He didn’t want to use his powers on her, but
this was too important to let go. If she’d been hurt in the past, he needed to
know about it. “Where did you get that idea?”
It wasn’t easy, but she was just susceptible enough to his
mental push to comply. Her eyes went hard and cold, and he nearly growled.
“Who hurt you, bebe ?” he whispered, desperate to
erase the harsh look on her soft features. She shook her head. “Not me,” she
said finally, haltingly. “One of my friends. Her husband beats her, I just know
it, but she won’t say a thing against him. She won’t leave him or even try to
get out of her marriage. She’s completely consumed by him. Under his total
control. I won’t ever let that happen to me.”
The relief that shuddered through him took Marc by surprise.
He wasn’t happy she had to witness one of her friends in an unhealthy
relationship, but he was glad she hadn’t suffered at the hands of some other
man. He hated to think what he might have been driven to do if a man who’d hurt
her still lived. One thing he knew for certain, such a man would not live for
long, and he wouldn’t enjoy his last moments. Marc would make sure of that.
“I don’t want to control you, Kelly. I want you to be my
partner. My equal.”
“Me, the equal of a six hundred year old vampire? Yeah,
right. I’m as far out of your league as it’s possible to get, Marc.” She tried
to pull out of his arms, but he wasn’t letting her go.
“I think not.” He caressed her back, his hands making small
circles. “I think you’re perfectly capable of playing in my league, as you put
it. In fact, I think you outclass me by a mile. I’m the one who must work to be
worthy of you, not the other way around. Won’t you give me the chance?”
“Why? Why me?”
She’d asked him that before, but he still didn’t have a good
reason he could articulate. He only knew in his soul that it was so.
“I know not,” he whispered, drawing her close. “I only know
that I need you as I have needed no other woman in a very long time. I tried to
stay away, but it’s impossible. I want your blood, but I also want your body. I
want to make love to you until the dawn parts us. I want to drown in your
essence and fill you with mine. It’s as basic and as complicated as that.”
“And what about when you tire of me?” Her voice was small,
almost smothered against his shoulder. “I don’t want a broken heart, Marc, and
you could easily tear mine to shreds.”
He kissed her temple lovingly. “I doubt I could tire of you
within your lifetime, cherie . Suppose I promise to stay with you as long
as you want me? That would give you the control over how long our relationship
lasts, no?”
She moved back just the tiniest bit to look into his eyes.
“You would do that? You would yield part of your control to me?” She seemed
stunned by the idea as he nodded. “But how can you know that you’d want me
beyond the next week or two? We could be totally incompatible and yet you’d
promise to be with me for as long as I want? It doesn’t make any sense, Marc.”
He pressed her small hand to his heart. “But yet, it is how
I feel. I’ve only known you a short time, but my heart feels as if it’s known
you forever. It’s been waiting forever, just for you.”
She backed off, and he let her go this time. “You’re scaring
me, Marc. You’re beginning to sound the way Atticus does about Lissa.”
His head shot up. “I do, don’t I?” He mused on that idea for
a moment. “But yet, I am still unsure as to whether you could be the One, cherie .
To be honest, I doubt I will ever find my one and only, but I do admit to
feeling drawn to you as to no other woman before.”
“How does a vampire know when he’s found his mate?”
“I’ve heard tales, but Atticus told me that when he made
love to Lissa for the first time, they joined more than just bodies. They
joined minds and souls. She was in his thoughts as he was in
this was too important to let go. If she’d been hurt in the past, he needed to
know about it. “Where did you get that idea?”
It wasn’t easy, but she was just susceptible enough to his
mental push to comply. Her eyes went hard and cold, and he nearly growled.
“Who hurt you, bebe ?” he whispered, desperate to
erase the harsh look on her soft features. She shook her head. “Not me,” she
said finally, haltingly. “One of my friends. Her husband beats her, I just know
it, but she won’t say a thing against him. She won’t leave him or even try to
get out of her marriage. She’s completely consumed by him. Under his total
control. I won’t ever let that happen to me.”
The relief that shuddered through him took Marc by surprise.
He wasn’t happy she had to witness one of her friends in an unhealthy
relationship, but he was glad she hadn’t suffered at the hands of some other
man. He hated to think what he might have been driven to do if a man who’d hurt
her still lived. One thing he knew for certain, such a man would not live for
long, and he wouldn’t enjoy his last moments. Marc would make sure of that.
“I don’t want to control you, Kelly. I want you to be my
partner. My equal.”
“Me, the equal of a six hundred year old vampire? Yeah,
right. I’m as far out of your league as it’s possible to get, Marc.” She tried
to pull out of his arms, but he wasn’t letting her go.
“I think not.” He caressed her back, his hands making small
circles. “I think you’re perfectly capable of playing in my league, as you put
it. In fact, I think you outclass me by a mile. I’m the one who must work to be
worthy of you, not the other way around. Won’t you give me the chance?”
“Why? Why me?”
She’d asked him that before, but he still didn’t have a good
reason he could articulate. He only knew in his soul that it was so.
“I know not,” he whispered, drawing her close. “I only know
that I need you as I have needed no other woman in a very long time. I tried to
stay away, but it’s impossible. I want your blood, but I also want your body. I
want to make love to you until the dawn parts us. I want to drown in your
essence and fill you with mine. It’s as basic and as complicated as that.”
“And what about when you tire of me?” Her voice was small,
almost smothered against his shoulder. “I don’t want a broken heart, Marc, and
you could easily tear mine to shreds.”
He kissed her temple lovingly. “I doubt I could tire of you
within your lifetime, cherie . Suppose I promise to stay with you as long
as you want me? That would give you the control over how long our relationship
lasts, no?”
She moved back just the tiniest bit to look into his eyes.
“You would do that? You would yield part of your control to me?” She seemed
stunned by the idea as he nodded. “But how can you know that you’d want me
beyond the next week or two? We could be totally incompatible and yet you’d
promise to be with me for as long as I want? It doesn’t make any sense, Marc.”
He pressed her small hand to his heart. “But yet, it is how
I feel. I’ve only known you a short time, but my heart feels as if it’s known
you forever. It’s been waiting forever, just for you.”
She backed off, and he let her go this time. “You’re scaring
me, Marc. You’re beginning to sound the way Atticus does about Lissa.”
His head shot up. “I do, don’t I?” He mused on that idea for
a moment. “But yet, I am still unsure as to whether you could be the One, cherie .
To be honest, I doubt I will ever find my one and only, but I do admit to
feeling drawn to you as to no other woman before.”
“How does a vampire know when he’s found his mate?”
“I’ve heard tales, but Atticus told me that when he made
love to Lissa for the first time, they joined more than just bodies. They
joined minds and souls. She was in his thoughts as he was in
Similar Books
