I gave him a weak smile and nodded. "I'm getting to that." I thought for a moment, hedging, wondering how much he could handle. But at this point, there was no stopping now. "I work for the government, for a secret organization within the CIA. We're a team of vamps that go in and clean up messes, or protect people, but only in extreme cases. And to the government, we don't exist." Zac nodded, looking at my fingers again. So far, so good. He might get through this in one piece after all. "And," I continued, "you're father's my boss." Immediately, Zac's head snapped up and his eyes met mine in disbelief. "No way.""Yes, there is a way," I gently replied, meeting his gaze. It wasn't every day that you find out your own father has lied to you all your life. "There's no way!" Zac repeated, incredulous. "He's the fifth boss I've had since I've been with the agency. I've worked with him for about 20 years," I continued, letting the words spill out. He really needed to hear it. "I r

"Then I'm not going anywhere, Abbey," Zac whispered into my ear, his voice low and husky. Then, he pulled back to look directly into my eyes, and said with all the conviction ever spoken, "I love you, Abbey. And as long as you'll have me, I'll be here." "That's what I wanted to hear," I replied, but turned away, as a tear slid slowly down my cheek. Zac forced me to look into his eyes. "What is it, Abigail?" Zac asked so sweetly, his eyes filled with so much love that the tears spilled over onto my cheeks. "But how will this work, Zac?" I asked, for once, unable to see my way into the future. "I mean, I'm a vamp and you're human ..." "Shush ..." Zac softly replied, placing a gentle finger to my lips. "Everything will work out, Abbey." And the sound of my name on his lips was very, very sweet. Zac looked out the front windshield for a moment, then looked down at me, still cradled within his arms. "Abbey, some people have a lifetime to love each other, others have a few days or a

I pulled the car around to the back and Zac was waiting for me, quietly gunning the engine, getting a feel for his new wheels. And from the look on his face, it was definitely his new baby. As I drew near, he leaned across the black interior, opening the passenger door for me. "Shall we?" he asked, as I slid into the comfortable seat. "I could definitely get used to this," Zac said with a smile, leaning over to give me one sweet kiss, before he gunned the engine and quickly sped off the lot and back onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike. As soon as we were safely a distance away, Zac took the exit onto I-81toward Maryland. "Are you hungry?" Zac asked, this time as if I was any other person, sending a thrill through my body. I looked at him with a half smile, unable to resist the temptation. "I could eat," I said with a sly smile, then added, "What you have in mind?" Zac smiled, mischievously. "No comment!" he said, laughing, shaking his head, and then looked directly at me. "You k

I watched Zac sleeping peacefully throughout the night, as the pale light of morning peered through the windows. I laid my head gently on his broad chest, listening to the rhythm of his heart and his steady breathing, thinking of the night before, and unable to believe the direction the night had taken. As I remembered sharing my blood with him, and Zac sharing his with me, it was the most sensual experience of my life. Watching him sleep, I knew everything had changed and that my life, and my love, was irrevocably his. "Zac …" I gently whispered into his ear, kissing his neck. "Zac, honey, it's time to wake up." I gingerly kissed his chest, then his neck and his cheek. "We need to get going." "Hum …" Zac said, smiling, his eyes still closed. Then, he wrapped his arms around me. My breath caught as he slowly opened his beautiful azure eyes to look into mine. "Good morning, dear," he said with a smile, as he gently kissed my lips. Content, my lips moved with his in familiar ways, as h

"What's wrong?" Zac asked, noticing the change in my demeanor."I just can't believe that Abbot didn't protect you while you were visiting," I began, trying to calm myself. "And vamps met him at his home with you there. Very irresponsible of him." Zac shrugged. "I never knew this world existed. He never told me anything about it." We drove through a series of underground tunnels until we finally came to a secluded underground parking garage, dark and lined with gray steel beams, then came to a security guard. I flashed him my ID and he waved me through, getting a good look at Zac, but didn't recognize him. I laughed and shook my head as I found a parking spot near the elevator. "What?" Zac asked, not smiling, unable to see the humor. "Your father's really going to be surprised when he sees you here!" I replied, then looked directly into his eyes, as I turned the ignition off and gave Zac back the keys. With the engine off, the silence was deafening, but I broke the silence w