There are bees foraging among my grandmother’s rose bushes. I can hear the drone from where I am lying, stretched out in the hammock that has hung between these trees for as long as I’ve been alive. Longer, probably. Although I’m sure it’s not the same one. It’s a little embarrassing that I can’t recall with any accuracy what the original (if it even was original) one looked like. When I was a teenager, I wouldn’t have been relaxing in the shade. I’d be toasting in the sun—or attempting to. Lying on a towel in my swimsuit, working on my tan, or trying to sun-bleach my hair with lemon juice.
Given my Italian heritage, the hair lightening was a clear and obvious L. Unfortunately, so was the tanning. Also working against me was the fact that Nonna wasn’t a fan of me lying around in a state of undress when there were workers in the nearby fields. So, it’s not like I ever managed to give it a fair try.
Ironically, Nonna did have a small point. I’m sure I’d have freaked tf out if I had attracted unwanted attention for real, but the idea of a sexy someone showing up unexpectedly and surprising me there was a persistent fantasy.
The idea makes me hot even now…make that especially now that I can put a specific face to the fantasy. And I reach a hand down and search blindly for the bottle of Fentiman’s sparking Rose Lemonade that I’d brought out of the house with me.
I uncap the bottle and take a long, satisfying sip and then return it to the grass. The result of all these maneuvers is to set the hammock swinging gently. I sigh happily, wriggling a little to get even more comfortable, and am just contemplating whether or not to take a short nap when the sound of someone’s clearing their throat startles me.
I jump a little in surprise. Opening my eyes I find Colton standing at the edge of the drive. The heat in his gaze makes me wish I was wearing my swimsuit now—or even less. A sheer and filmy robe perhaps? Makes me yearn to invite him to share my hammock…even though I’m not convinced it would support both our weight.
“Hey,” I say, smiling at him. “What are you doing here?”
But I know the answer to that, don’t I? The fact that he’s wearing his uniform, and a sheepish expression lets me know that this is an official visit. He’s here in his guise of Deputy Romero. Which can only mean one thing.
“Oh, you’re kidding,” I say as I swing my feet to the ground and sit up. “What obscure and ridiculous law have I run afoul of this time?”
The Children of Night series
Part One
Night has fallen. The Vampires are waking up. Welcome to the world of the Fischer-Quintano vampires–darkly delicious tales of undying love and vampire family values.
https://books.bookfunnel.com/bookswithbite1/kb6qfgtd39
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