The Invitation (4 page)

“I have until midnight to decide whether I want to be with him in the…Shadow world.” She tucked strands of hair behind her ear. “What happens if I say no?” She couldn’t believe she was even asking the question. When the words left her lips, pain twisted in her gut. She caught the tragic look Lucian tried to hide. She steeled her spine for the worst. “The truth please, Lucian.”

“If you do not agree to be queen, Gabriel loses his only chance at happiness. Without you he is doomed to walk between worlds as a shade, never knowing love. His soul will wither and die and the King of Shadows as we know him will be no more.”

Tears ran down her cheeks as she thought of Gabriel ceasing to exist.

It broke her heart.

She inhaled, tried to steady her nerves. “Well, that puts the pressure on.”

Lucian flashed her a sympathetic look.

“Why tonight? Why can’t I have some time to get used to things? Why is it all so rushed?” She was desperate to know the answer.

“Because this is his last chance. He’s waited for centuries. Every year part of him dies as he searches. Unless you complete him tonight, his soul will have died by next year.”

“I thought being immortal protected you from death.”

“Nothing is safe from death. Everything ends in some form. He loves you, Evie. He has done for years.” His green-eyed gaze pierced her soul, willing her to accept his king. “The first time he saw you as an adult, it lit a fire inside him that I had not seen for centuries. You gave him hope.” He laid a hand on her shoulder. “Do not forsake him, Evie. Give love a chance.”

“Thank you for that startling revelation, Lucian.” Gabriel’s tone cut like a knife. Fury rolled off him in waves. Power sizzled, sending sparks of electricity dancing across her skin.

The King of Shadows was pissed and she’d never been more attracted to him.

As if fearing Gabriel’s wild mood, Lucian stood, moved away and bowed low. “I meant no disrespect, my lord.”

Gabriel took Lucian’s place on the bench. “Leave us.”

Evie let out a breath. Thankfully he didn’t take his mood out on his subjects. It was good to know he wasn’t a cruel master.

She understood now why he was he was king. It wasn’t his tone—his commanding presence dominated the atmosphere around him. You couldn’t help but look at him, obey him. It made her want to fall to her knees and serve him. Potent stuff.

Lucian vanished and Evie wondered how that was possible.

She resisted the urge to laugh. Of all the things to wonder about, she chose that one. Tonight was a night for incredible things—why should a guard disappearing into thin air unsettle her? If she chose Gabriel this would be her world soon.

“I will not force you into a decision, Evie. Free will is important to me. It must be yours and yours alone.”

“Could you force me?”

He nodded. “Yes, I have the power to bind your will to mine. If I command you, you will have no choice but to obey.”

“How will you bind me to you?”

“Through sex. When you are most vulnerable. There are other ways, more violent ways, but I prefer never to use them.”

His words sent shivers of pleasure down her spine. Her nipples peaked and every molecule in her body screamed for him to show her the other methods. Would he bind her? Flog her? She’d never been into BDSM but he made her want to try anything and everything.

His nostrils flared. “Please don’t tempt me, Evie. Not now.”

The conviction behind his words slammed into her. Sexual tension sizzled between them. She swallowed. Her skin ached for him, for his fingertips sliding across her curves. To strip naked and have his hot skin molded against hers, to feel the muscles bunch and twist as he pushed his cock inside her, filling her.

She tried to focus on something else. The moonlight played on the dark tendrils of hair that curled at the nape of his neck. She became fascinated with the way the black-blue colors of his hair shifted and moved in the watery light.

“Evie.” Her name sounded strangled and raw. He growled and fisted her hair, drawing her closer. Her hormones spiked and she was sure he could smell the musky cream that soaked her panties. “I need you to focus. If I kiss you now, you’ll choose me. You’ll always wonder if I bade you do it.” He nuzzled her neck, nipped her ear. “Focus. Think. Choose.”

He released her. She scrubbed a hand over her face, blinked, swallowed, relaxed.

She wasn’t doomed into a forced existence. She had a choice. A real choice. A limited one but still a choice. There were so many questions racing through her mind. She didn’t have long to decide. Gabriel’s life depended on her.

“It’s so surreal. One minute I’m writing about these things. Imagining them—” She tapped a finger against her temple. “In here. Now I’m living them.”

He moved to touch her then stopped and folded his hands in his lap as if unwilling to influence her further. “Have you ever wondered where those ideas came from? You’ve always known there was something more than this realm.”

Again her thoughts came into focus with startling clarity. The things she wrote about in her books, they were all real. “Vampires. Do they really exist?”

Gabriel’s rich laughter pierced the night and she blushed. Okay, maybe everything wasn’t real.

“The last vampire I heard of was in Brazil. Avoiding the IRS, I believe.”

It was Evie’s turn to laugh. Who knew vampires had to deal with everyday things like the IRS? “Damn taxmen. Such bloodsuckers.”

“Touché.”

“Do you have to pay taxes? According to the media you’re a rich socialite. How is all that possible?” She’d never really thought about it until now. How did he become one of the richest men in America?

“I pay my taxes like a good citizen.”

“But you’re a ghost.”

“To throw this party every year, I have to maintain an air of normality. Pure illusion. Although you see my true face, I project a glamor that makes it look like I age to everyone else. I’m always traveling on ‘business’ so I’m rarely seen. I’m a recluse and I’m rich. I dabble in the stock market. We do have technology in the Shadow world.”

She shook her head. “Bizarre. You also have a family?”

“Members of the court who act as family. All illusion.”

The mighty Longthorns—all smoke and mirrors. She brushed his cheek. “Sounds lonely.”

He let out a deep sigh. “You have no idea.”

She understood being in a room full of family and feeling like something was missing. Loneliness came in all forms.

Despite the situation, she felt so comfortable being with him, as if they had known each other a lifetime. Perhaps they had.

What would the heroines in her book do, faced with this fantastical situation? Take a leap of faith. They always did. Real life, however, was so much more complex.

“I’m scared.”

He covered her hand with his and kissed her palm. “I know. I wish I could give you time to become accustomed to it. For me to show you my world. There isn’t any time, Evie. I’m sorry.”

“Could I still see my family?”

“Yes. At certain points of the year. We also have telephones. And Skype.”

“Skype works in the Shadow world?”

“We have all the mod cons.”

Bizarre. “What if I say yes and you’re wrong? What if I’m not your queen? What if…” She turned away and stared into the inky void. The one thing that clawed at her gut and bathed her in self-doubt. “What if you stop desiring me? What if you choose another lover? Where would that leave me?”

She wasn’t usually so needy. This situation was different. He was handsome. So beautiful it made her teeth ache. He could have any woman in the world. What if he got bored?

“Evie.” He traced her collarbone. She looked at him and he delicately cupped her face. “I am the King of Shadows. With that title comes vast amounts of power. I know you are my queen, in my heart and soul. My body recognizes yours. I know you sensed it when I was inside you. We fit together. A perfect match. I’ll never want another woman.” He leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on the end of her nose. “There is but one soul that can complete me. And that soul belongs to you. Eternity, Evie. I’m offering you forever.”

His eyes began to glow, lighting the darkness.

Tears brimmed as doubts, fears swirled like snowflakes. What should she do? She’d never felt more alive than she did when she was with Gabriel.

The Christmas chimes began ringing. Her heart raced. Time was up. As he’d said, it was now or never. She waited, frozen with fear and indecision.

Gabriel stood and offered his hand. “Forever, Evie. I love you. Leap with me.”

They continued to chime. Eight. Nine. Images of her life without Gabriel flashed before her. Pleasant but incomplete without him. Ten. Eleven.

As the bell struck twelve, Evie slipped her hand into his. “I love you.”

With those three words, she leaped.

Bing Crosby’s voice moved through the air like smooth, melted chocolate, singing about a white Christmas. Evie sat on the raised dais and laughed as Lucian’s attempt to attract a female failed once again.

“He must be losing his preternatural mojo.” Gabriel’s breath tickled her ear as he leaned down and whispered to her.

It had been an extraordinary year for her…and her husband. Being Queen of Shadows agreed with her. Since taking Gabriel’s hand, she’d been whirled into a truly magical world. A place of bliss. Their kingdom lived in peace and happiness, moving from strength to strength. Much like their marriage.

She leaned back into her husband’s embrace and let out a contented sigh. Gabriel’s heat and love surrounded her. He hadn’t gotten bored. Their sex life was amazing. Her husband was an inventive and attentive lover. They’d been caught by the guards having sex in the throne room on more than one occasion.

“No regrets?”

Smiling like a cat who’d sampled the finest cream, Evie squeezed his hand. “No regrets.”

“You’ve got that look in your eye.”

“What look?” She flashed him what she hoped was an innocent expression.

“The one that means you’re thinking naughty thoughts.”

“Maybe.”

“Just think, my love, when all the guests are gone, I’m going to bind you to this throne, legs and arms tied with the silk ropes you adore. I’m going to feast on your delectable pussy until you can’t come anymore. And then…” He paused.

“And then?”

“Then I’m going to fuck you.”

Shivers of pleasure shot down her spine.

O Holy Night
began to play. Gabriel moved from behind her. When he came into her line of sight, Evie gave her husband a dazzling smile. Dressed in a red-velvet frock coat and leather breeches, he was drop-dead gorgeous. She ran a hand over the waistband of his pants and caressed his already rigid cock.

She bit her lip. “I can’t wait until later.”

He snuggled closer. It forced her to grasp his cock tighter. “Care to dance?”

As he straightened, her gaze settled on the holly-shaped brooch pinned to his lapel. It was a gift from her, a symbol of all the Christmases she had spent wishing herself inside Longthorn. Mischief glinted in his eyes, a devilish grin adorned his face.

Her heart beat a merry flutter. Feeling devilish herself, she batted her eyelashes seductively. “Is that an invitation, my lord?”

“For eternity, my lady.” Gabriel pulled her gently to her feet.

They laughed and swirled around and around to the music. Even after all these months he could take her breath away. It hadn’t been easy. She missed her family and friends. Especially her parents. She glanced at them in the crowd and beamed. Lucian flirted with her mother while her father laughed good-naturedly. Any time she got homesick, Gabriel arranged a Skype session. Although they thought it strange she couldn’t visit them, they never doubted her happiness. And she still wrote her books.

His lips brushed her cheek. “Merry Christmas, Queen of Shadows.”

Tears threatened to spill over as emotion thickened her throat. She dashed them away and smiled at the love etched on her husband’s face. “Merry Christmas, King of Shadows.”

Finally, Evie understood the true meaning of Christmas. Love. Friendship. Warmth. Forever. She would never long for fulfilment. They had each other.

For eternity.

The End

Multi-published author Scarlett Sanderson is a librarian by day and an erotic romance novelist by night. She lives in suburban England with her significant other and dreams of having Lara Croft-type adventures. As a reader, she loves to immerse herself in sweeping tales of romance, fantasy and, most of all, tantalizing erotica. Those are the elements she tries to weave into the stories she creates.

When not writing, Scarlett has a burning passion for history, good chocolate, fine wine and anything supernatural (especially if it includes the hunters Dean and Sam Winchester from the TV show
Supernatural
!).

Scarlett welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her
author bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
.

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