Eve closed her eyes and let herself feel his warm fingers pressing against the knobs of her knuckles, his thumb nestled in her palm. After a moment she opened her eyes and sighed. He watched her so steadily, unmoved.
"I don't believe I could ever hide anything from you, Ahaziel," she said. "I don't know why my feelings for you are so strong, but you mustn't dismiss them lightly. Please."
Slowly, as if moving against his will, his free hand rose to the side of her face, his fingers brushing her skin with a feathery touch. Her lips opened. He leaned down, down, and then his mouth was upon hers. Eve felt herself opening up as his tongue delved her mouth, his hands clutching her waist. Yes , she thought. Yes, it is happening at last . . .
The kiss ended all too soon when he jerked back from her without warning. "Ahaziel . . . ," Eve sighed despairingly.
At the sound of his name he stepped away, his hands dropping from her waist. His stare had become one of carefully composed anger. "You are a very lovely girl, Eve," he told her with precision, "but you have no idea what is inside me. I cannot describe the depth of my darkness."
"There is darkness in me too, Ahaziel," Eve said quietly.
"I know." His voice was soft.
"You won't be able to ignore me, will you? You won't be able to stay away."
"I will never be away from you for long," he promised.
"I never want you to leave me. Oh, Ahaziel, can't you take me away with you? Anywhere—I'll go anywhere with you!"
He said, gravely, "Oh, girl, but you are sick with love." Strangely, he sounded almost triumphant.
~
Esmond Havelock was home for dinner that night, which was rare; he had usually headed off to the lighthouse by mealtime. Eve preferred to dine in private or with Jocelyn, and she remained coldly silent as the three of them sat down to the table. She kept her eyes on her plate, eating with controlled slowness, mentally straining toward the moment she could excuse herself.
Her stepfather was the first to speak. "I saw you from the lighthouse today," he told Eve. "You were walking with a boy. Who was it?" His tone was too casual, but there was a disturbing undertone of jealousy that sickened Eve so deeply she could barely force herself to keep eating.
Without looking up from her plate she replied, "It was Jocelyn's friend Ahaziel." She hoped he hadn't noticed them kissing.
"You were alone with him."
"Yes."
"Eve, I don't like the image you're portraying to this young man."
I don't care about your opinion , she shrieked internally. I don't care about anything you think! I wish I knew what to do to disgust you so deeply you'd never touch me again . . .
"There isn't anything to worry about," Jocelyn rapidly assured their stepfather. "We had all three planned a walk on the beach after lunch and I joined them as soon as I left the lighthouse."
"I didn't see you," Esmond said, frowning.
"I must have been back up against the rocks, not visible from the lighthouse. The wind was strong, as usual, and I wanted to keep out of it."
After a moment's silence, Esmond made an unintelligible noise to convey he was more or less satisfied with this explanation and the meal was finished without further conversation. Thank you, Jocelyn , Eve thought, briefly catching her brother's eye across the table. He may have acted shallow and dumb most of the time, but he knew when his sister needed him. He was a good brother, really. If only she could confide in him her biggest secret. If only she could confide it to any one . . .
Following dinner, Eve went to her room and gazed out the window at the road, hoping vainly Ahaziel would appear at any moment. After the kiss they had shared on the beach, she couldn't wait to be near him again.
She fell asleep on the windowsill, peacefully lulled by her fantasies of a blissful elopement with Ahaziel. Some hours later a noise in the hall startled her awake. She closed her eyes again as Esmond entered the room, praying her absence from the
"I don't believe I could ever hide anything from you, Ahaziel," she said. "I don't know why my feelings for you are so strong, but you mustn't dismiss them lightly. Please."
Slowly, as if moving against his will, his free hand rose to the side of her face, his fingers brushing her skin with a feathery touch. Her lips opened. He leaned down, down, and then his mouth was upon hers. Eve felt herself opening up as his tongue delved her mouth, his hands clutching her waist. Yes , she thought. Yes, it is happening at last . . .
The kiss ended all too soon when he jerked back from her without warning. "Ahaziel . . . ," Eve sighed despairingly.
At the sound of his name he stepped away, his hands dropping from her waist. His stare had become one of carefully composed anger. "You are a very lovely girl, Eve," he told her with precision, "but you have no idea what is inside me. I cannot describe the depth of my darkness."
"There is darkness in me too, Ahaziel," Eve said quietly.
"I know." His voice was soft.
"You won't be able to ignore me, will you? You won't be able to stay away."
"I will never be away from you for long," he promised.
"I never want you to leave me. Oh, Ahaziel, can't you take me away with you? Anywhere—I'll go anywhere with you!"
He said, gravely, "Oh, girl, but you are sick with love." Strangely, he sounded almost triumphant.
~
Esmond Havelock was home for dinner that night, which was rare; he had usually headed off to the lighthouse by mealtime. Eve preferred to dine in private or with Jocelyn, and she remained coldly silent as the three of them sat down to the table. She kept her eyes on her plate, eating with controlled slowness, mentally straining toward the moment she could excuse herself.
Her stepfather was the first to speak. "I saw you from the lighthouse today," he told Eve. "You were walking with a boy. Who was it?" His tone was too casual, but there was a disturbing undertone of jealousy that sickened Eve so deeply she could barely force herself to keep eating.
Without looking up from her plate she replied, "It was Jocelyn's friend Ahaziel." She hoped he hadn't noticed them kissing.
"You were alone with him."
"Yes."
"Eve, I don't like the image you're portraying to this young man."
I don't care about your opinion , she shrieked internally. I don't care about anything you think! I wish I knew what to do to disgust you so deeply you'd never touch me again . . .
"There isn't anything to worry about," Jocelyn rapidly assured their stepfather. "We had all three planned a walk on the beach after lunch and I joined them as soon as I left the lighthouse."
"I didn't see you," Esmond said, frowning.
"I must have been back up against the rocks, not visible from the lighthouse. The wind was strong, as usual, and I wanted to keep out of it."
After a moment's silence, Esmond made an unintelligible noise to convey he was more or less satisfied with this explanation and the meal was finished without further conversation. Thank you, Jocelyn , Eve thought, briefly catching her brother's eye across the table. He may have acted shallow and dumb most of the time, but he knew when his sister needed him. He was a good brother, really. If only she could confide in him her biggest secret. If only she could confide it to any one . . .
Following dinner, Eve went to her room and gazed out the window at the road, hoping vainly Ahaziel would appear at any moment. After the kiss they had shared on the beach, she couldn't wait to be near him again.
She fell asleep on the windowsill, peacefully lulled by her fantasies of a blissful elopement with Ahaziel. Some hours later a noise in the hall startled her awake. She closed her eyes again as Esmond entered the room, praying her absence from the
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