Page 42 of Shadows of Eternity

Her cell phone rang as she pulled into her parking space. “Janae, hi. What’s up?”

“You remember we talked about the four of us going out to dinner? Well, I asked Trent about it and he said sure, so, what’s a good night for you two?”

“I don’t know. I’ll have to ask Rohan.”

“How is that handsome hunk?”

Leia frowned. Handsome hunk? That didn’t sound like Janae. “He’s fine.”

“Great. Well, let me know when he’s free. Trent should be home for a few days.”

“All right, I will.” Disconnecting the call, Leia stared at her phone. No warning about dating Rohan? No mention of death or dark auras or disaster? What the heck was going on?

Rohan woke with the musky scent of their recent lovemaking still in the air. Leia had been a surprise in more ways than one, he mused. Warm and eager, she came alive in his arms, willing to give him everything he asked for. He’d never known a lover like her. Fire and silk, he thought, and although she blushed easily, she wasn’t shy about letting him know what she wanted, what she liked. And what she didn’t. How had he existed so long without her?

He grinned in the darkness. If he had his way, he would never be without her again.

Anticipation brought a smile to Leia’s face as she hurried to answer the door that evening. “Hi,” she said, breathlessly.

“Hi, yourself,” he murmured as he pulled her into his embrace. “How was your day?”

“Wonderful.”

He chuckled as her cheeks turned bright pink. “Can I hope I had something to do with it?”

“You know you did. Stop fishing for compliments.” Taking his hand, she led him to the sofa and pulled him down beside her. “How do you feel about a double date with Janae and her husband?”

He shrugged. “I’m game if you are. But it might be wise to skip dinner.”

“Right. How about a movie and maybe drinks after?”

“Whatever you want, love.”

“When?”

“I think I’m free for the next couple of weeks,” he said. The troupe was practicing for a new show, but he hadn’t yet signed up for it. “So any night is fine with me.”

“All right. I’ll call her tomorrow. When I talked to her today, she didn’t sound anything like herself,” Leia remarked. “She didn’t even warn me about how dangerous it was for me to date you.”

He grunted softly.

Leia cocked her head to the side. “You wouldn’t have anything to do with her sudden change of heart, would you?”

“Who, me?” he asked innocently.

“What did you do?” she asked, alarmed by the thought of Rohan messing with Janae’s mind.

“I wiped all thoughts of danger, vampires, and dark auras from her mind.”

Leia frowned. “I’m not sure I like that.”

“It’s for the best, believe me. I haven’t lived this long by being careless. The fewer people who know what I am, the better.”

Well, that made sense, she thought. And then frowned again. “If we stopped seeing each other, would you erase your memory from my mind, too?”

He didn’t have to answer. The look in his eyes said it all.

She understood his reasons, but it saddened her just the same.

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