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Her heart skipped a beat at the implication that they would have sex again. Well, of course they would. But where exactly was this heading? How did one date a vampire?

I’ll just have to ask Alessandra.

When he stood, Toni opened her mouth to protest, only to shut it when he leaned down and lifted her with no effort whatsoever.

“Let’s see if we can make it all the way upstairs this time.”

Toni sighed, dropping her head to his chest as if being carried to the second floor of a huge mansion by a vampire after the most incredible orgasm of her life was the most normal thing in the world.

As if there weren’t numerous hurdles for them to jump, including her own insecurities about being with someone like him. She’d never had a confidence problem before, but then again, she’d never had a boyfriend quite like him.

And what about Birdie and her uncle? Would she eventually have to leave them when it became apparent Lawrence didn’t age? And how, exactly, would Lawrence feel about having a girlfriend who looked two decades older than him?

She was getting ahead of herself. Way ahead of herself. But this was the kind of guy you held on to for dear life. After tonight, all thoughts of “too soon” and “rebound” had flown out the window.

* * *

Toni was goingto kill him.

She hadn’t planned on telling Birdie about them yet. But he’d gallantly offered to escort her to work, and dammit, she hadn’t wanted to say no. It would have been fine if Birdie hadn’t been there . . . and if he hadn’t winked at her before leaving.

Usually they alternated shifts at the shop, but after the break-in, Birdie didn’t like the thought of leaving Toni alone. Although Toni had told her aunt she was fine by herself, her argument had fallen as flat as her attempt at chocolate chip cookies.

Every. Damn. Time.

“Here you go, sweetheart.” Birdie handed her the keys to the register. Toni had left them in the back room, as scattered as ever. Or maybe more so with thoughts of Lawrence, and last night, on the brain.

“Thanks.” She opened it and pretended not to notice her aunt’s gaze.

“So,” her aunt said, “what’s new?”

Toni had to laugh at her aunt’s attempt to sound neutral. She was about as good of an actress as Alessandra.

“You mean, other than the break-in?”

She felt guilty when Birdie frowned. They’d caught the culprit, but the break-in had left them all feeling uneasy. Usually, Stone Haven was as boring—and safe—a town as could be. Crime was nearly nonexistent. The rowdiest lot tended to be tourists, and even then, the occasional bar fight was about the worst they had to contend with.

“Other than that, yes.”

Birdie walked around the counter and began to rearrange items, the shelves so packed with knickknacks such arrangements were completely unnecessary. But her aunt tended to putter when she was nervous.

She decided her aunt needed a distraction.

“Hmm, let me think.” Placing bills in the drawer, she sat down on the stool behind the counter. “Oh, Garrett is in town. I haven’t seen him yet, but Alessandra—”

“Out with it, missy.”

Unable to help herself, she glanced at the door. They hadn’t discussed anything beyond dinner that evening, but there’d been a seismic shift in their relationship. Surely he felt it too.

“As if that dreamy look on your face doesn’t confirm it.”

Guilty as charged.

“Since you asked so nicely, I may have had a date with Lawrence Derrickson—”

“The same Lawrence Derrickson whose house you stayed at last night?”

She’d never have admitted such a thing to her mother, but it had always been different with Birdie. Without hesitation, she nodded.