A smile crept across her lips and she let out a long breath. “Okay, you win. But I need you to promise me something. If things get bad, you’ll let me know before I learn about it on television.”
He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. “I promise. And now,” he said, sliding off the bed and reaching down for his trousers, “as much as I hate to leave you, I have to go. Before long, the death sleep will claim me and I still have to compile a list of things for Scott to look into tomorrow.” He grinned. “I mean today.” He planted another kiss on her forehead and started for the door.
“Wait.”
“Yes?”
“I assume you’ll be practicing again tomorrow night . . . or tonight . . . whichever it is. You know what I mean.”
“You know I will.”
“I’ll be there as well.”
She caught a wide yawn with the back of her hand.
“You know I want to see you, but I worry that you won’t be able to keep up with my hours. We have two entirely different sleep schedules.”
“I’ll start sleeping in the day, the same as you.”
“That would be too much of an adjustment. Your world is most active during the day.”
“I can do it. At the very least, I’ll take long afternoon naps.”
She slid off the bed, dragging the coverlet with her. She wrapped it around her body and walked over to him.
“Aren’t you going to give me a proper kiss goodnight?”
He held out his hands to prevent her from coming closer. “Much as I want to, I can’t have any more physical contact with you tonight. I can’t risk starting something I won’t be able to finish.”
A disappointed look crossed her face, but she quickly covered it up with a smile.
“Okay. I understand.” She blew him a kiss. “I’ll see you later.” He returned her air kiss with one of his own, left the room and hurried to his quarters.
Once inside his apartment, he went immediately to his desk, jotted down a note to Scott, then went to put the note on the dining room table where Scott would see it.
Once back in his room, he stripped off his clothes, took a quick shower and settled in his coffin. It wasn’t long before the death sleep stole over him. His heart slowed, but not before it gave several erratic beats as the memory of Angela beneath him and the taste of her blood on his tongue washed over him. Night could not come fast enough.
Chapter Ten
ANGELA FOUND it impossible to fall asleep after Jonah left. When she closed her eyes, she saw him first as a man, then as a vampire.
She looked around the room and watched eerie shadows cast by the reflection of the bedside lamp flit across the ceiling. Goose bumps rose up on her arms and she rubbed them away. She was chilled. That was it. Except for the coverlet wrapped around her, she was naked. She never could sleep when she was cold.
Throwing off the cover, she sprang from the bed, went to the bathroom, and took her pajamas from the hook on the door. Back in bed, she turned off the lamp, but quickly turned it on again. She had never minded the dark before. Now, everything about her seemed to be changing.
Like the way she felt about that job offer. In less than twenty-four hours, she had done a complete turnaround. What she would have given anything for yesterday, now seemed a small thing to give up for a life with Jonah.
A life with Jonah. That was something else she would never have thought possible just yesterday. She lifted her arm. She was still wearing the watch. She slipped it off and tucked it under her pillow. Surely it was safe to keep it only a breath away. The minutes ticked by, but she still couldn’t fall asleep.
Perhaps it was for the best. It would be easier to sleep later on in the day. She glanced at the heavily draped windows. A sliver of light crept in between the opening where the drapes met in the center. She clicked the lamp off. She would lie here for a while longer and then get up, fix coffee and breakfast, and figure out the rest of her day. If she could stay awake until midday, she would be home free. Giving in to the fatigue that weighed her down, she closed her eyes. She would relax just for a moment.
She must have dozed, because suddenly bright sunlight filled the room. She turned to the bedside clock. She had slept for three hours. Somewhat refreshed, she rolled out of bed. It was time for a shower and some food.
Ten minutes later, she was in the process of sliding scrambled eggs onto a plate when Scott walked in, a piece of paper in his hand. “Good morning.”
She returned Scott’s greeting, then poured a cup of coffee and carried it along with her breakfast to the bar. Scott filled up his cup, then took the stool opposite hers. “Today should be pretty decent, weather wise. It would be an opportune time for any shopping you have to do.”
She took some egg on her fork. “I don’t think—” A thought came to her before she finished the sentence. If she went out this afternoon, it would take her mind off how sleepy she was. And it would add to her fatigue, making it easier to sleep for the rest of the afternoon when she returned. She chewed slowly, swallowed, then looked at Scott. “On second thought, shopping might be a good idea. I’m low on makeup.”
“Can you be ready in thirty minutes?”
She’d already showered so that should be no problem. “I’ll be ready. Do you want me to meet you here?”
“That would be fine.”
She thought there was nothing else to discuss, but it soon became clear that there was. Scott folded the piece of paper in his hand and tucked it in his shirt pocket, then locked gazes with her. “I know you were with Jonah last night,” Scott said matter-of-factly.
Her cheeks heated at the memory. She waited to see if Scott had anything else to add. He did.
He tapped his pocket with his finger. “Jonah asked me to take care of a few things today. He also asked if I could take you out for a while, just to get you out of the house.” He took a swallow of coffee. “I assume you’re planning on seeing him tonight as well.”
She didn’t confirm his assumption, but neither did she deny it.
“I’m interested only because I know Jonah will need your support tonight.”
“Is something wrong?” Her first thought was of Mount St. Helens. “Jonah did mention something about the volcano last night.”
Scott pressed his lips together and shook his head. “At the moment, it’s not the mountain that’s the problem. It’s his audition at Carnegie Hall.”
Her heart missed a beat. “He’s still going, isn’t he?”
“Yes. But his audition has been postponed a few days. I received a phone call this morning. There’s some kind of electrical problem in the building. So now, he has to wait until next Tuesday.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “That shouldn’t be too much of a concern, should it?”
“Actually, for Jonah, any delay could be disastrous. I assume Jonah told you that the volcano is being closely watched.”
She nodded. “Yes. But what does that—”
“Anything can happen, at any time. If and when it does, Jonah’s audition has to take second place. He won’t be in the best of spirits tonight.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“The only thing you can do is be there to support him.”
“You can count on me, Scott.”
Scott rose. “Fine. I’ll meet you back here in half an hour.”
After finishing her coffee, she went to her room. Once inside, she rested her back against the door and sighed. Things seemed to change by the hour around here. No sooner was one problem solved than another popped up and took its place. This latest news would crush Jonah. He had looked forward to realizing his dream too long to have it snatched away from him.
And that brought her to her present dilemma. Should she call the office of Mason, Monroe, Allen, and Dixon,
thank them for considering her for a position with them, but decline the appointment? Or should she wait another day to see if things changed? But what could possibly change? It was unlikely she’d wake up tomorrow morning, find out all the evil vampires had been wiped off the face of the earth, and she and Jonah could look forward to a normal life together once his humanity was restored.
Dear Lord, how did she get to this point? Two weeks ago, her life was fairly normal, a little boring even. Now, it was in a state of constant turmoil. Even if her dilemma was resolved, she still had Jonah’s problem to consider. And whatever affected Jonah, now affected her.
She pushed away from the door, walked to the bed, took the watch from under the pillow, and slipped it on her wrist. What should she do with the few remaining minutes before she left with Scott? Call Dottie? Call her sister? That was probably the best idea. Unless there was a dramatic turn of events, she would not be going to Oklahoma.
She couldn’t tell her sister about Jonah of course, but it wouldn’t be a lie if she mentioned the appointment back home in Mobile next week. She could explain later why she didn’t get the job. As for Dottie, Angela would call her later when there was more time to talk. There was too much to discuss with her friend to put a time limit on their conversation.
Fifteen minutes later, she was in Scott’s car on the way to the nearest mall. How different the world looked in the daylight. Last night seemed so long ago. Had all the events of the past seven days really happened as she remembered them? Could she have been under some kind of spell? She knew vampires were supernatural beings and had powers she couldn’t even imagine. Or maybe it had all been a dream.
Scott had a few errands of his own to run, mostly for Jonah. First on his list was to pick up Jonah’s tuxedo from the cleaners, then buy a new shirt and tie for his appearance at Carnegie Hall. She wished she could be there to see him in that heart-stopping attire.
After stopping at a pizza joint in the mall for a quick lunch, they were back home by one o’clock in the afternoon.
“Good luck with Jonah,” Scott said as they parted ways in the hall. “I’m going to leave a note for him on the dining room table, telling him about the delay.”
She gave Scott a weak smile before opening the door to her room. Inside, she looked at the bed with longing. The outing with Scott had served its purpose. She felt as though she had just finished a marathon.
She fell across the bed and closed her eyes before she remembered she hadn’t called Dottie. Oh, well, the call would have to wait until later today. Or tomorrow. By then, she’d have even more to tell her friend.
JONAH CRUMPLED the note from Scott in his fist and shoved it in his pocket. That cruel lady, Fate, had dangled the golden apple in front of him, but had snatched it away just as he reached for it.
His first thought was to find a woman and release the rage inside him with sex. Then he thought of Angela. He couldn’t go to another woman now that he was bound to her. And he didn’t want to. But damn, what was he going to do? How was he going to release this destructive emotion inside him? He had to find a way to calm the savage beast inside him before he went to Angela tonight.
He found himself in front of his piano without conscious thought of how he got there. In spite of himself, he smiled. No matter how desperate he felt, there was always his music. He needed something intense. He struck the first few notes of Ravel’s Bolero. It was the perfect piece to release frustration and anger. An hour later, he lifted his hands from the keys and stretched his fingers. Perhaps he was making too much of this; after all, it wasn’t as if the audition had been cancelled.
He glanced in the direction of the doorway. Still no Angela. Where was she? He decided she was likely still resting, not accustomed to her new sleep schedule.
He took a deep, calming breath, flexed his fingers, and began to play the sonata, stealing glances every few minutes to see if Angela had arrived. When another hour passed and there was still no sign of her, his anxiety heightened. Had something happened during the day to make her change her mind about seeing him tonight? His heart suddenly clenched. Or had she taken a chance and decided to leave after all?
IT WAS STILL LIGHT outside when Angela awoke. She lifted her arms over her head for a lengthy stretch. She had slept long enough to feel refreshed, which was a good thing. She smiled to herself. If tonight was going to be anything like the last, she’d need a generous supply of energy. The memory sent shivers of expectation through her. Ten days ago, she’d never have dreamed she’d be sharing her bed with a vampire. A vampire she loved.
Her heart gave an unexpected kick at the remembrance of having Jonah on top of her, his mouth at her neck, her legs pulling him close to her.
She wondered how long he’d practice the sonata tonight. No matter how much she longed to see him, she couldn’t let anything interfere with his time at the piano. She would wait until he’d played awhile before going to him tonight.
She forced her thoughts away from last night and turned them toward what Dottie and Jerome were still dealing with in California. She switched on the television, then surfed the channels until she found one of the major news networks. Because the earthquake no longer consumed every minute of prime time, she had to wait for a shift from the present political news scene to the disaster in San Francisco. From the images on the screen, it was clear that many places still resembled a war zone. It reminded her of the days after Hurricane Katrina. Of what Simone and Julian had to contend with there.
And there it was, plain and simple. Two couples, two disasters. And now, here she was with Jonah, waiting for a mountain to blow its top. A chill raced down her spine. Never in a million years would she have believed she’d ever find herself in this situation.
She thought about the note waiting for Jonah, and her heart did another weird kick against her ribs. Not only did he have a natural disaster looming in his immediate future, but now the performance of his dreams had been delayed, just when it had been days away. How badly would the news affect him?
She didn’t realize how long she had been lying there reminiscing until she heard the music. She glanced at the window. It was dark outside. She held her breath and waited to see what was next. The beginning measures sounded nothing like the sonata. She was right. Jonah was playing Ravel’s Bolero instead.
She was familiar enough with Bolero to know it was an intensely passionate work. She had heard it many times over the years, but never played with the intensity Jonah brought to it. He was obviously using the music as a means to relieve his frustration over the rescheduling of his audition.
She expected he would run through the piece as a warmup for his regular practice session, but when he replayed Bolero a second and yet a third time, she became uneasy. She could only imagine what turmoil was going on inside him. She couldn’t go to him now. She would wait until she heard the sonata. Then, just when she thought he might have abandoned Beethoven’s masterful work for the night, Jonah struck the sonata’s opening notes. She released a sigh of relief.
When she heard Jonah begin his third run-through of the piece, Angela went to the mirror, brushed her hair, and freshened her makeup. It was time for her to spend the last few minutes of her beloved’s practice time with him.
WHEN JONAH GLANCED at the doorway and saw Angela standing there, the pain in his heart eased. He signaled her with a nod of his head to enter. She smiled, nodded back in acknowledgment, and took her customary chair to the left of the piano. He continued playing until the piece was over, then turned toward her. “I thought you might not come tonight.”
“Why would you think that?”
“I expected you when I first began to play.”
“I could tell by your music that this wasn’t your usual practice, so I thought it would be best to wait.”
He closed his eyes and nodded. He should have thought of that. “You are perceptive.�
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“It didn’t take much to recognize you were venting your frustration.”
He patted the space next to him. “Come sit next to me.” As she came and sat on the bench beside him, it took all the restraint he could muster not to pull her close and seduce her.
“Your rendition of the sonata was almost as passionate as that of Bolero.”
He took both her hands in his and smiled into her eyes. “I’m glad you said ‘almost’. I would hate to think I had spent all these years on the wrong piece of music.”
“I know you could do as much justice to Ravel as you do to Beethoven if you wanted to. You’re that good.”
He loved her compliments, but it was time for the truth. “I have a suspicion you know why I veered from my usual course of practice.”
Angela pressed her lips together and nodded. “I think I do.”
“Scott told you?”
“Yes.”
“You know my frustration then?”
“I can only imagine.”
“I did what I could to rid myself of the anger, but it doesn’t always work.”
She looked deep into his eyes. “Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to warn me of something?”
Because I am.
Warn me of what?
Of how quickly the darkness inside me can surface.
This darkness. Is it there now?
Yes. At the moment, it’s under control. But it’s almost certain to resurface. And at a most undesirable time.
“Are you trying to tell me it could reappear when you and I are . . . ?”
He tried to answer her, but couldn’t, not just yet.
“Am I right, Jonah?” There was an unmistakable quiver in her voice.
He put his arm around her waist in an attempt to reassure her, that at the moment, she was in no danger. “I cannot be absolutely sure that my dark side will not show itself while you and I are physically joined.”
“And there is nothing you can do to rid yourself of it?’
The Vampire Jonah Page 11