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shoulders bunched with tension, his hands white-knuckling the banister. “Somebody’s here.” A baleful glare and a hint of fang. “For you.”
    “What?” My confusion didn’t last long. Only one person would be coming to see me that could piss Daniel off that much. “No way.”
    Loud knocking on the door echoed through the foyer and up the stairwell. “Damn it, Roxie.”
    “You remember what he smells like?” This was disturbing on a number of levels.
    “Hard to forget the stench of insufferable asshole. Roxie, please tell me you won’t get mixed up with him again.”
    “I have a daddy, you know.” Leaving my backpack on the floor, I raced down the stairs to open the door. Blake stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, dropping a kiss on my forehead.
    “Hi, sweetness. You left before we could make plans for tonight.”
    “I told you not to call me sweetness.”
    “Yeah, but you didn’t mean it.” He winked before shifting his gaze to the top of the stairs. “Hi, Bubba, how are you?”
    The banister snapped under Daniel’s grip, the sound of crunching wood loud and unmistakable. “She’s the only one allowed to call me that.” Pointing at me, he said, “You got two minutes to get him out of my house.” He disappeared.
    Blake whistled. “That vampire speed thing is impressive.”
    “Not near as impressive as his vampire strength. He can put his fist through your face, Blake. Don’t antagonize him.”
    “He won’t hurt me.” Blake left the foyer for the living room and wandered around, randomly touching things. I wondered if he was looking for something or just nosy. “You won’t let him hurt me, will you, Roxie.” Clearly a statement and not a question. With amusement shining in his dark eyes, sexy smirk in full force, I had to tamp down thoughts of all the dreams I’d been having about him.
    “What makes you think I have any control over him?” Even I could hear the lack of conviction in my voice. If I drew a line on this matter, Daniel would toe it. I knew that. I also knew if I said make him go away and never come back, Daniel would do that, too. Right now I didn’t know what I wanted from Blake, but seeing him hurt wasn’t it.
    He found the antique radio, bringing it to life with a light touch of his hand. Music spilled forth, a jaunty big band number. The smirk changed to a smile. “Well, isn’t that something. How’s it work, do you know?”
    I joined him at the table. “I think it’s enchanted. It doesn’t feel like there’s a spirit trapped inside.”
    Blake examined the radio carefully, holding one hand an inch from the surface. I tipped my glasses down. A faint wave of energy flowed from the radio, crackling against his skin.
    “Pretty nifty magic.” He grinned.
    I was about to answer when movement drew my attention to the foyer. Daniel came to the bottom of the stairs with a great big slab of cowboy beefcake at his side.
    “Guess I better get going,” Beefcake said in a deep rumbling voice.
    “Yeah,” said Daniel.
    I tried not to gape as they kissed goodbye, Daniel giving Beefcake a slap on the ass as they broke their embrace. His cowboy boots clunked on the hardwood as he sauntered to the door. “I’ll call you tonight.”
    “You better.” The naughty purr in Daniel’s voice was quite a surprise.
    I struck as soon as the door closed. “That was some choice grade A sirloin there, Bubba.”
    Blake piled on. “Hope he gave you more than an eight second ride.”
    Daniel gave Blake a show of fang and a snarl. “You better be gone by the time I get out of the shower. Hear me, Roxie?”
    Suppressing an eye roll, I waved a hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah.”
    Daniel did not suppress his disapproval, giving me a look that would melt glass. But he left us alone, climbing the stairs at a stately pace.
    “Blake, you shouldn’t be here. It’s his house and he doesn’t want you here.”
    “Okay, then, let’s go.” He grabbed my hand.
    I pulled it away.