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“What could happen to them?” he prompted.
“Best-case scenario? They could lose their tax-exempt status,” I said. “But they could also end up owing a boatload of back taxes, depending on circumstances. If the IRS thinks their failure to comply is intentional, there could be criminal charges and jail time.”
Reggie let out a low whistle. “Vampires would agree to just about anything if the alternative was facing time in a human prison. They couldn’t survive the food human prisoners get. It would only be a matter of time before they attacked someone out of desperation and all hell broke loose.”
I didn’t doubt that was true. “I don’t want to get your hopes up,” I cautioned. “But let me see what I can find.”
When he got out of bed and strode towards me, his expression was so reverent it took my breath away. People’s eyes usually glazed over when I talked taxes. But even though I could tell Reggie wasn’t following most of what I was saying, the bright gleam in his eye said he was anything but bored.
Was it possible that I’d finally found someone who thought what I did was interesting?
Having my plus-one to Gretchen’s wedding be a vampire seemed like a small price to pay for that.
Reggie stood behind me, then wrapped me in his arms and held me close. He was still naked, and the chill from his bare body made me shiver a little. I didn’t care. It felt wonderful, being held by him,
“You are the hardest working, most incredible and brilliant person,” he murmured against the top of my head. His voice was raw, the emotion in it unmistakable. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you. I’m not sure that Idodeserve you. But I’m grateful, all the same.”
I swallowed thickly. “You should hold your gratitude until I’ve actually done something.”
I could feel him shaking his head. “You already have. But is there anything I can do to help? I feel like I shouldn’t just wait around while you save my ass like this.”
I leaned back against him. “You’re still taking me to a family wedding in a month. That’s payment enough.”
He chuckled. “That’s true, I am.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Though that’s no burden. I’m looking forward to it.”
I craned my neck and looked up at him. “You are?”
He gave me a sly grin. “I am. Though that’s mostly because I’m looking forward to finally discussing history with your dad.” He paused, then added, “I want to make sure I get a chance to talk with him, in case the wedding means the end of our arrangement.”
His voice had gone quiet even as his hold on me tightened, his unspoken question hanging heavy in the space between us.
Was having Reggie spend actual quality time with my dad something I could handle? More to the point: Was dating a vampire for real something I wanted?
Maybe it would be okay, for once in my life, to simply take something one step at a time. I didn’t know what a future with Reggie might look like, given that I would age and die the same as any other human and he would not. And I certainly wasn’t ready to do what Cassie was about to do with Frederick. It was hard to imagine I ever would be.
But maybe that was all right, too. Because what Ididknow was that the idea of never seeing Reggie again after Gretchen’s wedding made me very sad. Beyond sad. When I imagined saying goodbye to him next month…
No.
If I knew anything at all, I knew I didn’t wantthat.
Maybe that was all I needed to know for now.
I turned back to Reggie again and squeezed his hand. “Even if you and Dad don’t manage to talk history at the wedding, you’ll have plenty of time for it, after.”
The smile he gave me in return lit up the room.
TWENTY-SEVEN
To: Amelia Collins ([email protected])
From: John Richardson ([email protected])
Dear Ms. Collins,
The Wyatt Foundation greatly appreciates your assistance and I look forward to seeing you at nine tomorrow morning.
I have attached another set of documents to this email for your perusal in advance of our meeting. They deal with the work our group did with oil refineries at the turn of the twentieth century. I am certain they will be of great importance to our file.
