Demon Moon

was great meeting you,” Manu repeated as he slid from his chair. “It’s gotten late, though, and I should…” He hesitated, waved toward the door with his hand. “Do you need a ride?”
    She shook her head. There was no reason to make this any more awkward than it was.
    It seemed less pathetic to watch him leave than to hide her face in her hands. At least until he moved past the wide windows and could no longer see her; then she could privately berate herself for her stupidity. Though she couldn’t imagine Manu telling too many people the truth behind his reason for rejecting her, how long would it be before word had spread through the Desi community, spoken in loud whispers over dal and roti, sandwiched between comparisons of MCAT scores and wedding costs, until all of Nani’s acquaintances thought that her granddaughter danced naked in the moonlight and worshipped demons?
    They would blame it on America, and TV. And the number of suitable men willing to meet her would quickly decline.
    She’d completely screwed herself over—and she wasn’t certain if she’d done it deliberately. And if she had, if it was for her sake…or for his.
    With a sigh, she turned to the window again. Sir Pup had his head raised, looking at something across the street. She narrowed her eyes, trying to focus through the reflection—but it was too bright inside, too dark out. Until a passing vehicle’s headlights illuminated—
    Colin. Standing beside his new car with his jaw set and his gaze locked on Manu. Oblivious to the vampire’s attention, he walked quickly down the sidewalk, his shoulders hunched against the rain.
    Savi blinked in surprise, and Colin was on this side of the street, his long stride easily matching Manu’s rapid steps.
    Her chair scraped against the tile floor as she jumped to her feet, pressed her palms against the cool windowpane. “Don’t do anything,” she said desperately, loudly, staring through the glass. The couple at a nearby table turned to look at her—but she’d just admitted to a potential suitor that she believed in vampires. Talking to herself was nothing.
    Colin turned and flashed a playful grin over his shoulder. His eyebrows tilted in mock innocence. Me?
    She saw his lips move, and Manu halted. His mouth dropped open as he looked up into Colin’s face.
    Oh, god. It worked on heterosexual men, too.
    “Sir Pup, stop him.”
    The hellhound yawned and lowered his head to his paws.
    Relief slipped through her. If Colin had been intent on hurting Manu, Sir Pup wouldn’t have allowed it. Or would have at least showed signs of nervousness.
    And Colin was…her lips parted, and her throat dried. Both men stood in profile to her, and the intensity of Colin’s gaze as he spoke to Manu sent heat tearing through her—and she wasn’t even the focus of it.
    Then Colin smiled, and his fangs gleamed. Manu stiffened, took a step back, nodding frantically.
    Apparently satisfied with that response, Colin turned on his heel, walked toward the café entrance. Savi took her seat again, tried to smooth her ragged nerves. Silence fell over the patrons facing the door when he strode through, and deepened as others looked up to see the cause of the sudden hush; then it was broken as, behind the counter, a barista dropped a dish.
    Despite the noise, despite the attention, Colin’s gaze didn’t stray from her. He stopped next to her table, but made no move to take the seat opposite.
    “No wonder you’re reclusive, if this is what happens when you go somewhere,” she said, and her gaze drifted down to his throat, his chest. He’d worn the blue sweater. “It fits.”
    He performed a slow spin, his arms held wide in blatant invitation to look and enjoy. She did. “Beautifully,” he agreed when he faced her again. “Everything does. You’ve excellent taste.”
    Rolling her eyes, she took a sip from her cup and attempted to appear unaffected. “Not mine. I just remembered where you’d made the majority of your clothes purchases.” And there had been a lot of them in his financial records; his wardrobe must have been completely destroyed in the fire.
    But then, previous years’ records indicated he replaced his wardrobe regularly.
    “Yours. I could eat you in those boots.” He smiled lazily, as if the sudden increase in her heartbeat and the catch in her breath pleased him. “I may yet. Come and sit with me, Savi.”
    He lifted her cup, threaded the fingers of his left hand through hers,