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“And if she said she was leaving?”
“Then I’d let her go. I didn’t beg her to stay the first time, and I sure as hell wouldn’t do it now.” Logan stared into the distance for a moment before saying, “If you bring Sheree across without asking her, there’s no telling what her reaction will be. There’s a good chance she’ll hate you for it, or hate what she’s become and destroy herself. Are you prepared to live with the consequences?”
Derek shuddered at the visual Logan’s words planted in his mind—an image of Sheree cursing his name as she walked out into the sun’s light, screaming in agony as her body burst into flames.
Jaw clenched, he shook his head, hoping to dispel the image, but later that night, it lingered in his mind until the Dark Sleep dragged him down into oblivion.
The next evening, Mara decided it was time to go back home. Though she had fond memories of living in the castle in days gone by, the old place was in serious need of repair and refurbishing, neither of which she was in the mood to tackle just now.
It took only a short time to pack the few things they had brought with them and lock up the place.
Sheree closed her eyes and held her breath as the four of them stood in a tight circle, holding hands.
When she opened her eyes again, they were in the middle of the living room in Mara’s house in the Hollywood Hills. “I’ll never get used to that,” Sheree remarked when the world stopped spinning. “Never.”
“Maybe one day you’ll be able to do it on your own,” Mara said, heading toward the stairs. “Coming, Logan?”
Sheree looked at Derek, one brow raised. “What did she mean by that?”
“Don’t listen to her. She’s crazy. So, what now? Do you want to stay here, or go to your place?”
“I think I should go home, see if my plants are still alive, and clean out my fridge.”
“Whatever you want, love.”
When they reached her house, Derek walked Sheree to the door. At her request, he followed her inside to make sure no one was hiding in the closet or under the bed.
“All clear,” he said, returning to the living room. “If you need me, just call. On the phone, or in your mind, I’ll hear you and I’ll come.”
“Do you have to go so soon?”
“I guess not.”
“Do you mind if I go change? I’ll just be a minute.”
“Take your time.”
Taking her bags, she went up the stairs.
Derek tracked her movements while he made a slow circuit of her living room. He paused in front of a narrow bookshelf. Three shelves were crowded with figurines of vampires, some made out of pewter, others of glass or ceramic. The rest of the bookcase was filled with books and movies about vampires, including several different versions of the movie Dracula.
He couldn’t help wondering if she still found vampires fascinating.
He turned at the sound of her footsteps, thinking she got prettier every time he saw her. Her cheeks flushed under his admiring gaze.
“It’s a little chilly in here,” she said, suddenly nervous. “I think I’ll light a fire.”
“Let me.” A wave of his hand, and flames crackled in the hearth.
Sheree stared at him, her eyes wide. “How did you do that?”
“I don’t know.”
She glared at him. “Don’t tell me that’s another secret you can’t share.”
“No,” he said, laughing. “I really don’t know. I just think it and it happens.”
“Can you put it out the same way?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s . . . amazing, I guess.” She curled up in a corner on the sofa. “So,” she said, counting on her fingers, “you can dissolve into mist, read minds, start fires with a thought, and vanish in a puff of smoke. What else?”
Sitting beside her, he drew her into his arms. “I can kiss you until you stop thinking.”
“Can you?” Sheree gazed up at him, her eyes glowing with affection.
“Shall I prove it?”
“Yes,” she murmured, her eyelids fluttering down. “Oh, yes.”
His kiss, when it came, was soft, a gentle wooing that warmed her heart and invaded her soul. She clung to him, her hands restlessly moving over his back, tangling in his hair to keep him close. She loved the feel of his body against her own. He was such a strong, masculine man, everything female within her responded to his touch, to his nearness. His hands caressed her and she moaned softly, wishing he would make love to her. She knew that he thought it was dangerous, that he worried about hurting her, but she wasn’t afraid.
Frowning, she drew back so she could see his face. “Why is it I’m not afraid of you?”
He lifted one brow. “An odd question at such a time, don’t you think?”
“I guess so. I was a little afraid when I first realized you were actually a vampire but I wasn’t afraid of you, just of what you are. And that didn’t last very long. I wasn’t afraid when I let you drink from me. Is that normal?”
“I don’t think so. What are you getting at?”
“Maybe I’m not normal.”
“Maybe you’re not.”
“I was kidding,” she said, suddenly looking worried.
“I know. But your blood, your nearness, soothes me in ways that nothing else does. There’s got to be a reason for it, although I can’t imagine what it would be.” He brushed his knuckles against her cheek. Was it that difference that drew him to her in the first place?
He opened his preternatural senses when he kissed her again, but he detected nothing except warm, willing woman. A woman who wanted him with every fiber of her body, who wished he would forget his fears and make love to her. Was she right? Was he worrying for nothing? As a vampire, he had never been totally out of control the way he had been as a werewolf.
Overcome with gratitude, he drew her back into his arms, hugging her tightly. “I love you, Sheree,” he murmured fervently. “I will love you as long as you live.”
As long as you live. The words, which should have thrilled her, filled her with a vague sense of sadness. He hadn’t said as long as he lived, she noted, which could be hundreds of years or more, but as long as she lived, a much shorter timeline.
Sheree closed her eyes, refusing to cry. But even as she told herself to be grateful for whatever time Fate allowed her to share with Derek, she heard a quiet voice in the back of her mind.
