Courted by the Vampire by Sandra Sookoo

next morning.
    They did not have time to waste with unneeded delays. Once Hannah returned, he showered. In an uncharacteristic attempt at humor, when he stumbled on an inebriated goblin, he gave the offering to her. A small trace of pleasure slid down his spine when she bound the being into her magical jar.
    She shot him a lazy grin and buried her bare feet deeper into the still warm sand.
    “You look smug and happy .” He let a deep groan escape and satisfaction filled his chest as he regarded his companion.
    “Why shouldn’t I be? I’m clean, I’m hydrated, my wrist doesn’t hurt any more, and my belly is full. Life isn’t so bad after all.” She positioned her back against the sand dune and sighed. “We’re not being chased by rogue paranormals, but you have to admit the view is lovely.”
    Edwin focused on the dark water of Lake Michigan before him. “There is truly nothing as beautiful as the watercolor that Nature paints.” He grinned, pleased at the faint blush on her cheeks. “I find you to be an interesting companion, and I think I have been remiss when I chose to travel alone all of these years. It is good to have someone to talk to in the quiet times.”
    She took a sip of water. “That’s the glory of life, Edwin. Sometimes we realize we’ve been wrong about certain things and can change our ways.”
    He remained silent, but continued to study her. Her red hair, still slightly damp from her shower, danced around her head like a fiery halo. His gaze lingered on the soft curve of her breasts. The green tank top she wore showed signs of dirt and wear as did her jeans, but he uttered no complaint. The soft lines and gentle swells of her figure intrigued him, perhaps more than any woman’s he had ever met. What would she look like, naked in the moonlight? He blew out a frustrated breath. She would be a temptation.
    “Have you ever been in love ? I know you told me you would never get involved with anyone but was there a special girl? And please don’t tell me it was that nasty forest witch.” Love and the Witch of the North Forest do not belong in the same sentence.
    His sigh seemed to come from a million miles away. “There may have been the thought of being in love. While in college, I met a girl in my anthropology classes. The knowledge of the cursed genes recently came to light but I did not pay it much attention. I was young; I thought I could change Fate. She and I dated for a year or so until the night when things went horribly wrong.” He absently sifted sand between his fingers, his attention far into the past. “In a moment of stupidity, I told her my life history and let her see into my soul. Needless to say, she ran away screaming, quite literally. I transferred to another school to finish my degree.”
    Hannah traced her initials in the soft sand. “Then it should be obvious the girl wasn’t the one for you. You should be loved for who you are, and that’s it. No exceptions. You are what you are and you can’t change that fact. You shouldn’t have to.”
    Confusion swirled through his brain at her words. No one had ever accepted his paranormal traits so readily before. “I appreciate your faith in me. It is quite an enlightening emotion.”
    She grinned, and he had to resist the urge to touch a fingertip to her lush lips. “What about sexual relationships? You’ve got a very powerful charm and attraction about you—something dark and mysterious. I don’t believe a man as remarkable as you would have remained celibate all this time.”
    “You have a thirst for knowledge that I admire. But, I am not comfortable with your scrutiny.” When she changed her grin to a pout, coils of dormant desire moved through his gut. He could deny her nothing, and that realization was dangerous. “Over the years there have been a handful of women with whom I have had a physical relationship. Those liaisons satisfied a base need of my body, nothing more.”
    “What about love? Did any of