“The sun will be rising soon,” I tell her. “It doesn’t harm me, but it does drain my strength.” Standing, I hold out my hand. “Would you come down to the basement for this talk?”
Biting her lip, she glances up into my eyes, and I see hope reflected back. When she reaches for my hand, the painful band wrapped tightly around my heart eases. “Lead the way.”
Edward is standing in the hallway dusting an antique table. He glances over and winks at me as I lead her down the hall. I reach behind my back and flip him off. The nosy fucker doesn’t dust on Fridays.
CHAPTER 8
Ruby
After he leaves my house, I sit in the living room and stare at the wall. Things begin to fall into place in my mind. In my heart, I realize he is telling the truth. Maybe it makes me crazy, but I have no doubt I’ve been dating a vampire. Once I accept it, I think back on what he told me earlier. He wants me as his soulmate. Me. Plain old Ruby Briggs. What in the world am I doing alone here when my hot, handsome, vampire Mr. Nice Guy is waiting for me?
Without giving myself a chance to chicken out, I grab my purse and keys and rush out the door. My hands shake so much, I have trouble holding on to the steering wheel while my heart nearly pounds out of my chest. After parking in front of his house, I take a deep breath and rush up to the door. The first streaks of light are dancing across the sky, and I hope he isn’t already in bed. Does he sleep in a coffin? Will he want me to sleep in a coffin?
All these thoughts bombard me as I wait for the door to open. Edward smiles before leading me into the house. “Thank God, you came over.” He shakes his head. “Mr. Melodramatic is having a heart attack.” I can’t stop myself from laughing at the silly face he makes.
“Are you a vampire, too?” slips out of my mouth.
“Nope.” He shakes his head. “The boss will explain everything to you if you give him a chance.”
Edward doesn’t wait for my reply before turning and walking down the hall, expecting me to follow. He opens a heavy, wood door and steps back for me to enter before him.
Silas is sitting behind an old, intricately carved desk. When I see relief flash through his eyes, a little bit of my fear vanishes. He stares hungrily at me, and my blood heats. Somehow, we end up in the basement entertainment room.
Silas sits next to me on the leather sofa and takes my hand. He rubs soft circles around my skin while explaining his life to me. It’s hard to grasp that this handsome, young-looking man is over three hundred years old, but I ignore my doubts and take in everything he’s telling me.
When he finishes, I stand and pace the room to expel some of the restlessness coursing through me. “Wow.” I’m not really sure what to say. “I have some questions.” We need to get a few things out of the way. “Are you going to live forever?” He explains that while he is immortal, all lives come to an end at some point. “Do you have to make me a vampire?” I’m not sure I want to drink blood for the rest of eternity.
“After sealing our soulmate bond, my life force will keep you tied to me forever. When I leave this earth, you’ll also die.” Silas grips my hand tightly. “I’m sure you already know this, but I love you.” The truth is there for me to see in his eyes.
“I love you, too.” The words pop out before I’m able to stop them. Everything is upside down and crazy. It will take time for me to understand and accept this whole new existence, but I want to try. I can’t picture walking away from him.
We discuss how we’re going to move forward. Silas wants me to move into his home. “You can have your own room,” he assures me. “But I can’t sleep without having you near.”
My headstrong vampire wants things his way, but I hold my ground. “I need to stay at my house until the restorations are complete.” He opens his mouth to argue, but I hold up a hand, stalling him. “We can see each other every day, and I’ll work on getting on your schedule, but I need to do this at my pace.”
After an hour of back and forth, we agree to take things slow. I’ll make sure to come over before the sun sets, and he’ll let me stay at Aunt Thelma’s house until the construction is complete.
We spend the next couple of weeks adjusting. Silas pulls out photos and information from his past “lives” and lets me take my time going through all of it while trying to get a grasp on our future. He’s explained the “mate bond” a couple of times, and I’m still leery of letting him bite my neck and drink my blood during lovemaking. My world dropped out from beneath me when he explained we’ll never be able to have children. “I’m so sorry, my love.” He laid his forehead against mine and sighed. “Vampires cannot procreate.” It’s a blow, but I think long and hard and realize Silas is more important to me than being a mother.
I bring Butters with me each evening, and my little dog is beginning to make himself at home. Edward sets up a four-poster dog bed in the drawing room for my spoiled pooch. He even orders special canine treats and dog food for Butters to eat. My temperamental little guy turns up his nose any time I try to feed him regular dog food. I’m pretty sure Silas is trying to impress me using my “furball.”
Talking to Edward about the situation helps. As the only other human in Silas’ world, he knows what it’s like to live with someone so different from yourself. In the back of my mind, I worry Silas will grow tired of all the effort he’s putting into wooing me. The thought of losing him terrifies me, and I know I need to act.
The next morning, I wake up early and head to the bathroom to get ready. Staring in the mirror, I tell myself, “It’s time to stop being a silly brat. Pull up your big girl pants and jump into this relationship before you lose Silas. Who cares if Mr. Nice Guy is also a vampire? He’s the love of your life, and you must do whatever it takes to fit into his world.” Blinking, I realize it’s all true. Living without Silas isn’t an option.
Even though I stay busy, the day drags by while I wait for the sun to set. At five o’clock, I grab my jacket and purse and head for the door. “You can’t come with me tonight,” I tell my spoiled pooch. “I’ll make it up to you tomorrow.” Butters hops into his bed and shoots me a soulful look. “Don’t give me a guilt trip.” I sigh. “If everything works out, we’ll be staying with Silas permanently soon.”
CHAPTER 9
Silas
I’m lying in my bed wide awake when I sense my mate nearby. Glancing at the clock, I see it’s only five minutes after five. She’s early today. I pull back the heavy, silk covers and stand up to stretch.
The sound of the door creaking causes me to spin around. “I hope you don’t mind me just showing up.” Ruby bites her bottom lip and shrugs. My mouth opens and closes like a fucking fish as I watch my stunning mate walk in and shut the door.
My mouth goes dry as she unbuttons her long, taupe-colored raincoat. My cock turns to stone in my silk pajama pants at the sight before me. God. She’s perfect. As my eyes move down her luscious frame, I nearly come in my pants. I knew my mate would be stunning, but she’s so much more.