"You belong to me, csitri, for now and all eternity. Thank you for giving yourself to me."
That set off a million butterflies in her stomach. Eternity sounded like a long time. She had a month, and then she would have to go home. She needed to find a way to tell her sisters that Grandma Trixie wasn't insane without them wanting to lock her up as well.
A shadow crossed his face. The cave filled with a kind of intense heat. She sucked in her breath. His eyes went from a beautiful burning blue flame to a beautiful glacier blue in seconds.
"We need to get you in the hot water so you will not be sore," he said.
Yeah. She was in trouble. She had a penchant for getting in trouble. Her sisters were always so good, following the rules. Going to church. Singing gospel music. She sang old love songs, and if she had to say it herself, she sang them very well. Perfect pitch. Her grandmother would have been happier if she'd joined the church choir like her sisters. Unfortunately, she skipped church more often than not, and she never followed rules if she could help it. Fortunately, she was extremely intelligent, which allowed her to outmaneuver most people. Not necessarily her grandmother, and probably not a man who could read her mind. But still, she had skills when needed.
"Andre." They needed to talk. The dreaded relationship talk. Men hated that. "We need to talk." That should do it right there. He should make excuses and run for the monastery.
He'd taken her virginity in a lovely, mind-blowing way. She would never be the same and no man was ever going to make her feel the way he did, but still, a month wasn't a lifetime. He certainly wasn't going to want her to think her vacation fantasy was real. Not when he was slinging words like century around. Right? She bit her lip again. She had to be right.
He slipped out of her and she nearly cried out with the loss of him. Involuntarily she caught at him, afraid he was going to disconnect immediately. Instantly she was embarrassed and ashamed. She wasn't a needy kind of girl. Or even high maintenance. She didn't need him to cuddle her after they'd had sex. She hadn't even known she would want it--but truly she didn't need it. There was a difference.
Andre stood up with casual ease, a fluid, almost catlike motion, and simply lifted her in his arms, cradling her close to his chest.
"You chatter at yourself, woman. Most of it is sheer nonsense. I like to touch you. I like my hands on you and my body as close to yours as possible. You are going to be sore if I do not get you into the hot springs."
"We didn't use protection," she blurted, horrified at herself. "I'm a modern girl. I might not have needed protection before you, Andre, but I certainly know all about it. I hadn't given it one single thought. Seriously, I'm my mother all over again. Oh, my God. I just had unprotected sex the one and only time I've ever had sex and I'm probably pregnant. Seriously, I'm not trying to trap you. I'm fairly certain you won't want anything to do with me after I'm so reckless. How could you? Why would you want someone so completely irresponsible? I'll probably die in childbirth and Grandma Trixie will have to raise her great-granddaughter. The cycle could go generation after generation and that will be my legacy."
Andre's eye color went dark and intense, with just a shade of amusement.
She gave him her narrowed eyes. "There is nothing humorous about this situation, Andre. I wasn't being funny."
He shook his head, but she was fairly certain she could still feel laughter in his mind so she continued to glare at him.
"You will not get pregnant because you are not ovulating. If you did get pregnant, I would never leave you or the child. You are my lifemate. In your language you would say wife."
"Um. Andre. In order to be a wife, you have to get married. Take vows in front of a justice of the peace or minister or priest. There are papers to fill out. A lifemate isn't the same as a wife. Maybe a girlfriend? Or if it's more, a fiancee?"
Andre lowered her onto a smooth rock seat that even had a back on it. The hot water came up to her neck and felt wonderful. Soothing. She really hadn't known she was sore, she was still feeling far too good. He had to be the best lover in the world.
"How would you know if I was ovulating or not?" she asked curiously, allowing her head to fall back, noticing in a kind of offhand way that the rock seemed soft, seemed to have a little niche she could rest the back of her skull against. It was comfortable and in her dazed and sex-sated state, she was certain she wouldn't move again for a very long time. "I'm drained but perfectly happy right now. Especially if you're right and there's no chance of pregnancy. I really don't want to be responsible for setting into motion a generational catastrophe for my family."
"I would think not," he answered.
She attempted a scowl, but the hot water combined with great sex made her too drowsy to give him a real glare. She subsided, idly pushing through the water with her fingers.
"You didn't answer me, Andre. Do you really know if I'm ovulating or not?"
"Yes. And you are not. I am going to make certain your body is not going to be sore. It will take a moment and you will feel heat."
She opened her eyes then--she had to. He was going to do his healing thing right down there. In the pertinent spot. "Um." She had to tell him. "That might be going a little too far. I'm not thinking about being absolutely naked or that I've just gone a little crazy in your arms. Or that I was a complete moron and forgot birth control. I'm just zoning out. If you're wandering around inside my body with your white healing light and moving around in my very happy spot I might . . . um . . . well . . . um." She waved her hand, hoping he got the message.
His mouth twitched. "Happy spot?" he echoed.
She raised her eyebrow. "Very happy spot. Although technically, I'm happy all over, so I guess it isn't just one spot. Still, I wouldn't go messing around in there right now. You could set off an explosion or two."
The expression on his face was priceless. She figured he was getting the message, but really, she'd had to spell it out for him and that was highly embarrassing. It had to be a language thing. She was fairly articulate but not used to men who healed by going into other people's bodies. Which was cool, but still.
He shook his head. He looked good shaking his head. His gleaming long, thick hair was just plain beautiful falling around him. She loved his face. She could get lost just looking at his face. He should be outlawed for his body alone, but then you put that together with his face and his hair and his eyes. Oh--and his mouth. No one could possibly be a better kisser. His kiss was something from another realm.
"Teagan."
She'd forgotten about his voice. Her belly did a familiar shiver and her breasts, beneath the hot water, tightened. She licked her lower lip and forced her gaze to his, trying to look innocent.
"You are doing it again, going off somewhere in your mind instead of out loud. But I can hear your thoughts. I appreciate that you think I am beautiful, but I am still going to check on you. I cannot imagine not repeating the experience with more enthusiasm, and I do not want you sore."
More enthusiasm? That sounded promising. Teagan nodded, speechless. She tried to curb her thoughts as well, because seriously, he was going to think she was insane if she kept it up. She just talked to herself whenever she was nervous. Okay, she talked. In general. To everyone. Whatever was in her head often came out her mouth.
Grandma Trixie had tried very hard to curb that particular failing. Her sisters had really tried to curb it, especially when they invited men--and that one woman--in the hopes she would find someone. They were pretty desperate . . .
"Teagan."
She bit her lip. "Sorry. I'm doing it again, aren't I?"
He smiled. A real smile. A full-on, perfect white teeth smile. He looked more handsome, more masculine than ever. Sort of like a wolf about to pounce. She brought herself up short and then couldn't help but laugh.
He didn't laugh, but his smile stayed more than one brief moment and his eyes went soft and incredibly beautiful.
"I love the sound of your laughter," he said.
She closed her eyes and laid her head back. He was going to blind her with his beauty or worse, cast his spell even deeper, and she couldn't afford that. She wasn't thinking sanely. She waved her hand. "All right. Get to it, healer. The more enthusiastically part sounds mag."
"Mag?"
She didn't open her eyes. "Yep. Totally mag. Magnificent."
He remained silent and she was tempted to open her eyes, but she wanted to be in his mind when he shed his body and became spirit. She didn't understand how he could do it and the healer in her was envious and totally blown away by his incredible talent. The truth was, she could fall for him just for that. Who had that kind of ability--that amazing gift?
She waited. Held her breath. He came into her and it was different than the feel of his mind pouring into hers. This was all about selfless healing. This wasn't his personality or his power. Simply his need to heal. It was beautiful like everything else about him. The light was bright and warm, hot in a completely different way than the heat generated when they had sex. His spirit warmed her. Soothed her. Eased every ache as he moved through her toward his goal.
She thought she'd be embarrassed. She'd felt blood and seed trickling together down the inside of her thighs when he'd carried her to the hot spring. He was so caring and gentle she'd been able to put it out of her mind. Now, because he was pure spirit, there was no way to be mortified.
If she was being strictly honest with herself, she was very tender. She thought maybe she had skid marks inside of her. The water helped, but the heat he applied deep inside her was wonderful and in a matter of minutes the ache was gone.
She opened her eyes to watch him come back to his body. It was there in his eyes. One moment his body dead, an empty shell. She couldn't hear his heartbeat or see him breathing. His eyes were flat, unseeing. Then he was there, vital. Alive. Larger than life and giving off an aura of danger. He carried that with him, a supreme confidence that bordered sometimes on arrogance, as well as the feeling that he could be utterly dangerous.
"When you heal people or yourself, it's risky to you, isn't it?" She slid her hand over his arm. "You have to leave your body unprotected." She felt his instant shock.
Andre nodded slowly. "Yes."
"But you still do it."
"Of course. Especially if it is you."
She sighed. She had no choice. They had to have the talk. "Andre, you know I live in the United States. I'm here for a few weeks, that's all. I have to return home. The truth is, my grandmother isn't nearly as crazy as we all thought she was. There really are vampires in the world. I can't let doctors put her on medication, or have my sisters think she's losing her mind. That wouldn't be fair to her. So I can't stay."
Her confession was met with absolute silence. He was suddenly gone from her mind. She was no longer in his. She couldn't read his expression, but she had the feeling whatever he was thinking wasn't good.
"It's not that I want to leave you," she added in a little rush. "I don't. I really don't. I'm not leading you on. I'm really not like that. I didn't expect to meet someone like you or fall so hard. But I can't stay."
"Teagan."
Her name again. He wrapped her in black velvet when he spoke in that tone. A sorcerer's spell, and she kept falling deeper into it. Willingly. That was the worst part. She shook her head. "I don't have a choice."
"No, you do not have a choice," he agreed.
Okay, that hurt. She needed to hear him agree with her, but still, there was a part of her--a big part of her--that wanted him to protest and say she couldn't leave him or he'd die of a broken heart.
"Okay then. You get it. That's good. That's a good thing." Her throat felt clogged. She hated that. Hated the burn behind her eyes so she closed them tight and kept her head back, resting against the rock.
"I get what has happened between us, Teagan, but you do not."
Her stomach clenched. Hard. Her heart stuttered. It was the way he said it. She opened her eyes again and looked at him. Yeah, there was trouble there. She just didn't know what it was or why. She bit her lip. Something was different about him. Something more. Predatory. He was just a little bit scary, and she didn't even know why.
"Andre? You're just a little scary right now. You aren't angry with me, are you? I mean, you know about visas, right? I can only stay so long legally."
"I have told you that you are safe with me."
He made it a flat statement and she had the feeling he didn't like repeating himself. Well, okay then. He shouldn't scare her like that if he didn't want to repeat himself. She made a little face at him just to show him she wasn't all that intimidated by him, although she kind of was. But he wasn't in her head anymore so she figured she probably could get away with it.
"What did you mean, by saying you get it, but I don't? I'm the one explaining it to you. I have to leave. I'm trying to be honest with you."
He nodded his head slowly. "I get that you think you are being honest." He held out his hand. "You need to have something warm in your stomach. I will make the tea and we can talk about this."
"Well, if I'm being strictly honest," Teagan said, taking his hand and standing up carefully, "I don't think tea is going to agree with me right now. Just the thought of it makes me feel a little queasy and since you're certain I'm not pregnant, then I'd just better not risk it. In any case, if I'm really caught in some very strange hallucinatory dream state, I'm definitely not having another cup of tea. The tea is the only thing I can think of that might have been drugged. But then that would make you a huge delusion as well and you're the one who made me the tea in the first place."
His hands spanned her waist and he lifted her easily out of the steaming water. At once he enveloped her in a towel.
"I am a delusion?"
"Actually, I don't think so, but you have to admit, it could be a possibility, since there's no one like you in the world, but I don't think I could make you up. Especially not the sex. I couldn't have made that up."
He rubbed the towel over her body, gentle, massaging strokes that soaked up the beads of water and left her a little breathless and definitely aroused. She couldn't help but love the way he touched her so gently.
She glanced up at his face. He wore a strange look that didn't bode well for her and she wanted to avoid finding out what it meant, because he really did look dangerous. He really could look scary--like a predator--and she was alone in the cave with him. She was avoiding the word lair at all costs, but it floated into her mind all by itself.
"I don't have many clothes left," she said into the silence. "I'll have to make a trip into town and pick a couple of shirts up."
"That will not be necessary, Teagan. I can provide clothing for you."
Her heart thudded. She bit her lip. "My grandmother expects me to be in touch with her once a week. I'm due anyway. I'll just pick up the shirts and call her at the same time."
He caught her chin. "I do not like that you scare yourself like this. You have a vivid imagination for a woman who travels as much as you do."
"I know. I've always been afraid of everything. When I was a child I was certain there were monsters under my bed and in my closet. Most nights I'd go crawl in bed with my grandmother, but sometimes I couldn't make myself leave my bed and put my feet on the floor so I'd yell for her at the top of my lungs. I'd wake up the entire household. My sisters were in school so they weren't happy about it, but they always comforted me."
Andre removed the towel and held out a large men's button-down shirt. It was his size, but nothing like she thought he'd ever wear. Still, when she inhaled deeply, the material held his scent. He seemed the type to wear skintight shirts that clung to his muscles and blue jeans that cupped his very nice butt lovingly and only made him look sexier than ever. Or a really classy, elegant suit. Black and white. He'd look spectacular with his wide shoulders and ice-blue eyes.
Andre shook his head and reached his arms around her so she was caged against his body. He did up her buttons, pulli
ng a little on the shirt so she leaned back, pressing her back into his front. Somewhere along the line, while he was drying her off, he'd gotten dressed. Yeah. Skintight shirt, soft material, blue to match his eyes, every muscle rippling so amazingly. She licked her lips and tried not to stare.
He'd brought her to two screaming orgasms and it had been her first time ever. She knew it wasn't always that good for virgins, but he'd made it good. No, he'd made it great. Spectacular.
"Teagan. You are doing it again. Going off somewhere. We need to straighten things out between us. You have tried to be honest. I am trying as well. I need you to focus. Keep your imagination under control for just one moment."
She was a little hurt. She'd shared a traumatic, recurring event from her childhood, which, okay, didn't exactly match the raging vampire who had punched holes in his body and tore long strips of skin off of him, but really, she'd shared.
"I'm focusing," she said quietly. She might as well get it over. They couldn't be together, and if they needed to end things right then, she could be grown-up and understand. She looked him in the eyes. His beautiful eyes that made her tummy flutter. "Really, Andre. I'm entirely focused on what you have to say."
And she meant it. She was absolutely finished with avoidance. It was going to hurt like hell when he said his piece, but he deserved her full attention when he did it. He'd been wonderful and he had saved her life and given her two orgasms, after all.
11
Andre gestured toward the chairs. "Come sit down."
Teagan walked silently to the chairs. They were positioned side by side and were deep and comfortable. She dropped into the nearest one and drew her legs up to rest her chin on her knees. The shirt was more like a dress, so she knew she was decent. Andre sank into the chair beside hers and reached for her hand. He enveloped her fingers and brought her palm to his thigh, his hand covering hers.
Her heart did a little stutter and butterflies took wing in her stomach all over again. It was the little things he did that got to her, she decided. The sweet, intimate gestures, so gentle and yet burning with an intensity only he seemed to be able to generate with her.