Byron blew out a long puff of smoke. “Of course I’m going to be hungry while spending time with my lover. Any vampire would.”

“What if she sees the hunger in your eyes?”

“That will not happen,” Byron said flatly, even though that had very nearly taken place earlier. “Enough questions, is everything ready for tomorrow?”

She was taking Amelia out on her superyacht for a few days, somewhere they could get real privacy.

“Yes, the supplies will be loaded first thing in the morning. Are you sure you won’t take even a few guards on board?”

“Very sure. I want to be alone with Amelia, and I mean alone. It will be quite sufficient if you and your people follow up in the boat behind.”

“And what about food? You’re going to need a steady supply.”

Byron stubbed out her cigar in the ashtray. Her desire for Amelia was growing by the second, as the blood took effect. It was pulling her upstairs, and her body wouldn’t wait much longer.

“The crew will serve me well. Now, if that’s all, I have a beautiful woman waiting for me.” She got up and walked to the door.

Alexis followed until they were at the bottom of the marble staircase. “Goodnight, Principe.”

“Goodnight.” Byron took the first step upstairs, the blood in every cell of her body wanting, needing, and hungering for Amelia.

She heard Alexis say behind her, “I know how it feels, Principe, remember? I’m only thinking of you.”

Byron stopped in her tracks and turned back around. She would never forget the night they both lost women they cared about. Nearly a hundred and seventy years ago, Victorija and her Dreds attacked Byron’s London home. Byron lost her lover Rose, leader of her local witches’ coven, and Alexis lost the woman she loved.

Alexis was cradling her girlfriend Anna’s limp body. She looked up at Byron, distraught, tears staining her face. “It was too late. I couldn’t—”

Byron gave Alexis her hand and pulled her up to her feet. She looked into her eyes and said, “Humans break, and then they break our hearts. There is no other outcome, Alexis. No one can ever get this close again.”

“I know, Duca. I know you do. Then you should understand the reason why I can’t turn my back on her.” She wondered if there was any part of Alexis that still yearned for love after vowing to never love anyone again.

Her Duca didn’t respond to the emotional question, but simply nodded and said, “Goodnight, Principe.”

Before she went upstairs, Byron decided to take a detour and pick up a few things that might help her earn Amelia’s forgiveness.

* * *

Amelia sat at her dressing table taking off her make-up, rehearsing all the things she was going to take Byron to task over when she saw her.

She had changed into the cream and lace nightdress with matching dressing gown she hoped Byron would like, but she suspected that was a waste of time. Even kissing her under moonlight, with romantic violin music in the background, didn’t seem to tear Byron’s mind away from business.