The announcer switched to the blaring entrance of an old rock tune.

Clarissa's mind tumbled back to the conversation she'd been having when Ronan came back to the house. She didn't think she could restart the topic considering how odd it sounded. She didn't have to.

Pain ambushed her in the side and she gasped. She put her hand to her waist in reaction and tried to hold back a moan.

Ronan crouched down next to her chair and placed a hand on her thigh. As he looked up at her, she saw deep anxiety in his eyes. "Are you all right? What's wrong?"

"Something is wrong," Lachlan said, "but probably not what you'd think."

Ronan's glare cut right through his friend. "What?"

"Sex?" Clarissa asked, willing to just let it all hang out.

The handsome vampire's frown intensified. "Sex?"

Erin reached out for Clarissa's hand and patted it in sympathy. "She's been feeling ill all morning. Nauseated, some pain."

Ronan's touch felt comforting through Clarissa's jeans, but radiating hurt made her wince. Plus, she didn't like the theme or the speculation. Embarrassed, she started to stand. Dizziness filled her head.

"Whoa, easy." Ronan slipped his arm around her.

Another wave of pain made her bend a little at the waist as she put a hand to her stomach. She gasped.

Before she could protest, he lifted her into his arms. "Come on, you're going to lie down."

Clarissa tightened her arms around his neck, savoring the reassurance and safety easing into her as he held her cradled to his chest. Because she continued to feel dizzy, she laid her head on his shoulder. "This isn't necessary."

"It is. You need to lie down." His eyes held a firmness that said he wouldn't take an argument. "If this doesn't go away you're going to a doctor."

Once inside the attic he put her down on the bed. With a tenderness that calmed her fears, he took her shoes off and then pulled a fleece blanket up over her.

"So what would I tell a doctor, Ronan? That sex with you makes me sick?"

He flinched as he looked down on her. "Does it?" He sat on the bed and stared at her, the rhythmic motion of his hand brushing her hair away from her face making her feel cherished. "Clarissa, I'm so sorry. If I'd known-"

"That can't be it. I mean, unless there is something about vampires making love to a mortal woman that you haven't told me. Is sex with yousupposed to make me ill?"

"No woman has ever been sick after we've slept together." She closed her eyes for a long moment and he leaned over and touched his lips to hers in a heartbreaking tender kiss. When his voice came again it held the rasp of deep regret. "Damn it, Clarissa, did I hurt you when we made love?"

Her eyes popped open. Worry etched across his face showed true remorse. "No."

"Are you sure? I wasn't exactly gentle. I felt like I couldn't get deep enough inside you. I wanted to stay there day and night. It felt so damn good I lost control. But if I harmed you physically in any way-"

"Shhh. Stop it. You werewonderful . You think I could have climaxed if you were hurting me?"

Some concern eased from his eyes. "No."

"Then I rest my case. Yes, we got a little wild."

"A little?"

She knew right then Ronan needed her to confess, and she couldn't hold these feelings inside any longer. "Okay, we were down right insane. But I wanted you so much, Ronan.

You made me feel things I'venever felt before and never imagined I could feel in a million years. Please don't blame yourself for what is happening. It's probably nothing."

Anxiety returned to his eyes. "I can't bear seeing you in pain. I don't mind telling you right now that it's worrying the hell out of me to see you this way."

All the masculine reassurance and brawn she was used to seeing in this vampire dissolved. The ache in her side eased until it disappeared. "You're sweet. In fact, if you keep looking at me like that, I just might have to kiss you."

Instead of rising to the bait, he asked, "Do you feel a little better?"

"Yes."

He put his hand to her forehead.

"Lachlan already did that. I don't have a fever."

"That isn't what I'm checking for." He frowned like a doctor who'd discovered something disturbing.

"What is it?"

He gathered her hand in his and brought it to his mouth. He kissed her fingers one by one. As he closed his eyes, she fixated on his long gorgeous male lashes. Her heart ached with yearning. She wanted to kiss him, but more than that, she wanted to remove his concern.

He pressed more tender kisses to her fingers. "Something's changed. Your system is out of balance."

"How can you tell?"

A gentle smile touched his lips. "Most vampires have the ability to tell if someone is sick and what the problem is. And some can heal."

Intrigued, she asked, "Can you heal?"

"I can keep someone from dying by touching them, though I can't heal them one hundred percent."

She considered this new information. "Could making love with you alter my chemistry?"

"I'll have to ask the seer. This whole situation is pissing me off." Anxiety turned to anger as his eyes glittered with that danger Erin had talked about not so long ago.

She reached up and gripped his biceps, feeling the muscle bunch and tense. "I'm going to be fine."

"Of course you are, because I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

She saw and heard it in his voice, a brutal protective streak that she couldn't deny. "It isn't that bad. I can take care of myself."

"You can't."

Feminine independence couldn't let that one go by. "Wait a minute. I'm a grown woman and I can take care of myself."

His scowl held daggers. "Sure, and you think if the ancient one came in here right now you'd be able to fight him? You're under my full-time protection until that bastard is gone forever."

Then she understood, in a small way, what motivated him. "I'm not Fenella, you know.

I'm not going to leave like she did."