Shades of Amber (22 page)

“
It will work eventually.”
He smirked. “I’m very persistent.”

“
I have to water the
plants!”

“
If you invite me in I
won’t rush you. You can even give me a tour. How are the
Nightingales?”

“
They’re fine, and you’ve
seen the house. It hasn’t changed since you went away.” I pointed
toward the street. “Go get your Ferrari. You probably parked a
block or two away, didn’t you?”

Instead of addressing my
words, he put his hands in his pockets and backed away. “Don’t try
to escape, cher.”

I opened the door five
minutes later and backed right into him as I closed it. “I thought
you were worried about how cold it is,” I said as I locked the door
and put the key into my pocket.

“
You’re the only thing I
need to warm up,” he said.

I turned around. “Don’t
you mean, ‘You’re the only thing I need to warm me up?”

“
No.” He pulled me against
his chest. “You need to be warmed up, you’re shaking.”

“
Being around you still
makes me nervous.”

“
Why?”

“
Sometimes I think I’ll
wake up and find out that you’re really dead. Remember when I
thought you were a ghost?”

“
How
could I forget?” He brushed my cheek as I got into the passenger
seat. “How
did
you explain my return to your friends?”

“
I said even Obit writers
make mistakes, and that you had to deal with someone sabotaging
your family’s fortune. We also agreed that it was insane to accuse
you of being a vampire because that was total
non-sense.”

“
What name did you say?”
he asked as he started the engine.

“
Trey Montag,” I shrugged.
“It was rather clever, I think.”

He laughed for a second
before turning serious. “But did they believe it?”

I nodded. “Everyone except
Amelia, but she won’t say a word. She’s just curious to know what
other make believe things really exist.”

He smiled as he started
the car. “Not as many as she probably thinks.”

Chapter 28

“
Did your house become a
five star restaurant in the last 48 hours?” I glared at the
imposing structure, expecting gargoyles to manifest.

There was a brief chuckle
as he emerged from the car. Every step seemed effortless as he made
his way to my side. I peered at him through the tinted glass,
wishing I had the strength to let go of my inhibitions.

“
Relax. I’m going to cook
for you.”

I bit my lip as he took my
hand. “Then take me home?”

“
Yes.”

“
Good.” My feet moved
without hesitation as he led me to the front door. “What exactly do
you do for a living?”

“
Whatever I
like.”

My curiosity was in
overdrive. I wanted to know every piece of him, but I was afraid of
his candor.

“
For now, I manage the
finances for my father’s company; he’s into yachts.” His warm
breath tickled my neck as he removed my coat.

“
So that’s temporary?” I
followed him through a doorway, and was quickly distracted by the
sleek kitchen. Several rows of overhead lights bounced off the
stainless steel appliances and marble counters. “I know you can
cook, but this is impressive.”

“
Cooking hasn’t been as
much fun without you.”

“
What did your dad do
before he went into boats?”

He smiled and washed his
hands as I peeked in the cupboards. “My father possesses many
skills and enjoys using them in different ventures.”

There was the cryptic
answer I’d been expecting.

I bumped him out of the
way and collected a dollop of soap. “Sounds familiar.”

While he collected the
pork chops and other ingredients, I leaned against the counter in
awe. His culinary skills had always trumped mine, but watching him
reminded me of how much I missed his lessons.

Jazz floated through
hidden speakers as he slid the tray into the oven. I took a sip of
my sparkling water, trying not to choke as he ambled toward me.
He’d ditched the blazer and rolled his sleeves up, exposing his
smooth forearms. I watched him over the rim of my glass until he
set it aside.

Sliding his hands into my
hair, he tipped my head back to expose my throat. “I’ve missed
this.”

My muscles clenched as his
lips skimmed my neck.

Would I scream and fight
or would I surrender?

The fear vanished when he
licked my skin. “Me too.” I wrapped my arms around his neck as he
lifted me onto the counter. Every inch of his body melded with mine
as our lips and tongues battled for control.

It felt as if time didn’t
exist—until the clock buzzed.

“
Go, take a seat, cher,”
he whispered as he eased me to my feet. Grabbing my water, I moved
into the dining area and sat at the square table.

I tapped my fingers
against my mouth as I took in my surroundings. Although I hadn’t
noticed Troy’s connections in the past, I couldn’t overlook them
this time. He was a well-tailored beast in more than just the
vampire sense, and I was in love with him.

My fingers brushed the
black tablecloth as the centerpiece caught my eye. The longer I
looked, the higher the flame danced.

How did my life get to
this point?

“
I know you still feel
overwhelmed, but it’ll get easier.” Troy rubbed my shoulders. “Why
don’t you give your brain a rest?” His sudden appearance almost
sent my glass crashing to the floor.

He sat next to me and
smiled. “You are so cute when you’re on edge.”

The pork chops, roasted
potatoes, and asparagus spears stole my focus as I looked at our
plates.

“
What’s wrong?” He raised
an eyebrow. “Have you lost your appetite?

“
No.” I rubbed my
forehead. “You still eat food?”

He laughed and slid his
arm around my chair. “Yes, cher, it’s part of the curse. I can eat
food, but I
have
to drink blood.”

“
You have to drink blood,”
I muttered after several moments.

“
Jade?”

My mind raced as I picked
up my fork. “I was just thinking… If this is a curse, shouldn’t
there be a cure?”

“
There are rumors, but who
knows.”

My fork slipped from my
fingers.

Rumors were a good
thing.

I took his hand and
brought it to my chest. “What if you could become mortal
again?”

“
I would do anything as
long as I have you.”

I pondered the
possibilities as we ate. It was nice that some things hadn’t
changed. Troy was still a phenomenal cook and despite his need for
blood, his appetite hadn’t diminished.

What were the odds of
finding the right cure?

Troy sighed. “It would be
like finding a grain of rice in a blizzard.”

“
Oh.” I followed as he
cleared the table and filled the dishwasher. “What do you think
we’ll have to do?”

The corner of his mouth
lifted. “We?”

“
Of course.” I squealed as
he picked me up. Once we reached the couch, I slid down his body
until I was on my feet. I played with his hair as we fell onto the
couch. “I’m going with you.”

He me against his chest.
“It will take a lot of digging. There’s no telling how long that
could take.”

“
I know, but we have to
try if there’s a chance.”

He nodded and kissed me
until I forgot all about curses cures, and everything but him. Our
lips touched—gentle, yet passionate until we were feverous with
desire.

Eternity

Eternity with
you

Is way too
long,

A lifetime…

That doesn’t sound so
strong.

I could never
imagine

Living forever

And I’d better not have
to

If we’re to be
together.

We are in fact

From different
sides,

But you never told
me

Our worlds would
collide.

Now,

I find myself

Thinking about
time;

Wondering what
if…

We had the forever
kind.

-Jade

Chapter 29

I reached for a blanket
when goose bumps assaulted my skin. The moment my fingers met the
material, it fell over me, warming my core. I nestled deeper until
I noticed hard muscle where cushions should’ve been.

How long would it take me
to stop feeling so disoriented after I fell asleep?

I opened my eyes, when
applause filled the room. Some infomercial stole my attention until
I caught sight of Troy’s silver watch. I pulled his wrist closer as
I struggled to make out the time.

Was it noon
already?

I tilted my head back,
noting the sunlight. Sun plus vampire equaled me stranded until
sundown… unless I could get one of my friends to drive up the
mountain.

The last thing I
remembered was his smile after he finally got the dessert he’d
craved since our first dinner date.

I rubbed my eyes and
looked up, surprised to find him watching me. I pulled the blanket
to my neck.

He swept my hair away from
my eyes. “It’s a little late to be shy, cher.”

I covered my face with my
hands and exhaled.

“
Why don’t you want to
stay?” he asked as his amber eyes bore into mine.

“
Your masquerade party is
tonight. How can I get ready if I’m here until sundown without my
stuff?”

He kissed my forehead.
“Relax. Charles can bring it back here.”

I leaned on my elbow and
glared at him. “No. Charles can take me home, though.”

He shook his head and
tried to kiss me again.

I held up my hand and got
off the couch. “I don’t have to get a ride. I can call a cab from
outside,” I said as I got dressed. Dropping to my knees, I searched
for my purse until he moved toward the door.

When he motioned me over,
I sat on the couch and stared at the plush white carpet.

“
I found what you were
looking for.”

Troy had my purse, which
meant I had no cell phone, no money—I couldn’t get a cab without
that stuff.

“
What’s wrong?”

“
I can’t go anywhere
without my purse.”

“
That’s why I got it for
you.” He knelt down and put it in my hands.

“
And you’re just giving it
to me?”

He laughed and twisted a
lock of my hair around his finger. “I know you’re coming back,
cher, and the longer I keep you, the later you’ll be for the
party.”

I smiled at him. “I like
when you’re not super intense.”

He chuckled. “I
know.”

“
Then why do you do
it?”

“
It hurt that you would
rather make yourself unhappy than let me back into your life. I
wanted you to see how much it hurts to fight with
yourself.”

I stared at him. “You make
it sound like you know from experience.”

He traced my palm with his
index finger. “Maybe I do.”

“
Tell me, please.” I bit
my lip as I waited for his reply.

“
I fought myself when I
wanted to come back for you, until one day my heart won over my
head.”

I leaned forward and
kissed him. “I’m glad you came back for me.”

He pulled me into his arms
as we neared the door. “I love you,” he whispered before moving
behind it.

“
I love you.” I sighed as
I stepped outside and found a white cab waiting.

The passenger side window
rolled down as a slender woman called out. “Miss
Nightingale?”

“
That’s me.”

The sun glimmered through
the trees as we descended the winding road. No matter what Troy
was, having him in my life was better than having him in the
ground.

My Love

Every time I look at
her

I see the girl I saw
before.

Beautiful and
headstrong,

She is at
heart.

My life,

My love,

My fresh start.

For when I think
of

The future we’ll
have,

I find myself unbelievably
glad.

To be with you for the
rest of time has