by Mina Carter
Sebastian watched as Jane sat down quickly. She had a confused look on her face. "I forgot to tell you about that," he whispered. "Vampires can compel humans."
"And makers can compel their children," Elizabeth added.
Sebastian could see that Jane was visibly shaken, and he sat beside her on the couch and pulled her into his arms. "I promise she won't hurt you," he whispered in her ear.
Elizabeth stared at Jane and released a long sigh. "I'm sorry I tried to kill you," she said through gritted teeth.
He felt Jane tense under his touch at hearing Elizabeth's words. He ran his hand up and down her back to try to calm her.
"I guess now we're even!" Jane snapped.
Sebastian looked at his maker. "Did you hire the hitman who killed Jane's husband?" he asked.
"Of course not," she scoffed. "I didn't even know Jane was alive until a few weeks ago let alone that she was married," she added.
Even though Elizabeth didn't have a great track record of being honest in the past, Sebastian believed her. That meant that the hitman's employer was still out there.
"I'm going to take a shower," Elizabeth announced. "I'm covered in my own blood…for once."
Sebastian watched her retreat up the steps. Then he turned to Jane. "Let's get you home."
* * *
In the safe confines of her house, Jane felt herself instantly relax. "So she can't hurt me no matter what?" Jane asked. She wanted to be sure.
Sebastian nodded. "I know Elizabeth, and she will not break a blood oath." He leaned against the door. "Besides, she saw what happened after she took you away from me. She knows nothing is going to change even if she would try it again."
Jane walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch. Sebastian stayed at a safe distance and lingered in the framework that divided the living room and the dining room.
A million questions ran through Jane's head. Sebastian knew everything about her past. He held the key. He knew the answers.
"Ask me anything," he said.
The first question was the one thing she had wanted to know ever since she had awakened in the hospital. "What's my real name?"
"Laurel Parker." Her name rolled off his tongue as if he had said it a thousand times.
"Laurel," she repeated. The name didn't ring a bell. "I still want to be called Jane…for now," she said.
He nodded. "I've grown accustomed to calling you Jane, so I don't mind."
Her eyes searched his for more answers. "Do I have any family?"
Sebastian frowned, and Jane braced herself for the worst. " You told me early on in our relationship that your parents had perished in a car accident when you were young. I believe you were eight at the time."
Jane stared down at the floor. It was very upsetting to know that her parents were dead. "No brothers or sisters?"
He shook his head. "Your aunt raised you after your parents were gone, but she passed away during your freshman year of college."
Jane exhaled a shaky breath. "No wonder nobody came to look for me." She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. The day had been utterly exhausting. "I don't think I can handle any more information right now," she said.
He nodded and turned to leave.
"Wait," she whispered. When he turned back to her, she said, "Please stay with me tonight. I don't want to be alone."
He held his hand out, and she stood and placed her hand in his. He led the way to her bedroom.
As they lay in darkness, Jane nestled her head against his chest. A lot of things were slowly clicking into place. The connection she had felt with Sebastian had not been imaginary. He had known her before. He had loved her before, and she had loved him. "Thank you for telling me about my past," she said.
He kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome. Goodnight, Jane."
"Goodnight," she said.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
JANE SLOWLY OPENED her eyes. Sebastian wasn't in the bed beside her. The previous day's events flashed in her mind, and she frantically looked around the room. "Relax," he said. "I'm here."
She sat up in bed and saw that he was packing her weekender bag. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm stealing you away for the weekend."
Jane cringed. It was Friday, and she had the store to worry about.
"Call Ashley and get her to cover for you until Monday," he said, reading her mind.
She frowned. "Is there ever a time when you're not in my head?" she asked.
He stopped packing and looked up at her. "I'm sorry," he said, seriously.
She cracked a grin and said, "I was half joking."
"Well, then I'm half sorry," he retorted.
Smiling, she climbed out of bed and stared at the bag he was packing. He did a good job of picking out the right things. "I'm going to call Ashley to see if she's up to working this weekend by herself." She picked up the phone from the nightstand and dialed Ashley's number. It took some convincing, but Ashley finally agreed.
"All right. Sure. How can I deny you a weekend getaway all alone with a hot guy?"
Jane snickered. "Thanks so much, Ash. If you want to call Susie and see if she would work with you, you can." Susie had worked at the store occasionally when they were swamped during festivals or special events.
"Yeah. I'll call her. Have fun on your weekend with Sebastian," she said.
"I'm sure I will. I'll see you on Monday." Jane ended the call and stared at Sebastian. "I guess you are allowed to steal me away," she said.
Sebastian smirked and stalked over to her. "I was going to steal you away with or without your permission." He leaned down and kissed her.
"Can I ask where we are going?"
"To my beach house in Maryland."
"Have I ever been there?" she asked.
He nodded. "Many times. You loved it there."
She smiled. "Well, I hope you don't mind giving me a tour again."
"I don't mind at all." He wrapped his arms around her and drew her in close. "We'll start with the bedroom." He trailed kisses down her cheek and neck, and she squealed.
He pulled back and laughed, and she stared up at him with a big grin. She couldn't wait for a weekend to get to know Sebastian better and learn more about her past.
* * *
The drive was over four hours, and they arrived in record time thanks to Sebastian's wicked driving. When the car stopped in front of the house, Jane got out and admired the property. The house was two stories with a wraparound white porch on the first level and a balcony on the second. The steps from the porch led right to the sand of the private beach. Dozens of large windows on the face of the house overlooked the ocean.
Jane looked out over the water. It was the first time that she had seen the vast ocean --- or at least the first that she could remember. Sebastian walked over and put his arm around her. "You always loved to watch the waves," he whispered.
She smiled. Every single thing he told her about her past brought her closer to finding out who she was.
Sebastian carried their bags inside, and Jane followed him. The house was immaculate and decorated in nautical décor. "The extra bedrooms are upstairs, and the master bedroom is down here."
He led her down the hall to an enormous room with a king size bed. He set their bags down and took her hand. They left the bedroom and he took her through the open floor plan of the house. There was a kitchen, living room with a fireplace, dining area and full bath with a large Jacuzzi tub.
He opened the cupboard doors and fridge. "I had the kitchen fully stocked, so whenever you are hungry, please eat."
Jane would have to get used to being the only one who would be eating food. She wondered what he would be eating. When she looked at him, she knew instantly he had read her mind. He pointed to a small cooler that he had brought in with him.
She watched with curiosity as he opened the cooler and placed a dozen or so blood bags into the vegetable bins at the bottom of the fridge. The bins were
beige and so the bags weren't visible once he closed the bins. When he shut the fridge, she could tell he was uncomfortable. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "It's okay. I don't mind."
Sebastian smiled a small smile.
"Can I ask you a question?"
He nodded.
"Knowing what you know now, would you have chosen to become a vampire?"
He paused for a long time. "That's a really hard question for me to answer," he whispered. "Sometimes I regret it. But if I wouldn't have become what I am, I would have never met you. So, no, I wouldn't change a thing."
His words melted her heart. She pulled him down to her and kissed his sweet lips. "Can we go in the ocean now?" she asked.
He grinned. "Yeah."
* * *
Jane slipped into a two-piece black tankini and walked out of the bedroom. Sebastian stood just inside of the opened double doors on the porch that overlooked the ocean. Jane's eyes ventured over his physique. He was wearing navy blue swim trunks, and the muscles of his back made butterflies take flight inside her stomach. He looked like a perfectly sculpted statute. She imagined her fingers clawing their way down his back as he made love to her. The thought made her teeth sink their way into her lower lip.
He turned to her with a wide grin on his face. Jane groaned in embarrassment. He had been reading her dirty thoughts. "I'm going to have to remember that you can do that," she muttered.
He smiled. "I like knowing what you really think of me," he whispered. A salty-smelling breeze washed over them. "Race you to the water," he said.
Before Jane could blink, Sebastian was in the ocean. She sighed and ran at her normal human speed. She stopped at the edge of the sand. The water lapped at her toes. Sebastian stood a few feet out, the water up to his chest. He opened his arms, and she couldn't resist the invitation. She slowly walked through the water out to him. "You never were one to just jump in," he said, smiling down at her.
The water was cold, but it felt good with the hot sun beating down on them through the sparse clouds. "Do you want to go farther out?" he asked.
"I don't know," she said, unsure.
She watched him as he dove into the water. Her eyes tried to follow him, but he was too fast. His head popped up a few yards away. "Amazing," she whispered.
A large wave came towards her, and she went under the water for a few seconds. When she came back up, Sebastian was there. He held onto her hand. "Here comes another one," he said as a wave crashed over both of them.
He pulled her up out of the water with his arms wrapped around her and kissed her deeply. "I'm so glad you're here."
Jane smiled. "Me too."
* * *
After a few hours of being out in the ocean and walking and running along the beach, Jane was famished. She rooted through the fridge and made a turkey sandwich. She opened a bottle of water and took a long swig. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Sebastian grab a blood bag from the vegetable bin. He stared at the bag, his eyes becoming luminous. She knew he must have been starving after having slept over at her house the night before and not being able to drink.
He glanced up at Jane as he tucked the bag in the pocket of his shorts. "I'll go in the bedroom while you eat," he said.
She grabbed his arm to stop him. "Sebastian, you can drink in front of me. I don't mind."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded.
He retrieved the bag from his pocket. With one of his fangs, he tore open the seal and sucked at the tube. Jane turned her attention back to her sandwich. She took a bite. The food tasted so good. Before she had time to take another bite, Sebastian was getting another blood bag from the fridge. She watched him drain the second bag just as fast as the first one.
"Is it hard for you to be around me when you're hungry?" she asked.
He nodded slowly. "You have no idea," he confessed.
She frowned. A part of her felt sorry for Sebastian. She watched as his eyes slowly turned back to their normal blue. He threw the empty bags into the trash and retreated into the living room. Jane finished the sandwich and downed the last of the water.
"Do you want to watch the sun set?" he called from the other room.
"Sure. I'm going to go change first." She went to the bedroom and slipped out of her bathing suit and into a pair of black yoga pants and a pink hoodie. When she joined Sebastian outside, he was still in his swim trunks. "Don't you get cold?" she asked, taking note of the chill in the air.
He shook his head. Jane realized she had a lot to learn about vampires. He sat down on the wicker loveseat and patted the cushion beside him. Jane sat next to him and curled up against his chest. He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.
They watched the sun set, and lingered outside as it grew dark. The solar lights around the porch flickered on and provided soft lighting in the darkness. Jane stared out at the moon's reflection on the water. "It's so peaceful here," she whispered. "No wonder I liked it here so much."
An hour or so passed as they sat listening to the waves of the ocean crash against the shore. The night air was beginning to chill her to the core, and she thought a warm bath was just the thing she needed. "I want to try out that Jacuzzi tub," Jane said.
Sebastian smiled. "Okay."
* * *
Jane slowly lowered herself down into the hot water. The jets of the tub were on full speed and massaging her muscles as she moaned in pleasure. Sebastian chuckled. "Hey, you're starting to make me jealous."
She laughed. "This tub is amazing." She watched him strip and turn on the water in the separate shower. "Are you sure you won't join me?" she asked.
He smiled. "I think you're having enough fun without me." He stepped under the spray of water.
The door to the shower was clear, and Jane's eyes were fixated on Sebastian's naked form as he bathed. She instantly wished she would have opted to join him in the shower instead.
Sighing, she dunked her head under the water. She grabbed a bottle of shampoo and lathered up her hair. When she was done rinsing out the shampoo, Sebastian stepped out of the shower. He dried off and wrapped the towel around his waist. "I'm going to throw some logs into the fireplace and pour us some wine."
Jane smiled. "That sounds wonderful."
He winked. "See you out there."
Jane soaked in the bathtub for a while more. When her fingers started to get wrinkled, she drained the water and climbed out of the tub. She wrapped an oversized towel around herself and went to the bedroom to change into a pink and black chemise with matching panties.
She ran her fingers through her damp tresses as she made her way into the living room where Sebastian was lying on a plush white rug in front of the fireplace. He was wearing a pair of black lounge pants. There were two glasses of wine sitting on the hardwood floor beyond the rug.
He looked over at her as she sat next to him. "Did you enjoy your bath?" he asked.
"Yes," she said, picking up a glass of wine. She took a sip. "Another great choice," she commented.
"I try," he said with a grin.
She smiled. They sat in silence for a few minutes watching the flames dance across the logs. The sizzling and cracking sounds filled the silence. Finally, Sebastian said, "I visited you in the hospital."
Jane watched him intently as the light from the fire danced over his face. She stayed silent, hoping that he would say more.
"I had spent weeks trying to find you. When I realized you were missing, I went crazy. Every second of every day I spent reading newspapers, watching the news, asking people if they had seen you." He swallowed hard. "I kept a picture of you with me always. I just kept going from town to town, city to city until I finally saw a sketch of your face on the news." He paused. "I didn't think I was ever going to see you again. I was so lost without you." His eyes narrowed as he stared into the flames. "If I had known for one second that Elizabeth was the cause of your disappearance ---." His voice trailed off, and Jane could sense
the waves of anger rippling over him.
"Hey," she said gently. "We're here now…together."
He nodded slowly. "When I saw you lying in that hospital bed, it was too much to bear. I gave you some of my blood to help you heal. You woke up a few hours later."
Once again, the pieces were clicking into place. "Jack had always said it was a miracle that I woke up at all."
He shut his eyes. "I should have been there when you woke up. I should have been there, Jane," he said, his voice wavering.
"It's all right, Sebastian."
He turned to her, and his blue eyes bore into her. "No, it's not. I ---." He stopped talking.
“What is it?” she prompted.
“I watched you get married. I watched over you, but I kept my distance. Around six months after you were married, I went to visit you in your bookstore. I asked if you were happy, and you told me yes.”
Jane’s brow furrowed. “I don’t remember that.”
“I compelled you to forget that I was ever there. You told me you were happy, and that’s all I needed to hear. I kept my distance after that, but I was always there in case you needed me.” Suddenly, he was next to her, grasping her face gently in his hands. "I could have lost you forever if Jack wouldn’t have died. You would have been happy with him. Maybe had a couple of kids. You would have never remembered me." Tears formed in his eyes as he said, "But I would have never forgotten you." A single tear fell from his right eye.
Jane leaned up, pressing her lips against his. His words meant so much to her. There had been someone out there who loved her all along. She hadn't been alone after all. She poured all of her emotion into that kiss. She needed him as much as he needed her. "I need you, Sebastian," she whispered.
"I need you too. Lay down," he said.
She did as he told her and watched him as his hands grasped her ankles. His fingers traveled up her legs to her thighs and grabbed the top of her panties. She lifted her hips up as he peeled them off. Down at her feet once more, he trailed kisses up her legs until he reached her inner thigh. His lips paused on her pulsing artery, and he pulled back slightly. Jane could see his eyes were glowing. He was hungry. She opened her legs further, inviting him.
