This time it was Parker who snickered, while Greg yelled at him to shut up. “The only thing I’ll say is it involved Mary Jane, a six-pack and the strangest urge to eat peanut butter and marshmallow bars.”

“I was hungry!”

“I am so worming that story out of you.” Brian chuckled. “So I need to hit the grocery store and stock up on what you need. I’ll pick up one of those diabetic lancet pens so you don’t have to deal with the skanky bagged crap I hear you’ve been adding to your diet. Any preferences? Peanut butter, maybe?”

“Shut up.”

“Green. Leafy. Maple syrupy.”

Oh hell. Had he given Brian something to do? Did that make the man officially his roomie?

Great. Now he had two people willing to mock him and order him around. Just what he needed.

“Got it.” Brian tucked away his PDA. “Thanks for giving me a chance. And if you decide you don’t like me after a month, you can request a change of Renfield, and a new one will be assigned for a trial basis.”

So he only had to live with Brian for one month? Brian didn’t have to tell him that. It was a mark in the man’s favor. “Thanks.”

Brian stood, preparing to go. “Well, it was nice—”

“Wait! Remember, Terri is bloody dangerous. If you see a crazy woman sprouting dandelions, run like hell, got it?”

Brian laughed. “That will be more of a pain than you imagine, since a number of our inhabitants have sprouted something over the years. What does she look like? Can you sketch? I bet I could convince the sheriff to put up a Wanted poster if you like.”

“Oh yes, brilliant idea. Not. Terri has killed anyone who’s tried to stop her.”

“Other than Greg.”

“Greg could protect himself.”

“Damn straight.”

Brian put his hand on Parker’s shoulder. Parker jumped as something passed between the two of them, something strange. Something that brought a look of warmth and satisfaction to Brian’s face. “Don’t worry. We take care of our own around here.” He stepped back, but the connection didn’t break. “Do yourself a favor. Let Amara Schwedler know about this Terri person. I have the feeling she’ll be more than interested in helping you.” Brian winked and sauntered toward the door. “Be back soon.”

Brian shut the door, leaving behind one confused vampire and his little ghost too. “What the fuck?”

“Welcome to Maggie’s Grove?”

Parker rolled his eyes and headed back to the kitchen. “At least he didn’t bring me flowers and a fruit basket.”

“Nope. Just his nubile young self,” Greg purred.

Parker pretended to gag and stuck his fingers in his ears. “Lalalalalalala!”

“Homophobic asshole.”

“Lecherous old goat.”

“You’re pissed because I never tried to bone you.”

“Stay away from my man-bits, perv.”

“You think he likes black men?”

“Sure. But I think he likes them better when they’re capable of passing him the salt.”

“Prick.”

“What did I say about my man-bits?”

“You might want to take your man-bits and aim them out the window.”

Parker would have given Greg a look if he’d been able to see him. “Why?”

“Amara is back.”

Parker was out the back door so fast, not even Greg could keep up.

Amara took a deep breath. A serene smile slowly crossed her face. On nights like this she always felt so alive with the beauty of the mountain above her, the moon shining its silver light across her garden, the crickets chirping their song of spring. She turned, only to find herself staring at a pair of fangs.

“Hi.”

Amara screamed and lashed out, punching the toothy trespasser right in the chest.

“Well. That’s a greeting I’m much more familiar with.” Parker grinned and eased back until he was leaning against the fence. With a bemused look he rubbed the spot she’d nailed.

“Sorry, but you scared the shit out of me.”

He chuckled. “I noticed.”

“You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that. What if I’d had a stake in my hand?”

“I’d be dust in the wind?”

Amara shook her head. Her heart was going a mile a minute.

“You smell wonderful tonight.”

Before she could think twice about it, Amara covered her throat with her hands. “I have the feeling I wouldn’t taste very good.”

His grin turned feral, his fangs peeking out. “Someday I might be the judge of that.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Who says I’d let you?”

His shoulders shook. Was he laughing at her? He seemed oddly happy. “Has the town welcomed you yet?” Brian hadn’t been in Parker’s house as long as she’d thought he would be, but she hadn’t stopped to talk to him. Maybe the two men hadn’t clicked? It could be difficult for a vampire to find the right Renfield, but Brian was among the few she’d trust with someone she cared about. Too bad Dragos already had one, or she would have recommended he take Brian.

He sighed, some of his cheer fading. “Yes, they have, in their unique way.”

She didn’t want him to know she’d been spying on his house earlier. “Who did they send?”

“Hmm?”

“To be your Renfield. Who did they send?”

He blinked, shocked. “Brian Cunningham.”

“Did you like him?”

“Was I supposed to?”

Not quite the answer she’d hoped for, and his wary expression hadn’t changed. Maybe he was waiting to see if he’d bond with Brian? “He’ll take good care of you.”

“So you approve of him?” She nodded, and something in him seemed to ease. “Then I’ll learn to live with him.”

She was charmed her opinion carried such weight. “Have you been to MM Night yet?” She blushed. Of course he hadn’t been yet. He’d only moved in two weeks ago. His nearness had flustered her.

“What’s that?” He stepped forward and took her hand. She allowed it, surprised at how right it felt. The only other person who’d touched her so easily was Glinda. She hadn’t realized until now how much she missed that.

“MM Night is Monster Movie Night. The whole town gathers once a month and puts on an oldie-but-goodie. Then we ridicule it relentlessly and laugh our asses off at how much Hollywood got wrong.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“It is.”

“When is the next one?”

“Tomorrow night.”

“Excellent.” He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. Butterflies danced through her at the touch of his lips. His faint British accent rolled through her, warming her from the inside out. “Then it’s a date.”

She blinked up at him, shocked. When had she agreed to go out with him? She wasn’t that dazzled by his voice. “Date?”

He bowed. “I look forward to seeing you. Good night, my sweet.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but he kissed the back of her hand again, effectively filling her stomach with those damn butterflies. What on earth was wrong with her? She never had trouble telling a man no.

She watched him walk away, drawn to his strong shoulders and sculpted ass. “Oh boy.” She drifted back into the house and curled up on top of the covers, barely remembering to kick off her shoes first. The memory of Parker’s touch lingered as she tried to drift off.

She had a date. With someone who didn’t have to be blackmailed first.

It shouldn’t have surprised her when she smiled, but it did.

“I have a date tonight.”

“The pretty next door? What did you do, use your freaky vampire powers and cloud her mind until she said yes?”

Parker ignored Brian’s choked-off chuckle. Already Brian and Greg had teamed up against him, damn them, and it had only been a day. “No, I did not use my freaky vampire powers. I used my freaky British powers. I speak, and women fall in droves.” He struck a dramatic pose and waited.

“Yeah, they do. Fall on their asses laughing.”

Brian looked up from the mail he was sorting. He’d taken over the kitchen table temporarily until Parker could get him a desk. No way was Brian taking over his. Parker had everything exactly the way he wanted it, so the Renfield would need his own workspace. “I’ve always been a sucker for an accent.” He shivered and waggled his brows. “There’s something about a man drawling naughty words in an Aussie accent while he—Ahem. Never mind.” Brian bit his lip and fingered the mail. Parker didn’t want to know what Brian was remembering. It might scar him for life.