The Power (33 page)

“You don’t need to protect me, Jack.” she whispered. “I can’t have children.” she confessed, and she tried to move from his arms, but Jack grabbed her back quickly. She could read the conflict within him. He had thought of it, of their would-be children. He had imagined them with her eyes. She smiled at the thought. It was a nice dream, one she had given up on long ago, had accepted, but Jack, he didn’t have to accept her doomed fate! He deserved better! Again, she tried to move from his loving embrace, but Jack wasn’t ready to let her go.

“You’re sure?” he asked, and she nodded, feeling ashamed all of a sudden, for what she was, for what she could never give to him.

“You deserve better than me, Jack.” she said brokenly, and Jack tipped her chin up so that she was meeting his heated gaze.

“Listen to me, Lilly. There is no better than you!” he said powerfully, and then he was kissing her again, kissing her until she forgot her shame, her guilt. Kissing her until she forget everything except the feel of him, the wanting of him. She felt when the softness of the bed came up beneath her. She surrendered heart, body, and soul, when Jack’s long, hard body came over her. She met and held his gaze, losing herself to him forever in that moment when he joined his body to hers. Closing her eyes, she gave up the fight and clung tight to the one thing that had ever felt right, had ever felt real in her miserable existence.

Jack, she thought, and her arms surrounded him as their bodies locked together again and again, as the overwhelming pleasure filled her, consumed her. This was what she had been waiting for, had been wanting, longing for, for over a hundred years. When her body climaxed, tears spilled over her lashes, bathing her cheeks in happiness. Now, she was complete, she thought in the aftermath of their lovemaking. Now, she was exa
ctly where she was meant to be: with Jack.

They had lain there for several minutes, neither of them uttering a word. Jack had pulled the blankets up and over them both, and Lilly had rolled to her side, giving him her back. Did she regret coming here, being with him in this way, Jack worried? It had been incredible, he thought as he brought her back against his chest, and held her loosely in his arms.

“Tell me what you’re thinking?” he asked lowly, and he kissed the back of her head. Her hands came up, brushing lightly against his biceps, and then she held on to him as if she was afraid if she did not then it would not last. That thought frightened him more than he cared to admit, and Jack snuggled closer.

“There’s something I need to tell you.” she whispered, sounding so far away, so lost that Jack wanted to pull her so close into his arms, and hold her strongly against him forever so that she w
ould always know that with him,she could never truly be lost. She didn’t go on with whatever she had been planning on telling him. She just lay there, and Jack worried that she was clamming up on him again. What was it? Why was she so afraid to tell him what was on her mind?

“You can tell me anything.” he vowed, and he leaned in closer. Lowering his mouth to her ear, he dared to whisper the words that he felt pulsating through his every vein, expanding within him. “I love you.” He had never said the words to another woman. He had
never felt this way before, but Lilly…! My God, Lilly, I love you, he thought so strongly that he thought his heart would rip from his chest.

“We agreed.” Lilly whispered softly as she turned in his arms to face him. Meeting his gaze she whispered. “No words tonight, Jack. No words.” she leaned in, kissing him, loving him. He could feel it in her touch, in her kiss, in every word that she dared not to utter; she loved him too.

Jack awoke to someone nudging his shoulder. Opening his tired eyes, he saw Lilly kneeling on the bed, fully dressed. When had that happened? He smiled as he reached to touch her face.

“What are you doing?” he asked, pulling her down to him by her arm so that he could love her again. Lilly shook her blonde head and pulled back.

“It’s late.” she voiced softly, and Jack’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“All the more reason to take those clothes back off and come back to bed.” he smiled seductively, and leaning forward he met her kiss half way. He tried dragging her back into the bed with him, but she shook her head.

“Will you take me home, Jack?” she asked almost shyly, and Jack groaned.

“You can’t stay?”

Lilly shook her head once more. “Gina will be worried.”

“You can call her?” Jack suggested.

“I should probably get home, have a talk with her.” Lilly leaned over him, kissing him sweetly, and then she swatted his arm in a playful manner. “Get up!” she ordered sharply, and Jack groaned out loud. Begrudgingly, he climbed from the bed, and pulled on his jeans. Li
lly was standing, watching him when he turned to face her. Not a hair was out of place on her beautiful head. She looked as lovely to him now as she had at the beginning of the evening. Sucking in his breath, he went to her, and he drew her within his arms, kissing her awaiting mouth.

Lilly smiled against his mouth. “It’s late.” she reminded, and he frowned, making her smile brighten
. Reluctantly, Jack got dressed and drove Lilly home. As he drove away from her house, he thanked God that he had been able to find her last night. “God, help me.” He muttered. “I’m in love with the woman.”

Chapter twenty-
seven

“How long will you be in the city?” Nicole asked when Ewan walked her to her door after their second dinner date. The look in his eyes was intoxicating, and she knew that he was lingering. For her? Well, she was the only one standing there in the hall at the moment, she reminded herself, and she smiled as he stepped in closer. Her heart was beating frantically away from her when Ewan stepped in closer. She backed away until her back was pressed to the cool oak of her front door, but still Ewan pursued her. Leaning in close, he smiled smoothly, and she sucked in her breath. Gently, his mouth brushed her own, and Nicole could hardly remember to breathe.

“Not long, I’m afraid.” he said seductively, as he lifted his mouth from hers. The regret that w
eighed upon her then almost dragged her low. She lowered her head in sadness. Not long? Then why begin what he couldn’t finish? “But if it’s all right with you, My Sweet, I plan to spend as much of that time as I possibly can with you?” his voice was low, hypnotic and she felt herself being lured into his trance. Sweet Jesus! This couldn’t be happening to her! But, it was happening, she realized on a shudder. She was falling for him. She barely knew him, but he was sweeping her off her feet all the same. Timidly, she lifted her hand to rest against his hard jaw, and even more carefully, she touched her lips to his, tasting him, wanting him like she had never wanted another man in her life.

“I count on that.” she whispered when the kiss broke, and Ewan pulled her forward, kissing her forehead, he smiled, and then he backed away.

“Tomorrow night? Nine?” he inquired, and she heard in his voice that he knew she would not refuse him. Powerless against him, she could but nod her head like the love-sick fool she was becoming for him. “Goodnight, Nicole.”

“Goodnight, Ewan.” Nicole lifted a hand in a still wave, and Ewan turned and walked toward the elevator. She watched him until the silver doors had closed, shutting him from her view, and then she smiled and spun around and around right there in the hall. Things like this just did not happen to girls like her! Excitement threatened to bubble over, and cause her to make a scene there in the damned hallway of her apartment building, but she could ca
re less! This was it! Ewan was
he one
, she told her brain what her pounding heart seemed to already know. Ewan was
the one
. He just had to be! Didn’t he?

As she entered her apartment, her blue gaze lit upon the journal on her coffee-table, and for the first time in her life she considered keeping a journal of her own, one that didn’t contain theories on vampires
and creatures of the night. She smiled at the thought.

“It’s a good thing my Ewan is nothing like yours, Lillian.” She voiced to the closed journal as Mr. Freckles came mewing for his supper. Humming happily, Nicole fed the hungry cat, changed into a long t-shirt to get ready for bed, and then plopped down on her sofa. She had two options, she decided, since she wasn’t the least bit tired. She could watch late night talk shows? Blah. Or she could read from the journal? She was surprised to realize that she wasn’t as thrilled about that idea either. She practically knew every word of the journal by heart, but she still loved to read from it. It was a great story, delivered in captivating, beautiful words. Lillian Saint Rose was an excellent story-teller, Nicole had to admit. Scooping up the journal, she thumbed through it, finding her page. “Let’s see, the last I read of you Lillian you had just met Sloan Jackson.” she reminded herself. Finding her spot, she began to read where she had left off.

“When I awoke the next evening, it was to a note that had been slipped under my door while Gina and I had slept. I was not sore or aching from the events of the evening before. I was not covered in bruises from where Ewan had assaulted me. As an immortal, we used our daytime hours to sleep liken
unto the dead, and as we sleep our bodies rejuvenate, recuperate from injuries dealt to us in our nightly affairs. As far as I understood from what Gina had divulged to me, a vampire could come back from just about anything besides the old stake in the heart, followed by decapitation. I didn’t like to think along those lines. It was a gruesome way to die, and as far as I knew it did not happen often, as the mortals, except for a precious few, had no clue to our existence. I was reading the note that had been left under our door when Gina entered the room behind me.

“
“What is it?” she asked.

“
“A note.” I whispered, turning to face her. “It’s from the man from last night, the kind gentleman who brought me back here.” I explained, and Gina came forward, peering over my shoulder to read along with me.

“
“I must apologize. I don’t even know your name, but I felt compelled to write this short note to you all the same. I have not been able to stop thinking of you and your plight. I would very much like to be of assistance to you. I realize that you do not wish to have your reputation soured over last night’s events, but can you truly allow such a man to go unpunished? Rest assured, I will not reveal your secret. You may trust me in this, but I must implore you to consider turning this monster over to the authorities. I tried knocking on your door this morning, but received no reply. Please, I would like to discuss this matter with you further, with both of you young ladies. Please allow me to help you. I feel the need to do all that I can to assist you. I would not be a gentleman if I did not. Again my name is Sloan Jackson.” He left his room number at the bottom of the page. Gina frowned at the letter.

“
“He is a good man, as mortals go.” she voiced thoughtfully.

“
“Do you think he will go to the magistrate?” I worried.

“
“I pray not! This ship would become a slaughter house if he did!” Gina voiced strongly. “You must go to this man.” she decided.

:
“What?” I stumbled badly. “I cannot. Ewan would-”

“
“I will keep Ewan busy. I will go to him this evening as I had planned to do so anyway.” Gina told me, and I lowered my head in shame, but then I thought of Gina, my dark mother alone with that monster, and I grabbed her arm in a pleading manner.

““You can
not! He will hurt you!” I screeched in alarm, but Gina smiled knowingly.

“
“Have a little faith in your dark mother, dear one.” She touched my cheek with the coolness of her hand. “I know exactly what I am doing.” she promised.

“
We did not speak of what had happened to me the night before. I do not know why. Gina did not ask, and I did not tell. She had taken me inside, and gently, carefully, placed me in my coffin, instructing me to sleep. Her caring hand had scraped my cheek as she had closed the coffin lid over me. Sleep had taken some time in coming, and I had become lost in the horrors of what had happened to me. I could still feel his awful hands all over my body, his fangs sinking into my fleshy bottom lip. I ached everywhere at once, but especially inside where the emotional pain had laid claim. Gina had not spoken a word to me of comfort or otherwise. Perhaps, she could read it of me, the horrific events, the awful details of what Ewan had done to me. Perhaps, she didn’t want to know? Perhaps, just perhaps, she felt I had deserved such a fate, since I had not heeded her warning where Ewan was concerned.

“Frightened
and feeling utterly alone, I walked to the third deck where I found myself staring at Sloan Jackson’s door in dreaded anticipation. Was he inside? Or had he perhaps gone on to dinner? I stood there hoping for the last, and praying softly that Gina would be all right when the door to Sloan Jackson’s room opened inward. Amber eyes found and held mine in deep concern and sympathy. He looked at my face as if searching for some hint of the bruises, I was sure, the ones I had possessed only the night before.