by Mina Carter
He stared up at her as his mouth enclosed on her inner thigh and he bit into her flesh. A loud gasp escaped her lips. As he drank, his fingers moved delicately over her clitoris. Jane shuddered at the mixed sensation of pain and pleasure.
She watched him pull back, licking his lips. "Did I hurt you?" he asked, biting into his finger and applying his blood to her wound.
"You never hurt me," she breathed.
He smiled as he leaned down and ran his tongue up the length of her sex. Jane quivered. Gently, he parted her lips, and his tongue lapped at the most sensitive part of her body.
A loud moan escaped her lips. He had a wicked grin as looked up at her. "I'm just getting started," he said.
She watched his mouth envelop her sex. His blue eyes stared up at her, and she held his gaze. The feeling was exquisite, and she felt her breath quickening. His tongue moved so quickly and expertly that she found herself on the edge of ecstasy after only a few moments.
Her fingers entangled in his thick dark hair, and her body bucked against his mouth as he tortured her with pleasure. "Sebastian," she cried as she was on the brink of orgasm once more. Her lips parted, and she gasped as her body shook with one of the most intense orgasms she had ever experienced. Sebastian's tongue continued its pleasure-filled journey until she finally came down from the high.
Still reeling from the orgasm, she watched Sebastian slip out of his pants. He kneeled back down on the rug and hovered over her between her legs. Looking into her eyes, he said, "I want you, Jane."
She leaned up and kissed him. "I want you, too."
Slowly and agonizingly, he slid into her. She gasped as he filled her completely. Her insides shook as he moved in and out of her.
"I am so desperate for you," he whispered in her ear. And then his mouth was on hers, consuming her.
Her fingers wound themselves through the thick pile of the rug beneath them. Jane felt her breathing quickening once more, and she gazed into his eyes as the orgasm washed over her.
"Yes," he hissed. His lips covered hers, deepening the kiss and muffling her cries of passion. His tongue darted into her mouth, completely possessing her.
He broke off the kiss and released shuddering breaths against her lips as his thrusts became fewer and harder. His moans filled the living room as he poured himself into her.
He leaned down and kissed her softly before rolling onto the rug beside her. Jane curled up next to him, and Sebastian's fingers intertwined with hers as they laid there in complete bliss. As her breathing slowly calmed, Jane sat up and looked at him. Tears blurred her vision.
"Jane," Sebastian whispered, concerned.
"Sebastian. I love you," she said. Jane knew her words were powerful not only to him, but to herself. She loved him. She couldn't remember the life they shared before the accident, but Sebastian had made her fall in love with him all over again on a fresh slate.
"You have no idea how much I love you," he said, pulling her to him.
She laid her head on his chest. The fire crackling was the only sound in the room. Sebastian's fingers lazily trailed up and down her arm. "I wish this weekend would never end," Jane said.
Sebastian's hand stilled. "It doesn't have to end," he whispered. "You and I could live like this…forever."
His words made her heart constrict. Did she really want to live forever? If it was with Sebastian, then she was almost positive her answer would be yes. "Did we ever discuss this before?"
He nodded.
"And what was my decision?" she asked.
He took a long time to answer. "I don't want your past to influence your decision in the future," he said.
She leaned up on her elbow and stared down at him. Her fingers trailed along his strong jaw. She stared into his icy blue eyes. Sebastian would look the same for eternity. Eventually she would grow old and die, but he would just remain unchanged for eternity. She closed her eyes. "One day I will have to make a choice."
He kissed her sweetly on the lips. "But today is not the day, so don't let it spoil the rest of our weekend."
Jane nodded and rested her head on his chest once more. She wasn't sure what she would have chosen before she lost her memory, but at that moment she knew she didn't want to live without Sebastian.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
SEBASTIAN AWOKE THE next morning. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so peacefully or slept at all, for that matter. Having Jane safe in his arms had allowed him to sleep. Jane, he thought. She wasn't in the bed next to him like she had been just hours prior.
He shot out of bed and slipped on a pair of pants. "Jane!" he called.
His senses told him that she wasn't in the house. Panic seized his chest. He ran out the patio doors. The sun was just starting to come up, and Jane was sitting in the sand staring out over the water. A sense of relief washed over him.
He walked across the sand and plopped down beside her. "You scared me," he said. "You weren't in bed."
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I had trouble sleeping."
Sebastian stared at her. Her knees were pulled up to her chest, and she was hugging her legs. He knew she was upset, but he couldn't begin to understand why. Reluctantly, he reached his mind out to hers. Her thoughts were muddled. She was thinking over a lot of things, and that explained why she seemed so distant and melancholy. "What's wrong?" he finally asked.
She stared off into the distance. "I wish I could remember you…this…everything."
He closed his eyes. There was a way for her to remember, but he knew she wasn't ready for that option. If Jane drank enough of his blood, her mind could repair itself, and her memories would stand a good chance of returning. The only thing holding him back was the one memory that she wouldn't be able to erase --- Elizabeth kidnapping her and beating her. Jane was so fragile and had been through so much. He didn't want to overwhelm her.
They watched the sunrise together with the sound of the ocean breaking through the silence between them.
Sebastian stood and held his hands out to her. It was a special day, and he had a lot planned. He definitely wasn't going to let her be miserable for another second. When she placed her hands in his, he pulled her up. "No more moping. I want to take you shopping on the boardwalk," he said.
She smiled. "Okay."
He reflected her expression and held her hand as they walked back to the house.
* * *
The day of shopping on the boardwalk was fun. As they walked back to the beach house, Jane glanced down at the bracelet Sebastian had bought for her. It was made of several shades of blue and green sea glass, pearls and sterling silver.
When they walked into the house, Sebastian set a large decorative box onto the counter. He had disappeared during their shopping trip for fifteen minutes to buy whatever was in that box. Jane desperately wanted to know what was in it. "You won't even give me a clue?" she asked.
"Nope."
She pouted. He hadn't budged on the walk home either. She walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.
Sebastian stood in the doorway. "I have something to show you," he said before disappearing from the room. "Maybe this will take your mind off of the box," he said, walking into the living room carrying a large plastic container. He set it down on the couch beside her.
She carefully removed the lid and stared at the contents. There were pictures, a college degree, papers and memorabilia. "These are my things?" she asked with hopefulness dripping from her voice.
"Yes," Sebastian confirmed.
She picked up a framed photograph on top of the pile. It was a picture of her and Sebastian. He was holding her in his arms, and they were looking into each other's eyes. She had a big grin on her face. "I look happy," Jane commented.
"That's because you were," he said simply.
She looked at the next framed photo. It was a girl who could have passed for her sister. "Who is this?" she asked.
"Your college roommate."
"Were we clos
e?"
He nodded.
She smiled. Maybe she could get in contact with her old roommate and learn more about her college days. The next photograph she pulled from the pile was of a little girl and a man and a woman. She stared at the picture and swallowed hard. She could tell from the long, dark hair and light green eyes that she was the little girl. "These are my parents," she whispered.
"Yes," he replied.
She clutched the photo to her chest and forced herself not to cry. There were plenty of other things to look through, and she didn't want to start the waterworks already. She placed the photograph next to her and moved on to other things in the container. There were concert tickets and various memorabilia from trips she had taken.
"I'll be right back," Sebastian said before leaving the room.
Jane nodded. She located a small envelope in the container. When she opened it, she discovered an old driver's license. Her eyes scanned over the information. Her gaze settled on her birth date. She hadn't been able to celebrate her real birthday for years. "May 13th," she said aloud. "That's today," she whispered.
Right on queue, Sebastian entered the room. The flames from the lit candles atop of the cake in his hands illuminated his face. Jane realized that's what had been in the box that he had been so careful to keep hidden from her.
"Happy Birthday," he said. He set the cake down on the coffee table in front of her. "Blow out the candles and make a wish."
Jane closed her eyes, inhaled deeply and released her breath, blowing out all of the candles on the first attempt.
"What did you wish for?" he asked.
A cool smile curled her lips. "I didn't have to make a wish. I have everything right here that I need."
Sebastian bent down and kissed her. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
* * *
Jane put the last bite of cake in her mouth. It was a delicious white cake with buttercream icing. She set the plate and fork aside and stared at the memorabilia, papers and photographs scattered in front of her. "I was really an eclectic person," she announced.
He smiled. "Yeah. I knew you for years, and I still had trouble figuring you out."
She grinned. "Well, at least I kept it interesting."
He nodded. "You definitely did."
She glanced at her driver's license once more. "Laurel Parker," she said aloud. That was her real name, but it sounded so foreign to her. She glanced up at Sebastian. "You can call me by my real name if it's easier for you."
Shaking his head, he said, "It's not about what's easier for me. You can stick with Jane Walker until your memory comes back."
She frowned. She had lost all hope of her memory returning. "I really don't see that happening," she said, sadly.
Sebastian put his finger under her chin and tipped her head up so that her gaze met his. "You never know what the future holds."
She nodded. "You're right." According to her birth date, she was twenty-eight years old. "We're the same age," she remarked. "Well, technically speaking," she added.
He grinned.
She stared at the container beside her. There were more things to go through, but she didn't want to learn about her past through a one-dimensional piece of paper. She turned to Sebastian. "Will you tell me about the first time we met?"
A smile swept across his face. "I had been living in Pittsburgh for a few weeks. One day, while I was walking in the park, a young man thrust a flyer into my hands and told me to check out a play that the local college was performing that night. Now, I am a strong believer in fate, and I became even more of a believer after that night." He sat down on the coffee table in front of her. "I went to the theater and sat in the back row. The play was an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. You were Juliet," he remarked.
Jane was surprised. "Really?"
He nodded. "You were just so stunning. Every single one of the four hundred souls in that theater was captivated by your every word…as was I. And when you spoke, it was like a siren calling for me. I realized at that moment why fate had brought me there. I was supposed to meet you." He paused and smiled. "After the play, I just knew I had to talk to you. I found you backstage in the dressing room. You had already changed out of your costume and were taking off your makeup. I remember the first time our eyes met. You smiled this perfect smile, and you asked me how I liked the play. I confessed that I thought you were great, but I couldn't remember a single thing the other actors had even said or done on stage. And then you laughed. Your laugh was just so pure and infectious. You always knew how to light up a room with that laugh."
Jane smiled. She was completely enthralled with his story.
He continued. "You said you needed coffee to stay awake for a conversation, and so I asked you to join me at this little café around the corner. We talked into the wee hours of the morning, and I fell in love with you on that first night."
She looked up at him. "I wish I could remember that," she whispered.
"I wish you could too," he said, his voice full of sadness. "We dated. Well, if you can call it dating between a mortal and a vampire. But there came a time that I just didn't think it was going to work between us. I promised myself that I would stay away from you and allow you to live a normal human life, but I broke that promise so many times. And then you fell in love with me even after you learned of my secret."
"How did I find out?" she asked.
"I think you always had an inkling that I was different somehow. But one night when you were cooking in your apartment, you burned your hand. You were in so much pain, and I couldn't bear to see you like that. I used my blood to heal you. And that's when you learned of my secret." He closed his eyes, obviously remembering the moment. "You told me you didn't care what I was, that you loved me, and that was all that mattered."
Jane smiled. She felt like she was reliving her old life through his words, and the feeling was indescribable. She looked at him. "You could go anywhere you wanted and have anyone you wanted. You never felt like you were wasting your time on me?"
The expression on his face was suddenly very serious. "I wasn't wasting anything then, and I'm not now. My life didn't make sense before I met you. I was lost until I found you, Jane. You made me realize that there are things out there that make life worth living, and I want to live it with you."
His words warmed her to the core. He was completely and utterly in love with her. And she realized in that moment she felt exactly the same way.
CHAPTER FORTY
IT WAS EARLY Sunday morning when Jane crept downstairs. She couldn't sleep, and she knew it was because of all the information that had been crammed in her mind the night before. Her brain just didn't want to shut down for sleep.
She quietly lifted the lid off the container and began to look through her things once again. There was just so much that she would need days to go through everything. She planned on taking the container home so she didn't have to make Sebastian sit through the tedious task of meticulously combing over every item.
As she reached down to pick up another picture, a small box in the corner of the container caught her eye. She retrieved it and studied it. It was covered in black velvet. Carefully, she lifted the lid. A stunning diamond ring was inside. She gasped at the sight of it. The center stone was round, and it was surrounded by several smaller diamonds. The band itself was white gold and diamond encrusted the whole way around. It looked antique, and it sparkled even in the dim light from the lamp beside her.
"Jane," Sebastian said from the doorway.
She stood quickly and snapped the box shut. She felt as if she had just been caught doing something she shouldn't have. "I couldn't sleep. I was going through my things again." She held the small box up. "Is this --- did you --- were we ---?" She stopped. The right words completely escaped her.
He walked over to her. "I never got the chance to ask you," he said, sullenly. "Right before you disappeared I had this big engagement party planned. I had the perfect place picked out to ask
you." He closed his eyes. "And then you disappeared out of my life."
He carefully took the box from her hand, opened it and knelt on one knee before her. "Jane, I don't want to spend any more time waiting for the perfect moment when I have you with me right now. I would do anything to protect you. I love you with every ounce of my very being. I was willing to go to the ends of the earth to find you again. And now that I have, I will never let you go. I have waited centuries for this moment, and I want you to understand that I will love you forever, until the end of time. You are the best thing that has happened in my life in over two hundred years." He pulled the ring from the box and took her left hand in his. "Will you marry me, Jane?"
She stared into his eyes. The moment felt completely perfect. She loved Sebastian. She was in love with him, and he had made her fall in love with him all over again. "Yes, I will marry you."
He placed the ring on her finger and kissed the top of her hand before standing. He took her in his arms and whispered into her ear, "I love you. Now and forever."
"I love you, Sebastian," she whispered back.
* * *
Sebastian walked onto the porch and stared out over the beach. Jane was relaxing on a beach towel, soaking in the sun. Her skin had tanned into a light olive over the weekend. He watched as she lifted her left hand to stare at the diamond ring on her finger. She was smiling, and it made him smile. She was happy. He was happy. They both were in seventh heaven, and he hoped the feeling didn’t end any time soon.
He made his way down the steps and onto the beach. He crawled onto the blanket beside her and kissed her lips softly. He hated the thought that they would be leaving soon. He wanted to keep her here to himself for a while longer. "I can't believe how fast the weekend flew," he said, staring into her eyes.
"I know," she said with a frown.
He hated to see anything but a smile on her face. He quickly said, "We can come back as often as you'd like." Her frown instantly turned into a grin. His fingertips grazed her soft cheek. Every time he touched her, it was as if he was making sure she was really there with him. There had been so many times when he thought he would never see her again, never speak to her again.
