“Seriously? But you had a jealous streak when we were dating, sometimes even after we were married.”
“It’s not like that anymore. Things like envy, jealousy, greed, and fear...we let them go here. As it turns out, all we really have that matters is love.”
Sly smiled. “You were always the wise one.”
“You’re wise too. You simply have to believe in yourself and believe your instincts. She’s right for you. Allow the love you already share to blossom.”
He looked to his side again, and there was Morgaine, sleeping with an angelic look on her face. A blond curl crossed her cheek and lay on the pillow next to him. Warmth flooded his heart. He wanted more than anything to touch that curl, but he didn’t want to wake her.
“Alice?” He glanced back toward the foot of the bed, but she was gone.
How odd. Why hadn’t Morgaine been there a few moments ago when Alice appeared?Now Alice was gone, and Morgaine was beside him. He knew dreams took strange turns and often represented the dreamer’s subconscious thoughts.
It didn’t take a genius to figure this one out.
Sly blinked in the glare of the first sunrise he’d witnessed in twenty-six years. When his eyes adjusted to the light, he noted the beautiful colors reflected in the windows of the high rises. New York City was beautiful at this time of day—and almost quiet. He wondered how many others woke up to this view and didn’t even notice it. A lump formed in his throat.
Morgaine came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Are you enjoying the view?”
He couldn’t speak, so he nodded.
As if she understood, she remained quiet and let him stand there and lean on the windowsill for a long time. Morgaine was the perfect person to share this moment. His late wife Alice would have been chattering away, completely unaware of the spiritual impact this was having on his psyche.
He turned in Morgaine’s arms and hugged her closely. “I never appreciated this time of day like I do right now.”
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Morgaine whispered beside his neck, her breath warming him. With even more joy, he realized that although he could hear her blood coursing through her veins, he had no desire to drink from her—or anyone else.
He pulled away far enough to see her face. “This morning is unbelievably beautiful, and so are you.”
She gave him her shy smile and looked down.
“Why do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Hide your eyes when I give you a compliment.”
“I don’t know. Maybe I just want to savor the moment privately. I’m not used to it, you know.”
He sighed and shook his head. “Yes, I know, and I don’t understand it. You must have had boyfriends at some point.”
Her expression saddened immediately.
He placed a finger under her chin and held her gaze. “What happened?”
“How can you tell something happened?”
He smoothed her hair down her back, hoping to soothe her. “I just can.”
She let out a deep breath. “Date rape put a stop to my social life. I thought it would be temporary, but the longer I went without a relationship the more comfortable it became.”
Profound anger invaded his gut. He could tell there was more to this story, and it was hard for her to talk about. Controlling his voice, he asked, “There’s something else. What is it, babe?”
“I almost died—Natalie Holloway style. Only I managed to escape.”
“Shit! No wonder you’re scared. Look, you don’t have to tell me anymore, if you don’t want to, but I’m here to listen if you’d like to talk it out.”
“I think it’s enough to know I’m safe with you. Years ago, when it happened, I talked about it with counselors and the police. I got a lot of support, and the guy went to jail for a long, long time.”
