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Laura giggled in his ear. "Do you know everyone?"

  "Well," David replied, "I used to get around a lot, while I was looking for you."

  She sighed gazing in the depths of those wonderful, dark chocolate brown eyes of his. David poured and they sat a while sipping blood, listening to the music, and cuddling. When she nibbled on his ear, he pulled her out of the booth.

  "I really need to get back to the hotel." He winked. Arm-in-arm, they left the bar and stepped out into the night air.

  They paused to look in the window of a candle shop, where a man demonstrated how he curled and folded layers of warm wax into an elaborate design of undulating waves of rolling colors.

  "I'd like one of those candles," Laura whispered to David. They went inside and purchased one.

  As they stepped back out the door, slam! They ran into another couple.

  Laura fell to her knees and grabbed her forehead. "Ow." She looked up and met the dark eyes of the other woman, who had dropped a wine red rose on the ground.

  Laura instinctively picked it up.

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  It was Camille, her brown curls disheveled. For an instant, they stared at each other.

  "Are you all right?" Richard helped his wife to her feet. Camille brushed herself off. Laura held out the rose to return it. The two couples looked at each other as if to say something.

  Then Camille and Richard turned from the vampires and walked away. They continued down the street until they were gone, and Laura twirled the rose in her fingers.

  David asked, "How are you doing?"

  "It's only a bump."

  "I don't mean that. She could have at least said thank you."

  Laura smiled at David. "Oh, she did."

  David took her hand and led her to a bench that overlooked the harbor. They sat in a passionate embrace and kissed.

  "Ouch," she said, dropping the rose.

  David took her hand and licked the blood from her finger seductively. Laura giggled.

  "Come, my darling," he said in his best Bela Lugosi voice, "Let's dance like children of the night." He pulled her to her feet, and in one motion twirled her into his arms. She laughed. They waltzed into the moonlight. Left behind on the park bench was a single deep red rose. Clouds gathered, and a sweet, steamy sweat drizzled over the city.

  The End

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  For more information about

  Susan Hanniford Crowley

  and her upcoming releases, visit:

  her website: http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

  and her romance blog: http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com

  Thank you!

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