rouse.
Something like panic struck him. Had he already drunk from her? Was he so far gone that he had drained her and not even been aware of it?
Brushing the hair back from her face and neck, he searched for but found no bite marks. His wounds weren’t healing either, so he couldn’t have fed yet.
“Sarah,” he said louder.
“Hmmm.”
“
Sarah,
” he practically shouted.
Her eyes flew open, rising to meet his. “What?”
Roland almost laughed, he was so relieved. She was just a sound sleeper.
She blinked three times, then gave him a sleepy smile. “Oh. Hi.”
He smiled back. “Hello.”
Wait for it….
Her eyes widened as Morpheus released his hold and she became aware of her position. “Oh! I fell asleep!”
“We both did.”
“But I fell asleep on you.”
“And normally I wouldn’t complain, but you’re putting pressure on my cracked ribs.”
A blush climbed her cheeks. “I am so sorry!”
Sarah sought a place to put her hands that wouldn’t harm Roland as she endeavored to rise. When her shifting and squirming made her aware of the heavy erection that was pressing into her stomach, she stilled. Her eyes flew up to meet his.
“Yyyeah. Sorry about that,” he said sheepishly. “I can’t help it. You’re a beautiful woman and my body is reacting accordingly.”
His wasn’t the only one. Her mouth went dry at the feel of him. Heat pooled low in her belly.
His smile fell away.
Sarah swallowed hard as she held his gaze, then …
Her breath caught.
His eyes were glowing—actually
glowing
—with a strange amber incandescence.
Hurtling herself up and off him, she scooted backward until the cold metal arm of the futon hit her butt.
A veil descended over his features as he sat up. “What is it?”
Her heart trip-hammering with alarm, Sarah virtually leapt off the futon to place more distance between them. “Your eyes.”
He glanced down and readjusted the sheet that covered him to the waist. “What about them?”
“They’re—”
He looked up.
His eyes were brown again. Deep, dark brown. Guarded. “Yes?”
Had it been a trick of the light?
Don’t second-guess yourself. You know what you saw.
“They were glowing,” she finished and waited for him to deny it.
“Ah,” he said as if she had mentioned it might rain tomorrow. “I apologize. With everything that has happened, I didn’t think to warn you about that.”
“Warn me about what?” she queried nervously.
What would make someone’s eyes do that? It was like something out of a science fiction movie.
“The affliction that causes my photosensitivity also affects my eyes. I’m told that when the light strikes them at a certain angle, they appear to glow or shimmer strangely.”
“Oh.” Her heartbeat began to slow. “Yes, they do.”
“Forgive me, Sarah. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“You didn’t,” she lied, feeling awful now.
Jeeze.
It wasn’t
his
fault. And she had made such a big deal about it, leaping away from him as if he were a friggin’ cobra. “It just … caught me off-guard, that’s all,” she finished lamely.
When he swung his feet around and planted them on the floor, she sat beside him and tentatively asked, “Do you mind my asking what your affliction is?”
He shook his head. “Porphyria.”
Porphyria,
she repeated silently. She couldn’t remember if that was what those kids on the news had had or not. “Is it fatal?”
“It would have been this morning had you not found me before the sun did.”
The thought of it made her feel sick. “So as long as you avoid the sun and other bright lights …”
“The illness won’t kill me.”
Good.
“Does it cause blindness?”
“No, my eyes are a bit sensitive to bright light but, other than that, function normally if you can overlook the occasional luminescence.”
Reaching out, she rested a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did. And I’m sorry I fell asleep on you,
Something like panic struck him. Had he already drunk from her? Was he so far gone that he had drained her and not even been aware of it?
Brushing the hair back from her face and neck, he searched for but found no bite marks. His wounds weren’t healing either, so he couldn’t have fed yet.
“Sarah,” he said louder.
“Hmmm.”
“
Sarah,
” he practically shouted.
Her eyes flew open, rising to meet his. “What?”
Roland almost laughed, he was so relieved. She was just a sound sleeper.
She blinked three times, then gave him a sleepy smile. “Oh. Hi.”
He smiled back. “Hello.”
Wait for it….
Her eyes widened as Morpheus released his hold and she became aware of her position. “Oh! I fell asleep!”
“We both did.”
“But I fell asleep on you.”
“And normally I wouldn’t complain, but you’re putting pressure on my cracked ribs.”
A blush climbed her cheeks. “I am so sorry!”
Sarah sought a place to put her hands that wouldn’t harm Roland as she endeavored to rise. When her shifting and squirming made her aware of the heavy erection that was pressing into her stomach, she stilled. Her eyes flew up to meet his.
“Yyyeah. Sorry about that,” he said sheepishly. “I can’t help it. You’re a beautiful woman and my body is reacting accordingly.”
His wasn’t the only one. Her mouth went dry at the feel of him. Heat pooled low in her belly.
His smile fell away.
Sarah swallowed hard as she held his gaze, then …
Her breath caught.
His eyes were glowing—actually
glowing
—with a strange amber incandescence.
Hurtling herself up and off him, she scooted backward until the cold metal arm of the futon hit her butt.
A veil descended over his features as he sat up. “What is it?”
Her heart trip-hammering with alarm, Sarah virtually leapt off the futon to place more distance between them. “Your eyes.”
He glanced down and readjusted the sheet that covered him to the waist. “What about them?”
“They’re—”
He looked up.
His eyes were brown again. Deep, dark brown. Guarded. “Yes?”
Had it been a trick of the light?
Don’t second-guess yourself. You know what you saw.
“They were glowing,” she finished and waited for him to deny it.
“Ah,” he said as if she had mentioned it might rain tomorrow. “I apologize. With everything that has happened, I didn’t think to warn you about that.”
“Warn me about what?” she queried nervously.
What would make someone’s eyes do that? It was like something out of a science fiction movie.
“The affliction that causes my photosensitivity also affects my eyes. I’m told that when the light strikes them at a certain angle, they appear to glow or shimmer strangely.”
“Oh.” Her heartbeat began to slow. “Yes, they do.”
“Forgive me, Sarah. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“You didn’t,” she lied, feeling awful now.
Jeeze.
It wasn’t
his
fault. And she had made such a big deal about it, leaping away from him as if he were a friggin’ cobra. “It just … caught me off-guard, that’s all,” she finished lamely.
When he swung his feet around and planted them on the floor, she sat beside him and tentatively asked, “Do you mind my asking what your affliction is?”
He shook his head. “Porphyria.”
Porphyria,
she repeated silently. She couldn’t remember if that was what those kids on the news had had or not. “Is it fatal?”
“It would have been this morning had you not found me before the sun did.”
The thought of it made her feel sick. “So as long as you avoid the sun and other bright lights …”
“The illness won’t kill me.”
Good.
“Does it cause blindness?”
“No, my eyes are a bit sensitive to bright light but, other than that, function normally if you can overlook the occasional luminescence.”
Reaching out, she rested a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did. And I’m sorry I fell asleep on you,
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