I've had my toes licked by Hugh Jackman. My back ma.s.saged by Patrick Dempsey. My feet tantalized with a pair of one-of- a-kind python pumps with diamond-encrusted straps. (What? We're talking Jimmy Choo.) My latest-and my most fave-involved me, a breezy beach cabana, a mesh bikini and a certain s.e.xy bounty hunter.

Surprisingly, there wasn't a grain of sand or a palm frond in sight. Instead, I was completely naked, spread out on a pair of pale pink Egyptian cotton sheets.

Ty leaned over me, his body silhouetted against the flickering glow of a single lit candle. His naked body covering the length of mine, his muscles hard beneath my roaming hands. I felt my way up, over his toned a.s.s, the dip at the base of his spine, the sinewy planes of his back, his broad shoulders. His dark silky hair brushed my skin and my eyes shot all the way open.

Everything went from fuzzy to focused and Ty's handsome face loomed over me.

You were dreaming about me. His lips didn't move, but his deep voice echoed in my head, reminding me of the fact that he'd drank my blood and I'd drank his.

We were connected now in a way that went beyond his-and-hers hand towels. While this little bit of FYI had freaked me out at first, I'd actually started to like it.

At least when it came to s.e.x.

We're talking better than a mood ring.

I smiled (all of five seconds) until I remembered that he'd bailed on me. No note. No phone call. No email.

"I sent you a text on Tuesday." He dipped his head and nuzzled my ear. He flicked his tongue and a lightning bolt zapped me.

"To say you were working late," I managed, despite the yummy heat seeping through me. His tongue grazed the side of my neck and electricity sizzled from the point of contact. It spread through my body, pausing in several interesting places. My armpits.

My nipples. My belly b.u.t.ton. Lower ... "Late usually means a few hours," I said when I finally found my voice again.

"Not in my line of work." Another flick of his tongue and a few nibbles and he pulled back to stare into my eyes. "I'm on a tough case that's still wide open. I shouldn't be here now, but when I got your message, you sounded so upset..." His voice trailed off and I didn't miss the brightening of his eyes. "I needed to see you."

I touched his face. Rough stubble rasped my fingertips, dispelling any lingering notion that I was dreaming.

I wasn't sure if it was the stress of the past few days spent worrying and wondering if he 'd changed his mind about us or the stress of the past few hours, but I had the sudden urge to throw my arms around his neck and burst into tears. He was here now and while I knew I didn't need his comfort (I was the ultimate bada.s.s, in de pen dent, single and successful vampire), I still wanted it.

He kissed me then, effectively distracting me from the crazy realization. My brain zeroed in on his tongue and the way he stroked mine and, well, who could think with all that going on?

"I'm sorry about the frantic phone call," I told him when we finally came up for air and I had a twinge of conscience. "I was pretty stressed."

"I wish I could have helped."

"That's okay. Ash took care of things."

"I heard."

I didn't miss the flash of jealousy in his gaze and warmth spread through me. "He thinks Esther's off having a wild, pa.s.sionate affair and that I'm freaking for nothing."

He nodded. "It's possible."

I shook my head. "She wouldn't just disappear like that." "Maybe. Maybe not. But worrying over it won't help one way or the other. Wait and see what Ash turns up. Then you can freak."

"He said it would be at least twenty-four hours before he knows more. I don't think I can wait that long."

He grinned. "I can think of a way to pa.s.s the time." His expression grew serious and his eyes blazed bright and fierce. "I really missed you."

A smiled played at my lips. "I missed you, too." I pressed my body against his. "And I missed this."

"Ditto." He pressed his thigh between my legs and rubbed against my slit. Sensation bolted through me and my entire body shook.

His lips captured mine again and his tongue plunged deep. His pulse beat echoed in my head, keeping time with the frantic ba- bom-ba-bom-ba-bom of my own.

I clutched at his shoulders and opened myself to him, but he held back. Instead, he teased and stirred until I just knew I was going to lose my mind.

I exerted a little BV strength, rolled him over and straddled him. My gaze locked with his as I slid down his hard, hot length. He throbbed deep inside me and pure ecstasy gripped me. Every nerve in my body started to buzz. To want. Suddenly I couldn't feel him deep enough. Fast enough. I rode him hard then. Taking and giving and ... there. Right... there.

My o.r.g.a.s.m was fierce, slamming over me, picking me up, shaking me around. Until I stopped thinking and worrying and I simply felt. Ty inside of me. Surrounding me.

My body bucked and my head fell back. He pulled me down to him then, his hips lifting as he caught my nipple with his mouth.

He sank his teeth deep and started to drink, and I plunged over the edge.

I gripped his head and held him to me as the convulsions ripped through my body. One after the other. Each more fierce than the last. My body sucked at his c.o.c.k the way his mouth drew on my nipple and it went beyond anything I'd ever felt.

My own hunger stirred then, gripping and twisting until I felt my fangs against my tongue. The urge hit me then and I couldn 't help myself. I gripped his hair and pulled him up until we were face-to-face.

I kissed him then, tasting my blood on his tongue. It was warm and sweet and the hunger roared inside of me.

Now. The deep command echoed in my head and the next thing I knew, his head was tilted back and my mouth was on his neck. His blood pulsed past my lips, drenched my tongue and slid down my throat.

Sweet.

Succulent.

He gripped my hips and came then. His body shook and a growl vibrated in my ears.

I drank a few more seconds while he bucked and trembled. I released his neck, licked my lips and melted against him. He held me tight then, not moving or speaking. Just holding.

At that moment I stopped wondering if he loved me. I felt it. Deep in my heart. My soul.

Unfortunately, the feeling lasted all of an hour.

All too soon, Ty crawled out of bed, pulled on his clothes and left without one word (a kiss on the lips does not count). Luckily, I was half-asleep and so relaxed that I didn't fly out of bed and open up a can of whoop a.s.s on him. Or worse, morph into a blubbering idiot and blurt out how much I loved and adored and worshipped him.

Wait a sec. Did I just say worship?

Press rewind and forget that last one. I might be a sucker for love, but I so wasn't a sappy idiot.

Anyhow, back to blurting out my love and adoration.

Not happening. At least not until I was absolutely, positively sure that he felt the same way.

Of course, I wasn't worrying about any of that right now. Or whether or not the meet and greet party was going to pay off and save me from ma.s.sive refunds. Or Esther and the b.l.o.o.d.y couch.

Especially Esther and the b.l.o.o.d.y couch.

Rather, I was basking in the glow of wicked hot s.e.x.

I pulled Ty's pillow on top of my head, drank in his scent and pretended all was right with my world. In a matter of seconds, I was fast asleep.

Hey, sometimes it pays to be a vampilicious optimist.

W hen I cracked open an eye late that afternoon, I fully expected to find the bed beside me empty.

What I didn't expect was my mother, live and in color, looming over me.

"Ma? What are you-" The words stalled in my throat as I cast a frantic glance at the tangle of sheets next to me just to make sure I hadn't imagined Ty going AWOL again.

Sure enough, the bed was empty.

Thankfully.

Not that I wanted a one-sided relationship with a made vampire who couldn't commit. But we were still in the honeymoon phase, so I was willing to hang in there and see where things might lead. Just because, you know, I'm the curious sort who likes to experience afterlife and all that it has to offer.

All right, already. I'm the hopeless romantic sort with a weakness for happily-ever-afters, particularly my own.

I simply could not live with myself for the next trillion or so years if I didn 't at least give him a chance. Even if I did have the unnerving feeling that I'd latched onto a bona fide commitment-phobe.

On top of that, I was born and he was made, and Ash was one hundred percent right. My mother was going to freakin' freak.

But not just yet.

While I wanted my mother in-the-know when it came to my relationship with Ty, finding out about the man your only daughter is boffing and actually catching them en boff were two very different things.

I gathered the sheet up under my arms, struggled to a sitting position and tried to look innocent.

My ma could sniff out the dreaded G faster than a werewolf could locate the nearest barbeque joint. I drew a deep breath (hey, it helps the average human) and tuned out the Ack! She is so going to kill me! I ignored the heat creeping up my neck and focused on the zillion questions inspired by my ma's sudden appearance.

Why?

What?

When?

Where?

Cartier?

My gaze snagged on the pearl and diamond choker that encircled my mother 's slim neck. I forgot my mental inquisition and drank in the vampire standing beside my bed.

Jacqueline Marchette was rocking it in a pair of gray Armani tailored pants, a black silk sh.e.l.l and a fitted red Marni jacket that accented her tall, svelte figure. Her long dark hair was swept back in a chic ponytail. Dark eyeliner rimmed rich brown eyes framed with perfectly arched eyebrows. High sculpted cheekbones, a delicate nose and flawless skin betrayed her pure bloodline. She smelled of cherries jubilee, Chanel No. 5 and determination. Uh-oh.

"How'd you get in here?" I blurted.

"I'm a vampire, dear. I have ways."

My gaze ping-ponged toward the heavy-duty blinds to my left. "You levitated through the window?"

"Don't be silly. I don't levitate when I've got a perfectly comfortable pair of Jimmy Choos to walk in."

"You used your super-strength to break the lock on my front door?"

"And risk a three hundred dollar Belgian manicure? Darling, please."

"You morphed into a whiff of smoke and seeped through the cracks?"

"And risk smelling like the inside of your father 's favorite pipe? Stop being overly dramatic, Lilliana. I slipped your building super a few fifties." She held up a key. "It's a capitalist society, dear. Money trumps vampire magic every time. Provided you have money, of course." She fingered the edge of my bedsheet and stared down her perfect nose. "Cotton poly blend?"

My defenses went on full alert. "These are Egyptian cotton. Sort of." She shook her head and I stiffened. "The good sheets are dirty. I haven't made it to the Laundromat yet."

"Well, that explains why you're naked."

"Maybe I was having hot, random s.e.x with strangers," I heard myself say. Hey, a vamp's gotta have her pride and my mom was much too quick to buy the Laundromat excuse. "A really hot, handsome stranger."

"If only." My mother cast a glance around her. "You know, if you would just take your father up on his offer, you wouldn't have to live like this. Not only is the salary good at Moe's, but we just added dental."

"My fangs are fine, Ma."

"And maid service."

"I like cleaning. Really."

She didn't say anything. Instead, she gave a disdainful little sniff that made me feel like I should be starring in The Biggest Loser.

"Did you drive all the way from Connecticut just to criticize me?"

"Don't be silly, dear. I can do that over the phone." She shook her head. "Someone has to stop your brother from making a tragic mistake that he will regret for the rest of his afterlife. Your father and I are headed over to Park Avenue right now to talk some sense into him." She nailed me with a stare. "And you're coming with us."

My mom needed me. As terrifying as the thought was, it was also sort of sweet. In a weird, twisted, Mommy Dearest way.

My ego perked. "I'm the moral support?"

"You're the distraction, dear." She flicked an invisible piece of lint from her sleeve. "First, we'll try to persuade him with a nice fat, juicy raise. If that doesn't work, we'll throw in a four-week, all-expense-paid trip to Hawaii. And if that doesn't work, I'm going to slip these into the human's drink." She held up a small silver packet of pills.

"Please tell me those are vitamins." She shook her head and gave an evil grin. "Birth control pills, dear. I got them from Millicent Von Waldenburg, who got them from her son, Ivan. You remember Ivan?"

"Isn't he the one who slicks his hair back?"

"It's a cla.s.sic look, dear. Think Frank Langella."

"Or the Fonz."

She gave me a pointed glare. "You're much too picky, Lilliana. You'll never find a decent eternity mate if you don't bend a little. Ivan is a fabulous prospect. His fertility rating is an eight and he 's got several nice real estate investments that are paying off heavily."

"I'm not going out with Ivan."