really nice.” She gave him an annoyed look. “Okay, it was super-duper
über-hot The point is, I would never do any thing to hurt you. You can trust me.”
His heart ached. He knew she meant the words now, but if she knew the truth, she'd consider him a monster. “Lara.” He rested his forehead against hers. “I wish I could be the man you want me to be. The kind of man you deserve.”
She touched his face. “What's stopping you?”
He closed his eyes. “Life… and death.” She was one, and he was the other.
“I don't understand.”
“I know.” He pressed a kiss against her brow. It was best for him never to see her again. But the thought of never holding her in his arms again, never hearing the sound of her laughter, never gazing into the blue heaven of her eyes—it was wrenching his heart in two.
But what choice did he have? Either she could remain ignorant and remember him fondly, or she could learn too much and recall him with disgust. The former option was the best for both of them. “Good night, Lara.”
Good-bye, cara mia. He strode from her apartment, wishing he were dead. Unfortunately, that wish came true with every sunrise.
Five days passed with no word from Jack. Lara tried not to think about him, but how could she forget the most intriguing man she'd ever met? Or forget the hottest kiss she'd ever received?
Five long days. He had to be avoiding her. Obviously, he didn't want to tell her about himself, but couldn't they still be friends? Deep inside she felt he could be trusted. He'd come to her rescue. He'd protected her from harm. He'd been very apologetic about his inability to explain. He had to be a good man. And he was one hell of a good kisser.
LaToya kept bugging her to call him, but Lara resisted. LaToya had run his plates, so she knew his address, but Lara refused to go see him. She was hurt and disappointed that he hadn't confided in her, so she was avoiding him, too.
She wasn't supposed to return to work yet, so she spent the days cooking, cleaning, and watching DVDs, mostly romantic comedies. None of the heroes were as sexy as
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