watched him set down the deer in a smal room, atop a huge slab of stone.
“Since we don’t real y cook,” he said, “I thought I’d drain the blood for us. Then we could drink together, for dinner. I thought I’d take care of the messy work in here, so we could just sit before the fireplace and drink in style.”
“I’d like that,” Caitlin said.
Ruth sat at Caleb’s heels, looking up and whining as he carved. He laughed, cut a smal piece for her, and reached down and fed it to her. She snapped it up and whined for more.
Caitlin headed back to the dining area, and began wiping down the goblets she’d seen. Before the mantle sat a pile of furs, and she gathered them up and took them out to the terrace, shaking them out in preparation.
While Caitlin waited for Caleb to finish, she looked out at the sunset, breaking over the horizon.
She could hear the sound of the waves, breathed in the salt air, and had never felt more relaxed. She stood there and closed her eyes, and she wasn’t even aware of how much time had passed.
When Caitlin opened her eyes again, it was nearly dark.
“Caitlin?” came the voice, cal ing out for her.
She turned and hurried back inside. Caleb was already in there, carrying two huge silver goblets of the venison blood.
He was in the process of lighting candles, al throughout the dim room. She came over and joined him, setting the furs back down.
Within moments, the room was completely lit, glowing with candlelight in every direction. The two of them sat together on the furs, before the fireplace, and Ruth ran up and set beside them. The windows were open and a breeze wafted through, and it was actual y getting cool in here.
The two of them sat beside each other, and looked into each other’s eyes as they toasted.
The liquid felt so good. She drank and drank, as he did, and she had never felt so alive. It was an incredible rush.
Caleb looked rejuvenated, too, his eyes and skin shining.
They turned and faced each other.
He reached up, and slowly touched her cheek with the back of his hand.
Caitlin’s heart started to pound, and she realized she was nervous. It felt like it had been forever since she had last been with him. She had imagined a moment like this for so long, but now that it was here, she felt like it was her first time with him, al over again. She could see that his hand was trembling, and she realized he was nervous, too.
There remained so many things she wanted to say, so many questions she had for him, and she could see that he was brimming with questions, too. But at this moment, she didn’t trust herself to speak. And apparently, he didn’t either.
The two of them kissed passionately. As his lips met hers, she felt overwhelmed with emotion for him.
She closed her eyes as he came in closer, as they met in a passionate embrace. They rol ed onto the furs, and she felt her heart surge with emotion.
Final y, he was hers.
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER EIGHT
Pol y strode quickly down the corridors of Versail es, heels echoing on the marble floor, rushing down an endless corridor with soaring ceilings, moldings, marble fireplaces, enormous mirrors, and chandeliers hanging low. Everything shone.
But she barely noticed it; it was second-nature to her. Living here for years, she could hardly imagine any other form of existence.
What she did notice, though—very much—was Sam. A visitor like him was not at al a part of daily life—and, in fact, was most unusual. They hardly ever had vampire visitors, especial y from another time, and when they did, Aiden never seemed to care. Sam must be very important, she realized. He intrigued her. He seemed a bit young, and he seemed to be bumble around a bit.
But there was something about him, something she couldn’t quite place. She felt like, somehow, she had some connection to him, that she’d met him before, or that he was connected to someone who was important to her.
Which was so strange, because just the night
“Since we don’t real y cook,” he said, “I thought I’d drain the blood for us. Then we could drink together, for dinner. I thought I’d take care of the messy work in here, so we could just sit before the fireplace and drink in style.”
“I’d like that,” Caitlin said.
Ruth sat at Caleb’s heels, looking up and whining as he carved. He laughed, cut a smal piece for her, and reached down and fed it to her. She snapped it up and whined for more.
Caitlin headed back to the dining area, and began wiping down the goblets she’d seen. Before the mantle sat a pile of furs, and she gathered them up and took them out to the terrace, shaking them out in preparation.
While Caitlin waited for Caleb to finish, she looked out at the sunset, breaking over the horizon.
She could hear the sound of the waves, breathed in the salt air, and had never felt more relaxed. She stood there and closed her eyes, and she wasn’t even aware of how much time had passed.
When Caitlin opened her eyes again, it was nearly dark.
“Caitlin?” came the voice, cal ing out for her.
She turned and hurried back inside. Caleb was already in there, carrying two huge silver goblets of the venison blood.
He was in the process of lighting candles, al throughout the dim room. She came over and joined him, setting the furs back down.
Within moments, the room was completely lit, glowing with candlelight in every direction. The two of them sat together on the furs, before the fireplace, and Ruth ran up and set beside them. The windows were open and a breeze wafted through, and it was actual y getting cool in here.
The two of them sat beside each other, and looked into each other’s eyes as they toasted.
The liquid felt so good. She drank and drank, as he did, and she had never felt so alive. It was an incredible rush.
Caleb looked rejuvenated, too, his eyes and skin shining.
They turned and faced each other.
He reached up, and slowly touched her cheek with the back of his hand.
Caitlin’s heart started to pound, and she realized she was nervous. It felt like it had been forever since she had last been with him. She had imagined a moment like this for so long, but now that it was here, she felt like it was her first time with him, al over again. She could see that his hand was trembling, and she realized he was nervous, too.
There remained so many things she wanted to say, so many questions she had for him, and she could see that he was brimming with questions, too. But at this moment, she didn’t trust herself to speak. And apparently, he didn’t either.
The two of them kissed passionately. As his lips met hers, she felt overwhelmed with emotion for him.
She closed her eyes as he came in closer, as they met in a passionate embrace. They rol ed onto the furs, and she felt her heart surge with emotion.
Final y, he was hers.
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER EIGHT
Pol y strode quickly down the corridors of Versail es, heels echoing on the marble floor, rushing down an endless corridor with soaring ceilings, moldings, marble fireplaces, enormous mirrors, and chandeliers hanging low. Everything shone.
But she barely noticed it; it was second-nature to her. Living here for years, she could hardly imagine any other form of existence.
What she did notice, though—very much—was Sam. A visitor like him was not at al a part of daily life—and, in fact, was most unusual. They hardly ever had vampire visitors, especial y from another time, and when they did, Aiden never seemed to care. Sam must be very important, she realized. He intrigued her. He seemed a bit young, and he seemed to be bumble around a bit.
But there was something about him, something she couldn’t quite place. She felt like, somehow, she had some connection to him, that she’d met him before, or that he was connected to someone who was important to her.
Which was so strange, because just the night
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