Page 39 of Shadows of Eternity

“I probably shouldn’t have told you any of this.” He knelt on one knee in front of her and took both of her hands in his. “Give us a chance, Leia. Put your fears away. I would never hurt you, or force you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable or unhappy. I love you, and I think you love me.”

She trembled with anticipation as he slowly leaned toward her, closed her eyes as his lips found hers. His kiss was achingly sweet, filled with love and need and hope.

She felt bereft when he lifted his head.

His gaze searched hers. “Leia?”

“Heaven help me, I do love you.” Unable to resist, she melted against him when he pulled her into his arms and fell back on the floor, drawing her down on top of him.

He rained kisses on her cheeks, the tip of her nose, her chin, before his mouth covered hers in a long, searing kiss that drove every doubt from her mind.

When she was breathless, he wrapped his arms around her and stood in a fluid motion, drawing her up with him.

“Do you want to go out for dinner?” he asked. “Or stay home and make out like randy teenagers?”

“I can’t.”

“What? Why not?”

“I’m supposed to go to the movies with Janae.”

He blew out a sigh. “Okay if I wait here until you get home?”

“Aren’t you going to ask me not to go?”

He shrugged. “I don’t want to interfere in your life or keep you away from your friends.”

Leia didn’t know whether to be hurt or pleased. And then she grinned. “You could come with us.”

“Is that a good idea?” he asked. “As I recall, she wasn’t too keen on our dating.”

“True,” she said, and frowned.

“Change your mind?”

“I was just thinking of something she said at lunch today.”

“Oh? What was that?”

“It’s silly, but she said that when we were dating, I had a dark aura around me.”

Well, damn, he thought.Maybe Janae really did have some psychic ability.

“You don’t believe in that kind of thing, do you?” she asked.

Rohan grunted softly. “In this instance, I think I do.”

“What do you think it means?” It worried her that Rohan didn’t brush it aside as foolishness.

“It’s probably because you’re hanging around with a vampire, darlin’.”

“You don’t think it means something more ominous?”

“Like what?”

“Like something bad is going to happen to me?” she asked. And frowned. Where hadthatthought come from?

He smiled reassuringly. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Stop worrying. Go have a good time with Janae. I’ll be here when you get back.”

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