Out of the Dark (Forbidden Love)

by Danielle James

  Horror struck, Brea sucked in her breath. AGoodness no! I just, ya know, was curious is all,” she drawled.

  “You try to hide your accent, but when you are nervous or upset, it comes through. Where are you from?”

  “Georgia. I grew up in Valdosta. I hate the accent.”

  “I find it endearing. I wish you would use it more,” he said, sitting on the edge of her bed.

  “Not likely,” she huffed. “The last impression I want to make is that of a Southern Belle!” To further her point, Brea grabbed the hem of her skirt and pranced across the room, fanning herself with the other hand in her best impression of Scarlet O’Hara. Angel rolled back on the bed, shaking wildly with laughter. It was a rich, throaty laugh, and Brea decided she like it. She found herself laughing along with him. When she finally caught her breath, she sat on the bed across from him. “Where are you from?”

  “Originally? I am from France. I was born in a small village just east of Paris. But I moved to the New World when I was only seventeen. I have watched the United States grow up around me. I think at some point or another, I have lived in every state.” The New World. Just those words resonated in Brea’s mind. If he was seventeen when the United States was the New World, then he would have to be more than two hundred years old. The fact that he looked no more than thirty was mind boggling. “I am two hundred and ninety-nine years old,” he said, seeing the gears turning in her mind. A knowing smile spread across his face, revealing just enough of his white teeth to make her shudder.

  “So, um, what about the other stuff? I mean, if you live forever, do you, sleep in a coffin? Can you change into a wolf or a bat?”

  “I am not a shape shifter. The only vampires who can change form were shape shifters before they were changed. And no, I do not sleep in a coffin. I got over that when I was very young. Any place devoid of sunshine will do.”

  “When did you, um, change, I mean. You don’t have to tell me, I was just curious. I don’t know much about vampires,” she admitted. She was a bit surprised by her open curiosity, but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he seemed to enjoy telling her the things she grilled him over.

  “I was twenty eight. I was on my way home from the fields, exhausted from work and ready to climb into bed with my wife. She was with child and had only a few weeks to go until the birth. I worked a lot then, because my wife could no longer work alongside me. She would help bring in the crops every summer, but the added burden of the child made her weak.

  A man approached me, asking for shelter for the night. He was young, maybe twenty. He said his home had burned to the ground, and he was on his way to Boston to stay with family, only the night had fallen and he was weary from travel. I saw no reason to mistrust him. The misses would never forgive me if I turned him away, that was just her nature. So I took him back to my home.

  He refused any nourishment, only seeking to sit in front of the fire. When the hour grew late, I helped my wife into bed and saw that the stranger had bedding and fresh water. I slept soundly for several hours.”

  Brea could see the story as he told it, flashes of a wooden cabin on a large expanse of land, with trees and fields. She could see the hearth the stranger warmed his hands by. She could see the round belly of the wife Angel spoke of.

  “I woke with a start, just a couple of hours before sunrise. My wife was not at my side. I got up, thinking she had become uncomfortable and was walking the house. I dragged myself into the main room, and that’s where I found her.” Angel stopped and looked down. But not before Brea saw the pain and sadness in his emerald eyes. She thought she saw a tear, but couldn’t be sure. “She was with him?”

  “Yes. He was holding her around the waist, his mouth to her neck. I thought he would seduce her, or perhaps she wanted it. But when he raised his head, I saw the blood. I went mad with rage. I flew at him, with every intention of killing him. But it was he who struck me. He sank his teeth into my throat.

  I don’t pretend to know why, but he did not take my life. Instead, while I was too weak to protest, he fed me from his wrist. I blacked out. When I woke the next night, my wife and child were dead, and I was as I am now.”

  “I am so sorry,” Brea whispered. Angel touched her face gently, wiping away a tear Brea had not noticed escaping down her cheek.

  “Why do you weep?”

  “It is just so sad. I hate that it happened to you,” she said.

  “It was a long time ago,” he answered, but his eyes told of the pain that was still very much alive inside him.

  “What was her name?”

  “Amanda.”

  “And have you never found another woman to love?”

  “No. Love does not come so easily for vampires. I have been intimate with women, but no one I wanted to share my life with.”

  “I can understand. Why fall in love if that person is just going to die someday? Well, maybe not if it’s another vampire.”

  “There is a theory among us. We each have a destined mate. I know it sounds very romance novel-like, but it seems to be true. A vampire knows his mate the moment he meets her. He will do anything for her, anything to see she is happy. One who would heal the vampire’s soul, and she will be at his side for always.”

  “Do you have a mate?”

  “I am not certain. Only time will tell.”

  Brea felt a stab of jealousy for this unknown woman. She shoved it down immediately. She had no claim to this intriguing man, no right to be jealous.

  “The hour grows late, and you must rest. Sleep now, Ma Cher, and we will talk again tonight,” he told her. Brea glanced at the clock. It was four in the morning. No wonder her eyes felt like cotton balls and her head was spinning. Bidding her goodnight, Angel left the room and closed the door behind him.

  Angel left her room and went to the library. He found it to be a peaceful place and spent a great deal of time there. He was surprised at how easily Brea accepted staying in a house full of vampires. It showed a great deal of trust on her part, and he was glad. He hadn’t meant to tell her of his life, but it poured out of him anyway. It touched his heart the way she sympathized for him and the loss of his family so long ago. Perhaps she would come to him easier than he first anticipated. Wiping a stray tear from his eye, Angel retired to his room and laid on his bed, waiting for the day sleep to take him.

  SEVEN

  Brea woke the next day feeling wonderful. She hadn’t slept that good in forever! The bed was soft and comfortable, the blankets just the right weight. With a deep breath and an extensive stretch, Brea forced herself out of bed. A glance at the clock told her it was three in the afternoon. It was just as well, she thought, since she would be staying up all night for the next week.

  A quick shower and change, and then Brea was off for breakfast. That is where she found Ricco. He was desperately searching the cabinets in the kitchen. “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Looking for a decent hiding place,” he answered with a smile.

  “What for?”

  He held up a small box and grinned. “It’s a present for Angel,” he said. “His birthday is in a couple of days, and I wanted to hide this until then.”

  “His birthday?”

  “Yeah, the big three oh oh. Three hundred. He doesn’t like for us to make a fuss, but I have been working for him for years and when I saw this at the jewelry store, I knew he would love it.”

  “Can I see it?”

  “Sure,”he said,Abut keep it on the down-low, ok?” He opened the box and inside was a gold bracelet. It was made from large links and in the center was a plate with a six point star engraved on it. It was beautiful.

  It hit her just then. “I know what kind of party to have,” she mused aloud.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “Why not a birthday bash for Angel?”

  “He would never agree to it, unfortunately. He doesn’t like us making a fuss.”

  “So what if we don’t tell him? Or can he read our minds?” she
asked slyly.

  “You might be on to something,” Ricco mused. “We will have to be very careful, though. We need a good cover theme, something he would never suspect. He usually doesn’t intrude on our minds, but if he were suspicious, well, he might.”

  “What about a ‘Roaring Twenties’ theme?” Brea suggested, her eyes lighting up just at the thought of the dresses and suits, the hairstyles and the decorations. It would not be difficult to turn the great hall into an old fashioned speak easy.

  “I think it is a great idea,” Ricco said.

  “What is?” Freida asked, coming into the room.

  The two explained their plan, and Freida was quick to agree. She volunteered to find someone to cater the cake and would hire some people to help with the food. Ricco would inform the intended guests as soon as Angel agreed to the twenties theme. Brea would approach the other vampires one at a time, when Angel was working. It would be tricky, but if they were careful, they could pull it off.

  Brea had Ricco take her shopping. There was something she wanted to get before Angel woke up for the night. They searched the local stores, but finally, Brea found what she was looking for at a used consignment shop.

  At six o’clock, Brea was standing in her room wearing the dress she purchased earlier that day. It was white silk, floor length with a split up the side that stopped mere inches from her hip. The bodice was sequined and had thick straps over her shoulders. Her hair was tied up around her head, little pixie curls escaping around her face. Yes, she thought with an approving look in the mirror, she looked like an actress from the twenties. She picked up her glass of wine and tapped on the secret door between the two rooms. It swung inward with hardly a sound, and she crept into the adjoining room.

  She contemplated all afternoon whether or not to be in his room when he woke. A small part of her wanted to shock him, to get his attention. Another part of her screamed “what are you doing?” But in the end, theatrics won out, and she stood silently at the foot of his bed.

  He was lying on his back, his chest bare. Brea couldn’t stop her eyes from drinking in the sight of him. His shoulders were broad, his chest muscular, and his torso tapered down to a trim waist. Although his skin was pale, he had a dusting of dark hair on his chest and belly. The hair trailed down his stomach and under the black satin sheet that was tangled around his waist and legs. She wondered if the rest of him was bare under that sheet. His face was peaceful, his jaw lax, and his eyelashes tossed a light shadow over his high cheekbones. His midnight hair feathered on the pillow around his head like a dark halo. A dark Angel. In that moment, Brea had the sudden urge to climb into the bed beside him. But just as soon as the thought occurred to her, he began to stir.

  Angel knew the moment she entered his room. He kept still out of mere curiosity. When he felt her eyes on him, he fought the urge to smile. He could smell the change in her body chemistry, and it pleased him to know she found him attractive. After a long two minutes of nothing, Angel decided it was time to wake.

  He slowly peeled back his eyelids to see her. His eyes nearly popped right out of his skull. She was standing at the foot of his bed, a vision in white, her red hair pinned close to her head. She was supporting her weight to one side, accenting her shapely hips. She took a sip from her wine glass at exactly that moment, licking the errant liquid from her lips.

  Angel’s body sprang to life, the part under the sheet in particular. He pushed himself to a sitting position but couldn’t bring himself to speak. A slow smile lit her face, and her violet eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “I’ll take that as ‘You look nice, what’s the occasion?” she drawled.

  “Um, nice isn’t the word I was thinking, but ok, I’ll bite. What’s up?”

  “Well I hope you don’t plan to bite,” she laughed. “This is my idea for the party. The roaring twenties. What do you think?”

  Angel had enjoyed the twenties. Those who had the means indulged in every sin imaginable. And if that was what she would wear, he would have agreed to go for a midday walk. “I think it is a terrific idea. And your presentation is spectacular. You are stunning.”

  “Thank you. I thought you might like it. Anyhow, I talked with Ricco, and he said he would be happy to take me shopping for the supplies and to let everyone know the theme as soon as you approved.”

  Unable to stand it any longer, Angel rose from the bed and let the sheet fall to the floor. If Brea had been curious about his attire before, he left no room for speculation. He was naked from head to toe. He smiled when he heard the sharp intake of air into her lungs, and for a moment, he reveled in the electricity in the air. He turned to face her, amused by her inability to keep her eyes off him. Turnabout was fair play, after all.

  “Um, I’ll leave you to get dressed,” she stammered, turning to leave the room.

  “Oh, no you don’t,” he growled and grabbed her by the elbow, spinning her around to face him. “There is something I must do first.” She started to ask what, but he slanted his mouth over hers effectively silencing her. He held the back of her neck with a strong hand, slipping the other around her waist. She found herself tip toeing up to meet his kiss, pressing her body willingly into his. She was very aware of his naked state and his skin burned hers everywhere they touched. He deepened the kiss and she opened her lips to accept him. His tongue was soft but demanding, sliding over hers with skill and finesse. She moaned into his mouth and Angel swallowed it with one of his own. His hands slid over her bare back lightly, sending exotic little shivers all over her.

  Wanting to feel him under her hands, Brea raised her free hand to his chest. It was smooth and full of latent power, power she knew he had tightly reeled under his control. The thought that this was by far the most powerful man she had ever known made her even more excited.

  With deft hands, Angel removed the wine glass and set it down on the night stand and moved them both to the bed. Brea dropped down on her back into the soft mattress, Angel falling on top of her, without ever breaking the kiss. It seemed Brea’s body might explode from the heat growing inside her. Her heart was pounding in her chest and warm liquid was pooling between her legs. She felt his erection rubbing against the soft fabric of her dress against her thigh.

  “Angel,” she breathed.

  “Ma Cher,” he replied.

  “No, really, Angel, please,” she said, shoving weakly at his shoulders.

  “What is it?” he asked, his dark brows knitting together.

  “This is not why I came to you, I just wanted to show you the dress...I, I can’t do this.”

  With a groan, Angel lifted his weight from Brea’s body and shoved off the bed. He could change her mind, but he shoved the thought out of his head just as quickly as it formed. He would never make her do anything she didn’t want to do. But she did want to, he knew it. The problem, was convincing Brea that she knew it too. He fought to bring his breathing under control and turned to face her.

  “Please don’t be very mad at me,” she pleaded.

  Closing the distance between them in two strides, Angel cupped her face in his hands. “No, Ma Cher. I could never be angry with you. Just give me a moment to get my bearings back.”

  “I’m sorry, I really am. It’s just that I don’t usually go throwing myself at men I barely know. It’s hard for me to let anyone so close to me.” Brea kept her eyes on anything but Angel as she spoke.

  “So have you not had many lovers, then?” It wasn’t important, and Angel wasn’t sure why he even asked.

  “No,” she replied, shaking her head. Not many, how about none! In high school, Brea told her boyfriends that she was waiting for marriage. As an adult, she decided to wait for love. The longer she waited, the easier it got to say no. And every man she dated found a reason to leave when sex was taken off the table. It soon became something Brea didn’t even want to do, until she felt Angel’s weight pinning her to the bed. Then, she hadn’t ever wanted anything more. And it scared the hell out of her.

  “What is
wrong, Ma Cher, what is troubling you?” Angel asked, noticing the worried expression on her face.

  “It’s nothing,” Brea said, getting to her feet.

  “Is it because you think I’m angry? Trust me, I am not a monster. I will always respect your feelings.”

  “I didn’t mean to get you all hot and bothered just to leave you high and dry. God! I am exactly what Brandon would call a prick tease! I never meant…”

  “I thought no such thing,” Angel said in his rich voice. Brea tried to ignore the way he was sitting next to her, still naked, and still very much aroused. She tried not to feel the way his thigh touched hers, or the way his eyes burned into her skin. She didn’t want to notice the way his loose hair fell over his shoulders and how she wanted to feel it brushing her skin. Or the way her hand reached for him without her consent. Her eyes met his, and in that moment, she was lost in their fathomless depths. They were darker and filled with untold passion, promising her the most erotic experience of her life.

  Angel barely had his libido under control when she did it. She looked at him in such a way that made his groin tighten and his breath catch. Then, she licked her lips. He groaned and started to stand up. “Wait,” she said, holding his arm.

  “What is it?”

  “Let me make it up to you,” she said, “lie back on the bed.” He raised a questioning eyebrow, but did as she asked. Brea hiked up her dress around her knees and kneeled on the bed beside him.

  “Brea, you don’t have to do that,” he whispered, finally realizing what she intended to do.

  “I know I don’t have to, I want to. So shut up before you talk me out of it.”

  He clamped his hand over his mouth. Brea laughed gently. Of course, he was a man. And she may still have her innocence, but she wasn’t completely green. “Tell me if I do something you don’t like, ok?” He nodded in response. Brea chuckled again. “I didn’t mean you had to be totally silent.”