by Jaye Wells
He walked through the house turning off lights and locking up. When he came back to the foyer, he heard the crunch of gravel as a car pulled into his driveway, followed by a screech of brakes. Curious, he went to the door and opened it.
His mouth dropped open in shock when Syd practically fell out of her car and ran toward the door. She seemed so busy trying to stay upright on her ridiculously tall high heels that she didn’t see him gawking at her.
Her long auburn hair fell over her chest, which was sheathed in a body-hugging black dress that fell to midthigh. Her strappy heels accentuated the slope of her calves, making her legs look about a mile long. It was the first time he had ever seen her in a short skirt, and the sight made his mouth water.
Wait, he thought. This vision before him was same woman to whom he had handed his heart only to have her throw it back at him. He shook his head to clear it and steeled himself. He had to keep his guard up. The last thing he needed was for Sydney to make a fool of him again.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded.
She gasped and stopped in her tracks as she caught site of him. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow when she continued to gape at him without saying a word.
“Well?” he said.
“Y-your mother said you were leaving, so I rushed over,” she said, out of breath.
“Ah, my mother,” he said, suddenly understanding his mother’s hasty retreat from their earlier conversation. He should have suspected something was up when his mother had offered to cook. But that still didn’t explain what Sydney was doing here.
“That fails to explain why you’re here,” he said, hearing the steel in his own voice.
She swallowed and fidgeted with the stair rail. “Can we go inside? I want to talk to you.”
“What? You didn’t say enough last night? Did you come back to finish the job?” he asked, every word infused with the bitterness he felt.
“Logan, don’t,” she said brokenly. “I didn’t come here to fight. I wanted to explain—”
He cut her off. “Don’t bother. You made your feelings, or should I say your lack of feelings, perfectly clear. I think you should go.”
He stepped toward the door, his jaw clenched so tight he felt as if his teeth would crack. How dare she come here to torment him further?
“Wait,” she pleaded. “I—I brought the painting.” She gestured to her car. His eyes widened.
“It’s the museum’s now. I don’t want it,” he bit out. The last thing he wanted was a reminder of their time together hanging where he could see if every day.
“No, you don’t understand. I quit my job today.”
He paused, shocked by her admission. “What? But why?”
Taking a step up, she said, “I realized that in order to keep it I had to give up something I wanted even more.”
He hated the hope that flared in his chest at her words. Surely she didn’t mean him. He didn’t trust himself to speak, so he just stared at her. Daring her to continue.
She saw his reaction and seemed to gather her strength close to her as she took another step. If he hadn’t been so angry, he would have admired her courage for facing him like this. Most mortals would have run by now.
“I saw the painting this morning and heard Stiggler talk about how you gave it to me. I even heard him offer me a promotion and a raise. But all I could think about was you. And how your actions had to be a sign that even though I acted like an idiot last night there as still a chance for us.”
He snorted. “You thought wrong.”
She flinched at his harsh words. “Logan, don’t. I know I hurt you. But please let me explain.”
He nodded reluctantly, trying to maintain his bored expression. Every minute he was near her it was harder to keep up his façade.
Stepping up next to him on the porch, she grabbed the railing as if needing its support. “A few years ago I was engaged,” she began. He felt his eyes widen in response. The rush of jealousy that gripped him was unexpected and unwelcome. He clenched his fists and continued to listen.
“Cole, the man I was going to marry, was very ambitious. He wanted me to give up my own career goals to help him pursue his. Eventually I realized that if he really loved me he would support me instead of demanding I give up something I loved. But more importantly, I realized I didn’t love him enough either. When I broke off the engagement, my family was furious. They were more worried about the public embarrassment they faced than in trying to understand my reasons. In the end, they refused to speak to me.
“I tried to move on and put myself through graduate school. But I could never escape their rejection. I felt as if I was somehow flawed that my own parents had turned me away. So I focused all my energy on my job and tried to convince myself it was enough. And it was, until I met you.”
Logan’s heart softened a fraction as he listened to her story. He could not imagine the pain she must have felt by her family’s rejection. He had grown up in a family that supported his dreams, and he knew without a doubt they were there for him.
“What do you mean until you met me?” he asked before he could stop himself.
She stepped closer. The emotion he saw in her eyes made him want to grab her and hold her until she forgot the pain of her past. But he held back, needing to hear her explanation.
“Before you I didn’t notice how lonely my life had become. I didn’t realize I had built walls to keep everyone out. But then you came along, and from the moment we met, I felt like those walls had been breached. It scared me. I tried to fight my feelings and used my career as an excuse. But in reality I was scared of being vulnerable.” She paused, allowing him to digest her words.
Her explanation went a long way to explain the tough façade she tried to maintain. He recalled several times he had wanted to ask her to share her burdens with him.
“Sydney, I understand what you’re saying. But I don’t know why you’re saying it,” he said.
She reached out and laid a trembling hand on his arm. “Logan, I—I love you.”
A bolt of electricity zinged from his scalp to his toes. The words were so unexpected, yet so vital to his survival. He ruthlessly tamped down the joy that filled his heart. He still didn’t dare believe everything would be fine now. He was no longer the naïve boy who thought love could overcome any obstacle.
“Even though I am a monster?” He sneered. Pain filled her eyes, but he had to know if she was ready to accept him for everything he was. If she could love both the man and the vampire.
“You’re not a monster,” she whispered, placing a soft hand on his cheek. The skin-to-skin contact made him close his eyes for an instant. But her next words had them snapping open again. “Logan, I am not Brenna.”
He pulled back as if burned. “Mother had no right to tell you,” he growled.
“Don’t be angry at her. She was only trying to help me understand you. And I do. I think I am not the only one who withdrew from life to protect myself. I may have fought my love for you because I was scared. But it was not because you are a vampire. If I thought you were a monster, I would not love you as much as I do. And I would not be here begging you to give us another chance.”
He really looked at her and realized she was right. She wasn’t anything like Brenna. Her bravery for facing him like this and baring her emotions and fears proved that. But he had to be sure she knew what her decision meant.
“You realize that this is forever, don’t you? Once you promise to me mine, I’ll never let you go.”
“I hope so,” she said with a small smile. “Because I am a no-take-backs kind of gal. I expect you to be a one-woman vampire from now on.”
A bark of laughter escaped his lips. He grabbed her and pulled her to him, needing to touch her. Unable to believe the impossible had occurred. Just a few hours ago, he’d been sure he had no hope of ever being happy again. Now this amazing woman, his brave Sydney, had just given him the precious gift of her love.
She re
ached up and rained kisses all over his face, finally settling her soft lips on his own for a scorching kiss. They both poured all of their relief and love into the joining, combining their breath and their hearts. After several long moments, Logan pulled back regretfully. They still had some things to work out.
“Syd, if you need time before you’re ready to for me to turn you, we can wait. Being with you, even if you’re never ready to become immortal, is what matters.”
She smiled. “That’s sweet, but if you think I am going to grow old and gray while you stay young and gorgeous, then you’re crazy. And I don’t want to wait. I am ready to commit myself totally to you. Tonight.”
He bit back his smile at her eagerness. “You’re sure? Once you’re turned there’s no going back.” He stroked her cheek with one hand, loving the velvety feel of her skin against his own. Thankful he had the privilege to do so.
She sighed and turned her face into the caress. Then she looked him in his eyes and spoke.
“Logan, I know what I am doing. Your mother explained the process to me in detail. While I am nervous about it, I can say without a doubt in my mind I am ready. I want to live with you forever and make babies and fight and make up and face whatever the future brings together.”
He lifted her up and twirled her around. “I love you,” he shouted as they spun. Syd’s happy laughter rained down on him, filling his heart.
Then adjusted her in his arms and strode into the house. He walked purposefully to the library, planting kisses on her precious face the entire way. Once there, he slid her body slowly down his, reveling in every peak and valley of her delectable form.
Gently placing his hands on her face, he drank in the love written clearly on her face, knowing it reflected his own. He pulled her in for a kiss. Gently, he worshipped her mouth, needed to express with his body what he could not put into words. Her soft moans drove him wild as he plunged deeper into her mouth. Her tongue met his, and the kiss turned molten. He backed up to the table and pushed down while continuing to make love to her mouth. Syd ripped her mouth from his and said, “I need you.” The heat of her gaze made his cock harden to the point of pain. He needed to be inside her. Now.
He reached under the hem of her short dress. When his hand encountered nothing but skin, he raised his eyebrows in surprise. But Syd’s flush had nothing to do with embarrassment and everything to do with the passion she exuded.
“A woman has to be prepared for anything,” she purred.
He stroked her heated flesh and smiled. “I see you’re prepared in other ways as well.”
Her seductive laugh turned him into an animal. He ripped off his clothes and grasped her thighs, pulling her to the edge of the table. His need to be inside her was so strong he was incapable of going slow. He rammed himself home with a groan. The liquid hot feel of her almost made him come right then. Her responding gasp made him look from where they were joined to her face.
“More,” she demanded.
He smiled wickedly. “Your wish is my command,” he growled and pumped into her.
Faster. Harder.
His action seemed to unleash a beast within Syd as well. She wrapped her feet around his flanks, her heels digging into his flesh, spurring him on. Her moans soon were replaced with outbursts of ecstasy that echoed off the walls. The sight of her reaching for orgasm—the flushed cheeks, the nails dug into the table—caused his fangs to extend. She opened her eyes, and he did not see fear or revulsion there—only love. She reached her arms up for him, and he lay on top of her, his arms supporting his weight.
“Do it now,” she whispered as he continued his smooth strokes. He held her eyes for a moment, unable to control the hunger her words caused. “I love you,” he said fiercely, holding her gaze.
“I love you,” she responded. He lifted his hand and bit into the fleshy part of his palm. She only needed to ingest a small portion of his blood for the virus to pass into her bloodstream. She glanced from him to the trickle of blood running down his hand, and without hesitation she began sucking his flesh. He closed his eyes as he reveled in the erotic sensation.
As she fed from him, his own hunger increased. It had been decades since he had fed from a live mortal, but he’d be damned if he would feed from Sydney. Instead, he gently placed a soft kiss on her neck, just over the pulsing artery.
She grabbed his head and held it to her as she continued to milk his palm. She cut her eyes and met his, silently giving him permission.
“Syd, no,” he rasped. But she nodded and pushed his head back down. After a moment’s hesitation, the need to bond with her in the most primal way overcame his misgivings. Quickly, to minimize the pain, he jabbed his fangs into her neck. She gasped and tensed, but then she relaxed as he drank. The combination of her sweet blood and the feel of her hot passage on his shaft almost made him come. After so many years drinking bagged blood, the hot, earthy taste of Sydney’s essence was like ambrosia to his senses.
Afraid of taking too much from her, he started to pull away, but suddenly he heard her clearly in his head.
Mmmmm. Logan! He paused for a second in shock. It was as if he had a loudspeaker in his head. He tested their mental connection.
You are mine.
Yes, yes, yes . . . Oh my God!
The thought was combined with her scream of pleasure as the combination of his thrusts and the erotic pleasure-pain of his bite overwhelmed her. He withdrew from her neck, entranced by her frenzied response as she thrashed wildly. Soon her movements stilled, and she lay panting with her eyes closed. He smoothed the hair back from her brow and kissed her eyelids.
“Syd?” he whispered.
“Hmmm?”
“Are you okay?”
“I think I blacked out there for a second,” she said, lifting the corner of her mouth. “In fact, I was so out of it I was hearing voices.”
He chuckled. “Honey, that was me. I think the turning caused our mental connection to open. I could hear your thoughts too.”
Both of her eyes popped open. “Can you read my thoughts now?”
I thought you said vampires couldn’t read each other’s minds.
He smiled. “I guess sharing the blood opened the connection,” he said with a shrug. “It’s cool, huh?”
Yeah, it is. So am I a vampire now?
He chuckled, “Yes, you’re really a vampire.”
“Wow, I don’t feel any different,” she said, looking confused.
“It will take a couple of days for the virus to take effect. By tomorrow night, you’ll feel like you were hit by a truck. But then the next day you’ll feel healthier than you have in your whole life. It will take you a few weeks beyond that to adjust to the changes though.”
“I’m feeling pretty healthy right now,” she said with a sly smile. “What should we do?”
“Why don’t you read my mind and find out?”
She grabbed his head and stared straight into his eyes. Then she giggled and slapped his shoulder.
“Is that even legal?”
“Darling, we’re vampires. Mortal laws can’t touch us. So what do you think?”
“Hmmm.” She pretended to consider his naughty suggestion. “Okay, but I get to be on top!”
He laughed and pulled her on top of his body. He looked into her green eyes, which were bright with mischief and love. Beyond a doubt, this woman was made for him. He didn’t know what power in heaven or on earth was responsible for this miracle he held in his arms, but he would spend the rest of his days paying homage to Sydney in thanks.
She leaned down and kissed him gently. “That was the sweetest thing anyone has ever thought about me. I think you’re pretty miraculous, myself.”
“Syd, I promise to do everything in my power to make you happy,” he vowed. “I—”
She laid a finger on his lips. “Logan, you’ve already made me happier than I thought possible. Just promise me one thing.”
“Anything,” he vowed and placed a soft kiss on her lips
.
“Promise me you’ll never stop loving me.”
“Sweetheart, that’s not possible,” he vowed and kissed her, trying to convince her with his body of what he couldn’t put into words. After a few minutes, she pulled away abruptly.
“Wait! I just thought of something. Where did you find that letter you sent Stiggler—the one that proved it was stolen from your family?”
Logan chuckled. “Promise you won’t get mad.”
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “At whom?”
“My mother. When she went to Asheville, she found a letter from our solicitor in Edinburgh confirming he’d look into the theft. Luckily, it described the portrait in detail,” he explained.
“But why didn’t she show it to me when she got back?” Syd asked, confused.
“Apparently, she felt you and I needed some more time to sort through our problems, so she hid the evidence. She called last night after you left and told me she left it for me in the kitchen before she took Jorge home.”
“That . . . that . . .” Syd began, sounding angry. “That wonderful woman!”
Logan smiled uncertainly. “So you’re not mad?”
She chuckled. “I’m mad . . . about you,” she said and kissed him to prove her claim. “Now, enough about your mother. Let’s see if I can make you black out this time.”
-The End-
Also by Jaye Wells
The Murdoch Vampires
The Art of Loving a Vampire
The Taming of the Vamp
The Prospero's War Series
Dirty Magic
Cursed Moon
Deadly Spells
Volatile Bonds
The Sabina Kane Series
Red-Headed Stepchild
Mage in Black
Green-Eyed Demon
Silver-Tongued Devil
Blue-Blooded Vamp
Meridian Six Series
Meridian Six
Children of Ash
About the Author