Page 88 of The Vampire's Bride

Her green eyes search mine. In their luminous depths, I see my reflection… the dark desire and hunger that burns in my gaze. As much as I want Juliet, I cannot claim her now. Her mind is clouded by alcohol, and I would never take advantage of her like that. “I cannot,” I say, voice rough. “You do not want this.”

“I do.” She brushes her thumb across my cheek, and I find myself leaning into her touch. “Kiss me, Valaric,” she murmurs. “I want you.”

The temptation to take her is almost more than I can bear. Drawing in a shaking breath, I force myself to pull away. I press a tender kiss to her cheek. “Rest now, my ashaya,” I whisper in her ear. “I will watch over you while you sleep.”

CHAPTER 32

JULIET

Awareness slowly trickles back into my mind, and I open my eyes, wincing as my vision is assaulted by light. I quickly bury my head in my pillow and groan as a dull ache throbs in the back of my skull.

“Juliet.” Valaric’s voice sounds from somewhere nearby. “How are you feeling?”

I freeze as the memory of last night returns and groan even louder when I remember how wanton I behaved.

Completely mortified, I send a silent prayer to the gods.Oh, please, let it all just have been a dream.

I raise my head and the room begins to spin. A room that isn’t my own.

Valaric sits in a chair next to the bed, his crimson eyes full of concern.

Oh gods, last night wasn’t a dream. It was real.

A foggy memory floods my mind of him speaking to me when I asked for a kiss.“You do not want this,” he’d said as he gently pushed me away.

I don’t know why he would say that. Maybe he thinks I do not want his touch, when nothing could be further from the truth. Heat floods my cheeks as I recall how he pinned me against the cliff wall on the beach. I was nervous and wanted to slow down a bit, but I still wanted him.

With a low groan, I push myself up to sitting. Without warning, bile rises in the back of my throat, and panic spikes through me. “Valaric, I think I’m going to—”

I slam my hand over my mouth and rush from the bed to what I hope is the cleansing room. I push open the door and rush to the sink, doubling over. My stomach twists in a knot and violently releases its contents.

With a miserable moan, I close my eyes, my entire body shaking as another wave of nausea rolls through me.Oh gods, I don’t want to throw up again.

“Juliet?” Valaric’s voice is soft in my ear.

Unable to speak, I pant heavily as my stomach churns and I grip the edge of the sink, my body trembling as bile burns its way up my throat.

Valaric pulls back my hair, keeping it out of my face as I throw up again. My stomach cramps, and I cannot stifle a groan of misery as I dry heave.

Still holding my hair, my husband gently runs his other hand across my shoulders soothingly as I catch my breath.

When I lean back a bit, his movement is a blur of motion as he offers me a cup to rinse out my mouth and presses a warm cloth to my face, cleaning my lips and my chin. When he’s finished, he hands me a cup of tea. “Here. Drink this. It will settle your stomach.”

Shakily, I lift the cup to my lips. It smells of peppermint and strong herbs. I take a tentative sip, glad when my stomach doesn’t protest. I drink some more and sigh in relief as my nausea slowly begins to subside.

He smooths the hair back from my face. “Is that better?”

“Yes,” I whisper. “Thank you.”

“I’ve prepared a bath for you.” He gestures to a large sunken pool in the center of the space, full of crystal-clear water. Steam rises enticingly from the surface, along with the smell of lavender.

Now that my stomach has settled a bit, I allow my gaze to travel over the room. It’s carved from gray marble, the stone threaded through with veins of white and black. A small door off to the side opens into a water closet. A bench with a stack of fresh folded towels and a robe sits next to the pool.

“If you need anything, I will be right outside the door,” Valaric says before disappearing into the bedroom.

Quickly, I rinse out my mouth again and then bathe. Valaric was right. That medicinal tea really helped. I no longer feel ill.

I pull the robe around my shoulders and tie the sash securely around my waist. The silken green material is soft and clings to me like a second skin, accentuating the curves of my form.

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