Midnight Embrace

by Amanda Ashley

  He shifted his weight. His trousers vanished as if by magic, and then his body covered hers and she was lost, caught up in a maelstrom of emotions, every sense heightened and alive, every fiber of her being yearning toward his, in tune with his. She felt the prick of his fangs at her throat, a sudden sharp pain in the deepest part of her as his body meshed with hers. She clutched his shoulders, felt the tremor that ran through his arms as he waited, poised above her, while the pain receded and her body grew accustomed to his. After a time, he began to move slowly, ever so slowly, within her.

  Pleasure flowed through her, hot and liquid, as the world came to vibrant life. Colors were brighter, deeper. The candle's flame seemed alive. She was acutely aware of the texture of the soft wool blanket beneath her, and even more aware of the man whose body was now a part of hers. His skin was moist and warm against her own, his hands played over her body, showing her what pleasure was, teaching her how to give him pleasure in return. He whispered love words in her ear, speaking to her in French and Spanish, in the ancient language of his people, and though she did not understand the words, she understood the fervent tone of his voice, the tenderness in his eyes, the exquisite gentleness of his touch.

  She writhed beneath him, her hands moving restlessly over his broad shoulders, up and down his back, her nails raking his skin. She closed her eyes as he moved within her; she was searching for something elusive, afraid she would never reach it. Higher and higher still until, at last, it was within her grasp. She cried his name, gasped as sunlight exploded within her, filling her with warmth and love and a contentment she had never known.

  A moment later, a long, shuddering sigh rippled through Alesandro. She felt the coiled tension flow from his body as he rolled onto his side, drawing her with him so they lay facing each other, bodies still joined together, her head pillowed on his arm.

  He brushed a lock of hair from her forehead. "Did I hurt you?"

  She shook her head, her eyelids heavy. "No," she murmured. "It was wonderful. I love you, Alesandro."

  He closed his eyes, letting her words wash over him, words he had never expected to hear from her lips or any other.

  His arms tightened around her. "And I love you," he said, but when he opened his eyes, he saw that she was already asleep.

  His gaze moved over her. He was humbled by her love, her absolute trust, ashamed that he had taken her virginity. She was so young, so innocent, even now. What right did he have to defile her with what he was? But after so many years in hell, surely even a monster deserved one night in paradise. Just one night to know a woman's love, to feel like a man again.

  He took a slow, deep breath, inhaling the fragrance of her skin, the heady, musky scent of their lovemaking. She had fed both his hungers as no one else ever had, or ever could. For the first time in centuries, he was content, at peace within himself.

  He held her close all through the night, listening to the soft sound of her breathing, the small sounds she made from time to time. He let his mind brush hers, knew she was dreaming of him. He ran his hand over her hair, dreading the time when he would have to let her go, when dawn would force him to take refuge in his dreary underground lair. If only he could hold her close through the long, empty hours of daylight.

  The loneliness of four hundred years pressed down on him. Four hundred years without the sun. Four hundred years of hiding from the world. Four hundred years of darkness… until now. He stroked her hair, an aching tenderness stirring deep in his heart as she snuggled closer to him. What would it be like to wake up with her beside him, to have her face be the first sight that greeted him upon rising? He grunted softly. No doubt she would run screaming from his presence if she saw him then, when the hunger was fast upon him. And yet, he owed her a debt he could never repay. She was like a tiny ray of light, and in the total darkness of his being, one tiny ray shone as bright as the sun. Ah, the sun.

  He lifted his head, drew a deep breath. He could smell the dawn, feel the sudden painful tightening of his skin as the sun's light began to chase the darkness from the sky.

  Reluctantly, he let her go, drew the covers over her. "Rest well, my sweet one." He kissed her lightly; then, dissolving into mist, he fled the house.

  * * *

  Chapter Sixteen

  Analisa woke with a smile on her face. Alesandro loved her, she thought dreamily. He loved her! And he had made love to her. Had ever a woman been loved so gently, so completely? Drawing the covers up to her chin, she giggled like a silly child. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Alesandro! His scent was all around her. She felt her cheeks grow hot as she recalled how brazenly she had surrendered to him, how eager she had been for his touch. She should be ashamed, she thought, and wondered why she wasn't. She had been taught that intimacy before marriage was a sin, but it hadn't felt like a sin. It had felt right somehow, as if she had found the other half of her soul. Did vampires have a soul? Or were they forever damned? She wouldn't, couldn't believe that.

  For all that he was cursed to dwell in darkness, Alesandro wasn't evil. Not like Rodrigo, who went about killing for pleasure.

  She thrust the thought of the other vampire from her mind, refusing to let thoughts of that depraved monster spoil the day, or her memories of the night before.

  Sitting up, she placed her hand on the pillow beside hers, wishing Alesandro were there, wishing she could kiss him good morning, but of course he couldn't be here with her now. She thought of him sleeping in the bowels of the strange round cottage in the woods.

  Rising, she went to the window and drew back the curtains. She was wondering what time it was when she heard the downstairs clock chime the hour. She smiled because it was a quarter after three. Only a few hours until she would see him again.

  Feeling suddenly famished, she pulled on her robe, stepped into her slippers, and left the room, wondering why Sally hadn't come in to light the fire in the hearth.

  She felt it as soon as she descended the stairs, a tension in the air, a strange hush, as if the house were holding its breath.

  She looked into the parlor, the library, the dining room, the pantry, even went upstairs to check Mrs. Thornfield's room, but there was no one about. Gathering her courage, she even peeked into the kitchen, her concern growing when she saw that there was nothing cooking on the stove.

  Growing more alarmed, she went out the back door into the yard. There was an unnatural silence here, too. She hesitated a moment, and then, without knowing why, she started down the path toward the barn.

  Her footsteps slowed as she neared the entrance to the barn. A sudden chill engulfed her, coupled with a deep sense of foreboding. She stared at the barn. One of the big double doors stood open. She paused and looked, feeling as though she were walking through a thick fog, she stepped into the building. As she did so, she heard Mrs. Thornfield call her name, a note of panic in her voice.

  The warning came too late.

  Farleigh whirled around as Analisa entered the barn, and in doing so, he let her see the very thing the housekeeper had tried to spare her.

  Sally lay on her back on the floor, her face drained of color, her eyes empty of life. Her throat had been savaged; dark crimson streaks stained her skin, her bodice.

  Robert lay beside her, a great gaping hole where his heart had been.

  Analisa turned and stumbled out of the barn. Retching violently, she dropped to her hands and knees. She was dimly aware of Farleigh kneeling beside her. As from a great distance, she heard Mrs. Thornfield calling her name.

  And then she heard nothing at all.

  She didn't want to wake up, didn't want to face the memory of the horror she had seen. She told herself it hadn't been real. Couldn't be real.

  She heard Mrs. Thornfield's voice, soft, worried; heard Farleigh's hushed reply, the sound of hurried footsteps as he left the room.

  "Analisa? Child?" Mrs. Thornfield patted her hand, laid a cool cloth on her brow. "Analisa, can you hear me!"

  Tears slid down An
alisa's cheeks. "Tell me it isn't real."

  "I wish I could."

  Analisa opened her eyes to find herself on her own bed. Mrs. Thornfield removed her slippers, then covered her with a quilt. "Who?" she asked. "Who would do such a terrible thing?"

  "Rodrigo."

  "He was here?"

  The housekeeper nodded. "Yes."

  "He was in the house?"

  "No. Farleigh found Mary and Robert deep in the woods."

  Analisa choked back a sob. The lovers had met in secret far from the house, away from disapproval and prying eyes. "Have you notified the constable?"

  "No. Here, sit up and drink this," the housekeeper said, taking a cup of tea from Cook's hand.

  Analisa took a swallow, and nearly choked. "What's in this?"

  "Only a bit of brandy," Mrs. Thornfield said. "Drink it. It will make you feel better."

  Analisa did as she was told, though she doubted that anything would make her feel better. "Poor Sally."

  "Don't think of it now." Mrs. Thornfield took the cup from her hand. "Rest now."

  "Will you stay with me?"

  "Yes, child."

  Lulled by the brandy, the first she had ever tasted, she was quickly asleep.

  She woke screaming, images of blood and eyes glowing with a fiendish light lingering in her mind.

  "It's all right, child. You're safe."

  "I had the most terrible dream." She looked up into Mrs. Thornfield's pale face. "But it wasn't a dream, was it?"

  "No." There were tears in the housekeeper's voice. "Try not to think about it now."

  Not think about it? Analisa doubted she would ever get her last glimpse of Sally out of her mind. The look of stark horror on the girl's face, the awful wounds in her throat. The blood…

  A vampire had done that.

  She looked at the window. It was dark outside. Alesandro would be up by now. Did he know what had happened? She closed her eyes. Of course he would know. She wished he were there to comfort her, and yet…

  Vampire.

  The word slithered through her mind, malevolent, insidious, conjuring images of darkness and blood. And death.

  But Alesandro was not like that! Not her Alesandro. He had ever been kind to her. He had sheltered her in his house, clothed her in fine silks, shown her a world she never dreamed existed…

  And taken her blood on more than one occasion.

  A chill ran down her spine. He had warned her several times that she was not safe in his house.

  Mrs. Thornfield left the room, returning a short time later with a cup of warm broth, but Analisa had no appetite.

  "Will you be all right alone for a time, child?" the housekeeper asked. "I must go and see to… to the bodies. We will bury them later tonight."

  Analisa nodded, grateful that she could stay in her room, grateful that she would not have to look again upon the horror Rodrigo had wrought. She stared at the lamp burning beside the bed, at the half-dozen candles Mrs. Thornfield had thoughtfully set around the room to keep the darkness, and her fears, at bay.

  What would happen now? And where was Alesandro?

  He lingered in the shadows of her room, aware of the fear that engulfed her, conscious of her every thought. He had seen what was left of Sally and young Robert Mason. Seen the bodies, smelled the fear that clung to them, even in death. Smelled the dried blood on their skin, and cursed the hunger the sight of it had aroused in him. How could he fault Rodrigo for what he had done when he himself was plagued with the same evil? And yet Rodrigo had dared to come here and kill two people in his employ and under his protection. They had not been killed to satisfy the vampire's hunger. The deaths had been a challenge, boldly given, and perhaps more than that. Perhaps a warning that the vampire intended for Analisa to be his next victim. Rodrigo had sworn to be avenged for his loss. What better vengeance than to destroy the woman his enemy held dear?

  Alesandro's gaze moved over Analisa. He had been a fool to keep her in his company. And a bigger fool to fall in love with her. And careless to bring her here. He should have known Rodrigo would find them. Should have known the other vampire would never stop looking for him.

  Analisa slept restlessly, tossing and turning, her hands clutching at the blankets. It was an easy thing, to slip into her mind, into her dreams. She was running through a dark maze, running from hell-red eyes and gleaming fangs dripping blood. Running from a vampire. But was it Rodrigo she ran from in stark terror? Or himself?

  If he went to her now, would she seek comfort in his arms, or cry out in horror?

  He had never considered himself a coward. A vampire who was a coward would not have survived four hundred years. But he was afraid, afraid of what he would see in her eyes if he went to her now.

  She cried out in her sleep, bolted upright, her gaze darting around the room. "Alesandro?" His name was a whisper on her lips as she clutched the blanket to her breast. "Alesandro, are you there?"

  "I am here," he replied quietly, but stayed hidden from her sight.

  She turned toward the sound of his voice. "Where are you? Show yourself."

  Taking on form and substance, he stepped out of the shadows. " 'Lisa."

  She stared up at him, apprehension and longing reflected in the depths of her eyes.

  "You fear me now?"

  She heard the sorrow in his voice and wished she could deny it.

  "Shall I send you away, 'Lisa? Do you wish to leave here and find some place where you will be safe from me?"

  "Is there such a place, my lord?"

  "No." There was no place she could go where he could not find her. She could leave the Manor, leave the country, sail away to the other side of the world, but he would always know where she was.

  "Did you see… ?" she began.

  "Yes."

  A tear glistened in her eye. "Poor Sally. She was so in love. All she wanted was to be with Robert."

  "They are together now," he said quietly.

  "Yes. But to die so horribly. So needlessly…"

  He winced at the pain in her voice, in her eyes. Even though he wasn't the one who had taken their lives, their blood stained his soul. They had been his people. He should have protected them, should have detected Rodrigo's presence—and he would have, he knew, if he had not been caught up in the wonder of making love to Analisa. But he did not tell her that, did not want her burdened by the guilt that weighed him down.

  "Tell me what you want," he said. "If you wish to leave, I will send you away."

  "You said there was no place where I could be safe."

  "There is no place where you will be safe from me, Analisa. I will always be able to find you wherever you go. But I can send you away. Keep you safe from Rodrigo. If that is your wish, you have only to tell me. I will buy you a house, give you the money to furnish it as you see fit, provide you with a comfortable income for the rest of your life, whether you marry or not."

  "You would do that for me?"

  "Yes, if you wish it."

  "And Rodrigo would never find me?"

  He closed his eyes, wondering what madness had possessed him to offer her such a choice. "No, he will not find you."

  "And would you come after me?"

  He opened his eyes to find her watching him intently. "No."

  "You would let me go, just like that?"

  Could he let her go? Could he go back to the dark existence he had known before she came into his life? Could he keep her here against her will?

  "Alesandro?"

  "I will let you go, if you wish it."

  "And if I wish to stay?"

  For the first time in four hundred years, a mortal had truly surprised him. He looked at her, not daring to believe what he had heard.

  "Alesandro?"

  "You do not mean it. You cannot mean it." He shook his head. "I can smell your fear, read it in your eyes."

  "Love is stronger than fear," she murmured, and held out her hand.

  He closed the distance between them. Swe
eping her into his arms, he crushed her close. " 'Lisa!" Weak with relief, he closed his eyes and breathed in her scent, let it fill him, surround him. He had not lost her.

  "Alesandro," she gasped. "I can't breathe."

  "Forgive me." He loosened his hold on her, brushed his lips across the top of her head.

  She looked up at him, love and confusion replacing the fear in her eyes. "Is something wrong?"

  " 'Lisa." He sat down on the edge of her bed and drew her into his lap. "I have been alone for four centuries. When I found you…" He shook his head, wondering how to make her understand.

  "Go on."

  "It was like finding a light in the darkness. I have taken blood from hundreds of women, but none is as… as sweet, as satisfying, as yours. Having you in my home, seeing you each evening, I began to have hope. And when I knew you loved me…" His arms tightened around her again. "With you in my life, the darkness of my existence no longer seemed such a curse. I almost did not come to you tonight. I was afraid of what I would see in your eyes, afraid I would stand condemned with Rodrigo."

  "Oh, Alesandro!" She hugged him to her. "I admit, I was afraid. It's the first time I've ever seen what a… a vampire can do. It was so horrible! Poor Sally." Tears filled her eyes. "It's all my fault. All my fault. I knew she was going to meet Robert. I should have told her not to go, but I wasn't sure if it was my place." She sniffed back her tears. "I was going to talk to you about it…"

  "The fault is mine, love, not yours. I should have given them permission to marry. Had I done so, they would not have been forced to arrange clandestine meetings in the woods."

  "Why didn't you let them marry?"

  He shook his head. "I fear I am a selfish creature, 'Lisa, concerned only with my own needs, my own survival. Mortal concerns have not been mine, until you came here. You must not go outside after dark, 'Lisa. He can prowl the grounds of the Manor at will, but he cannot enter the house uninvited. I will instruct Mrs. Thornfield that no one is to answer the door after dark."

  "You didn't take such precautions at Blackbriar."