Part 4 (1/2)

Trailing kisses down her stomach, he wrapped his fingers in the narrow elastic band of her panties. Urging her hips up, he stripped off the material to feast his eyes on the mound of soft dark hair between her thighs. He dipped his head to tease her belly b.u.t.ton before blazing a path of kisses farther south.

As he sank, her thighs opened to reveal her moist entrance. He draped her thighs over his shoulders as he parted her lips and supped on her hot, pink flesh. Closing his eyes, he lost himself in the heat and scent of her arousal as he stroked, teased, and cajoled her into release.

He lost count of her cries of completion when he finally rose. His blood ran thick in his veins, his c.o.c.k hard and straining for release. Elaine lay on her back, eyes closed. If he didnat know better, head think she was asleep.

As his fingers closed around her wrist, her eyes opened. He stepped close and pulled her upright into his arms. Without asking, her legs twined around his waist and he picked her up to carry her to the rock where it had all began.

He groaned as she sank onto his c.o.c.k, her aroused tissues surrounding him like a glove. Rooted to the hilt, he stared deep into her emerald eyes.

aDo you believe in love at first sight?a His voice was low, husky.

Her eyes widened and he was caught by the pain in their depths. She looked away, her neat white teeth digging into her lower lip.

aElainea”a She rolled her hips, breaking off his words. She turned to gaze deep into his eyes. aI believe in this.a She rolled her hips again. aI believe in this as well.a Her fingers curled in his damp hair as she pulled him into a kiss that was sensual, earthy.

His arms slid beneath the water and around her waist. Their joined movements were slow, sensual.

aI think,a she panted. aAt this moment, we have more than most people ever have in their entire lives. Thatas what I believe in.a I love you.

In his mind, he said the words over and over as they moved together. Each moment a s.h.i.+ning drop of brilliance in his mind as they teased each other into completion. Their cries mingled with the mist from the pool to swirl into the heavens above.

aWhat did Dirk say when he found out about the altered wine?a Alexei drew his fingertip in a lazy trail down her arm, marveling in the silken feel of her. They lay on the warm rocks, long limbs entwined. The torches burned low and the heat from the rocks kept them comfortable in each otheras arms.

She gave a soft laugh. aHe said head rather we cut his heart out than tamper with his wine.a Alexei grinned, reveling in the changes wrought by their time in the pool. Soft and warm, Elaine lay beside him unconcerned about her nudity. The s.h.i.+fting moonlight painted her skin silver and, with her tangled dark hair, she resembled a temptress of old. His beautiful gypsy.

aI want to paint you,a he said.

She blinked, a soft flush moving across her cheeks. aMe?a aYes, you. Do you not know how beautiful you are?a She shrugged. aI am what I am.a aSo modest.a He lifted her hand and raised it to his lips. aWill you sit for me?a She hesitated.

aPlease?a He kissed her palm.

aSomeday.a He nodded. aFair enough. Now I have another question for you.a He slid his fingers around her slim wrist, marveling in the delicacy of the bones beneath her skin.

aI might have an answer for you.a She purred as he pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist, her pulse fluttered beneath his mouth.

aWhat do you think of vampires?a aDo you mean theatrical vampires or literature vampires?a aNeither. I mean the real thing.a aVampires donat exist.a aSays who?a She shook her head. aItas physiologically impossible to survive on blood alone. It canat be done.a aIf youare human, it canat be done. But what if a human was changed on a molecular level? Their metabolism is frozen in time with their digestive system. All they need is a dose of fresh blood, say once a week, to keep their other systems functioning normally.a aI think you should become a writer as you have quite an imagination.a Her tone was dry.

aIam serious here.a aSo am I.a aWould it be so bad, being a vampire?a Her eyes narrowed, her hand tensing beneath his. aDo you believe youare a vampire?a He saw the doubt in her eyes. She wasnat ready for the truth yet and, if he uttered the one word that would set him free, he would lose her.

aIam open to the possibility of vampires is all Iam trying to say,a he said. aThere is a lot in this world that we canat even begin to explain.a aYouare right about that.a The suspicion faded from her eyes.

He pressed another kiss to her wrist and she sighed. aDo you believe in destiny?a he asked.

aHmm, destiny as in people being destined to be something or a predetermined course of events?a aYes, to both.a aWell, I guess so. But I also believe that people can alter their own destiny by their actions, or non-action.a He nodded and twined his fingers through hers, his gaze lifting to meet hers. aWhat about reincarnation?a She frowned, small wrinkles distorted her brow and he wanted to kiss them away. aI like the idea of it. I mean, we live our mortal lives and, when we die, we can do it all over again. That next time around, hopefully, we donat make the same mistakes though.a aCan you imagine us doing this over and over again?a aI think we already did.a She wiggled her brows.

aThatas not quite what I meant,a he chuckled.

Her expression turned surprised, then thoughtful. aDo you think weave been here before?a aCanat you feel it?a He untwined their fingers to lay her hand over his heart, his hand covering hers. With his free hand, he covered her heart, the beat familiar against his palm. aYour heart knows mine as well as mine knows yours.a She covered his hand with her free one and her eyes widened. aOh my,a she breathed. aThey beat in rhythm. How is that possible?a aWeave been here before. On a physical level, you donat remember, but your heart does, as does your soul.a Her expression was doubtful. aDo you really think weave been here before?a aI have no doubt in my mind that we have been here many times before.a For a few seconds she was silent and he could almost hear the wheels turning in her head. aDo you thinka?a Her expression turned sad. aDid we ever get it right?a He pressed a kiss to her palm. aI think we got it right every time. How could this be wrong?a He watched her eyes fill with tears. Alarmed, he pulled her into his arms. aWhy are you crying?a aIf only it were true,a she sniffed. aItas a beautiful thought.a He hugged her. aWho said it wasnat true?a aImagine an eternity of this.a She slid her arms around him and squeezed.

He smiled into her hair. He didnat have to imagine it, head lived brief episodes of it several times, but she didnat remember. He felt a pierce of sadness that she didnat remember all the times theyad had together. When the time was right, he would tell her what she didnat remember. But first, he needed to retrieve something.

aThe party is over tomorrow,a he said.

Silent, she nodded, her tightening grip telling him exactly what he needed to know.

aI need to leave here and get something for you, something I forgot.a She pulled away, puzzlement written across her features. aHow could you forget something for me when you didnat even know me?a aLetas just say that I knew I would meet you here.a He smoothed away the frown from her forehead with a fingertip. aWill you wait for me? Iall be but a day, two at the most.a aYou want me to wait here?a He nodded.

aWhat if you donat return?a aIall return for you.a aYeah, you say that now, but what if you donat? How long do you expect me to wait?a aI promise you this, I will return for you. It will be two days at the most.a Her gaze searched his face as if she could find evidence of his promise stamped there. Finally, she nodded and he tugged her back into his embrace, tucking her head beneath his chin.

Soon she would learn that not even time could keep them apart.

Chapter 7.

He was gone, both from her dreams and her bed.

Elaine lay still in her bed, the faint throbbing in her head causing a twisting pain in her stomach.

No, not nowa She raised her hand to ma.s.sage the base of her skull, her mind willing her body to relax and release the pain. She rolled to her side, groaning as her thighs, overworked from a night of lovemaking, protested the movement. Her eyes flew open to have the liquid suns.h.i.+ne sear the backs of her eyes.

Thatas exactly what it wasa lovemaking.

Everything she didnat want to happen had occurred in the past forty-eight hours. Their relations.h.i.+p had progressed to the next level, no, beyond that, beyond l.u.s.t and into happily ever after.

Except there would be no such thing for her.

She stretched out her arm, her fingers rubbing the indentation in the pillow where Alexei had laid his head. Even her dream lover had abandoned her. A constant companion, head failed to make an appearance since Alexei had entered her life. She missed him. She didnat realize how much shead depended upon his nocturnal presence in her life. Head been with her every night, no matter how complex her life had become and, now, he was gone too.

Unutterably sad, she closed her eyes, her fingers continuing the slow ma.s.sage on her neck. Here, four days from her forty-second birthday, shead met the real, flesh and blood man of her dreams only to realize that she would lose him.

Her disease was progressing. For the past few weeks, shead awakened with the headache that marked the pa.s.sage of time for her. It wasnat a simple hangover nor due to a lack of sleep, it was her cancer coming back to claim her for the last time.

Elaine opened her eyes, fixing her gaze on the sun-drenched outdoors. Had she ever seen anything more glorious than a golden Colorado morning? The sky was a brilliant blue without a cloud to be seen and the flowers in the garden were blooming profusely thanks to the recent rains. Only the sight of love reflected in Alexeias eyes could stir her more than the Colorado landscape.

Alexei.

Her heart gave a painful twist at the thought of her absent lover. It was entirely possible that she would never see him again, never touch him, never be touched by him.

But you have been touched by him, and with that you have to be content.