We held hands a little too long and I quickly pulled free of his grasp. “It was nice to meet you, Aiden,” I told him and then turned to leave. Once my back was to him, a smile broke out along my lips that I couldn’t restrain.

“Would you join me for dinner tomorrow night?” he called from behind me. That made my smile widen, knowing that vampires didn’t eat and that he was just trying to see me again. I half turned to face him and his eyes burned into me with a feeling that I couldn’t fathom.

“I’m sorry, but I’m dating someone,” I told him. He nodded his head as if he expected that much.

“Dinner among new friends then?” I laughed at his persistence but shook my head. I’d only been dating Micah for four months and didn’t want him to think I was cheating on him, especially if he saw how hot Aiden was.

“I don’t think so,” I said.

“I understand, but I will see you again,” Aiden said with certainty. I didn’t question how he’d see me again, since I didn’t give him my phone number or address, but turned and headed for home.

The memory faded away and was replaced with another. In this one, Micah and I were sitting in Smiths, a bar that set at the edge of town. Smiths was your average sports bar, pool tables toward the back and large flat screen TVs lining the walls, displaying almost every sporting event. Five other of Micah’s pack members circled around the pool table as I concentrated on making my last shot. I sunk the eight ball in the desired pocket and jumped up and down in victory.

“I let her win,” Micah said with a sly smile. He got a lot of crap from his pack members for a girl beating him and, just as I was finishing rubbing in my victory, I noticed a pair of blue eyes twinkling at me. I shifted my head so that I could see the owner of such mesmerizing eyes and, once the waitress moved out of the way, I saw Aiden sitting on one of the barstools. He raised his glass toward me with an amused smirk.

“What’s he doing here?” Micah grumbled. It had been two months since I met Aiden in the café. I had seen him again, just as he promised, and it didn’t seem like he was going away. It should have bothered me more that I was being followed by a sort of stalker but it didn’t. Aiden wasn’t creepy or scary and it secretly made me giddy to see him in a crowd with his eyes always on me.

“Probably having a drink, like we are,” I told Micah, but I knew he was here for a more personal reason. I bit my lip to stop a smile from showing on my face and I turned my attention toward the pack members.

“Who’s next?” I called, holding out the pool cue.

The scene faded away and like before, another replaced it. I instantly recognized this memory; it was when Micah broke up with me. Earlier that day, he told me the bad news and, after telling Fiona what happened, she suggested we have a girls’ night in. A mountainous pile of snotty tissues was next to me while I held up a shot glass Fiona had poured for me. I watched it with blurry eyes, and as the tears continued to fall, I downed the whiskey. The taste didn’t even affect me like it had the first couple of times. I was definitely shit-faced. My eyes were red and puffy and my hair was in a messy ponytail atop my head. The phone rang and Fiona stumbled to answer it. I had a sudden urge to get away from everything. I got up and told Fiona I was taking a walk. She shot me a strange look but was too preoccupied and drunk, to care.

I stumbled down the stairs, luckily not breaking my neck, and headed down the street. It was midnight and most of the town was asleep, except for the vampires. I made my way to Willow Creek Park and collapsed on a park bench. Micah’s pack had come here often to run and I had accompanied him many times. I was lying on my back with my knees bent up, when a face appeared over me. Even in my plastered state, I immediately recognized Aiden. I covered my face, not wanting him to see me looking like the mess that I was. I just wanted to be alone and cry, without any witness who felt sorry for me, or looked as gorgeous as Aiden.

Aiden swooped me up into his arms. I felt safe in that moment; I lay my head against his chest and allowed him to carry me. I must have fallen asleep because when I opened my eyes again; Aiden was pulling me out of his car and carrying me again. I vaguely remembered seeing a large home but the alcohol was making everything spin.

The next thing I saw was me being laid onto a plush bed. Aiden brushed a stray strand of hair out of my face and I gave him a sad smile.

“Don’t you dare shed another tear over a man who’s stupid enough to let you slip through his fingertips.” As if my tear ducts had a rebellious personality of their own, tears began to fall. I dated a handful of guys but Micah was most definitely my first love. The pain was worse than any physical injury and I just wanted it to go away. Aiden’s thumb caressed the salty tear away. My eyelids were heavy from crying and sleepiness. Tired of holding them open, I drifted off to sleep.

The next memory quickly filed after the last one and Aiden and I were standing within inches of each other in his backyard. I stopped by for a reason I couldn’t remember.

“Look at me,” he sternly ordered. I turned to look at him, not wanting to see the fire in his eyes that was directed at me.

“I can’t give you what you want, Aiden,” I told him.

“You won’t even try. You know we’re perfect for each other, you felt it that first night in the café. I want you, Gwen; I knew that at first sight. Don’t let what Micah did ruin what we could have.”

“It’s too soon and I will not go through the heartache again, I can’t.” My voice had started off strong but at the thought of how it felt to have my heart shattered, my voice dwindled to nothing more than a whisper.

“It’s been five months, Gwen,” Aiden said, his voice soft. Tears welled in my eyes and I willed them not to fall but the sons-of-bitches betrayed me and flowed freely down my cheeks. I stared into Aiden’s eyes and wished it were as easy as he wanted it to be. I would love nothing more than to forget all about Micah and see what developed between Aiden and me.

“I can’t,” I said again softly. Aiden stepped closer and placing a finger under my chin, tilted my face up. I couldn’t look at him so I focused on his yard. The truth of it was that I did have feelings for him, and had since I met him. But that didn’t change the fact that I was currently hurting over Micah. It wouldn’t be fair to Aiden if I agreed to date him while I was still thinking about another man.

“Kiss me.”

I shook my head.

“Kiss me and if you don’t feel what I’ve been feeling, then I will leave you alone, you’ll never see me again.”

At his words, I brought my eyes back to his and saw that he was serious. I knew I couldn’t stand not seeing him but I also knew that wouldn’t happen, I felt the same as he did. He leaned down and his lips hovered so close to mine that I could feel his breath caress my skin. I suppressed the shiver that crept along my spine and didn’t move. He softly pressed his lips to mine, just a brush of lips to lips. I closed my eyes and felt his energy swirl around me like he had a million hands beckoning me to give in to him. He sucked on my bottom lip and goose bumps broke out along my arms. He deepened the kiss, his tongue darting into my mouth and I massaged it with my own. He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me into the hardness of his chest. We kissed for what seemed like hours but had only been minutes by the time I put my hand on his chest and pushed him away. His eyes had gone black with desire and I stood frozen in place as I replayed what had just happen. My breathing was labored so I took in a deep breath to calm my sporadic heartbeat.

“I have to go,” I told him and quickly left with Aiden watching my retreat.

My eyes grudgingly opened and I stared at my bedroom wall. My dream had left me sad and confused. The remembrance of Micah wasn’t welcomed and my relationship with Aiden was terrifying. Aiden was definitely close enough to break my heart if he chose to. My dream had made me realize that I’d had feelings for him since day one and those feelings had only become stronger over the years. I had forgotten about most of those memories, I thought, but they’d stayed safely filed away in the corners of my mind, waiting for me to realize what they meant.

11

The royal blue dress that Aiden had gotten for me clung to my body as though it were painted on. The bust area showed off a lot of my cleavage and the light captured the Swarovski crystals to make them sparkle like a million diamonds. My hair was pinned up, something I’d seen in a bridal magazine and magically repeated.

Fiona left twenty minutes earlier, while I sat at our kitchen table and waited for Aiden. I hadn’t spoken to him since the previous night and a small voice inside my head wondered if he’d done more with his dinner than just eat. I heard that a vampire’s bite could drive an orgasm to skyrocket; something in their saliva acted as an aphrodisiac. I also knew that most vampires got turned on whenever they fed. I knew by the way he watched the tourists the night before that he was going to feed, but what else had he done?

Two small knocks sounded at the door and made my jealous thoughts disappear. I carefully got up from the table, trying not to step on the small train that followed behind me.

“It’s about time,” I said when I opened the door. I expected Aiden to be standing on the other side of the threshold but it wasn’t him. A tall man with dark blonde hair and crystal blue eyes looked back at me. He was amazingly beautiful and I was momentarily speechless.

“Gwen Sparks?” he asked with a sexy smirk.

“That’s me,” I said.

“My name is Ian. Aiden is running late and asked me to escort you to the Gala.”

“Running late?” I asked suspiciously.

“He apologizes, something to do with business. Shall we?” Ian said, holding out his arm. Aiden owned three businesses and it would make sense that something might have come up, but of all the nights for something to happen! I considered Ian and after debating on whether I should show up with him or by myself, he won. I waved a hand in the air to shut the lights off and then grabbed my small purse.