Page 26 of Shadows of Eternity

A trickle of anticipation spiraled through her when she nodded. “Eight.”

Rohan walked her to her door, and though he yearned to kiss her, he didn’t. It pleased him to know she was disappointed, just as it had pleased him to know she wanted to be in his arms.

Perhaps all wasn’t lost, after all.

Chapter Eleven

Leia had intended to go to church Sunday morning, but she had too much on her mind. She spent the afternoon trying to sort out her feelings for Rohan. It would be so easy to fall in love with him. So easy. He was everything she had ever wanted in a man—thoughtful, easy to be with. He treated her with respect, made her feel important, cherished, even. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he was beyond gorgeous, or that his voice was like dark velvet, or that his touch made her insides melt and her toes curl, or that he was mesmerizing when he danced.

On the downside, he was a vampire.

If only she could forget that.

She still couldn’t wrap her mind around it. No one believed in vampires anymore. Sure, in the old days, superstitious people had blamed the Undead for anything that couldn’t be logically explained, whether it was a cow that suddenly went dry, or bad weather, or any number of other ills. Just as they had once believed in witches and magic. But even witches were easier to believe in. They, at least, were human.

Rohan didn’t eat. He drank blood and wine. He could read her mind. That was the scariest thing of all. What else could he do? Was he somehow making her think she loved him? Maybe she shouldn’t have agreed to go out with him. But surely one more date wouldn’t hurt.

Needing someone to talk to, she called Janae and invited her to come over.

“I can’t some right now,” Janae said, sounding flustered. “Trent’s parents dropped by unannounced to see the boys. I’ll be over as soon as the in-laws go home.”

“All right. See you then.”

With time to kill, Leia padded into the bathroom and took a long, hot shower and washed her hair. When she got out, she wrapped a towel around her hair and another around her middle and then went to look in the mirror over the sink. There was no scar on her forehead, no marks or scratches on her face or her arms. No one looking at her would ever believe she’d recently been in a serious accident. Had his blood truly healed the scars? And if so, how miraculous was that?

After drying off, she pulled on a pair of comfy jeans and a sloppy sweatshirt, stepped into a pair of fluffy slippers, and then, in dire need of comfort food, she scuffed into the kitchen and whipped up a batch of dark chocolate brownies. She loved brownies, but she loved the batter most of all.

Janae arrived at a little after four. She smiled as soon as she walked in the door. “Do I smell brownies?”

“You do, indeed.”

Janae followed her into the kitchen and sat at the table while Leia cut the still-warm brownies, added a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, and set the plates on the table, then poured two cups of coffee.

“Haven’t heard from you in a couple of days,” Janae remarked.

“I know. Sorry.”

Janae lifted an inquisitive brow. “Spending all your time with that sexy dancer?”

“Not exactly.”

“What aren’t you telling me?”

“I’ve just been busy, what with the end of school and everything.”

“Uh-huh. What’s going on?”

“I think I’m going to stop seeing Rohan,” she said, even as a little voice in the back of her mind whispered, Vampire.

“Oh!” Janae looked at her over the rim of her coffee cup. “Can I hope you finally took my warning to heart?”

“In a way.”

Janae frowned as she put her cup down and leaned forward. “What’s going on?”

“I found out something about him that troubles me.”

“I knew it!” Janae exclaimed. “He’s married.”

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