He whirled, the fire at his back. “Her love would break the curse and set me free. I would not be trapped within the confines of these walls any longer.”
The witch, her ivory-colored hair flowing past her waist, flew toward him, nails extended. She stopped short of his face, hovering in the air. “If you really believe that will happen, that a woman will fall in love with a vampire, you have lost all sense of reality. She’ll leave at first light if not before.”
His hands curled into fists. “If that is her wish, I will not stop her.”
The witch’s booted feet hit the floor, and she tipped her head to one side to study him. “Without love, you will never leave this castle.”
“I’m aware of that.” Nathaniel put as much distance as possible between them. He wanted to demand that she leave, but the witch came and went as she pleased. Ordering her out would only entice her to stay even longer.
“Hasn’t three hundred years been long enough, Nathaniel?” With speed born of black magic, she zoomed over to where he stood next to the bookcase. “You could make her stay.” She touched her palm to his shoulder. “Being a vampire does have its advantages. You have the gift of coercion. Why not use it to break the curse?”
He snagged her wrist and flung her hand away like it was lethal. “Never. You took away my choices. I would never do the same to anyone else, especially Abigail.”
“Oh,” she cooed. “Fancy yourself in love with her then?”
Nathaniel didn’t respond. Maybe if he ignored her, she’d go away, but then, she would return. She always returned. That was, in his opinion, one of the worst parts of the curse.
“You know, Nathaniel, you could always change your mind about me.”
He shivered. The mere thought of being with her, touching her, kissing her as he had Abigail rendered him nauseous. “I did not want you then, and I do not want you now.” His gaze zeroed in on her angered face. “I’ve survived three hundred years trapped inside these walls, and I’d live another seven hundred never seeing the light of day before I touched you, Witch.”
The witch tipped her head back and screeched, her long fingernails extending into razor thin talons. When she focused her gaze on Nathaniel again, her eyes were blood red. “If I could have killed you then, I would have. You deserved to die. Nothing has changed that.”
“Apparently, I’m not the only one who’s miserable because of this curse.” The thought afforded him a small measure of comfort. “Do bank the fire before you leave.” He crossed the marble floor, making it to the door before the witch’s final words caught him.
“I may have one more curse left in me, Nathaniel.”
His hand froze on the wall, but he refused to turn around, to acknowledge that her words pierced through the veil of his calm demeanor.
“But don’t worry. This one isn’t for you.”
When he whipped around to confront her, she was gone, her cackling laugh trailing in her wake.
“Damnation!” He slammed his fist into the wall repeatedly until his knuckles bled. “No. You will not harm her. Do you hear me?” He shouted at the ceiling. “You will not!”
* * * *
Outside the library, Abby stood with one hand over her heart. She’d listened to the exchange between Nathaniel and the acidic-voiced woman in horrified fascination. Now, she heard his pain, his fear.
Was the next curse meant for her? She swallowed hard and stumbled toward the stairs. She had to get out of here before she ended up trapped as well. Her foot touched the first step, and she stopped. How could she run away now that she knew what had happened, was happening, to Nathaniel?
There had to be a way to save him. Maybe the Fates had brought her here for that.
She continued up the stairs, her mind racing. Come tomorrow, she’d have a long talk with this vampire. A curse could be broken, and together, they might be able to find a way to break it without meeting the witch’s conditions.
Once she reached her bedroom, it occurred to her she probably needed her head examined. Why was she thinking about helping Nathanial instead of getting the hell out of the castle at first light?
As her head hit the pillow, the memory of his voice, the agony dripping from every syllable as he talked to the witch, provided the answer.
* * * *
Nathaniel didn’t sleep. It wasn’t the first time rest eluded him, but this time was different. The witch’s departing words had encased his heart in fear, and he knew of only one way to protect Abigail.
When light touched the sky, he’d have Hiller call for transportation to the airport. The sooner he got Abigail out of England, the safer she’d be. The witch couldn’t curse what she couldn’t see. And fortunately, her magical reach didn’t extend beyond England.
Condemning himself to this eternal existence was a small price to pay to ensure that Abigail lived a long and happy life. In the end, what did it matter if he continued as he had for the past three centuries? Life had ceased all meaning years ago. He saw no reason to pretend he could actually feel happiness again even with the curse broken.
He stared at the ceiling over his bed until light broke through the dimness of night.
Chapter Four
“Good morning, Abigail. I trust you slept well.” That bone-jarring, soul-stirring voice engulfed her.
The copper pot fell from her hand, clattering to the stone floor. With a curse, she stooped to retrieve it. “You like to sneak up on people, don’t you?” She straightened and got a really good look at him. “You’re wearing jeans. And a t-shirt.”
He smiled. “You don’t approve?”
How could she not? The t-shirt stretched across his broad muscles, clinging to his biceps, and the denim emphasized the muscles in this thighs. Definitely no reason to disapprove. She tried for a blithe response. “I was just expecting a cape or more black. Now, where is the coffee in this place? I’ve been looking in this kitchen for close to thirty minutes.”
“Breakfast will be served in the dining room.” He took her hand and led the way.
Abby’s stomach rumbled, and she figured it was best to wait until she had sustenance before she broached the subject of his conversation with the witch. Once seated at the long, rectangular table, she caught a whiff of fresh coffee and gave a sigh of relief.
A maid carried in a tray laden with a silver carafe and pastries. Abby noticed the woman casted a hopeful gaze at Nathaniel, not that she could blame her.
“So how do you get food if you can’t leave the castle?” What an inane thing to ask, but, truthfully, she wasn’t quite ready to broach the subject of the witch.
He didn’t look back at her. “It’s delivered.” Once they were alone again, Nathaniel sat down beside her. “Abigail, look at me, please.”
When she did, she didn’t like the expression on his face—a combination of resignation and regret. And before he spoke, she figured whatever he had to say wasn’t something she was going to want to hear.
“There is a cab waiting for you outside. Once you have eaten, you will be taken to the airport.”
She’d been right, and this was one of those times when she hadn’t wanted to be right. “What are you talking about? Last night you wanted me to stay. Now, you’re hustling me out the door. This wouldn’t have anything to do with the late night visit you got from Broomhilda, would it?”
Nathaniel’s face closed, and he got to his feet. “That is not something I wish to discuss.”
”Okay.” She’d play along, but if he thought she was getting into that taxi, he was so sadly mistaken. Now that she’d been practically ordered to leave, she wasn’t going anywhere. She poured herself a cup of coffee. “I would ask if you wanted some, but you probably lean more toward B positive first thing in the morning.”
“Actually, I’m a universal vampire.” He grinned at Abby’s horrified expression. “I do not require matches with my own blood type.”
She thumped her coffee cup down and stood up. “Great. Should I start hunting for
something sharp and pointed?”
Nathaniel’s hand was at the small of her back. “I cannot be killed.”
Her sneakers skidded on the polished floors. “What do you mean you can’t be killed? Of course you can be killed. All vampires can be killed.”
“It is part of the curse.”
The pain in his voice had returned. “Nathaniel, tell me what this is all about.” She sensed a weakening in him, the longing to tell her more, and she needed him to tell her. What she’d overheard wasn’t enough.
“To break the curse, I must find love.”
“The curse isn’t just about immortality, though, is it?” Abby pushed her point. “How long has it been since you’ve been outside this castle?”
“Too long.”
“There has to be another way to break the curse. That witch couldn’t possibly expect a woman to waltz in here and fall madly in love with you at first sight.”
“No, she expected me to compel you to stay, but in doing so, I would condemn us both.” He palmed her cheek. “I would no more take the decision out of your hands than I would harm you.”
Her pulse hammered in her throat. The way he talked to her, the touch of his hand, created such heat in the pit of her stomach she thought she’d implode. “That doesn’t mean you have to give up.”
His smile held nothing but anguish. “Abigail, I have found what I was looking for all of my life, and were I a man with no conscience, I would compel you to stay.” He captured her wrist and her eyes. “Tell me what you are feeling for your eyes show little.”
Her mouth went dry. “I feel…” What could she say? Heat? A yearning unlike any she’d every known?
He cupped her face. “You feel it—that strange sense of longing.” His lips hovered inches from hers. “The need to follow the path the Fates laid out before you.”
He’d hypnotized her. It was the only explanation for what was going on inside of her right now. “Nathaniel, I—,” she couldn’t finish her sentence for he kissed her, a long, languorous kiss, and she melted, into his arms, into his heart.
The need for answers faded, as did the memories of the long, lonely nights. What would being with Nathaniel entail? Would he remain a vampire, and would it matter? Could she live life as a vampire?
He nuzzled her neck with his lips, and her knees went weak. The man really didn’t play fair. For someone who had already summoned a cab, he was giving her every reason to stay.
His hands stroked her back, her shoulders, while his lips did wild, marvelous things to her skin. Abby clung to him, barely resisting the urge to moan his name.
“Before you leave, I would ask one thing of you.”
She held her breath and waited for him to make his demand.
“Give yourself to me. Allow me to feel your sweetness close around me.” He edged her closer to the wall. “I want to sink deep into you, for I know I shall never find such perfect oblivion again.”
Well, put that way, how could she resist? Denying him didn’t even come to mind. She wanted him just as much. Without a word, she took both of his hands in hers and stood up on tiptoe to give him her response with a kiss.
He began to walk backwards. “Come with me.”
“Where are we going?” When had her voice gotten so husky? She shivered and slipped her hand into his palm.
He pressed a finger against her lips. “Just follow me.”
Abby didn’t speak again as she fell into step beside him. He led the way to a gold lined glass door at the end of the hall. Glowing light spilled out onto the polished tiles, and she caught the soft strains of classical music as he pushed open the door.
The rich opulence of the room embraced her. She’d entered the twenty-first century again. A warm fire pierced the dimness, and the flames licked high in the fireplace, offering warmth and romantic ambiance. Richly paneled walls surrounded a baby grand piano, and a three-tiered chandelier, domed with pleated satin, hung low from the center of the ceiling. Abby felt like she was walking on air when the carpet sank beneath her feet.
“What is this place?”
“It’s a special room reserved for you.” Nathaniel strode forward and swept open the dual pane Gothic windows. The sounds of rushing water united with the soft music, and her muscles went lax.
“How could a room be reserved for me? You don’t even know me.” As she finished speaking, Nathaniel walked around behind her, brushing his lips over the back of her neck.
“We’ve had this conversation before, Abigail. I know you.” He rained kisses over her skin. “And now, I’ll know you even more.” He slid his hands down her arms and raised them over her head. “I want you to feel every inch of me, to know that as I’m making love to you, I’m claiming you.”
He undressed her slowly, taking his time with each button, pausing in between to kiss her throat, her shoulder. By the time he lowered the zipper on her jeans, Abby squirmed with need.
She glided her fingers through his hair and watched his eyes darken as his gaze raked her naked body from head to toe. Heat flushed her skin. “Don’t you think it’s your turn?” Taking the decision out of his hands, she pushed his t-shirt up and over his abdomen and chest.
He spun her around and guided her forward until her abdomen bumped the row of piano keys.
“You’re going to…oh!” She gasped as his long, nimble fingers slipped lower. Her feet stepped apart, and she braced her hands on top of the gleaming mahogany. From over her left shoulder, she heard the gurgling water. The warm glow of the fire bathed her face, but it was Nathaniel’s kisses on the back of her neck that warmed her the most.
His hands on her hips, he slipped inside her, stretching her, pressing deep into the moist recesses of her sheath. Her head fell forward, and she moaned.
His knee bumped the bench behind her. “Ease back, my sweet. Let me fill you.”
Abby backed up as instructed, exhaling sharply when he went in even deeper. She held still, not daring to move, knowing that this would be the last time she would feel this. Their time together had been so short, and yet, she knew she would walk away with more than she’d ever experienced in a lifetime.
Nathaniel kissed her back, licking her spine until she shivered with delight. “Talk to me. Let me hear you.”
She felt him begin to move within her. “What do you want me to say?” She whispered with urgency as the pace increased. His hand went around her waist, holding her snugly against his chest.
“Anything.” he responded. “I want to know how you feel. How I make you feel.”
He flexed his hips, and her breaths quickened. How could he expect her to talk when his very actions were stealing her ability to think? “Nathaniel.” It was all she could say.
He came to his feet, forcing her against the piano. The keys resounded with sharp notes as he began to pound into her.
She reached back and grasped his hips, holding him, pressing him closer. She hadn’t known it would be this way. This powerful. Emotional. Overwhelming. Her knees threatened to buckle, and the muscles in her thighs clenched. Heat poured over her from the top of her head to the soles of her feet, glorious waves of intense pleasure.
He fisted his hand in her hair and tugged her head back. “When you leave, you’ll take this moment with you, and you’ll never forget this time.”
“I know.” Tears clogged her throat. It was impossible to fall in love so quickly, and yet, she couldn’t deny she felt something for this immortal vampire who was willing to risk his one chance at happiness to protect her.
His lips caressed the spot behind her ear, and he whispered her name while finding his own release. Then his arms tightened around her so hard she could barely breathe.
“Nathaniel,” she whispered.
He lessened his grip and turned her in his arms. “Forgive me. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“You didn’t.” Abby touched his face with two fingers, wondering if the wetness on his cheeks were tears.
“Don’t.” He captured
her hand and lowered it before turning away.
They dressed in silence so thick Abby swore she could cut it with a knife. What was there to say anyway? While a part of her desperately wanted to turn her back on her old life and stay with Nathaniel, common sense told her it wouldn’t work. She didn’t belong in his world anymore than he belonged in hers.
Just as she turned to face him, a blast of light blinded her. Stumbling, she searched for something to hold onto, but a second burst forced her to her knees. Then her world went black.
Chapter Five
Nathaniel fell to his knees beside Abigail, lifting her head with one hand. “What have you done to her?”
“I warned you, Nathaniel, but you never listen.”
He stared down at Abigail’s unconscious face and brushed the glowing red strands of hair away from her cheeks. She looked so pale, so lifeless. Fear had him whispering her name, and he shook her gently in an attempt to wake her.
“She won’t awaken. You may be able to keep her here, Nathaniel, but all you will have is her sleeping form to keep you company.” The witch circled him like a lion surveying its next meal. “And this curse cannot be broken.”
Nathaniel laid Abigail gently on the floor and got to his feet. Every move felt forced. He wanted to rush forward, take the witch by the throat, and snap her neck with the strength she’d given him. But would it break the spell?
“I know what you’re thinking.” She shook her head sadly. “It will be difficult to go on, but I can keep you company. Don’t you see?” The witch approached him, trailed her fingers down his throat. “I’ve always been here for you, Nathaniel. You just refuse to see what I can give you.”
He snatched her hand so fast she gasped. His fingers bit into her wrist as he dipped his head to whisper. “The only thing you can give me is a reason why I shouldn’t end your miserable existence right now.”
The witch’s face blanched, and he moved his grip to her neck, tightening his fingers around her throat until she gagged.
“Do you know how many times I’ve dreamed of doing this?” He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “It would be so easy, and it’s not like the world would miss you. I doubt anyone would even realize you were gone.”
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