“Thanks, Ren. I appreciate the offer, but I’m a girl who takes care of her own problems. For what it’s worth, Christian’s good to me. I used to hate Vamps. I still mostly do. But I trust him with my life. He also knows not to cross me. If you have any concerns about his involvement in this case, don’t. He may be the biggest fanghole in Cognito, but he gets the job done.”
“I won’t lie—he makes me nervous. All that power they have. Wouldn’t take much to crush your skull if things got heated between you two. Maybe you should settle down with another Mage—someone with equal power.”
I gave him an oblique smile. “I have more power than you give me credit for.”
“That I don’t doubt.”
Chapter 6
“Ibought something for you,” I said, handing Christian a wedge of watermelon.
He smiled up at me from his grassy spot on the hill overlooking Keystone estates. “You remembered.”
I sat down beside him. “You told me about how much you love watermelon, but we never have any in the house. They’re in season, so I bought a few. I was going to leave one on your bed as a surprise, but I didn’t think you’d eat it.”
He took a bite while staring at Matteo’s campfire in the distance. “And exactly what do you think I might do with a large melon?”
“Toss it out the window?”
“’Twould be a shame if it struck you in the head,” he mused before taking another juicy bite. “We’d have to bury you in a watermelon patch.”
“My ghost would be a hideous sight. Like the headless horseman, only a watermelon for a head instead of a pumpkin.”
He chortled. “I’d pay good money to see the look on Spooky’s face.” After finishing his melon, he stared at the rind. “Half the fun was choking on the black seeds.”
“They’re genetically modified now.”
“Like you.” Christian hurled the melon into the darkness.
I jerked my head back. “Are you possessed?”
He wiped his fingers on his pants. “Why do you ask?”
“I’ve never seen you litter a day in your life.” I reached out and held my hand to his forehead. “No fever. Are you the real Christian Poe?”
He leaned back on his elbows. “Blue’s suitor keeps himself busy. He’ll have it tidied up before dawn. Have you noticed he’s clearing out the property? Felled two dead trees just today. Gem ran out to stop him from cutting down the one she burned up. I guess that dead thing has a special place in her heart.”
“I know how she feels.” I mirrored his position, and we both gazed down at the distant campfire. “Does he really think pulling every weed is going to impress a woman like Blue? Would you do that for me? Clean acres and acres of—”
“Have you gone stark raving mad?”
I planted a kiss on his mouth, and his lips tasted sweet. “I’m with a Vampire. Imustbe mad.”
He growled sexily and leaned in for another peck. “Climb astride me and I’ll change your mind.”
I slid my hand down his body and cupped his growing erection. He hissed at the contact and lost that cool facade. I loved watching him crumble beneath my touch.
He pinched my chin. “Later, Precious.”
“Why not now?”
Christian eased to a sitting position, forcing me away. “We have company.”
I heard the footsteps in the grass before I recognized Blue in the darkness.
When she reached us, she put her hands on her hips and stared at the orange glow across the open field. “I swear to the fates, I’m going to castrate him before he’s done with this courtship business.”
Christian twirled a leaf between his fingers. “Why not just throw all the trash into the field? That’ll keep him busy.”
