Page 64 of Shadows of Eternity

“I guess so.” Janae sighed heavily. “These kids are driving me crazy. Hold on a minute. Mark! Get out of the cookie jar. Right now! Go play in the backyard and take Mike with you. Okay, I’m back. So, what are you going to do?”

“I wish I knew.”

“Well, I’m here if you need moral support or a shoulder to cry on. Maybe we can get together for lunch one of these days when Trent gets home. He’s off on business again.”

Who was he hunting now? Leia wondered, as she ended the call. Rohan? His sire? The vampire, Magdalena? How many vampires were there in the world? In the city? How many had she met without even knowing it?

If Rohan had been a petty thief or a small-time crook, it might make her decision easier, she mused with a rueful grin. She could probably live with that. Not that being a bank robber or an embezzler or whatever was all right, but at least he’d just be a man in trouble. Thinking Rohan could be wanted by the law was ludicrous. He could read minds, manipulate or erase memories, shield his presence. Even if hewassome kind of felon, the police would never know it. And yet, what if it was true? A vampire con man. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Feeling a headache coming on, Leia fell back on the sofa and closed her eyes, afraid that no matter what decision she made, it would only end in misery and regret.

It was late afternoon when Leia woke. For a moment, she lay there, remembering the days and nights she had spent with Rohan. Impulsively, she grabbed a notebook and pencil from the drawer in the end table and made a list of pros and cons of staying with Rohan. When she was done, she had a long list on the pro side and only two things on the other side—vampireand, in smaller letters, possible felon.

She smiled as she tossed the notebook and pencil on the coffee table and reached for her phone.

Fighting off the dark sleep, Rohan reached for his cell phone and uttered a groggy “Hello?”

“Can you come over?”

Wide awake now, he sat up. “Leia. Is something wrong?”

“No. We need to talk.”

That didn’t sound good. “I’ll be there in five minutes.”

He was as good as his word. Five minutes later. he appeared in her living room. Leia felt her heart skip a beat when she saw him. Tall, dark, and gorgeous in a white shirt that complimented his dark hair and skin, and a pair of black jeans that emphasized his long, muscular legs.

“I’m here,” he said, fighting the urge to read her mind. “What do you want to talk about?”

“You.”

“What do you want to know now?” he asked warily.

“Janae thinks you’re wanted by the law. You aren’t, are you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. The police don’t even know I exist. Anything else?” He frowned when she didn’t answer. “Leia?”

“Is there still an us?” she asked, her voice so quiet only a vampire could have heard it.

Feeling a flicker of hope, he shoved his hands into his back pockets to keep from reaching for her. “I guess that’s up to you.”

She took a deep breath. “Do you still want me?”

“Silly girl, you know I do.” He took a step toward her, and then another. “Are you sure this time?”

“Very.”

He drew her into his arms. “So, if I asked you to marry me, what would you say?”

“I’d say, when?”

“Whenever you want.” His gaze burned into hers. “What changed your mind?”

“I made a list of your good points and your bad.”

His brows shot up in surprise. “And you still want to marry me?”

“I could only think of one objection,” she said, with a shrug. “You can probably guess what it was.”

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