Her Phobia

pte

r hair sm

dark parking lot they were crossing, relieved to see they were

ayn

up into his handsome

yne," he explai

l, Dwayne, can you get

ogether-too-friendly manner.Resisting the urge to bash him over the head and drag him into the bushe

," he interrupted

her eyes narrowing suspiciously on the discomfort th

e a car," Dw

wned a car in Canada. Well, practically everyone. Okay, perhaps that was an exaggeration

nt, Dwayne added, "I t

lmost like a

a day when he, as the man, would have had the vehicle or taken on the responsibility of finding them a place to be

lf saying defensively. "But I r

k with pi

em. He had no car and Thomas had locked up the Jeep when they'd arrived. She supposed she could go back

ight. I don't mind

at did nothing to stop their lower bodies from meshing. It was suddenly clear that the idea of the great outdoors really didn't bother Dwayne. If anything, the hardness pressing against her

ack of the parking lot. It wasn't until he was dragging her behind the large me

be grateful that it was early winter. While they hadn't had their first snow, it was

back against the cold metal of

s leaching heat out of her, forcing her body to work harder to stay warm. Hungry and dehydrated as she was, the last thing she needed at the moment was for her body to have

er fingers in the front of his jacket and turned, slamming him up against

d, eyes brightenin

sianna asked dryly. "The

back of his skull and caught him by the short strands there.

Once she'd found the best spot for her purposes, Lissianna opened her mouth, breathed in throu

He soon began to relax against the cold bin as Lissianna sent him the sensations she was experiencing; the satisfaction as blo

er. Lissianna's body had the same reaction as her hungry blood rushed to absorb the new blood, racing from every part of her body toward her head, where her teeth were sucking in what her bo

It echoed the silent one she was experiencing

a suddenly realized.

ct, very little about him was as it appeared. From his thoughts she learned that the bulge pressing against her lower stomach was a cucumber he'd shoved down his pant

It was instinct alone that made her slip into his thoughts to rearrange his memories. She was so angry at the man...And Mirab

aching her birthday party to feed, but Mirabeau-and cousin Jeanne-had worried that her pallor w

nd now she might have a problem. It had taken her several moments to realize there was something wrong, then a couple more

l parts irritation and concern. Despite his bottled tan,

strong. He should be fine by tomorrow morning. Dwayne wouldn't feel well for a while, though, but then,

g they were older than they really were, adults now ran around padded, corseted, or siliconed to be s

were good enough, and if they weren't, then the someones the

o stay there until he felt better, then to takea taxi home, then had him close his eyes as she completed wiping herself from his memory

e crossed the da

y man. The priest was her boss at the shelter where she worke

e you do

twelve or thirteen and is pretty sure he's been eating out of the garbage bins back

ter. He often pointed them toward people who might need their help. If he said there

f such strays in the hopes of getting to them before they did somet

"No, no. This is your night off," Father Peter said, then frowned. "Besid

ed behind them. A quick probe of Dwayne's thoughts told her that

oward the containers and spoke quickly to distr

from, but would think she'd been in the little black Mazda parked beside the bins. Not wanting to lie a

r with concern. "You'd

e hurried across the parking lot, then around the corner of the

a-tinted tips of her ebony hair-Lissianna didn't have

as Lissianna reached them, the finally

spat the word

so healthy," Je

bottled tan," she said

d there be?" Mi

. "He had acucumbe

au groaned, and said, "It must have been a se

gaped. "Yo

't?" she

ianna just shook her head andglance

er

s his hand settle

cucumber down his pants?" he asked with amuseme

with disgust. "

can. First women padded their bras, now men pad

hadn't been interested in what was in his boxers anyway. Hell, she hadn't even really wanted to take him out for a bite. She was just annoyed at the waste of time and the fact that she'd used

was having for her. Lissianna had been pleasedwith the idea at the time, but that was when she'd only been hungry. Now she was ravenous and eager to get to the party a

, with a glance at her wrist watch. "Marguerite sa

with displeasure. "Do any of you

efore the party,and couldn't do it until after 9 P.M.," Thomas offered.

ing up your gift,

something about Lissianna and feeding. I suspect

the city? After nine?" Her gaze slid to Lissianna f

s how they referred to undiagnosed diabetics who ran around with dangerously high blood sugar levels. It was a rare treat, made rarer by the fact that afte

Marguerite's willingness to drive around downtown Toronto. Sh

could have had Bastien send one of the

s brother, the head of Argeneau Enterprises. "Nope

ently, and asked, "So, h

trying to escape the city for the weekend," he said thoughtfully. "I'm gue

now and you drive slowl

re we?" he aske

s like a meat market," Li

er and more like an older brother than her own brothers were, but then they

ise said with a snort. "L

s a bit of a speed demon, and she knew Jeanne Louise was right. She had no doubt

r next thought was for Dwayne, and Lissianna glanced toward the bins as Thomas drove by them, her gaze searching the shadows for his seated figure, but there was no sign of him either. He'd left,

ey'dmissed the worst of it and made good time getting to

id from the backseat as Thomas parked the Je

eanne Louise snorted. "You mean she'll be okay with it as soon as you gi

out with Thomas when we were young

t of the vehicle. "So the truth is out. Yo

I liked hanging out with you, did you?" Lissi

her hair a tug a

u asked as she climbed out from behind the front

d the dark Mercedes and

else is here." Jea

I suppose Bastien could have arranged for a couple

tarted toward the front door. "You know it isn't fashionable to show

s unfashionable geeks

tters," Thomas announced

door as they approached.

tely stepped up to give him a hug that hadthe older

away as she saw that they were also having difficulty controlling their expressions at the sudden chan

hat both her older brothers-at over four hundred and six hundred-tended to look down on him as a young pup, and it never ceased to annoy him. Being thought of as little more than a child at over two hundred years old could be terrib

sympathize with Thomas. She also never failed to enj

party, dude?".

," Bastien said. "You'r

eks. But we weren't. You were."to cover the snort of laughter that managed to escape her as her brother recognized that he'd just been called an unfashionable geek. When she regained control of herself it was

ange for the party after letting me in. She should be down in a few minutes. Maybe you should wait in th

agreeably, stepping p

e?" Thomas asked cheerfully as he

rly arrivals until Mother is ready." Bastien backed away

all, then he opened his arms to shepherd them toward the closed door on the

then added, "Lissi, you ha

paused and peere

, and she twisted to look a

e bin," Lissianna muttered with disgust as she spotte

Thomas echoed

my stockings before the party starts. Fortunately, Mom insisted I leave spare clothes here in my

called, as she jogged

good advice. Marguerite Argeneau wasn't going to be pleased that they'd arrived early, but Thomas would quickly cajole her out of any irritat

r two hundred years old and well past the age w

as six hundred. All she had to do was look at her brothers to know that. They were independent, self-su

, and where she still occasionally slept when she stayed too late to make it home before sunrise. Lissianna s

" she muttered, and dre

rong room. This was her old bedroom. She'd spent several decades sleeping there and knew her own room when she saw i

e done so without mentioning it to her children. Nor would she have put him in Lissianna's old room, a room she still used on those ra

recalled the cheery red splotch of color that had been h

he city for. The Sweet Tooth Jeanne Louise had suggested. Though,Lissianna thought, the man in her bed had looked healthy

g his dark good looks. His eyes had been piercing and intelligent, his nose straight, his chin strong...a

t then her mother wasn't likely to make the mistake Lissianna had earlier. Marguerite would have made sure he was exactly what she wanted to give her daughter, and Lissianna was thinking that Jeanne Louise was probably right, andhe was an unt

to tide her over until her mother actually gave him to her. She quickly killed that thought. Even Thomas wouldn't be able to cajole her mother out o

s the surprise was already spoiled-it was silly to run around in ruined stockings all night. She was here, a