"Until later, then," her father said quietly, and then kissed her forehead again before leaving the room.
"Well, that was encouraging," Wyatt breathed as her father pulled the bedroom door closed behind him.
"Yes," Elspeth agreed. It was encouraging. Her father had convinced her mother to go for counseling. That meant they at least had a chance at a future relationship.
"A little bizarre, but encouraging," Wyatt added.
Elspeth turned on him with surprise. "Bizarre?"
"The guy looks younger than you do," he pointed out with a shake of the head. "Or at least the same age."
"Ah," she murmured, relaxing.
"And he looks like a male model, or an actor, or something. I mean, he could play Bond. He has the accent and everything," Wyatt added.
"Yeah, he does," she said with a grin.
"Between him and your mother, it's no wonder you're so gorgeous."
"Sweet talker," Elspeth said on a chuckle that turned into a husky cough.
"You need more water," Wyatt said with concern and turned to grab the glass from the bedside table, only to frown when he saw it was empty. "Hang on."
He was up at once and hurrying to the table to refill the glass from the pitcher that rested there.
"Here," he said, hurrying back to offer her the glass.
"Thank you," Elspeth murmured, accepting the water and gulping half of it down as he slid into bed next to her again.
"Do you want more?" Wyatt asked, taking the empty glass from her when she finished downing the second half.
Elspeth shook her head at once. "No, thank you. I'm good. Besides, you shouldn't be running around. What if Meredith came back in while you--?"
"Yeah, I know," he interrupted on a sigh and set the glass back on the bedside table. "I have to stay in bed for the next two weeks."
"Three," she corrected him apologetically.
Groaning, Wyatt flopped onto his back next to her. "Three weeks stuck in bed."
"It won't be so bad," she said reassuringly. "I'll keep you company."
"Yeah?" he asked, turning on his side and propping his head on one hand to peer at her.
"Yeah," she assured him. "And the good news is, Paul has been caught and is no longer a threat."
"That is good news," he agreed.
"Which means no more bodyguards," Elspeth pointed out.
Wyatt stilled at the words.
"We can spend three weeks in bed. Alone," she added.
"Alone in bed for three weeks," he said with a slow smile, and reached out to run his fingers lightly over her cheek. His smile then faded and his expression became serious and he said solemnly, "I love you, El. You may not be ready to hear that, or--"
Elspeth pressed her fingers to his lips to silence him, and when he raised his eyebrows, said, "I am ready. I love you too, Wyatt."
He stayed completely still for a heartbeat, and then asked, "Are you sure?"
"Oh yes," she assured him. "How could I not? You're a good man, Wyatt. A strong man, a smart man, a considerate one, and you're an amazing lover with loads of control and, as Lissianna put it, a monster between your legs. How could I not love you?"
Wyatt blinked. Then a laugh slipped from his lips and he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. "Damn, I'm the luckiest man," he growled, and pulled back to assure her, "I'm still going to woo you. You deserve wooing, Elspeth. We'll go to the movies, eat popcorn, go to The Night Club and dance. And you have to go on girls' nights with Lissianna and the other gals too, 'cause I plan to hang out with G.G. once in a while," he announced almost apologetically. "But we'll visit museums and the science center, and--Oh! I'm going to take you camping."
"Camping?" she said uncertainly.
"Yeah, you'll love it," he assured her. "A little tent, a hibachi, sleeping bags, making love in the woods and the lake. I'm going to show you such a good time, we'll . . ."
Elspeth smiled at Wyatt's enthusiasm as he painted a future for them that was miles away from the life she'd had under her mother's control. Catching him by surprise, she rolled him onto his back and shifted to straddle him.
Wyatt fell silent at once, his eyes widening, and his hands reaching to clasp her hips as he began to harden under her.
"I think you need to start showing me a good time now, Wyatt," she whispered.
"Oh El," he breathed, running his hands up her back. "Didn't I tell you we just seemed to jibe that first time we met? We did," he assured her. "And we are now too, because there's nothing I'd like more in the world than to show you a good time."
Smiling, Elspeth bent to kiss him, already anticipating his showing her that control she loved so much. She was a lucky woman.
About the Author
LYNSAY SANDS is the nationally bestselling author of the Argeneau/Rogue Hunter vampire series, as well as numerous historicals and anthologies. She's been writing since grade school and considers herself incredibly lucky to be able to make a career out of it. Her hope is that readers can get away from their everyday stress through her stories, and if there are occasional uncontrollable fits of laughter, that's just a big bonus. Please visit her on the web at www.lynsaysands.net.
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Also by Lynsay Sands
Twice Bitten
Immortally Yours
Immortal Unchained
Immortal Nights
Runaway Vampire
About a Vampire
The Immortal Who Loved Me
Vampire Most Wanted
One Lucky Vampire
Immortal Ever After
The Lady Is a Vamp
Under a Vampire Moon
The Reluctant Vampire
Hungry For You
The Renegade Hunter
The Immortal Hunter
The Rogue Hunter
Vampire, Interrupted
Vampires Are Forever
The Accidental Vampire
Bite Me if You Can
A Bite to Remember
A Quick Bite
Tall, Dark & Hungry
Single White Vampire
Love Bites
Surrender to the Highlander
Falling for the Highlander
The Highlander Takes a Bride
To Marry a Scottish Laird
An English Bride in Scotland
The Husband Hunt
The Heiress
The Countess
The Hellion and the Highlander
Taming the Highland Bride
Devil of the Highlands
The Loving Daylights
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
twice bitten. Copyright (c) 2018 by Lynsay Sands. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.
Cover design by Nadine Badalaty
Cover illustration by Tony Mauro Digital Edition APRIL 2018 ISBN: 978-0-06-246887-1
Print Edition ISBN: 978-0-06246897-0
Avon, Avon & logo, and Avon Books & logo are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers in the United States of America and other countries.
HarperCollins is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Publishers in the United States of America and other countries.
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