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Moonlight glinted across the silver chains on his boots, which clanked softly with each graceful step. It was fortunate that he lived so close to Scarlet because he planned to spend much time with her in the future.
    Someday you'll understand, Sebastian. I love you.
    The words he still didn’t understand reverberated in his memory. But meeting Scarlet made his heart beat wildly with hopes for love again. It had been a long time since he’d felt such a rush of emotions, that strong pull at his heart that he knew to be love. Mon dieu! She was so beautiful. And yes, he did believe in love at first sight. It had, after all, happened once before. So familiar, she had been. Her luscious curls, those delicate lips, and radiant jewel eyes.
    But she was different. She had to be, he was sure of it. Scarlet set his heart ablaze with newfound passion and desire. The pressure of his fingers gliding over her smooth silky skin, and her rich rose perfume, had teased his senses.
    Impossible to believe that this sort of heady feeling could come again as it had so long ago.
    He could barely wait for tomorrow night as he skipped across his yard, still moist from the summer storm, and took the rickety porch steps in one bound.
    Inside, he sprang up the stairs and began to strip off his clothes. He was so excited, he felt sure that sleep would not come, and he paced across the bedroom floor, scattering his garments here and there, Pausing at the window he closed his eyes, inhaling deeply the fresh air. He could already feel Scarlet’s lustrous hair falling over his bare skin. And her lips, yes, her lips had sent shock waves throughout his entire body.
    Waves that he would ride with her together. Soon.
    Please let everything go well. Let me be able to control this raging within.
     

Chapter Four
     
    The vampire lifted a grocery bag filled with cleaning sprays and mineral water, and set it on the passenger’s seat. The parking lot was nearly vacant save for a few older women and one incredibly gorgeous young woman with short-cropped blonde hair. She pushed her cart with delicate pink-tipped nails. The vampire peered over his circular sunglasses and smiled as she opened the trunk on the car next to his.
    “Nice day,” he said looking over her tan body. The tiny yellow bikini top she wore barely concealed her ample breasts and he was impressed that she had no visible tan lines.
    “Yes.” She bent to lift one of the heavily stuffed bags from her cart but pulled back and brought her finger to her mouth. “Shoot, broke a nail.”
    “Let me help you.” Seeing his chance, the vampire sailed over to her cart and began to load her groceries into the trunk as she made small talk with him.
    “It’s a little too hot for long sleeves, don’t you think?” She said this casually, though she seemed more interested in her torn nail.
    “Uh, I guess I was expecting it to rain again.” The vampire eyed the woman nervously and was satisfied that she could not see the lust in his eyes hidden safely behind his sunglasses. He checked his watch. He’d have time for this one if he hurried. But he noticed something alarming when she turned to push the cart back into the stall.
    “Oh.” The woman touched the hand that he’d placed on her neck.
    The vampire removed his fingers from the fading black and blue marks on her skin. Two of them, about an inch apart. “I’m sorry. There was some sort of bug…”
    “Oh!” The lady began to squirm, and she brushed frantically at her neck.
    “It’s all right. It’s gone now. Well, I shouldn’t be keeping you. I hope you won’t have any problems with your bags at home?”
    “No, my boyfriend can carry them in. Thank you.”
    Behind the wheel of his car, the vampire waved and watched as the woman stood by the trunk of her car until he left the parking lot. She hadn’t known who, or what, he was, but her body had. When he'd touched her bruises, her blood responded by rushing to the surface and he could feel