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sure the house was locked up before turning out the lights and climbing into Derek’s bed. I guess it’s my bed now. Hugging a pillow to her, she tried to fall asleep, but her mind was racing and she couldn’t slow it down.
    After what seemed like hours, but according to the clock, had actually only been thirty-eight minutes, she gave up.
    She picked her purse up and went out to the car. What was I thinking? I can’t sleep here. Derek’s everywhere here .
    The tedium of the drive back to L.A. drained her, and she looked forward to getting home. Yes, her apartment would most likely smell like Jeffrey, but at least she was used to sleeping in it. Derek’s house had felt overwhelming – at least his bed had. She’d need more time to get used to it.
    Once she was home, she unlocked the door and she set her purse on the table by the sofa. Home sweet home. Close enough, anyway . She was relieved the apartment smelled like Derek again, and she wondered if it was because of her clothes – Derek’s clothes that she’d put on after her bath.
    She didn’t bother turning on the light. She could see well enough by the streetlight filtered through the curtains. Exhausted from her emotional day, she went straight into her bedroom to go to bed.
    As she entered the room, she saw him. She stopped dead in her tracks and stood staring at the tall dark figure standing by the bed. She blinked her eyes, knowing it was impossible that Derek was in her room, and yet there he was. Even in the dim light, there was no mistaking him.
    “Derek.” She heard her voice, knowing she was speaking to a figment of her imagination. She wondered if she might be losing her mind. That is, until he spoke back.
    “Those are my clothes.”
    And then the world went black.

CHAPTER FOUR
     
     
    Derek made a terrible vampire. Madeline said he was just young and would get the hang of it, but he wasn’t so sure.
    The other men in the nest seemed so natural with it, maybe because they’d done it for so much longer. They roamed the night, hunted humans. Derek knew some of the victims had been killed because he’d heard plans for corpse disposal discussed among the brothers. Fortunately, no one had asked for his assistance in those tasks. Derek definitely felt the desire to drink blood, but he was appalled at the killing. Some of the others seemed to have little connection to humans – no empathy.
    Derek still missed Clara. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. He knew he should stay away, and yet here he was, in her apartment.
    It was late and she wasn’t home. He was furious, thinking she was with a man, and then pissed even further, knowing there was nothing he could do about that. Logically, he knew she should move on and find someone else, but emotionally, he was angry and hurt. She was still his in his heart – his unbeating heart. He silently cursed Madeline like he’d done every night since she’d killed him and given him his new existence.
    He hadn’t expected Clara to come home so late and was even more startled to see her wearing his clothes. He’d made the mistake of speaking to her and she fainted. After picking her up – and she seemed much lighter to him now that he was dead, he laid her on the bed and looked down at her for a moment. He could see perfectly well in spite of very little light, and god, she looked so beautiful. He realized her shorts and t-shirt meant she hadn’t been on a date as he’d feared, and a visceral possessiveness mingled with his relief. He brushed her hair from her face and then couldn’t resist and lay down with her, holding her to him.
    She was so warm and smelled so delicious. His fangs extended and ached in response to her nearness. He wanted to bite her, to taste her, to fuck her, but he also loved her and wanted to cry into her neck and tell her he was sorry. He was sorry he left her and broke her heart. They were just getting started and had so much to look forward to, and now he was something for