Мишель Роуэн - Lady & the Vamp

He'd get himself straightened out. Find his true purpose in life. Help those who needed his help. Show her that he deserved her.

It was a lousy plan, but it was the only one he had at the moment.

He made his way to a bank of windows and watched the planes taxi away from the airport before heading toward the runway. Finally, he saw the plane he knew Janie was on. He bit the inside of his mouth so hard that he tasted blood.

And then he turned away.

There was a slot machine right next to where he stood and he fished in his pocket for a quarter, slid it into the slot and pulled the handle.

He didn't win.

This amused him greatly for some reason.

He sighed heavily, trying to ignore the big empty place in his chest that felt like somebody had very recently ripped out his heart, and turned around.

Janie stood there with her hand on her hip. She looked pissed.

His eyebrows raised.

"Nice try," she said.

He was so shocked all he could say was, "What?"

"Thought I'd forget, didn't you?"

"Forget about what?"

"Honestly. Men are so devious. You were going to let me get on that plane and leave. Luckily, I remembered just in time."

His mouth was dry. "What are you talking about?"

She shook her head. "Sure. Try to renege on the deal we made. I still expect to be paid in full."

He frowned as she waited for a reply he didn't have.

"The dress?" she prompted. "The one you ruined?"

"The… the dress," he repeated.

"Don't try to play stupid with me. That was a very, very expensive designer dress. We had a deal. You were going to pay me back in sex… and hello? Not even close to being done yet. And you were just going to let me leave without saying a word to remind me. Like I said, nice try." A slight smile betrayed her serious tone.

He felt something flutter in his chest as his heart sped up. "Oh, right. I almost forgot about that."

"Yeah, obviously."

"Uh, how much do I still owe?"

"A lot. It's going to take a really,really long time for us to be square on this."

He nodded. "I understand."

"I mean, I'm immortal now. We could be talking about decades. Possibly centuries."

"How much was that dress, again?"

"It was expensive. That's all I'm saying." She approached him and twisted her hands into the material of his shirt.

"I don't turn away from a deal."

"You're sure about that?"

He nodded gravely. "Very sure. But what about Florida? Your sister?"

"I know where she is. She's safe with Lenny. She'll understand that we have a serious matter to take care of between us."

"Serious."

"Very serious."

"It probably shouldn't wait much longer, then. Like you said, I have a lot to pay back." He stroked her long blond hair off her forehead and tucked it behind her ear.

"You're okay with this burden, right? I mean, you can always write me a check if you'd rather."

"Well…" he said quickly. "I have no idea where my checkbook is. Do you take Visa?"

"Sorry, no."

"Then it's going to have to be a great deal of sex, then."

"So be it."

He met her gaze. "I shouldn't have let you get on that plane."

"No, you shouldn't have. I suppose we have a problem that we're two very stubborn people. Every now and then, one of us is going to have to compromise."

He swallowed hard. "I thought that you were—"

She covered his mouth. "I love you, Quinn. There's nowhere I'd rather be than with you right now."

Her words filled him with a deep, coursing warmth. "I love you, too. So much." His voice broke.

"This is very good to know." She smiled and pulled him to her. He didn't resist, not in the slightest. Their lips met, and she ran her hands over his chest, feeling his heart beat.

He was alive.He felt alive. Even if he was a vampire, it didn't matter anymore. He was in control of his future as long as it contained her. This woman whom he had quickly grown to love more than anyone else he'd ever known in his life. His heart wasn't as cold as he thought it was, and if it was, then she'd managed to melt it in record time.

They were together. The thought filled him with some strange sensations—hope, joy, bliss. Emotions he thought he'd never feel again. But he did. And he didn't hate himself for being a vampire anymore. He didn't hate himself for his past as a hunter, because it was just that—his past. There was nothing he could do about it now except do his very best to make the most of his present and his future.

He had fangs, and he needed blood to survive, and he'd live the rest of his days as the very thing he'd always considered a monster. But he wasn't a monster. He was certain of that now.

He didn't have a reflection, but he didn't need one anymore. His gaze locked with Janie's as they stood together in the middle of the airport, people milling about on every side, rushing to catch their flights.

Janie was his reflection now.

She looked at Quinn with love in her beautiful blue eyes.

He really liked what he saw there.