‘Is that the best you can do this morning, pet?’ He swooped in for a real kiss, his lips meeting hers with a smoldering intensity that betrayed hi... intense desire for her. With an age-old wisdom ingrained by time, Dharla met his eager advance, lips parting submissively beneath the subtle command of his own. With a small moan, Dharla ground her hips against his, and he broke off with an admonishing smile, saying ‘Attend to your shower, my love. I’ll await downstairs.’ ‘I’ll be there shortly,’. Were you a good boy? How can I be sure?”He got testy, “We don’t go out ‘to drink beer.’ Our team socializes at a sports bar. That is all.”He raised his voice enough for the front seat to notice, “I got a colonoscopy on that Thursday you were away. The prior-procedure diet, that awful crap I had to drink, and the procedure itself kept me at home, in the bathroom most of the time. I’m glad Tom was able to take a day off to chauffer me around! Me fool around? I’m calling bullshit!”Carolyn was glad. I BEGIN TO MOVE AROUND ON THE BENCH TRYING TO TAME AND QUIET HER DOWN….BUT THAT WASN’T HELPING ME OUT ONE BIT…I GLANCED OVA MY RIGHT SHOULDER AND NOTICED THIS FINE AZZ GUY LOOKING AT ME….HE WAS SMILING SO BIG TILL HE LOOKED LIKE CHESTER CHEETAH FOR A MOMENT…HE GOT UP AND MOVED BEHIND ME ON THE BENCH AND LEANED FORWARD AND WHISPERED IN MY EAR THAT I WAS GORGEOUS…I BLUSHED AND SAID THANK YOU….HE WHISPERED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO GET TO KNO ME A LITTLE BIT MORE…I SAID KOOL THAT WOULD BE JUST FINE. I told you, it wasn’t me.’ Her cheerful smile died. ‘So what’s that mean?’ ‘That there’s another vampire out here.’ Thorne took a deep breath. ‘I’m not the ‘Crimson King’.’ Sammi’s breath caught in her throat as the implications of his words caught her. ‘Another … ‘ ‘Are you disappointed? Was that why you were with me? To do a story on the ‘Crimson King’?’ ‘No.’ Her eyes burned hotly in her bruised face. ‘I’m not like that.’ Thorne took a deep breath. ‘I’m sorry.’ He floated down, letting his.