everything she could, but maybe talking about it would only make things worse.
Her blond hair was loose, falling just past her shoulders, and she wore another tank top with yoga-style pants. Blake had been studying her while she looked out the window, trying to memorize her features. Small, straight nose. The mouth that looked more sensual than pouty. Those high cheekbones and smooth forehead. Her beautiful, mesmerizing, blue-green eyes.
Yes, if there was an afterlife, Blake wanted to bring the memory of Elise with him.
“Chess?” he asked, gesturing to the board.
She glanced away from the window. “I don’t know how to play.”
“Hmm. You don’t know how to drive or to play chess. What have you been doing with all your time?”
His tone was teasing, but her face clouded. “I listen to music,” she said slowly. “Read a lot of books. When I get restless, I walk through the city. It’s been sufficient.”
It didn’t sound sufficient. It sounded lonely. Elise had said she’d been living like that since the fifties, but what had she been like before then? Blake knew she was much older than he, even though she looked to be in her early twenties. How much older? he wondered.
“How old are you?”
She appeared to think about it for a second. “Altogether, including the years before I became a vampire?”
Blake nodded.
“Ninety-nine in September,” Elise said.
That number was so at odds with her lovely, youthful appearance, Blake had to smile. “You don’t look a day over ninety-two,” he said with wry humor.
Elise shrugged. “Some days, I feel even older.”
Today was one of those days, if the stress on her face was any indicator. Blake sought to lighten her mood. There was no need for either of them to bemoan what was coming.
“How about I teach you to play chess? It’s not hard. By the time the train arrives in
Salt
Lake
tomorrow morning, you’ll be a pro.”
“I don’t want to learn to play chess,” Elise snapped, then she grabbed the edge of the built-in metal board and ripped it out of the cabin wall.
Blake stared at her. “Don’t do this.”
Suddenly she was in front of him, kneeling in the empty space where the pull-down table had been.
“You don’t have to die.” Her voice was ragged. “I can take you with me and keep you safe. Keep the demon from hurting anyone else…”
Blake took her beautiful face in his hands. “You can’t watch over me every second of every day, and I won’t let that thing get away to ruin more people’s lives. Aside from you, the only thing that’s made me happy these past few days is knowing that I’ve finally scared it for a change. That demon is going to regret what it did to me, because I’m the man who’s going to bring it down. Don’t try to take that away from me, Elise.”
Her eyes were bright, pink tingeing the corners. Blake couldn’t stop himself from what he did next. He kissed her, needing her taste like he was the vampire, and she was fresh blood. To his relief, her mouth opened at once, her tongue raking his while fangs sprang out of her upper teeth.
Blake didn’t care about her fangs, even when those sharp tips scored his tongue. Elise sucked at the blood while kissing him, her raw need matching his and driving his passion to a fiery level. He pulled her up on his lap, groaning when she wrapped her legs around his waist.
His hands went under her tank top, tugging it up in impatience. Then he blinked when it was wadded on the floor with her bra in the next moment. Blake didn’t bother to contemplate how fast Elise had taken it off, however. He cupped her breasts, tearing his mouth from hers to kiss them. Her flesh was soft and sleek, her nipples so hard by comparison. When he sucked and bit them gently, Elise moaned, ripping at his pants.
They split open, torn to the knee. Blake pulled them off, kicking the remains free. Her
Her blond hair was loose, falling just past her shoulders, and she wore another tank top with yoga-style pants. Blake had been studying her while she looked out the window, trying to memorize her features. Small, straight nose. The mouth that looked more sensual than pouty. Those high cheekbones and smooth forehead. Her beautiful, mesmerizing, blue-green eyes.
Yes, if there was an afterlife, Blake wanted to bring the memory of Elise with him.
“Chess?” he asked, gesturing to the board.
She glanced away from the window. “I don’t know how to play.”
“Hmm. You don’t know how to drive or to play chess. What have you been doing with all your time?”
His tone was teasing, but her face clouded. “I listen to music,” she said slowly. “Read a lot of books. When I get restless, I walk through the city. It’s been sufficient.”
It didn’t sound sufficient. It sounded lonely. Elise had said she’d been living like that since the fifties, but what had she been like before then? Blake knew she was much older than he, even though she looked to be in her early twenties. How much older? he wondered.
“How old are you?”
She appeared to think about it for a second. “Altogether, including the years before I became a vampire?”
Blake nodded.
“Ninety-nine in September,” Elise said.
That number was so at odds with her lovely, youthful appearance, Blake had to smile. “You don’t look a day over ninety-two,” he said with wry humor.
Elise shrugged. “Some days, I feel even older.”
Today was one of those days, if the stress on her face was any indicator. Blake sought to lighten her mood. There was no need for either of them to bemoan what was coming.
“How about I teach you to play chess? It’s not hard. By the time the train arrives in
Salt
Lake
tomorrow morning, you’ll be a pro.”
“I don’t want to learn to play chess,” Elise snapped, then she grabbed the edge of the built-in metal board and ripped it out of the cabin wall.
Blake stared at her. “Don’t do this.”
Suddenly she was in front of him, kneeling in the empty space where the pull-down table had been.
“You don’t have to die.” Her voice was ragged. “I can take you with me and keep you safe. Keep the demon from hurting anyone else…”
Blake took her beautiful face in his hands. “You can’t watch over me every second of every day, and I won’t let that thing get away to ruin more people’s lives. Aside from you, the only thing that’s made me happy these past few days is knowing that I’ve finally scared it for a change. That demon is going to regret what it did to me, because I’m the man who’s going to bring it down. Don’t try to take that away from me, Elise.”
Her eyes were bright, pink tingeing the corners. Blake couldn’t stop himself from what he did next. He kissed her, needing her taste like he was the vampire, and she was fresh blood. To his relief, her mouth opened at once, her tongue raking his while fangs sprang out of her upper teeth.
Blake didn’t care about her fangs, even when those sharp tips scored his tongue. Elise sucked at the blood while kissing him, her raw need matching his and driving his passion to a fiery level. He pulled her up on his lap, groaning when she wrapped her legs around his waist.
His hands went under her tank top, tugging it up in impatience. Then he blinked when it was wadded on the floor with her bra in the next moment. Blake didn’t bother to contemplate how fast Elise had taken it off, however. He cupped her breasts, tearing his mouth from hers to kiss them. Her flesh was soft and sleek, her nipples so hard by comparison. When he sucked and bit them gently, Elise moaned, ripping at his pants.
They split open, torn to the knee. Blake pulled them off, kicking the remains free. Her
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