“Do not worry about the formula.I allowed one of the members to inject me with it,so we know its components and are working on an antidote now.""It didn't work?" Gary was appalled. He had spent a tremendous amount of time on that formula.Althought Morrison and his crew had perverted it, he was still disappointed."You cannot have it both ways,Gary." Exasperated, Gregori gave him a little shove toward the entrance to the hotel. "You should not want the damn thing to work.""Hey,my reputation is on the line.""So was mine.I neutralized the poison." Gregori nudged him again. "Get moving.”

“Welcome to my world,Gary." Savannah was flashing a mischievous smile. "He considers you family and under his protection now, so he's bound to be impossibly bossy."Gary groaned. "I didn't consider that. Damn. You're right.He can't help himself;it's his nature.""Do not start,you two. I did not think what it would be like to have the two of you driving me insane." Gregori sounded disgusted, but Gary was beginning to understand him a little. He never really changed expression, and his eyes gave nothing away, but Gary could almost feel Gregori's silent laughter."You do have a sense of humor," he accused him."Well,do not blame me.It is Savannah's fault.She insists on it," Gregori replied in disgust. "Let us go and get you something decent to eat.""Am I going to crave blood, raw steak, that kind of thing?" Gary asked, straight-faced."Well,actually..." Savannah started."I do not have rabies." Gregori silenced her with a look. "I am not contagious.""All the books say if you drink my blood, I get to drink your bloodd, and them I'm like you." Gary sounded slightly disappointed."Some people grow bat wings," Savannah admitted, her teeth tugging at her lower lip. "That's where Batman came from. And capes,all those swirling capes. A regular epidemic. It's from our blood, a kind of allergic reaction. Don't worry,you would be showing signs already if you were one of those with a problem.""Is she always like this?" Gary aksed Gregori."She gets worse," Gregori said truthfully.”

“Do you see why I avoid humans, ma cherie? They are silly, exasperating creatures.You like him.You can't hide it from me, even if you try to hide it from yourself. Invite him home.Not for all the trees on this earth.I want to meet him.Savannah. She was up to no good, he was certain of it. Gregori's hand went to the back of his neck, massaging deeply. What I should do is scare the holy hell out of him so he will get over this nonsense."So,are you?" Gary asked."Am I what?" Gregori was distracted. Why had he ever talked to this fool in the first place? Because Savannah was making him crazy. Savannah had made him do something dumb. He had read Gary's mind and found him to be an interesting, likeable person. Don't blame me. She sounded innocent.”

“Hey,Gary," Savannah said, "do you want to go on a vampire hunt?"Greogri swung around to pin her with his brilliant silver gaze. Do not even start. He used the beauty of his voice like the weapon it was, compelling and mesmerizing.Savannah blinked, then smiled sweetly up at him. "Really,Gary. I saw it one of those tour brochures. Isn't that the perfect place to look for those society types? They must hang out around those kinds of things?""A vampire hunt?" gary echoed incredulously. "For real?""I have the brochure at home." She studiously avoided Gregori's furious gaze.She wore the little secret smile again, the one that always drove Gregori crazy, turned him inside out, and melted his heart. She was up to no good. He had no doubt of it. It has occurred to me that you need a good spanking.Her smile grew smug. I said I was willing to try anything once, lifemate, but i think it best if we wait until we are alone,don't you?”

“Life is dangerous,Gary," Gregori said softly. "You are Rambo, remember?"Savannah's laughter rang out, rivaling the jazz quartet playing on the corner. Heads turned to listen to he, then to watch her, stealing away the attention of the audience gathered in a loose semi-circle around the quartet. She moved in the human world, completely comfortable in it,a part of it. Gregori had walked unseen, and that was how he preferred it.She was dragging him into her world. He could hardly believe he was walking down a crowded street with a mortal wwith half the block staring openly at them."I didn't know you knew who Rambo was," Savannah said, trying not to giggle. She couldn't imagine Gregori in a theater watching a Rambo movie."You saw a Rambo flick?" Gary was incredulous.Gregori made a sound somewhere between contempt and derision. "I read Gary's memories on the subject. Interesting. Silly,but interesting." He glanced at Gary. "This is your hero?"Gary's grin was as michievous as Savannah's. "Until I met you, Gregori."Gregori growled, a low rumble of menace. His two companions just laughed disrespectfully, not in the least intimidated."I'll bet he's a secret Rambo fan," Savannah whispered confidentially.Gary nodded. "He probably sneaks into movie theaters for every old showing.”

“You haven't seen my resume," Gary objected. "I'm not looking to charity."The silver eyes glinted, a brief, hard humor. "I had your formula inside my body, Gary. That was all the proof of your genius I needed. The society had access to that blood for some time before you did, but none of them were able to come up with anything that worked on us.""Great,I get that dubious pleasure. Someday you're going to introduce me to one of your friends and you can say, 'By the way,this is the one who invented the poision that is killing our people.'"Gregori did laugh then,a low, husky sound so pure, it was beautiful to hear. It brought a lightness into gary's heart, dispelling the gloom that had been gathering. "I never thought of that. We might get a few interesting reactions."Gary found himself grinning sheepishly. "Yeah,like a lynching party with me as the guest of honor.”

“I would trust you with my life. I'm betting that something evil would appear pleasing but feel foul."Gregori's glittering silver eyes settled on his face, a glimmer of warmth in them, a hint of humor. "You are already trusting me with your life."Savannah leaned into Gregori. "I'm so proud of you. You're getting this humor thing down." She looked across the table at Gary, laughter dancing in her enormous blue eyes. "He has a little trouble with the concept of humor."Gary found himself laughing with her. "I can believe that.""Watch it,kid. There is no need to be disrespectful. Do not make the mistake of believing you can get away with it the way this one does." Gregori tugged at Savannah's long ebony hair. It hung to her waist, a fall of blue-black silk that moved with a life of its own, that tempted, invited men to touch it."So,what are you going to do about me?" Gary ventured painfully.Savannah resisted the urge to touch him sympathetically. She was naturally demonstrative, naturally affectionate. When someone was upset, she needed to make things better.Gregori inhibited her normal tendency to comfort.I cannot change what I am, ma petite,he whispered softly in her mind, a slow,soothing black-velvet drawl. His voice wrapped her up and touched her with tenderness. I can only promise to keep you safe and to try to make you as happy as I can to make up for my deficiencies.I didn't say you had deficiencies, she returned softly, her voice a caress, fingers trailing over the back of his neck, down the muscles of his back.Need slammed into him, low and wicked. His skin crawled with fire. His silver eyes slid slowly, possessively over her, touching her body with tongues of flame. Touching. Caressing. His urgent need exploded in him like a volcano. In his head a dull roar began. Abruptly he wished Gary gone. The cafe gone. The world gone.He wasn't altogether certain he could wait until he was home with her. The riverbank as suddenly looking very inviting.”