HER NIGHTFALL DESIRE

zations were made to her large estate, she began to familiarize herself with the area. Georgia was a state in which she had never spent much time, though she loved the var

Audi sports coupe. It implied fun and speed, without seeming pretentious. The car was sleekly contoured for speed, a style of vehicle that was something entirely new and different for her. Maybe it was that, for the first time in rec

d to utilize her accumulated wealth to its fullest, allowing her more time to focus on independent pro

the Website for Robert Fulton Community College in downtown Atlanta. Professor Joshua Smith w

teen, when she had secretly attended an evenin

musing at the time. Years later, she had seen a photo of him standing in the back row of a group of hig

g fall semester. It'll be fun, she mused. Her last college course was in the 1960s at Pennsylvania State University. Suffi

unds, though he hated having his back turned to the door. There was barely room for a bookshelf on the right and a narrow computer hutch on the left next to his guest chair. Nevertheless, he was grateful for the opportunity to teach full-time, being twenty-six and fresh out of graduate school. The marketplace had been competitive due to

n of the day, as luck would have it. He picked up his notes and textbook and made his way upstairs down

rows of tables and chairs split on two sides by an aisle up the middle, to accommodate up to thirty- two students.

rsity admission. Others were working adults striving to get an educational edge or promotion in their careers. A few others were interested in avoiding the large general education class sizes of Georgi

e began calling roll, glancing up at each face in turn to try a

pad and text in hand. She wasn't sure whether she would actually attend the entire course, her main interest being the opportunity t

abusive father, she had merely played the role of an anonymous financial benefactor for him and his mother. After that, she'd restricted herself to only watch from a distance. Nothing more. But then, wasn't that the plan, to s

and slipped into a chair at the back of the room. Then her green eyes darted towards

tanding at the podium, she arched one eyebro

was happy to see that his eyes were still the beautiful, pale blue that she remembered from when he was a child, tho

etely unexpected, and she felt an immediate dual desire rise within her. Part of her appreciated him sexually, while another part was sizing up her prey. She still considered humans as prey, even though h

last saw you, she contemplated as anot

arker, Melvin Peterson... "Isadora Rey

wered as he looked up to meet the f

ulled back in a tight ponytail. She wore a pair of stylish black denim jeans and an emerald cami. A gold Greek key necklace adorned the pale skin of her neck. She could easily have been a fashion

himself to glance down with a raised eyebrow and continue calling roll. A few students turne

t. When he arrived at the back of the room to hand a copy to Isadora, his hand was

e forced himself to look away and return to the front of the room, noticing that his pulse was elevated slightly. After pausing to regain his focus, he discussed

all anything he said. He was still somewhat mesmerized by the beautiful woman who had sat in t

t the back of his mind. She somehow seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't quite place why. It wa

and one asked the other, "Hey man, did you get a lo

hought silently as he made his way down the stairs. S

ice downtown, where he'd met her while paying a traffic ticket. Melanie was a year younger and few inches shorter than Joshua. Her straight, dishwater- blond hair draped to her shoulders, and her face was accente

" Joshua g

n the lips, and handed him the apple

ied smoothly. "Yo

ied, "Not too long. I remember you said the first day of class

took a bite of the apple. "Ew, aren't you eve

res

ids," he quipped between bites while dropping h

im with disdain before adopt

" Melanie began tentatively. "I thought you might

s last meal was around midday at the student center caf

new department store at the mall. They're staying open extra late

gh as he flipped off his office light an

t store, but Joshua only processed a few bits and pieces at dinner. His m

s. Or perhaps I'm looking forward to one student in particular. He almost made it to the classro

an directly into Isadora Reynolds. She immediately grabbed his arm and

xclaimed with

an with concern before abruptly co

He took a quick moment to discreetly appreciate the tall woman before him. That night she wore white knit slac

hand, which was still f

arm briefly before quic

handouts from his office and made his way back to the classroom. Fast reflexes, he mused as he contemplated the brief hallway incide

the essay handouts on my way up here. And I

only this time he recognized a few of the faces, most notably Isadora's. She smiled at him in an amused fashion from t

ou feel most comfortable with, okay?" Joshua neutrally offered, although he quickly

ied meaning in both his actions and words. Her slightly

e on a brief review of European explorers who had visited the New World as

line Christopher Columbus when he begged funding for an exploratory

aces. His eyes fell on Isadora's gaze,

ade routes to Asia around the Cape of Africa, Portugal believed there was li

w shot up with some s

s. Very

d everyone's attention returned to him. The lecture proceeded from there, and Isadora offered little more in the way of respons

ng. He also noted that a couple of women in the class chose to move to the forward seats in the classroom, paying more than a normal degree of attention to him, which he found flattering. Meanwhile, most of

th her outside of class. He still struggled to determine what seemed so familiar

olicy. It could get him fired, and he'd worked hard to get on the final interview list for the job. Joshua had to be resigned to the

s car to the building. In passing, a maintenance worker said they were troubleshooting a systemic electrical short. With the budget cutbacks due

he influx of students was greatest, communi

ie was shopping with her friends, he chose to stay a little later to catch up on grading some essays. After an hour, he decided to leave

He was immediately confronted by a large-framed individual wearing jeans and a dark hooded sweatshirt. He couldn't make o

llet, asshole!"

ands held up slightly. "Listen, I'm just a teacher. You've pr

ed. "Just make this easy

ervously, but saw no other people around, and the security car

e considered trying to wrestle with the guy, but he had never confronted an armed person before. Despite his athletic build, Joshua abhorred viole

he guy in the ribs with a small crunching sound. The fellow heaved a groan while bending over, and then abruptly turned to run away across the empty parking lot. He

o pursue the assailant. No, not pursue, but rather hunt him down and

ing hand. "Th-thank you" he stammered. "That's never happen

p his arm with a look of concern.

through his hair as he gazed up into her

unded away in his chest. She studied his body language and proceeded to lean him b

ank you," he said in his most g

ssuring manner. "Maybe some bonus poin

if you needed bonus points. I'd wager you'd teach the section be

rything. I find that a good prese

nding in a dark parking lot immediately following an attempted

eat, and an urge rose within her. At that moment, she felt the strong call of his bloo

to emanate a slight glow, and he stared back incredulously. Then t

ee you in class," Isadora calmly urged as she tu

his head and called after her. "Hey, wait

tly and kept walking. "No need. D

o see if she had heard him, but she'd already disappeared from view. He scanned the well-lit parking lot, but could find no trace of her. T

pus could use some of those emergency call boxes in the parking lots, and some battery-backed up security cameras. Somehow he doubted

newed drizzle as he hurried down the neighborhood street, still clutching his left arm to

about the failed encounter back at the parking lot. That should've been fast and easy. That college guy was an easy mark for quick cash. But who the hell was that crazy woman with the boots? he fumed. It was as if she

ed across papers and debris and was halfway down the alley when he heard boot heels clicking not far behind him. He stopped and palmed his knife from the sheath concealed underneath

!" he growled. Maybe the night just got a little bet

iently standing her ground. Her hunting instincts sang

you how much," he snarled

e last couple of feet while bringing his knife to bear with a swipe. She deftly caught his wrist

hed her in the face with a s

ntarily twist in the other direction. Her head swiveled back to

ed out in agony as she snapped his right

to pin his face against the wall. Before he could react, she sank her fangs into his jugular vein an

dy. His legs soon buckled, but she held him upright. A strange sense of calm washed over him, even as he felt sluggish and a growing

erk, she snapped his neck between her hands and let the body drop to the concrete. She felt a wave of s