THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

great-great-great — God I don’t know how many greats to employ — grandmother found her way across the Atlantic and started a North American strain.”
    “And they’re all gone but—”
    “Yes, all gone. So you can see why doing a flit really isn’t a possibility. They’d come after me, the good guys and the bad guys. And I have to say, after having been turned into a walking Tetra Pak by one of these predators, I think I want to stick it out. If I’m Delano’s best shot at stopping these guys, I have to do it.”
    “Oh, Ainsley.”
    “Yeah, I know. Where do I find this trouble? Honestly, I don’t even try.”
    “Okay, put this Delano guy on the line. I want to talk to him.”
    Ainsley blinked. “You want to talk to him?”
    “Definitely. I love you more than anyone on this planet, with the exception of Devon, and I’m inclined to believe you because, well, you’ve been the sanest person in my life for almost two decades. But how do I know you’re not suffering from some strange psychosis brought on by a stroke or some weird chemical imbalance?”
    “Point taken. Hang on, I’ll call Delano. And that’s Dr. Bowen to you. He can be a little stuffy at first.”
    She paged Delano, who was down in the lab. He came quickly enough, but when she told him the situation, he took the receiver from her as though it were the business end of a coiled cobra. Smiling, she stepped back to listen to his end of the conversation.
    “Hello, Ms. Michaels. Yes, of course, Machias. Yes, this is Dr. Delano Bowen. Yes, it’s true. That’s also true. My birth date? That would be October 12, 1802. Where? The wolds of Linconshire. Ah, a history major?”
    He glanced at Ainsley, who smiled and shrugged.
    “Of course I know what someone born in Linconshire was called. A Yellow Belly.” A pause. “Yes, well I’ve lived on this continent almost as long as I lived in Europe. Eventually, you leave your accent behind.”
    To Ainsley’s amazement, he’d switched to a British accent.
    “Not that it ever truly leaves you. I am indeed a vampire. That’s correct. In my 34th year. Your arithmetic is impeccable. Yes, I am a real doctor of medicine.” He shot another look at Ainsley. “You may check with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons if you wish, although they’ll no doubt report I’m considerably older than my appearance might suggest. Hematology. That is the gist of my work, yes. Precisely. A unique property in her blood.” He turned away from her at this point. “She’s well protected, and wants to make sure you are, as well. Of course. With my life. You have my solemn vow.”
    He turned back to Ainsley, handed her the phone and walked away.
    With my life?
    Blinking furiously, Ainsley pressed the receiver to her ear. “What’d I tell you?” she said. “Over 200. Can I call ’em, or what?”
    “Ainsley, this is insane.”
    “I know.”
    A sigh came over the wires. “Okay, you can tell your Dr. Bowen that we’ll accept his protection. If they need to get closer to do it effectively, they can make contact. I’ll figure out something to tell Devon.”
    Relief made her giddy. “Thank you, Luce. And I’m so sorry I dragged you into this.”
    “Ainsley, honey, it’s not your fault. If your blood really is the key, then I guess it was inevitable.”
    A moment later, emotional goodbyes said, Ainsley hung up the telephone. Thank God that was over. One more hurdle overcome.
    So why did she feel like crying?
     
    Delano watched her replace the receiver, then sink down on the couch, her arms wrapping around herself in self-comfort.
    And heaven help him, there was that pain again, the one that pierced him to his very marrow and started all that emotion bleeding out of him.
    Dammit, he loved her.
    He’d been denying it for weeks now, but he could deny it no longer.
    Not the giddy drug of infatuation. Not the mind-blinding drive of unadulterated lust. Not the bone-deep need to possess.
    It was all of those things wrapped up together, but so much more. It was simple, really. She had somehow become all that mattered.
    Before he knew what he intended to do, he found himself standing before her.
    “Del! I thought you went back down to the lab.”
    “Come here.” He sat down beside her and urged her into his arms.
    “Del?”
    She tried to pull back, but he urged her head down to his chest.
    “Hush, Ainsley. I just want to hold you a minute. Can we do that?”
    Her answer was to slide her arms around