Read Online The Vampire Who Loved Me by Teresa Medeiros - Free Book Online
Authors: Teresa Medeiros
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racing hand in hand through the night with a dark prince who was just as likely to bring destruction as deliverance.
They stumbled to a halt at the very edge of the roof. With the snow cloaking the grime and soot, the city stretched out before them like the frosted parapets of a vast castle, the next rooftop an impossible leap away.
The furious shouts and thunder of footsteps swelled. In a matter of seconds, Julian’s pursuers would be upon them.
Teetering in his arms on the edge of that yawning precipice, a nervous chuckle bubbled up in Portia’s throat. “For years Adrian has been hearing rumors about vampires whopossess the concentration to turn themselves into bats. It’s a pity you’re not one of them.”
As a helpless shiver wracked her, Julian drew her into his arms, using his body to shelter her from the wind. He smoothed her hair out of her eyes, his gaze fierce. “Tell them you came looking for me, but I was already gone. That I fled London to avoid Wallingford’s wrath and I’ll not trouble any of them again. Tell them you came here to convince me to come home. Because you knew how my estrangement from Adrian was affecting your sister and the rest of the family. You won’t be able to fool Adrian but Wallingford will believe you. You can be a very convincing little actress when you want to be.”
Portia opened her mouth to protest, then closed it, realizing there was no point. “But where will you go? How…” She trailed off, gesturing toward the starry expanse of the night sky.
The corner of his mouth quirked upward in a rueful smile. “Before Adrian destroyed him, Duvalier gave me one sound piece of advice. He told me I’d be a fool not to embrace my dark gifts.”
As if to share the darkest and most pricelessof those gifts, he bent his head to hers. There, with the snow and starlight swirling around them, with disaster bearing down upon them on booted feet, he kissed her.
This was no seductive foray artfully designed to maximize her pleasure. This time he took what he wanted, what he craved. His tongue swept through her mouth, claiming it, claiming her, with a passion and power that threatened to rip the soul right out of her. Even if she’d had a stake in one hand and a pistol in the other, she couldn’t have defended herself against such an onslaught of passion. Nor would she have wanted to.
Julian groaned and she clung to the front of his waistcoat, answering that siren call with a deep-throated moan in a voice she no longer recognized as her own. That moan turned to one of helpless dismay as he dragged his mouth from hers and gently set her away from him.
Her eyes fluttered open just in time to see him turn and dive straight over the side of the roof. Before the scream caught in her throat could erupt, he had vanished into thin air. A dark shape went soaring past the roof, hurtling into the night sky. Portia stood there with hermouth hanging open, watching as it wheeled in a graceful circle, then went flapping away toward the sickle-thin crescent of the moon.
Shaking off her shock, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, “Don’t eat anyone!”
It might have been nothing more than a trick of the wind but she would have almost sworn she heard Julian’s rich baritone float back to her on a note ripe with laughter. “Don’t nag!”
Then the door behind her came crashing open and there was nothing left for her to do but turn around and face the torch-bearing mob and her brother-in-law’s thunderous brow.
Five
“What do I have to do to keep you safe from him? Lock you away in a convent? At least he wouldn’t be able to set foot on holy ground.” Adrian was once again wearing a fresh path in the elegant Aubusson carpet that ran the length of his drawing room. Judging from the shadows beneath his eyes and the fact that he still wore his rumpled trousers, shirt, and waistcoat from the night before, he didn’t appear to have slept so much as a wink since bringing
They stumbled to a halt at the very edge of the roof. With the snow cloaking the grime and soot, the city stretched out before them like the frosted parapets of a vast castle, the next rooftop an impossible leap away.
The furious shouts and thunder of footsteps swelled. In a matter of seconds, Julian’s pursuers would be upon them.
Teetering in his arms on the edge of that yawning precipice, a nervous chuckle bubbled up in Portia’s throat. “For years Adrian has been hearing rumors about vampires whopossess the concentration to turn themselves into bats. It’s a pity you’re not one of them.”
As a helpless shiver wracked her, Julian drew her into his arms, using his body to shelter her from the wind. He smoothed her hair out of her eyes, his gaze fierce. “Tell them you came looking for me, but I was already gone. That I fled London to avoid Wallingford’s wrath and I’ll not trouble any of them again. Tell them you came here to convince me to come home. Because you knew how my estrangement from Adrian was affecting your sister and the rest of the family. You won’t be able to fool Adrian but Wallingford will believe you. You can be a very convincing little actress when you want to be.”
Portia opened her mouth to protest, then closed it, realizing there was no point. “But where will you go? How…” She trailed off, gesturing toward the starry expanse of the night sky.
The corner of his mouth quirked upward in a rueful smile. “Before Adrian destroyed him, Duvalier gave me one sound piece of advice. He told me I’d be a fool not to embrace my dark gifts.”
As if to share the darkest and most pricelessof those gifts, he bent his head to hers. There, with the snow and starlight swirling around them, with disaster bearing down upon them on booted feet, he kissed her.
This was no seductive foray artfully designed to maximize her pleasure. This time he took what he wanted, what he craved. His tongue swept through her mouth, claiming it, claiming her, with a passion and power that threatened to rip the soul right out of her. Even if she’d had a stake in one hand and a pistol in the other, she couldn’t have defended herself against such an onslaught of passion. Nor would she have wanted to.
Julian groaned and she clung to the front of his waistcoat, answering that siren call with a deep-throated moan in a voice she no longer recognized as her own. That moan turned to one of helpless dismay as he dragged his mouth from hers and gently set her away from him.
Her eyes fluttered open just in time to see him turn and dive straight over the side of the roof. Before the scream caught in her throat could erupt, he had vanished into thin air. A dark shape went soaring past the roof, hurtling into the night sky. Portia stood there with hermouth hanging open, watching as it wheeled in a graceful circle, then went flapping away toward the sickle-thin crescent of the moon.
Shaking off her shock, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, “Don’t eat anyone!”
It might have been nothing more than a trick of the wind but she would have almost sworn she heard Julian’s rich baritone float back to her on a note ripe with laughter. “Don’t nag!”
Then the door behind her came crashing open and there was nothing left for her to do but turn around and face the torch-bearing mob and her brother-in-law’s thunderous brow.
Five
“What do I have to do to keep you safe from him? Lock you away in a convent? At least he wouldn’t be able to set foot on holy ground.” Adrian was once again wearing a fresh path in the elegant Aubusson carpet that ran the length of his drawing room. Judging from the shadows beneath his eyes and the fact that he still wore his rumpled trousers, shirt, and waistcoat from the night before, he didn’t appear to have slept so much as a wink since bringing
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