Holiday with a Vampire: Christmas Cravings. Caridad Pineiro

keep track of who I was at any given moment. I lived in dumps. Rooming houses or cheap motels. I didn’t have friends. I supported myself with temporary jobs because I was too afraid to even use my savings, for fear he’d somehow track me down that way. All I thought about was keeping my head down. Hiding. Running.”

      She shook her head, used her hands to swipe away what was left of her tears, and then she lifted her chin, pride making her spine straight. “Until I came here. I found this place. And it’s mine. It’s home. I’m not going to run again. Not because of him. Not because of you. And not because of some vampires that may or may not show up.”

      Grayson watched her, saw her determination, her strength, and though he admired her for those traits, he knew they might also get her killed. “You’re not going to listen, are you?”

      She inhaled sharply, forced a smile she didn’t feel and shook her head. “No, I’m not. Besides,” she offered as her smile took on a touch of warmth, “it’s nearly Christmas. I escaped my own personal nightmare on Christmas Eve. So I’m a big believer in Christmas miracles.”

      “Miracles.” Even the taste of the word felt foreign to him. Especially since her “miracle” time of the year had been an ending for him. He’d prayed that night, fast and desperate. But nothing had come to save his family. To prevent the destruction of everything he loved.

      Yet, hadn’t she survived her own trip in to hell? And she’d come out not only whole, but with a strength of purpose that humbled him. Grayson studied her and fought the rising tide of sensation inside him.

      She touched something in him. Something he’d thought dead and buried long ago. And he wasn’t sure whether to be grateful or furious about that.

      But either way, Grayson knew he wouldn’t be leaving until she was safe.

      “So,” she said after a couple of long minutes, “if we’re finished with the true confession portion of the evening, how about you help me string some lights around the front porch?”

      He blinked at her. “Lights?”

      “Yeah.” She grabbed her jacket from a hook by the back door and slipped into it. “Sun’s down—or nearly anyway.” She smiled and grabbed the doorknob. “And as long as you’re here, you can help.”

      Standing in the open doorway, Grayson stared after her, with the wind and cold slapping at him. Hanging Christmas lights hadn’t been part of his plan in coming here. But things had changed.

      He shifted his gaze to the woods that straggled around the edge of the property and studied the shadows. His senses were honed, and as he searched, he reached for that brief flash he’d felt earlier.

      But it was gone.

       Chapter 6

      Grayson strung lights. He hung up an ornament-and-pinecone-studded wreath on the front door and even helped wrap wide, bright, red ribbon around the columns along the porch.

      He shook his head as he slipped through the night, amazed at just what he’d come to. Putting up Christmas decorations, for pity’s sake. He still wasn’t sure exactly how Tessa had managed to get him to help. But one look into her deep blue eyes and he’d heard himself agreeing to all manner of things he wouldn’t have considered before.

      Glancing back at the house, he paused a moment to take in the jewel-like brilliance of it. Lamplight shone from every window. The twinkling, multicolored lights ran along the bottom rim of the roof and smoke lifted and twisted from the chimney.

      It looked like a Christmas card.

      Scowling to himself, he turned his back on the festive sight and loped into the shadowy depths of the stand of woods. He found the snow-covered duffel bag with his clothes easily enough. He’d dropped it when he was hit on the head the night before. Grabbing the icy leather strap, he swung his gaze over his surroundings, searching for that hint of something wrong.

      He’d felt it earlier. Then again when Tessa was laughing at him over the placement of her damned ribbons. Something. Someone? In the woods.

      Watching.

      Who was being watched, though?

      Him? Or Tessa?

      Thoughts of her brought Tessa’s image to mind and he wanted to growl at himself for giving a damn about what happened to her. It wasn’t only hearing her story of the man who’d stalked her. It wasn’t the fact that she’d saved his ass by dragging him out of the encroaching sunlight. It was more. It was her.

      By rights he should have been gone by now. Far away from her and what she made him feel. But damned if he’d walk away wondering if he’d left her in the middle of a vampire war. Swinging one arm back, he tossed his duffel toward the house and listened for the muffled thump when it landed. He’d pick it up later. When he came back.

      For now, he’d had enough of close proximity to Tessa. He needed to be in the night. Where he belonged. Where he didn’t have to think about a human woman who was spending far too much time in his thoughts.