Love Me Forever. Rosemary Laurey

what I thought,” Justin replied. “This way your mother has two vampires to look after her. With all these goblins and I-don’t-know-what about, you can’t be too careful.”

      “Don’t they need you to help here?” she asked. She didn’t need anyone to look out for her. Never had and wasn’t about to start now.

      “The crowd’s thinning,” Justin said. “I believe Dixie and Kit, between them, can cope with anyone left here.”

      So she ended up walking down Fifth Street flanked by two vampires. And oddly, she did feel safe with Justin. Hadn’t he taken care of the Day boys? Something about his presence convinced her he would keep her and Sam from harm. That was a dangerous thing to get used to. Sam had no such reservations. He had the costume of his dreams and a sack full of candy…At nine years old that was pretty close to heaven. They turned left on Lansing and walked side by side down the street towards the car park and her car.

      “It looks weird,” Sam said. Sam was right and Stella saw why. Three tires were flat and the car sagged backwards from the one good tire.

      “What in heaven’s name!” Justin muttered.

      “Mischief night!” Stella groaned it. She was close to tears. Not this! There was no way she could afford a set of new tires.

      “Mom, this wasn’t an accident. I bet someone did this!” Sam sounded outraged. “How could they!”

      “Never mind,” Justin said. “Let’s get you and Sam home so he can get to bed. Then Kit and I will take care of the car.”

      “It will need new tires.” She could hear the panic in her voice.

      “Stella,” Justin rested his hand on her arm, “it’s only a couple of tires.”

      He had to be rich to think of three brand new tires as “only”! “It’s all I have to get to work!”

      “It can be fixed. What matters most? Getting Sam home safely or standing here, fixating about three useless tires?” She couldn’t deny he had a point. “I’m taking you home.”

      He did. In Kit and Dixie’s Mercedes. Now Sam had yet another highlight to the evening. So, come to that, did she! It was nice to relax back on real leather and purr through the streets. Not that the surrounding luxury could ease her worry about getting her own car running again. Okay, Justin and Kit might get it fixed but she still had to scratch up the money to pay for it. As they turned onto her street, Sam discovered the automatic windows and was waving to everyone like an emperor in his carriage.

      Justin eased into the curb. Stella pushed back the longing to ride longer in this cocoon of expensive engineering. Before she could hanker after it another minute, she opened her door and Sam’s. Bad timing. As she closed Sam’s door, Johnny Day and a couple of buddies sauntered up.

      “Well, Stella, if that ain’t a fucking pimpmobile you come home in! Got yourself a rich…”

      The last word came out as a gurgle. Justin had him by the throat. Eyes bulging and feet dangling a few inches off the ground, Johnny Day, the scourge of the neighborhood was rendered speechless. “You do not speak to a lady that way. Do you understand me?” Something that could have been “yes, sir” burbled out from Johnny’s mouth. Sam stepped closer to Stella and grabbed her hand. “I will not permit it! Don’t ever forget!”

      Johnny nodded as the sharp tang of urine filled the evening.

      “He peed his pants!” Sam had meant to whisper it, Stella was certain, but the night air amplified his young voice.

      “No shit!” said one of the others.

      “You don’t say that in front of a woman or a child!” Justin went on, still holding Johnny.

      Then it hit Stella: Justin believed that! He lived in a world where gentlemen didn’t swear in front of ladies. Were they light years apart!

      He let Johnny down, not particularly gently, but he did allow him to land on his feet.

      “God, man! You nearly strangled me!” The words came tight and muffled.

      “Consider yourself fortunate I didn’t,” Justin replied.

      “Now scarper, the lot of you!”

      Stella figured “scarper” meant disappear. Johnny Day and his cohorts made the same assumption. Sam was grinning enough to split his face at the sight of the neighborhood tormentors running like spooked rabbits.

      “You need a burglar alarm system with yobs like that about,” Justin said as they stepped through the front door.

      “I need a lot of things,” she agreed, “but new tires will have to come first.”

      “Right.” Justin paused just a second. “Give me your car keys and we’ll take care of that. I doubt we can do it overnight. Let me take you to work tomorrow. With a bit of luck, we can have your car ready by the time you finish.”

      The thought of not having to cope with tire dealers, to say nothing of calling and waiting for the tow truck, seduced her. “I need to be there at nine.”

      “What about Sam getting to school?’

      “He rides the bus.”

      “Yeah! And if I don’t get to bed, I’ll never get up in the morning!” They both turned at Sam’s contribution to the conversation. “Mom, I’m going upstairs. Come give me a kiss when you’re ready. ’Night, Dr. Corvus.”

      When would surprises cease? Stella stared as Sam went upstairs, toting his pillowcase behind him. “He never goes off to bed on his own like that.”

      “Maybe, he decided I needed you to myself.”

      Stella’s throat went dry, as something stirred deep inside her. “Why would you need that?” Dumb, dumb question. She wasn’t that far out of the loop!

      He chuckled, deep, slow and sexy. If she’d had any smarts she’d have run a mile. Obviously, she had no smarts. She wanted to be kissed senseless by Justin Corvus, to be held by strong arms that could hold a child and terrorize a thug, to listen to his rich voice whisper in her ear. She didn’t remember stepping into his embrace but could barely recollect her life before he pulled her close and locked his arms around her. She lifted her face to his, heart racing and lips parted in anticipation.

      Anticipation was nothing! Her mind went off in a wild spiral of desire as his lips parted hers. She pressed herself against him, relishing the feel of a hard male body, the force of his chest against her breasts and the strength in his legs. His tongue found hers and she forgot all about his body, could only concentrate on his kiss.

      Two could play that game! She matched him thrust for thrust and stroke for stroke. Meeting his desire with more. He was strength and comfort and need and want and he offered more than she’d ever dreamed. Or had she never had time to dream?

      She didn’t care, not with his hand on her breast. She gave her mind over to Justin and pleasure, angling her head back as he pressed a row of soft kisses down her neck. Her legs went soft with need and heat. Only his arms held her upright as he slowly licked the base of her neck. She clutched his sweater and gave a little moan as wild, sweet pleasure invaded her brain.

      She could still stand. She’d half-expected to collapse in a boneless heap on the floor.

      “I’ve got to leave, Stella,” Justin said. “I’ll wait outside while you lock up, and I’ll be back to pick you up in the morning.” She nodded. She wasn’t too sure she could get her mind around words. “See you then.”

      “Wait!” She managed that much. Should she get adventurous and try a whole sentence? “Justin, thanks for bringing us home, and giving Sam such a great time and…” She paused, not sure if she wanted to say, “For kissing me witless!”

      He seemed to understand. “The feeling’s mutual. Don’t worry about the car. Kit and Dixie have business