Shadows of Eternity

Chapter Seventeen

L eia woke early in the morning, her thoughts conflicted. She loved Rohan, or thought she did. When she was with him, she had no doubt of it, but when they were apart … When they were apart, she was troubled by the differences between them. Would those differences eventually drive a wedge between them, or bring them closer together? What if he wanted her to become a vampire? That was definitely a deal-breaker! She liked being human, thank you very much. No matter that he could do some amazing things or that he could live forever. It just wasn’t natural. When they were together, he seemed normal, human, and yet there was no disguising that dark undercurrent that was as much a part of him as the color of his hair.

If only he had never told her the truth. Maybe ignorance really was bliss.

Sighing, she ate a quick breakfast, loaded the dishes into the dishwasher, and returned to her room to dress. The day stretched before her. The apartment was squeaky clean. The sky a beautiful, clear blue after the rain. She didn’t really feel like washing the windows or doing anything else. What was Rohan doing? Silly question. Probably resting.

If they stayed together, she would likely spend most of her days alone. She told herself it wouldn’t be too bad during the school year. And he could be awake during the day …

Before she could talk herself out of it, Leia stepped into her shoes, grabbed her keys and her handbag, and drove to Rohan’s hotel. She parked on the street, hurried inside, and rang for the elevator as if she belonged there. Her stomach was in knots by the time the elevator reached the top floor.

Heart pounding like a freight train, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Several long minutes passed. Maybe he wasn’t home. Feeling a rush of disappointment and a dash of relief—he might not be happy to have her drop in uninvited. She was about to leave when the door opened and Rohan stood there. Clad in nothing but a pair of black briefs, his hair falling over his bare shoulders, he was cover model gorgeous.

A slow smile spread over his face. “Well,” he drawled, taking a step back, “this is a pleasant surprise. Come on in.”

Suddenly uncertain, she stepped inside, knew a moment of doubt as she heard the door close behind her.

Arms crossed over his broad chest, he asked, “What brings you here?”

Leia shrugged. “I was bored.”

“Well, then,” he drawled, “I guess I’ll have to find a way to entertain you.”

She licked her lips as his heated gaze moved over her. She didn’t need three guesses to know what he had in mind. Truth be told, it was on her mind, too.

He smiled as he pulled her gently into his arms. “We can just sit and talk, if you’d rather.”

Sit and talk? Was he kidding? She could hardly think with him standing there practically naked. Mercy, the man had the body of a Greek god and her fingers were itching to explore every inch of it.

“Damn, woman, if you don’t stop thinking like that, we’re gonna do it on the floor, right here, right now.”

She blushed from head to toe as he swung her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. Dark drapes completely blocked the sun. A blessing, she thought, as he placed her on the mattress and caressed her out of her clothing and shucked his briefs.

“It’s not too late to change your mind,” he murmured, as he rained kisses over her cheeks, her eyelids, her lips, the hollow of her throat.

Smiling, she whispered, “Yes, it is,” as she pushed him onto his back and straddled his hips.

It was an odd sensation, making love in the dark, and yet freeing somehow. She kissed and caressed him, boldly exploring, touching and tasting to her heart’s content until, with a low growl, he rolled over, placing her beneath him. She was more than ready when he rose over her, his voice husky with desire as he whispered that he adored her.

Rohan sighed as Leia fell asleep in his arms. They had made love again before she fell asleep. While they lay spent in each other’s arms, he had asked if he might taste her and she had said yes without a second thought. Her blood was indescribable. Warm and sweet, yes, and so much more.

His gaze moved over her. Even in the pitch blackness of his room, he could see her clearly, her glorious red hair spread like a silken flame across the pillowcase, her lips bruised from his kisses.

She had pulled a sheet over her nakedness, but he knew every curve and hollow, every delectable inch of her. He had made love to many women, but none had captivated him the way she did, or pleased him as much, or in so many ways. He had been delighted and surprised to find her at his door and even more astonished to discover the reason for her visit.

He smiled faintly as he ran his tongue along the length of her neck. Later, he would ask her for another taste. But for now, he was content to lie beside her as he drifted into oblivion.

Leia woke to darkness. Momentarily confused, she wondered where she was but then, feeling Rohan lying beside her, she grinned. She had acted like a trollop, she thought, and she didn’t regret it at all.

Slipping out of bed, she padded into the bathroom, quietly closed the door, and stepped into the shower, hoping it wouldn’t wake him. When she finished, she wrapped herself in a towel and tiptoed into the bedroom, feeling around for her clothes, which lay in a heap on the floor.

She couldn’t find her bra and didn’t want to turn on the lights, so she left it wherever it was. She dressed in the living room, found her handbag and her keys on the floor, and tiptoed out of the apartment.

The desk clerk gave her a knowing smile as she hurried outside, leaving Leia to wonder if lone women coming in and out of the hotel in the middle of the day was a usual occurrence. And then she frowned. Good grief, he probably thought she was a hooker!

She grinned all the way home.

Her cell phone rang as she pulled into her parking space. “Janae, hi. What’s up?”

“You remember we talked about the four of us going out to dinner? Well, I asked Trent about it and he said sure, so, what’s a good night for you two?”

“I don’t know. I’ll have to ask Rohan.”

“How is that handsome hunk?”

Leia frowned. Handsome hunk? That didn’t sound like Janae. “He’s fine.”

“Great. Well, let me know when he’s free. Trent should be home for a few days.”

“All right, I will.” Disconnecting the call, Leia stared at her phone. No warning about dating Rohan? No mention of death or dark auras or disaster? What the heck was going on?

Rohan woke with the musky scent of their recent lovemaking still in the air. Leia had been a surprise in more ways than one, he mused. Warm and eager, she came alive in his arms, willing to give him everything he asked for. He’d never known a lover like her. Fire and silk, he thought, and although she blushed easily, she wasn’t shy about letting him know what she wanted, what she liked. And what she didn’t. How had he existed so long without her?

He grinned in the darkness. If he had his way, he would never be without her again.

Anticipation brought a smile to Leia’s face as she hurried to answer the door that evening. “Hi,” she said, breathlessly.

“Hi, yourself,” he murmured as he pulled her into his embrace. “How was your day?”

“Wonderful.”

He chuckled as her cheeks turned bright pink. “Can I hope I had something to do with it?”

“You know you did. Stop fishing for compliments.” Taking his hand, she led him to the sofa and pulled him down beside her. “How do you feel about a double date with Janae and her husband?”

He shrugged. “I’m game if you are. But it might be wise to skip dinner.”

“Right. How about a movie and maybe drinks after?”

“Whatever you want, love.”

“When?”

“I think I’m free for the next couple of weeks,” he said. The troupe was practicing for a new show, but he hadn’t yet signed up for it. “So any night is fine with me.”

“All right. I’ll call her tomorrow. When I talked to her today, she didn’t sound anything like herself,” Leia remarked. “She didn’t even warn me about how dangerous it was for me to date you.”

He grunted softly.

Leia cocked her head to the side. “You wouldn’t have anything to do with her sudden change of heart, would you?”

“Who, me?” he asked innocently.

“What did you do?” she asked, alarmed by the thought of Rohan messing with Janae’s mind.

“I wiped all thoughts of danger, vampires, and dark auras from her mind.”

Leia frowned. “I’m not sure I like that.”

“It’s for the best, believe me. I haven’t lived this long by being careless. The fewer people who know what I am, the better.”

Well, that made sense, she thought. And then frowned again. “If we stopped seeing each other, would you erase your memory from my mind, too?”

He didn’t have to answer. The look in his eyes said it all.

She understood his reasons, but it saddened her just the same.

“That bothers you.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes. Even if we part, I don’t ever want to forget you.”

“Then I promise I will not erase your memories of me completely, only the fact that I’m a vampire. Can you live with that?”

She thought it over a moment and then nodded. Vampire. It still seemed unreal. Impossible.

“Would you like to go out?” he asked.

“No. Let’s stay in tonight.”

“As you wish.” His gaze moved over her. “What would you like to do?”

“Hear more about your past.”

“Whatever for?”

“I want to know everything about you. When you dance, it’s like you’re far away in another time.”

“You’re very perceptive. Dancing always takes me back to the past. It reminds me of long summer nights on the Plains. I remember the scents of roasting meat and sage, listening to the Old Ones relate the ancient stories of our People. I remember the excitement of going to war, the thrill of my first coup, the pain and glory of the Sun Dance.”

“I saw a depiction of that in a movie once.”

He snorted. “You cannot capture the wonder of it on film. It was painful, yes, but spiritual in the deepest sense of the word.”

“Did you have a vision?”

“Yes. It was from that vision that the shaman gave me my name.”

She wanted to ask him what he saw, but knew, somehow, that he wouldn’t tell her.

“What’s it like for you, when you rest? Do you sleep? Do you dream?”

“It’s difficult to explain. It’s like falling into dark water. Vampires rarely dream.”

“Are you really dead to the world?”

He laughed softly. “In a way. But I am also aware of what’s going on around me, every noise that’s out of place, every scent that shouldn’t be there.” He grinned at her. “It’s very hard to sneak up on an old vampire. Easier on the young ones.” He drew her closer. “Enough talk about the past,” he said, tracing her bottom lip with his fingertips. “Let’s talk about you. Your warmth, your sweetness. The way you make me forget what I am,” he murmured. And then he grinned. “Although at this moment, all I can think about is tasting you.” His gaze searched hers, seeking permission.

“Does blood taste the same to vampires as it does to mortals? I mean, I’ve tasted my blood and … ” She shrugged. “It just tastes kind of salty and coppery.”

“Your blood tastes like the finest wine,” he said, his gaze moving to the pulse throbbing in the hollow of her throat. “Warm and sweet and intoxicating.”

Leia felt her heart skip a beat. Who would have thought such a conversation would be arousing? But it was. She canted her head to the side, closed her eyes as he bit her ever so gently, sighed as he lifted her into his arms and carried her to bed.