The Shadows of Christmas Past

under control. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath—and let the woman go.
    "Ms. Luchese's injured," he heard the medic say. "We need to get her to the ER."
    "I told you I'm fine," she said.
    Colin looked at her. "Luchese, you always think you know best, and never do what you're told, right?"
    She smiled. It was wicked, and edgy, and that lit a different kind of fire in him.
    "Yeah," she acknowledged.
    "Go with the medic," he told her. She would have protested further, but he sent a stern command into her mind. Go .
    Then his team commander called his name, and Colin went back to work without another glance.
    Several hours later he met the woman in the ER as she came out of a treatment room. Despite the frantic hubbub in this part of the hospital she spotted him instantly, as if she was as drawn to him as he was to her. She looked at him, then looked away. He felt her consider walking past him and out the door. Her left arm was in a sling, and a shiny cream covered the bruises on her face. Her shoulders had a tired slump to them but she consciously straightened when she saw him. Apparently she was ready to do battle all over again.
    "You look beautiful," he said, coming up to her.
    Her eyes went wide in surprise. She thought he was making fun of her, and asked, "Officer, are you supposed to talk like that?"
    "I'm off duty."

    "You're not here to—take a statement, or something?"
    "Didn't an officer talk to you already?"
    "Yeah. He told me everyone got out okay. So why are you—?"
    "I wanted to check on you." He couldn't help but run a hand up her uninjured arm, and felt her shiver. "How are you feeling?"
    "Nothing's broken, just a sprained wrist," she answered. "I don't need the sling, but I promised the nice intern who looked at it that I'd wear it until I'm outside the hospital door."
    She took a deep breath, and made a wry face. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. You risked your life to save us. Thank you."
    He gave a slight shrug. He was there to take care of her kind. Mortal life was precious and it was an honor to protect the helpless—even if Luchese here didn't think she was helpless.
    "I was scared," she went on. "That made me—testy."
    "What were you doing out in the front office with your captor? Why weren't you tied up in the back with the others?"
    "I thought you weren't here to ask questions?"
    "Not officially; I'm curious. You were up to something, weren't you?"
    "They were making ransom demands," she answered. "They were incompetent idiots with guns. They—"
    "Had the wrong building," he filled in. "We know that from questioning them. By the time they figured out they'd screwed up, the officer had called the robbery in. But what were you doing?"
    "Trying to split them up, so I could take one down and get his weapon. They were demanding a lot of money, and threatening to kill people if they didn't get it. So I told them I was an heiress, and if they'd let me call my family, they'd be rich. I got one of them to take me up front so I could use the receptionist's phone, while one of the others was occupied talking to your negotiator in the back. It worked." Then she laughed, the sound a little shaky. "And I was only there to pick up a friend for lunch."
    He shook a finger under her nose. "Luchese, that was very stupid of you. Brave, though," he added, as a flash of annoyance went through her. He touched the tip of her nose, then found himself tracing the outline of her lips. Soft, full, warm lips. A wave of hunger crashed through him. He was going to kiss those lips, soon. The smoldering look she gave him told him she knew it, too. He was going to taste her. But this was not the place.
    He made himself take a step back. "My name's Colin Foxe," he finally introduced himself.
    "You have a first name, Luchese?"
    "Mia," she answered. "Mia Luchese."

    Mia. A short, pretty, uncomplicated mortal name. Nothing like the complex, beautiful names of vampire females. And even though someday he would bond with a vampire female, right now, he wanted this human woman.
    He reached out and took her uninjured hand. "I'll take you home."

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    SUSAN SIZEMORE is the author of I Burn for You, I Thirst for You , and the upcoming novel I Hunger for You , a trilogy of vampire romances