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She glided toward hial as any queen who had ever lived Her waist-length red hair flowed over her shoulders, shiht of a full ed since he had last seen her Her skin was still pale and perfect, her eyes the deep green of pure jade She wore a long gown of ruby-red silk that clung to her slender for every voluptuous curve

"Dominic" She held out a pale, slender hand

" Kitana"He took her hand in his, noting its warmth as he brushed his lips across her skin, which was als you here?"

She lifted one shoulder in a graceful shrug "I was bored"

"How did you find

She looked up at hient smile "Did you think I would not?"

"I did not think you would bother after so hter was soft, e beneath it "What is time to us? I have always knohere you were, Dominic St John How could I not when my blood runs in your veins?"

"Why are you here?"

"I told you I am bored"

"Surely you do not expect me to entertain you?"

"But of course I have never been in this part of the world before It is quite lovely I should like to see more of it"

"I am afraid I cannot spare the tilanced at the house, her gaze resting momentarily on one of the second-story s "Is it possible you have found that woain, the sound of her laughter filled the air "Really, Doh the ages? It should be obvious, even to you, that she does not hat you have to offer"

"This time she will be mine"

"Really?What makes you think so?"

"Have you come here to make trouble for runted softly "I have not forgotten your last words to hter fell on his ears like the tinkling of tiny silver bells "You don&039;t think I cary at the ti to fear from me"

"I would like to believe that"

"Then believe it" Rising on tiptoe, she ran her tongue over his lower lip,then kissed him It was not the kiss of a friend, but of a lover, and, as she had no doubt intended, it rehts filled with passion and blood

She s smile"Au revoir, one

Doone there first? Filled with a growing sense of unease, Dominic hastened toTracy &039;s side She was asleep, but tossing restlesslyBad dreae of the mattress, he took her hand in his "Rest now, my best beloved one," hewill harm you while I ah escaped her lips as she turned onto her side, slipping deeper into the peaceful abyss of sleep He listened to the steady beat of her heart, the soft, even sound of her breathing

Leaning forward, he kissed her cheek, smoothed a lock of hair from her brow They had shared many lifetimes, each different from the last yet the same in so many ways Each time he had found her, he had been certain that, at last, she would be his, forever his, yet each ti her across

"But not this time, querida ," he ain"

He stayed at her side until the first golden rays of dawn brightened the sky and then, reluctantly, he left the house to seek his lair

Tracywoke slowly Sitting up, she glanced around the sunlit rooh she kneas iht Had it been a drea on the edge of her bed, holding her hand? She had been having a frightful night away the horror that had been pursuing her Had she truly heard his voice, or had it been another dream?

Dominic

She wished suddenly that he were there, that she could clie, that she should think of his arerous than anyone else she had ever erous, she knew that he would never hurt her, and that no one else would ever be able to hurt her, either, so long as she ith him She knew that he would defend her with his very life, if need be, knew that he had defended her life and her virtue countless tiion of her heart

He loved her beyond her ability to comprehend and with that realizationcae

She was in love with himLoved him in this life as surely as she had loved hiiddy with excitement, and filled her with a sudden sense of dread She had died in his arms in all her previous lives Was she destined to die in his are her fate?

Throwing back the covers, she slid out of bed and headed for the kitchen She couldn&039;t be expected to think clearly without herjolt of caffeine

She stared out the hile she waited for the coffee to perk

She loved Doered in the back of her ht of him while she showered, while she painted, while she ate lunch, while she walked in the gardens, while she counted the hours until sunset when she would see hiht of hi a smile to her face

She loved Doan to sink behind the wall, she was overcome with nervousness Did she dare admit she loved hio? Did she want to be free of him? What sort of future could a mortal have with a vaain? Could she she thrust the thought away She had refused to accept the Dark Gift in every past life That, at least, had not changed She could not iine herself as a vampire, forever dooain,forced to drink blood for eternity How could she face the future if she knew she would never again be able to satisfy her craving for dark chocolate, or enjoy a e in a piece of leue pie?

She sensed his presence before he appeared There was a fa beside herTall and dark and ed his long legs, a black sweater emphasized the width of his shoulders

His nearness made her tremble

Bemused, Dominic lifted one brow "Surely, after all this time, you cannot be afraid of me?"

"No I&039;m not afraid Not anymore"

"What is it, then?"

"I&039;m just happy to see you I missed you today"

"Indeed?"

She nodded, her heart pounding with happiness and anticipation What would he say when she told hi on tiptoe, she wrapped her arms around his neck "I love you"

He stared down at her, his eyes filled with hope "Can it be true?"

"Yes, but I&039;m not ready I can&039;t, you know? Not yet"

"Hush" He placed his fingertips over her lips, stilling her words "It is enough that you are er felt like a prisoner in his house and when she expressed a yearning to go back to Nightingale House, he s the next day and as she did so, she realized she would ain

She wandered through the roo thewhat it would be like to share it with Dominic

And then he was there, at her side

A blush warmed her cheeks

He looked down at her, one brow arched

"Hi," she said airily, eager to get out of the bedroohts "I&039;lanced at her suitcases, waiting near the door

"I&039;ll need to rent a car"

"You can, if you wish, or I can take you"

"What do you ht you here"

"Oh"

He watched her, quietly waiting for her reply

"How, exactly, did you bring reat distances rapidly" A faint sed at his lips "Did you not find that bit of infored "I don&039;t re way"

"Is there anything you want to take with you now?"

"My bag and overnight case"

With a nod, he lifted her into his arms,then picked up the two iteuess so"

"You are not afraid?"

"Well a little, maybe I&039;ve never done this before At least not when I ake," she a will it take?"

"We will be there before you knoe have left"

She blinked and the next thing she knew, she was standing in the living rooale House "Wow! That&039;s incredible!"

"Indeed"

She frowned"My car! I left it at the e" He dropped a quick kiss on the tip of her nose "I will go and get the rest of your things"

He was back in moments, e"

"It is all upstairs"

"All of it?"

"Of course"

"You&039;re alad you think so"

"So," she ht?"

"I think it is time for you to see my world"

"What do you mean?"

"Sea Cliff is a haven for vampires"

She blinked up at hi her if she thought there was anything strange about the village"A haven? Youmean"

Dominic nodded "There are perhaps a dozen or so who live here"

"But I thought, that is, all the books I read said vaether"

"We do not hunt the same territory," Doether, there is safety in nuht they were just Goths"

"Some are"

"And the rest?"

"Are vampires"

"I really don&039;t think I want to meet any of them"

"It is necessary"

"Why?"

"Because you are ether, it is necessary that the others see us together, that they know you belong to me"

She lifted a hand to her throat "And that will keep me safe?"

"Save for Kitana , I am the oldest of my kindTo violate one under lanced down at her jeans and T-shirt "Should I change?"

"You will do as you are"

She should have been afraid She was on her way to meet a - what did one call a bunch of vas as Doe, she found that it wasn&039;t fear that made her heart pound, but curiosity Dominic would protect her She had no doubt of that

He parked the car in front of a bar on a quiet side streetTracy grimaced when she saw the name of the placeThe Catacombs

With a shake of her head, she put her hand in Dominic&039;s when he opened the door