“You’re almost too good to be true, Sam. When will you show your true colors?” She rises in one smooth motion and faces me.
The fact that she’s been hurt is evident in most of what she does and says. I’m honored that for a short time last night, she trusted me. “What will it take to prove to you that I am what you see?”
Her stare is meant to discomfort me, but after a moment, she shakes her head. “Why did you come here if not to scold me for running out in the night?”
“We’re going to the farmer’s market.” I’m not too proud to admit her shocked expression is gratifying.
The sun breaches the dense trees behind the cemetery. She walks toward the house. “What do you want from me?”
I follow. “For the moment, I want to take you out in public and show you a place I enjoy on Saturday mornings.”
With her hand on the handle of the French doors, she stops. Her shoulders slump. “I’m really not worth all this trouble, Sam.”
Closing the distance, I put myself between her and the rising sun. I wrap my arms around her. “You are. From the first moment I saw you, I wanted you.”
“And now you’ve had me. Let that be enough.” She pulls away and opens the door.
“I want more than sex, Mari. Is that so hard for you to believe? Did Pierre rob you of any hope for affection? Why do you give him so much space in your life all these years later?” It’s too harsh, but I don’t want her to close the door. If she shuts me out, I’ll spend a long time looking for a way back into her good graces.
“You can’t possibly understand.” Pain etches a line between her eyes.
“Is he even still alive? Maybe someone plunged a stake through his heart and he burst into flames twenty years ago.” Unable to hold in the grin, I let a laugh escape.
“That’s not funny.” She holds her smile at bay. “Pierre is still alive. If he were dead, I’d feel it.” She sighs and presses her fist to the center of her chest.
The doorway is small for me. I open the other side and duck inside. “Come to the farm market. Meet some people. It will be fun.”
Doubt twists her beautiful lips. “I’ll come with you. You’ll see that public places are not good for me. Then you’ll stop asking me. Vampires are predators. Everyone senses it and will shun me.”
“This is Harmony Glen,” I say with more confidence than I feel. “Humans and monsters live side by side here, some even closer than that. It’s going to be fine.” I hope I’m right.
As soon as I’ve parked my truck, which takes up two spaces, Mari moves to pull her black lace veil over her face. Her skin is warmer and pinker than it was before last night. I like the idea that my blood revitalized her.
“You look very pretty.” I hop out and round the truck to open the door for her.
Her gaze never leaves me. She stares through the sun-shielding lace. “I look well fed.” The hint of a smile tugs at her full lips, but she steels her expression too quickly.
“Then my blood appeals to you?” I’m fishing, but I can’t help it. I long for her approval.
She turns in her seat so that her knees touch my midsection where I’m leaning in the open truck door. “You already know I like the taste of you. You already know I’m aroused by you. Why are you looking for me to admit it?”
Even through jeans, the coolness of her skin reaches me. I cup her knees in my hands and press them apart. Thrilled that she doesn’t fight, I lean in and kiss her cheek through the veil. “Words have power. I long for all of yours, at least where they concern you and me and what we might have together.”
She lets out a long breath. “We have now. Nothing more.”
“If we string enough nows together, we have a lifetime.” Not waiting for her to deny or scold, I wrap my hands around her waist and ease her from the truck. Aside from the veil covering her face, she looks almost human in jeans and a black shirt. The lace sleeves reach her wrists, and matching lace gloves cover her hands. Even covered from head to toe, she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
Taking her hand in mine, I walk us toward the Harmony Market.
“This is nice.” She looks at all the local and seasonal items.
“A troll named Ogram owns the farm and market. He’s not much for being around people. You’d like him.” I laugh at my joke, and it’s gratifying when she smiles. “He has a way with growing things. Sometimes we trade my foraged mushrooms and fiddlehead ferns for herbs. He’s a good guy, and he likes his privacy.”
I walk through, picking up some spring peas and other items while keeping one eye on Mari as she examines everything. For a creature who doesn’t need food for sustenance, she’s very curious about it all.
After a very brief hello and goodbye with Ogram while I paid him, I lost sight of Mari—my heart pounds, wondering if she’s left me again. However, I find her standing outside in the shade of the farm stand, leaning against the outside wall. She’s watching all the people drive up and say hello to friends and neighbors. There’s a sad look in her eyes.
Rather than draw her attention, I stay in the opening and watch her. There’s longing for what she lost, and I suddenly want to know who she was before Pierre made her a monster.
