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His heart ached, not just because he missed his wife and always would, but because Hannah was … well, exactly who she was and he loved her for that, more than he’d ever understood before.
He tried not to think about it, however, nor did he have to make any decisions right now, but the transformation of his relationship with Hannah seemed to be moving at light speed. But to what possible end when Hannah wanted to sustain her life in Port Townsend more than anything else in the world and he ruled an entire realm?
~ ~ ~
Hannah took a long, cool shower, grateful that she had her things with her. Mary had been thorough, even adding a few things she hadn’t put on the list, like two more pairs of shoes and socks. She’d delivered the requested nightgown as well, just not the one Hannah had asked for.
She had at least a dozen nightgowns ranging from long flannel to the lavender silky one now hanging on the back of Jude’s bathroom door.
Mary had chosen a very skimpy negligee, made of sheer lavender fabric trimmed with lace. She’d never even worn it before, but had been saving it up for something special.
And now Jude would see it.
When she had her hair washed, she finally left the very large, Jude-sized shower with massaging jets and a variety of heads aimed at all angles. She blew her hair dry, loving the texture after having used Jude’s crème rinse.
She’d have to find out where he got it because it was fabulous. With all his hair, of course, he’d need to work hard to keep it under control.
Once her hair was dry, she slipped into the nightie.
But as she looked at herself in the mirror, without a single light burning, her skin had a warm glow that had never been there before. Even her features seemed stronger somehow, though not in a bad way.
Closing her eyes, she opened up to what resided inside her now, to the heat always close to the surface, to her tingling palms, and to the ability to fight off the most powerful fae in the Nine Realms.
She felt the vibration of it and began to explore. The Nine Realms was a world of vibrations, something she’d always known but now experienced. Jude had used physical vibrations when they’d made love in the bunkroom and just thinking about them again loosened the tendons at the backs of her knees. He also had a battle vibration and maybe that’s what this resonance of heat was within her body as well, a tool of war.
She opened her eyes, but still didn’t see reflected a warrior like Jude and his Vampire Guard. She was just a regular sort of person who owned a bar in one of the best places in the U.S.
And she was a blood rose.
She took another moment to sort through her new inner life and found the vibration attached to the other part of who she was in the realm world. Closing her eyes once more, she took a moment to examine the blood rose vibration and felt more than anything that it had a nurturing quality, which made sense since it was designed by the hidden mysteries of this world to feed a mastyr vampire. She still couldn’t believe that her blood could relieve Jude forever of his chronic blood starvation.
As she connected with this frequency, it led her straight to Jude who she had heard earlier moving around in his bedroom. Opening up to him, she could feel the level of his hunger in the same way she’d been starved when she sat down to have her beef and noodle soup. Jude needed her blood. Badly.
She could also tell that he’d held back letting her know of his hunger, something she valued so much about him. He seemed to always be thinking of others.
The errant thought ran through her head: So just how far have I already fallen in love with Jude?
A shiver ran through her at the thought of donating again, of giving up the most important element of her body, the thing that nourished every living cell. She would give this up to Jude, and do it happily because Jude was … well, Jude.
She’d never thought in a million years that she’d have a sexual relationship with him, but here she was, just a few feet away from his bedroom.
She opened the door slowly to catch a glimpse of him before he saw her. Having already showered in another room, he sat on the end of the bed in nothing but a light blue towel, his head bent over as he carefully worked a brush through his damp hair.
The bedroom also had stone walls like the outside of the castle, heavily mortared, very masculine and beautiful. This room fit Jude extremely well. But she also saw the feminine hand of the designer since the room was decorated in shades of blue with floral drapes reminiscent of at least a century past.
Another tall, arched, diamond-paned window filled the entire north wall, giving an almost cathedral-like impression. The ceiling, with a dozen exposed dark beams, slanted at an angle at least eight feet above the tops of the heavy wood bedposts.
She felt overwhelmed because within the walls of this chamber lay Jude’s history, the marriage to his Naomi, the birth of his daughter, Joy, whom he’d cherished, and the life the couple had been in the process of creating for themselves.
“I feel honored to be here.” She spoke quietly, her voice almost hushed, as she moved into the room.
Jude lifted his head, craning his neck to see her. He didn’t say anything right away, but his gaze slowly went down her body, dwelling for a moment on the sheer fabric over her breasts then taking his time to have a long look at her legs. His spicy, peppery scent rolled through the air, which drew her toward him.
He was so gorgeous with his black curly hair, an exotic, animal-like mane around his shoulders and down his back.
Stay put, she pathed. I just want to take a moment.
He nodded slowly, setting his brush on the bed next to him.
