had made love, sweet and vigorous. But then, without warning, she had taken his head in her hands, She had been in tears and he'd thought she was going to give him an answer to his marriage proposal.
All she said was: Some day you’ll understand, Sebastian. I love you.
And before he could protest, her fangs descended between her rosebud lips and dripped the deadly poison of her soul onto his cheek, a long tear of blood that had changed his life forever.
Sebastian rose and walked to the mantel. He lit a candle, played with the flame, and leaned reflectively against the cool marble.
“I’ve found her match.” Possibilities gleamed within in his mind. “So much you resemble my creator, Scarlet. I should almost think you her if I didn’t know that you are not a vampire.”
He stared through the candle flame. Yes, he would certainly know if she was a vampire. All vampires knew one another upon touch. It was called the shimmer, and indeed, shimmered a sensation across one's skin.
How strange that fate was playing this wicked game of double identities with him.
Yet how sweet.
“Scarlet Rose.” He sighed, letting the glass slide through his fingers to land with a crisp clink on the mantel. “Damn.”
Remembering his actions the previous night sent a chill down his neck. She would never invite another chance with him. He had surely scared her away.
Sebastian wrung his hands together as if to squeeze the violent feelings from the pores of his skin.
“No!” He threw the glass into the barren fireplace, sending wine-colored splinters flying across the carpet. He raged across the living room. “I want to make her mine!” He clenched his hand over his thudding heart. “Until eternity writes an ending to both of our lives. She is my match. My soul mate. I need her. And I will make her mine.”
***
The next afternoon Scarlet received a bouquet of ruffled white roses, full and lacy, like a handmade treasure. Two dozen fully opened blossoms suffused her senses with their delicious scent. The label tucked inside the vase explained that they were Angelique’s Pride, a rare breed first bred in the mid-eighteenth century.
Her heart pounded as she pulled the card out of the envelope and read the flowery script; they were from Sebastian. He sent his regrets, apologies, and promises to make things better. Though he wrote not a word as to what might have been wrong.
Scarlet sighed. There had to be a reasonable explanation. He was too much of a gentleman to have it any other way.
Luckily, Gary had left and so had Vince. She set the vase on the kitchen table and straightened the flowers into a pleasing arrangement. I guess he deserves another chance. Maybe I should call him, see exactly what was wrong .
She felt at the sore flesh above her hipbone. Sure enough, there was a bruise there. He had been an animal.
So why don’t I feel more contempt toward him ? She fingered a velvety white rose petal.
The cell phone sat quietly on the counter top. Scarlet touched it, sliding her nails across the shiny black plastic.
No. She pulled back . I’ll wait for him to call.
Chapter Six
“I’m going to pick up my stuff and head home, guys.”
Scarlet tossed the screwdriver into the toolbox and readjusted the curtains she had just hung. The filmy white sheers did little for the majestic interior of the second floor hallway, but they had been on sale, and actually fit the tall, narrow windows that stretched along the upper hall. Until Vince got around to getting some custom-made drapes for the odd-sized windows, these would do.
“It’s starting to rain again and I have a terrible feeling that I left the screen door open to the patio.”
Gary and Vince were laying down a path of red carpeting on the newly reinforced stairs. Vince’s great-grandfather had left a small amount in trust for him, but after getting appraisals from the remodelers, Vince decided that they would do as much of the work as possible. He let the
All she said was: Some day you’ll understand, Sebastian. I love you.
And before he could protest, her fangs descended between her rosebud lips and dripped the deadly poison of her soul onto his cheek, a long tear of blood that had changed his life forever.
Sebastian rose and walked to the mantel. He lit a candle, played with the flame, and leaned reflectively against the cool marble.
“I’ve found her match.” Possibilities gleamed within in his mind. “So much you resemble my creator, Scarlet. I should almost think you her if I didn’t know that you are not a vampire.”
He stared through the candle flame. Yes, he would certainly know if she was a vampire. All vampires knew one another upon touch. It was called the shimmer, and indeed, shimmered a sensation across one's skin.
How strange that fate was playing this wicked game of double identities with him.
Yet how sweet.
“Scarlet Rose.” He sighed, letting the glass slide through his fingers to land with a crisp clink on the mantel. “Damn.”
Remembering his actions the previous night sent a chill down his neck. She would never invite another chance with him. He had surely scared her away.
Sebastian wrung his hands together as if to squeeze the violent feelings from the pores of his skin.
“No!” He threw the glass into the barren fireplace, sending wine-colored splinters flying across the carpet. He raged across the living room. “I want to make her mine!” He clenched his hand over his thudding heart. “Until eternity writes an ending to both of our lives. She is my match. My soul mate. I need her. And I will make her mine.”
***
The next afternoon Scarlet received a bouquet of ruffled white roses, full and lacy, like a handmade treasure. Two dozen fully opened blossoms suffused her senses with their delicious scent. The label tucked inside the vase explained that they were Angelique’s Pride, a rare breed first bred in the mid-eighteenth century.
Her heart pounded as she pulled the card out of the envelope and read the flowery script; they were from Sebastian. He sent his regrets, apologies, and promises to make things better. Though he wrote not a word as to what might have been wrong.
Scarlet sighed. There had to be a reasonable explanation. He was too much of a gentleman to have it any other way.
Luckily, Gary had left and so had Vince. She set the vase on the kitchen table and straightened the flowers into a pleasing arrangement. I guess he deserves another chance. Maybe I should call him, see exactly what was wrong .
She felt at the sore flesh above her hipbone. Sure enough, there was a bruise there. He had been an animal.
So why don’t I feel more contempt toward him ? She fingered a velvety white rose petal.
The cell phone sat quietly on the counter top. Scarlet touched it, sliding her nails across the shiny black plastic.
No. She pulled back . I’ll wait for him to call.
Chapter Six
“I’m going to pick up my stuff and head home, guys.”
Scarlet tossed the screwdriver into the toolbox and readjusted the curtains she had just hung. The filmy white sheers did little for the majestic interior of the second floor hallway, but they had been on sale, and actually fit the tall, narrow windows that stretched along the upper hall. Until Vince got around to getting some custom-made drapes for the odd-sized windows, these would do.
“It’s starting to rain again and I have a terrible feeling that I left the screen door open to the patio.”
Gary and Vince were laying down a path of red carpeting on the newly reinforced stairs. Vince’s great-grandfather had left a small amount in trust for him, but after getting appraisals from the remodelers, Vince decided that they would do as much of the work as possible. He let the
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