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the hot liquid effervescing beneath her skin. The trembling of her blood to be taken again by the vampire’s kiss.
    “Damn.” He pounded the dashboard. There was another vampire. In his territory. And he was sure he knew who it was.
    “I thought I’d seen the last of you over two hundred years ago, Francesco Volierre.”
    Nervous tension crawled along the vampire’s clenched fingers and up to his temples. His mind began to throb with forgotten memories. He had made a mistake. Yes, he could admit that now after all these years. He had wronged Francesco. The man had every right to seek him out.
    But why now? Why had he waited so long?
    ***
    Scarlet pulled the hairbrush through her gleaming hair, pulling the nylon bristles to the ends and watching dreamily as the long strands floated to her shoulders. Her thoughts were on Sebastian DelaCourte. They had been all night and day since he’d kissed her. She pursed her lips, hoping to recall the sweet taste of his kiss. It had been almost twenty-four hours, and the heat was beginning to fade. She yearned for him to re-warm them for her.
    She imagined his face in the mirror, his devilish smile beckoning her to surrender to him. His long straight hair, pleading for her fingers to tangle through it. And his elegance and charm, simply asking for her submission.
    She wondered if she would surrender to him, let him take her into his arms and ravish her body. No, not on the first date. Though she felt sure that he was probably used to women throwing themselves at him, what with his rock n’ roll lifestyle. He probably had a different woman every night.
    “Hmm.”
    She decided it would be best to control her desires. Set herself apart from all the women he had most likely had. She didn’t want to appear too eager. Not that she fancied herself as a wild woman who zoomed in for the kill, but she wasn’t sure how she would act around Sebastian. Not after the way he had made her feel last night.
    Casper pounced onto the vanity, disheveling the various ribbons and sprays nestled among the silver brushes and glass perfume bottles, casting Sebastian’s tempting image from her thoughts.
    “Casper, not now, go play.”
    Annoyed, Scarlet shooed the cat away with a flick of her wrist and then crossed the room. She picked through her closet in search of the perfect dress. Something that would make her stand out from the rest of the women.
    “This one will do the trick.”
    Cool red silk slipped over her body, clinging to her breasts and hips and stopping just above her knees in a flourish of teasing white ruffles. She shimmied in front of the mirror, enjoying the sexy slide of the material over his skin and hoping that Sebastian would also notice. A pair of red snakeskin heels added the finishing touch and she headed downstairs to wait.
    The living room echoed with a soft, sensuous melody. Guitar and voice interwove in a tender love song. Gary played, while Vince sang, his voice liquid silver. They were working on a new ballad. According to Gary, all they needed were a few more songs for their album.
    Scarlet quietly took a chair next to the duo, settling into the thick cushions to enjoy this rare chance to listen to her brother’s music without having to pay for a ticket.
    Gary winked, not losing his place or concentration. Vince sang promises of undying love and devotion, his eyes closed to the world, as if he drew on all his inner emotions to give the song the life it deserved. When Gary joined in on the chorus, the two harmonized like angels.
    The doorbell rang, shattering Vince’s intense concentration and jolting Scarlet to her feet.
    He's here, oh God, he's already here .
    Vince cast Scarlet a long, lustful stare as she walked past him. “Let’s call it quits for today.” He slouched back into the sofa. “I’m tired.”
    “So am I,” Gary added. “We’ve pretty much got the lyrics the way we want anyway.”
    “I think it’s more like too much partying,” Scarlet said