Trailing kisses down her stomach, he wrapped his fingers in the narrow elastic band of her panties. Urging her hips up, he stripped off the material to feast his eyes on the mound of soft dark hair between her thighs. He dipped his head to tease her belly b.u.t.ton before blazing a path of kisses farther south.

As he sank, her thighs opened to reveal her moist entrance. He draped her thighs over his shoulders as he parted her lips and supped on her hot, pink flesh. Closing his eyes, he lost himself in the heat and scent of her arousal as he stroked, teased, and cajoled her into release.

He lost count of her cries of completion when he finally rose. His blood ran thick in his veins, his c.o.c.k hard and straining for release. Elaine lay on her back, eyes closed. If he didnat know better, head think she was asleep.

As his fingers closed around her wrist, her eyes opened. He stepped close and pulled her upright into his arms. Without asking, her legs twined around his waist and he picked her up to carry her to the rock where it had all began.

He groaned as she sank onto his c.o.c.k, her aroused tissues surrounding him like a glove. Rooted to the hilt, he stared deep into her emerald eyes.

aDo you believe in love at first sight?a His voice was low, husky.

Her eyes widened and he was caught by the pain in their depths. She looked away, her neat white teeth digging into her lower lip.

aElainea"a She rolled her hips, breaking off his words. She turned to gaze deep into his eyes. aI believe in this.a She rolled her hips again. aI believe in this as well.a Her fingers curled in his damp hair as she pulled him into a kiss that was sensual, earthy.

His arms slid beneath the water and around her waist. Their joined movements were slow, sensual.

aI think,a she panted. aAt this moment, we have more than most people ever have in their entire lives. Thatas what I believe in.a I love you.

In his mind, he said the words over and over as they moved together. Each moment a s.h.i.+ning drop of brilliance in his mind as they teased each other into completion. Their cries mingled with the mist from the pool to swirl into the heavens above.

aWhat did Dirk say when he found out about the altered wine?a Alexei drew his fingertip in a lazy trail down her arm, marveling in the silken feel of her. They lay on the warm rocks, long limbs entwined. The torches burned low and the heat from the rocks kept them comfortable in each otheras arms.

She gave a soft laugh. aHe said head rather we cut his heart out than tamper with his wine.a Alexei grinned, reveling in the changes wrought by their time in the pool. Soft and warm, Elaine lay beside him unconcerned about her nudity. The s.h.i.+fting moonlight painted her skin silver and, with her tangled dark hair, she resembled a temptress of old. His beautiful gypsy.

aI want to paint you,a he said.

She blinked, a soft flush moving across her cheeks. aMe?a aYes, you. Do you not know how beautiful you are?a She shrugged. aI am what I am.a aSo modest.a He lifted her hand and raised it to his lips. aWill you sit for me?a She hesitated.

aPlease?a He kissed her palm.

aSomeday.a He nodded. aFair enough. Now I have another question for you.a He slid his fingers around her slim wrist, marveling in the delicacy of the bones beneath her skin.

aI might have an answer for you.a She purred as he pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist, her pulse fluttered beneath his mouth.

aWhat do you think of vampires?a aDo you mean theatrical vampires or literature vampires?a aNeither. I mean the real thing.a aVampires donat exist.a aSays who?a She shook her head. aItas physiologically impossible to survive on blood alone. It canat be done.a aIf youare human, it canat be done. But what if a human was changed on a molecular level? Their metabolism is frozen in time with their digestive system. All they need is a dose of fresh blood, say once a week, to keep their other systems functioning normally.a aI think you should become a writer as you have quite an imagination.a Her tone was dry.

aIam serious here.a aSo am I.a aWould it be so bad, being a vampire?a Her eyes narrowed, her hand tensing beneath his. aDo you believe youare a vampire?a He saw the doubt in her eyes. She wasnat ready for the truth yet and, if he uttered the one word that would set him free, he would lose her.

aIam open to the possibility of vampires is all Iam trying to say,a he said. aThere is a lot in this world that we canat even begin to explain.a aYouare right about that.a The suspicion faded from her eyes.

He pressed another kiss to her wrist and she sighed. aDo you believe in destiny?a he asked.

aHmm, destiny as in people being destined to be something or a predetermined course of events?a aYes, to both.a aWell, I guess so. But I also believe that people can alter their own destiny by their actions, or non-action.a He nodded and twined his fingers through hers, his gaze lifting to meet hers. aWhat about reincarnation?a She frowned, small wrinkles distorted her brow and he wanted to kiss them away. aI like the idea of it. I mean, we live our mortal lives and, when we die, we can do it all over again. That next time around, hopefully, we donat make the same mistakes though.a aCan you imagine us doing this over and over again?a aI think we already did.a She wiggled her brows.

aThatas not quite what I meant,a he chuckled.

Her expression turned surprised, then thoughtful. aDo you think weave been here before?a aCanat you feel it?a He untwined their fingers to lay her hand over his heart, his hand covering hers. With his free hand, he covered her heart, the beat familiar against his palm. aYour heart knows mine as well as mine knows yours.a She covered his hand with her free one and her eyes widened. aOh my,a she breathed. aThey beat in rhythm. How is that possible?a aWeave been here before. On a physical level, you donat remember, but your heart does, as does your soul.a Her expression was doubtful. aDo you really think weave been here before?a aI have no doubt in my mind that we have been here many times before.a For a few seconds she was silent and he could almost hear the wheels turning in her head. aDo you thinka?a Her expression turned sad. aDid we ever get it right?a He pressed a kiss to her palm. aI think we got it right every time. How could this be wrong?a He watched her eyes fill with tears. Alarmed, he pulled her into his arms. aWhy are you crying?a aIf only it were true,a she sniffed. aItas a beautiful thought.a He hugged her. aWho said it wasnat true?a aImagine an eternity of this.a She slid her arms around him and squeezed.

He smiled into her hair. He didnat have to imagine it, head lived brief episodes of it several times, but she didnat remember. He felt a pierce of sadness that she didnat remember all the times theyad had together. When the time was right, he would tell her what she didnat remember. But first, he needed to retrieve something.

aThe party is over tomorrow,a he said.

Silent, she nodded, her tightening grip telling him exactly what he needed to know.

aI need to leave here and get something for you, something I forgot.a She pulled away, puzzlement written across her features. aHow could you forget something for me when you didnat even know me?a aLetas just say that I knew I would meet you here.a He smoothed away the frown from her forehead with a fingertip. aWill you wait for me? Iall be but a day, two at the most.a aYou want me to wait here?a He nodded.

aWhat if you donat return?a aIall return for you.a aYeah, you say that now, but what if you donat? How long do you expect me to wait?a aI promise you this, I will return for you. It will be two days at the most.a Her gaze searched his face as if she could find evidence of his promise stamped there. Finally, she nodded and he tugged her back into his embrace, tucking her head beneath his chin.

Soon she would learn that not even time could keep them apart.

Chapter 7.

He was gone, both from her dreams and her bed.

Elaine lay still in her bed, the faint throbbing in her head causing a twisting pain in her stomach.

No, not nowa She raised her hand to ma.s.sage the base of her skull, her mind willing her body to relax and release the pain. She rolled to her side, groaning as her thighs, overworked from a night of lovemaking, protested the movement. Her eyes flew open to have the liquid suns.h.i.+ne sear the backs of her eyes.

Thatas exactly what it wasa lovemaking.

Everything she didnat want to happen had occurred in the past forty-eight hours. Their relations.h.i.+p had progressed to the next level, no, beyond that, beyond l.u.s.t and into happily ever after.

Except there would be no such thing for her.

She stretched out her arm, her fingers rubbing the indentation in the pillow where Alexei had laid his head. Even her dream lover had abandoned her. A constant companion, head failed to make an appearance since Alexei had entered her life. She missed him. She didnat realize how much shead depended upon his nocturnal presence in her life. Head been with her every night, no matter how complex her life had become and, now, he was gone too.

Unutterably sad, she closed her eyes, her fingers continuing the slow ma.s.sage on her neck. Here, four days from her forty-second birthday, shead met the real, flesh and blood man of her dreams only to realize that she would lose him.

Her disease was progressing. For the past few weeks, shead awakened with the headache that marked the pa.s.sage of time for her. It wasnat a simple hangover nor due to a lack of sleep, it was her cancer coming back to claim her for the last time.

Elaine opened her eyes, fixing her gaze on the sun-drenched outdoors. Had she ever seen anything more glorious than a golden Colorado morning? The sky was a brilliant blue without a cloud to be seen and the flowers in the garden were blooming profusely thanks to the recent rains. Only the sight of love reflected in Alexeias eyes could stir her more than the Colorado landscape.

Alexei.

Her heart gave a painful twist at the thought of her absent lover. It was entirely possible that she would never see him again, never touch him, never be touched by him.

But you have been touched by him, and with that you have to be content.

She sat up. Why? Why did she have to be content with only a small slice when she could have had the entire pie?

Because thatas all you can havea Her shoulders slumped. A few days werenat nearly enough, nor were a few years. With the way she was feeling now, eternity wouldnat satisfy her.

But you donat have eternity, do you?

If only Alexei were right and they had an eternity together. If she knew that in her next life shead have a chance at the same type of ecstasy shead known in the past few days, she would face her death with greater bravery knowing that somewhere in the future, he awaited her.

What a beautiful dream that was.

But reality was that she was dying, slowly, day by day as her life slipped through her fingers. She only had today, that she knew. For her, the future was no more than five minutes ahead. More than that, she couldnat count on.

Clouds obscured the sun as Elaine stood with Dirk on the deck, a gla.s.s of chardonnay in her hand.

aItas beautiful here.a She sipped from the drink.

aIt is, but I never appreciated it when I was younger. I saw only the ostentation of the place, never the beauty and the quiet it offered.a aYouth is wasted on the young.a She shook her head. aWe spend our childhood racing to grow up. We spend our twenties trying to make our mark in the world, our thirties looking for the perfect mate only to find that no one is perfect and itas all a matter of what we can put up with.a He laughed. aYouare right. But what happens when we hit our forties?a aI donat know, Dirk.a She looked up at him, his face as familiar to her as her own. aYouall have to figure that out for me.a She longed to take back the words as she watched his smile fade. She wished she couldave made some glib remark and let the moment pa.s.s, but she could never do that with Dirk, he always saw through her.

He set his gla.s.s down and pulled her into his arms. aI canat imagine my life without you, little sister.a She rubbed her forehead against the soft cashmere of his sweater. aAnd I, you.a His grip tightened. aAll the money in the world and I canat help you.a She closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of her best friend, a mixture of sandalwood, tobacco and memories. Tears stung her eyes at the thought of leaving him behind. Theyad been friends for more years than she cared to count. Every major event in her life, Dirk had been by her side and she by his.

aI need a favor from you,a she sniffed.

He dropped a kiss on her head. aYou only have to ask.a aWhen the time comesaa He stiffened in her arms. aI want to know that I can depend on you to take care of the arrangements. Iave outlined what I want for the funeral and the internment. The doc.u.ments are in my New York apartment safe and my lawyer has a copy as well.a aShall I hire a bra.s.s band?a His voice was raw and his chest shuddered beneath her cheek. She knew he was crying.

aNope,a she sniffed. aKeep it simple, you know what to do and who to invite.a She felt him nod.

aDonat forget to call Jeff.a Dirk gave a broken laugh at the mention of their drag-queen friend. aOkay.a aHe can come only if he promises not to wear a red boa and I donat want anyone throwing themselves on the casket, either.a aNow thereas an image.a Dirk gave her another squeeze before releasing her. She looked up at his dear face, streaked with tears, his expression uncharacteristically serious. aWhat am I going to do without you, Laine?a She smiled as her vision wavered and her eyes filled with more tears. aYouare going to marry Veronique and be blissfully happy. Then, in a few years, youall start squeezing out some pups, buy a mini-van, run a soccer camp and retire to the country in domesticated bliss.a A look of abject horror crossed his face and she laughed.

aYouare an evil woman,a he said.

aYes, I am. I will be watching you, every step of the way and Iall be taking notes. When you diea a She turned away and pointed to a fat cloud on the horizon. aIall meet you there and weall share a bottle of celestial wine and compare notes.a aThat sounds like a plan to me.a He laced an arm around her waist.

aCan I ask you a question?a aSure.a aTell me, do you believe in destiny?a * * * * *

Elaine slipped into the cool silence of the gallery, grateful for the only oasis of stillness in the house. The partygoers were leaving and the constant stream of cars, luggage, and people saying goodbye to their host was giving her a vicious headache. She shut the gla.s.s doors behind her, entombing herself in silence.

All day long shead been plagued with the ache in her head. Not enough to completely disable her, but enough to remind her that time was running out. As if she needed to be reminded of that.

She pushed that thought away. Some people lived day by day. Shead learned to live hour by hour.

She drifted past the masterpieces by Monet, Pica.s.so, and Dega. Committing each one to memory before moving to the next, every one was a treat to the senses. The silence soothed her aching head as well as her soul.

At the far end of the long room, she found the new painting Dirk had mentioned. Sealed behind gla.s.s, she had to step closer to get a good look. Not much larger than a sheet of writing paper, the images were dark and erotic in tone. The subjects, a man and a woman, clasped in a torrid embrace. The man was shown only from the back, his hair long and dark as he bent over his companion to feast on her exposed breast. She blinked as she took in the womanas face, her ecstasy painted for the world to see.

My, it looks like me!

Startled, she stepped back, her hand going to her throat. Well, it really wasnat her but there certainly was a strong resemblance. The hair was lighter in color and much longer than she normally wore hers. But the heart-shaped face and the small birthmark on her breast were exactly the same. She gently rubbed the matching spot on her own breast, aware of a faint tingling sensation just under her skin. Was it possible that an ancestor had posed for the portrait?

Do you believe in destiny?

As if he were standing next to her, Alexeias voice echoed in her mind. She wrapped her arms across her chest as a s.h.i.+ver ran down her spine. Had he known about this painting? Was that where head hatched the idea that theyad known each other in another life?

Beneath the painting was a discreet bra.s.s plate proclaiming the t.i.tle and painteras name. She was dismayed to find that it contained only initials, Redemption by A. R.

Alexei?

She stepped back to study the painting. Judging from the clothing, the portrait was painted around the turn of the century, give or take twenty years. The womanas burgundy skirt was long, ankle length and with the manas thigh insinuated between hers, the hem had crept up to reveal her white stockings and b.u.t.ton-down shoes. Her eyes were half closed, her lips parted in ecstasy as she enjoyed her loveras attentions.

Not unlike her and Alexeia She switched her gaze to the man. His shoulders were broad, his hips narrow and he wore knee boots, like Alexei.

It certainly looked like hima No. A lot of men could resemble Alexei from the back; it couldnat possibly be him as people simply didnat live for hundreds of years. It defied modern science.

Unless he really is a vampirea She rubbed the tense spot between her eyes. What did this mean? Her rational mind wanted to scream to be reasonable while another part, a big part of her wanted it to be true. She was shocked to find she wanted to acknowledge that this painting was the proof that Alexei was right, they had been together in another life.

She drew her fingers over the gla.s.s that covered the painted lovers. She wished he were here right now. Head help her untangle her confused feelings and possibly have a good laugh over this. But he wasnat and wouldnat be back for at least another day.

She turned away from the painting and the disturbing images it brought to mind. She needed to go back to her room and lay down for a while. Dirk was planning a quiet dinner for them and she wanted to be in tiptop form for it. It would be a great opportunity to ferret out information on Alexei.

Chapter 8.

All night long shead dreamed of Alexei. One such dream was a vision of him playing a guitar under the full moon while she danced barefoot in the gra.s.s. Dressed as gypsies head looked devastatingly handsome as she twirled to the music head enticed from the instrument.

Her skirt had contained the colors of the rainbow, her white peasant blouse barely hiding her b.r.e.a.s.t.s as golden bracelets sang with her evocative movements.

Breathless and flushed from the sensual dance, shead gone to him, putting aside his instrument, and theyad lain on the gra.s.s and made love, their cries echoing among the woods.

It wasnat reala But it seemed so real. Even now, she could almost taste the heady wine of the night air, the feel of his hands on her skin as theyad seduced and teased one another, journeying to the heights together. In her mind he lay beside her, whispering all the erotic things he wanted to do to her, with her, and shead only been to eager to obey.

The dull throb in her head brought her from sleep into full wakefulness. She didnat have to reach for the other side of the bed to know she was alone. Rather than face the empty s.p.a.ce, she rolled toward the windows.

The room was dim, the sun obliterated by thick clouds and a thin gray drizzle. The weather certainly suited her dark mood and heavy head.

The phone rang.

She squinted at the clock, but the room was too dim to see what time it was. Fumbling for the receiver, she mumbled a greeting into it.

aDid I awake you?a His voice poured over her skin like warm fudge, welcome and warming her from the inside out.