His Dark Embrace (33 page)
Kaiden nodded.
“Be careful,” Sky said, but Sam was already gone.
She stared at the flames a moment before asking, “Who was that woman, Kaiden? And why was she kissing you?”
Chapter 47
Skylynn spent the next morning packing her grandmother’s dishes, silverware, and pots and pans. She would have left a few place settings and a pot or two for Sam, she thought with a grin, but really, what was the point? Her vampire brother wouldn’t be doing any cooking, and he certainly wouldn’t be hosting any dinner parties.
Of course, neither would she. The thought sobered her.
Sky glanced at the cardboard boxes spread out on the counter. She really didn’t need all the cookware her grandmother had collected over the years. Kaiden didn’t eat and she didn’t see herself doing a lot of fancy cooking for one. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to get rid of her grandmother’s things. Some of them, like the Mickey Mouse cookie jar, held special memories. Others, like the Meissen Crossed Swords coffeepot, were antiques. Her grandmother had cherished the glossy white pot with its delicate blue design, partly because it was beautiful, but mostly because it had been a gift from Granda on their first wedding anniversary.
After packing the last of the kitchen goods, Sky went into the living room and began sorting through the books in the bookcase. She would leave Granda’s for Sam.
She was placing the last of her books in the box when her stomach began to churn. She made it to the bathroom just in time.
Later, after wiping her face with a cold cloth, she took her temperature. It was normal. She took a couple of aspirin, washed them down with orange juice, and went back to work.
“Looks like you’ve been busy,” Thorne remarked, glancing around the McNamaras’ living room.
Skylynn nodded. “I left all the furniture for Sam, along with Granda’s books and all the stuff in the lab. I haven’t discussed it with Sam yet, but I think we should donate all of Granda’s medical records and journals to a hospital or a library or something.”
Thorne nodded. “That’s probably a good idea.”
“What’s a good idea?” Sam asked, bounding down the stairs.
“Donating Granda’s medical records and equipment to a hospital or a library,” Skylynn explained. “They are no good to any of us.”
“S’okay with me.” Sam glanced at all the cardboard boxes scattered around the living room. “It’s gonna be lonely in this old house, all by myself.”
“I’ll be right across the street,” Skylynn said. “It’s not like I’m moving across the country.”
“Yeah. Well, come on,” he said briskly, “let’s get started.”
It took less than an hour for Kaiden and Sam to move all of Skylynn’s belongings into Thorne’s house.
“Wow!” Skylynn remarked when they were finished.
“That was fast. Maybe we could start a new business. After Dark Movers.”
“Yeah, right,” Sam muttered.
“So, where do you want all this stuff?” Thorne asked.
“I’m not sure,” she said, glancing at the boxes stacked in the living room. “I’ll put it all away tomorrow. That’ll give me something to do while you’re sleeping.”
“Great!” Sam slapped his hands against his thighs. “Let’s eat.”
Thorne looked at Sam, one brow arched in wry amusement.
Skylynn shook her head as if he had made a faux pas at the dinner table.
Sam glanced from Thorne to his sister. “Too blunt?”
“Just a little,” Skylynn said.
“You go on,” Thorne told him. “I’m fine.”
“I can take a hint,” Sam said with a grin. “The newlyweds want to be alone.”
“Good call,” Thorne said. “Now get lost.”
“Don’t need to ask me twice,” Sam retorted good-naturedly, and strolled out of the house.
“So, Mrs. Thorne,” Kaiden said, drawing her into his arms. “Welcome to your new home.”
“Thank you, Mr. Thorne.”
“I want you to be happy here, Sky, so feel free to redecorate the place any way you like. Paint, paper, whatever. And don’t worry about the cost. I can afford anything you want.”
“I would like some new carpet. Do you have a preference for color?”
“Anything you like is fine with me.”
“What about your furniture?”
Thorne glanced around the room. “Get rid of it all.” Taking her by the hand, he led her up the stairs and into the master bedroom. “Any ideas for this room?”
“I have a few.”
“Such as?”
“Well, for one thing,” she said, removing his shirt, “this has to go.” She moved her hands over his chest, leaned forward to kiss his bare shoulder while she unfastened his belt. “This, too, I think.”
“Indeed? Going for a major renovation, are you?”
She nodded as she reached for the zipper of his jeans. “I think these will have to go, too.”
He obligingly removed his boots and socks so she could strip him of his jeans, murmured, “Careful now,” as she began to tug them over his hips.
She grinned at him. “Don’t worry, I promise not to damage anything you might need later.”
When he stepped out of his jeans, she tossed them aside.
“Are you through?” he asked, his lips twitching.
“Almost.” She ran her fingers along the waistband of his silky black briefs. “I really like these. They’re very sexy.”
“I’m glad I have one thing you like,” he said with a laugh.
She glanced at the bulge in his briefs and murmured, “Make that two things.”
“My turn,” he said. “A body as shapely as yours should never be covered.”
She stared up at him, wide-eyed. “Never?”
“Never when we’re alone,” he amended as he lifted her sweater over her head. The rest of her clothing quickly followed. “I think we should give the bed a try,” he suggested.
“I think you’re right.” Taking him by the hand, she climbed onto the mattress, pulling him after her. “We’d best give it a good workout so I can decide whether to keep it or not.”
He drew her into his arms, loving the feel of her bare skin against his own, the way she melted against him. “I absolutely agree,” he said, his voice husky with longing.
She draped her leg over his, wanting to be closer, wanting to be part of him. Whispering, “Kiss me,” she twined her arms around his neck, her mouth seeking his, her hands moving over him, hot and restless with need.
He groaned softly as her tongue sought his. She was fire and honey in his arms, an impossible wish fulfilled, a nighttime fantasy magically brought to vibrant life. He wanted all of her, every thought, every caress, every breath. He wanted to please her in every way possible, to make every hope and dream she’d ever had come true.
His mind and body merged with hers, their joining like summer lightning streaking across the sky. When he nuzzled her neck, she tilted her head to the side, giving him easy access to her throat.
She moaned softly, her hands clutching his shoulders as his bite brought them both to fulfillment.
“I’ve been thinking,” Skylynn remarked later, when their bodies had cooled.
“Oh? About what?” Although he wasn’t cold, Thorne pulled the covers over the two of them, then wrapped his arms around her again, her back to his front. She fit him so perfectly, satisfied him so completely. How had he lived so long without her?
“Well, not right away, you understand, but in a year or two or three, I think I’d like to be what you are.”
Thorne sat up, then drew Skylynn up beside him so he could see her face. “Are you serious?”
“I thought you’d be pleased.”
“That doesn’t begin to describe it, but what changed your mind?”
“Well, you’re a vampire. Sam’s a vampire and he seems to love it.” She shrugged. “I just want to fit in with the rest of the family.”
Thorne stared at her, then pulled her into his arms. “I love you, Sky Blue. Vampire or human, I’ll always love you.”
She smiled against his chest. “Will it hurt?”
“No, love.”
“And the blood? Will I learn to like it?”
“I guarantee it.”
“It’s settled then.”
“There’s no hurry. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll ...” He frowned as she bolted off the bed and ran into the bathroom. What the hell? “Sky?” He followed her into the bathroom and found her bent over the toilet. Kneeling beside her, he draped one arm around her shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know.”
Rising, he wet a cloth and wiped her face, then drew her to her feet. Wrapping his arms around her, he closed his eyes and opened his senses. Was she ill? Sometimes, he could smell sickness or disease on those he had fed upon.
But Skylynn wasn’t sick.
Feeling as though he had been punched in the gut, he gazed down at her, his jaw rigid.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
He put her away from him, his answer curt and filled with accusation. “You’re pregnant.”
Skylynn stared at Kaiden, too stunned to think, too startled to speak. Pregnant? That was impossible. He had told her so himself. Vampires couldn’t create life.
“Say something!” he demanded, and even as his anger rose, and with it the urge to kill whoever had dared touch her, he knew she hadn’t been with another man. And yet, she carried the proof in her womb.
“You can’t think ... I’ve never ... it’s impossible.”
“I know.” He drew her gently into his arms, and just like that, his anger dissolved.
“You must be mistaken,” she said. “And even if it was true, which it can’t be, how could you tell?”
“I can hear the heartbeat, quick and quiet.”
She blinked up at him. “You can hear it?” She placed one hand on her stomach. She couldn’t be pregnant, so what could it be?
Swinging her into his arms, he carried her back to bed and cradled her to his chest. He frowned as a new thought inched its way into his mind. Could it be? Was it possible? All those months when he had taken McNamara’s formula, when he had been able to consume mortal food and drink, when he had been able to abide the sun’s light and be awake during the day ... when his vampire nature had, for want of a better word, gone into hibernation ... He shook his head. Vampires couldn’t create life, and yet he could hear two heartbeats.
Thorne placed his hand over Skylynn’s womb and blinked back the sting of tears in his eyes as he sensed the barely discernable movement of new life beneath his palm.
“I guess it’s a good thing we got married.” He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lightly, tenderly. “Because we’re going to be parents.”
Chapter 48
“You’re what?” Standing in the middle of the living room, Sam stared at Skylynn. “I thought ... vampires couldn’t ...” He looked at Thorne for an explanation. “How the devil did this happen?”
Thorne shrugged. “The usual way.” He hugged Skylynn, who was sitting on the sofa beside him. They had come downstairs after taking a shower. Sky had been too excited to sleep, too anxious to call Tara and share the news, in spite of the late hour. Too eager to tell her brother he was going to be an uncle.
“You know what I mean,” Sam said.
As succinctly as possible, Thorne told Sam about Paddy’s formula.
Sam frowned. “That was for you? And that’s how you were able to be out in the sun, and eat regular food?”
“Yeah.”
Sam dropped into his usual place in the chair beside the sofa. “I thought you liked being a vampire.”
“I did. I do. But it was nice being able to go outside during the day again, to eat mortal food.” He looked at Skylynn. “To dream about a future with the woman I love.”
“Then why did you stop taking the potion?” Sam asked.
“I ran out. I tried recreating it, but ...” Thorne shrugged. “I couldn’t make it work. There was an ingredient in it that I couldn’t duplicate and no one could figure out what it was.”
Sam looked at Thorne and started laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Thorne asked irritably.
Sam held up one hand while he continued to laugh.
Skylynn looked at Thorne, her brows raised.
“Sorry,” Sam said, blowing out a breath and wiping his eyes. “It’s just that, years ago, Granda made me memorize the ingredients to a formula. He wouldn’t tell me who it was for, he just insisted that I remember it, and that I never write it down. When I asked him why, he just said somebody we knew might need it someday.” He looked at Thorne. “That someone is you, isn’t it?”
“I sure as hell hope so,” Thorne said, a sense of anticipation building inside him.
“Sam, are you telling us that you know what it is?” Skylynn exclaimed in disbelief. “That you know what the potion’s made of?”
“Well, I’ve got some kind of formula up here,” Sam said, tapping the side of his head. “I don’t know for sure if it’s the one you’re looking for. To tell you the truth, I forgot all about it until now.”
Thorne scrubbed one hand up and down his thigh. Could it be true? Could Sam have had the answer all along?
“I think the ingredient you’ve been looking for is blood,” Sam said, grinning at Thorne. “Your blood. Of course, I didn’t know the formula was for you. Or that you were a vampire when Granda made me memorize it. Or that your blood wasn’t normal.”
Thorne stared at him, then shook his head. “That can’t be it. I had the potion analyzed in a lab by some of the top scientists in the world. They would have been able to detect something as common as blood.”
“You idiot,” Sam said mildly. “Vampire blood isn’t common.”
Of course, Kaiden thought. Even though Paddy hadn’t given him the formula, the old man had given him a short lesson in how it was produced, though it had made little sense to Thorne at the time.
I dump all the ingredients in a beaker,
Paddy had said,
and then I let the whole mess simmer for a wee bit until it’s cooked just right.
Paddy had said,
and then I let the whole mess simmer for a wee bit until it’s cooked just right.
Thorne nodded as hope soared within him. His vampire blood would bind all the ingredients together, and then, somehow, his blood evaporated, all but the part that made him a vampire. That explained why the potion had given Desmarais the strength and vitality of a vampire, although it didn’t explain how it had allowed Thorne to endure the sun’s light. But what the hell. The whys and wherefores didn’t matter, as long as the formula worked.
“Do you know what this means?” he asked, glancing from Skylynn to Sam.
“Yeah,” Sam said, laughing. “It means we can all go to the beach next summer.”
Thorne leaned forward and slapped Sam on the shoulder. “I guess it’s a good thing Sky asked me to save your life.”
Thorne pulled Skylynn close and kissed her soundly. Then, swinging her up into his arms, he twirled her around the room until she cried, “Kaiden, stop! I’m getting dizzy.”
“Sorry, love.” He set her lightly on her feet, then took her hands in his. “Do you know what this means, Sky Blue. It means we can have a normal life.”
She nodded, too happy to speak past the lump in her throat. Thanks to Granda’s wisdom and the return of Sam’s memory, she and Kaiden and Sam could be a real family, after all.
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