Although Cezar had prepared himself for Anna’s shocked reaction, his heart still clenched with regret as she surged out of bed and began pacing the cramped room with obvious distress.
“I…I can’t believe this,” she muttered.
Dios. Would she ever forgive him?
Rising to his feet he crossed the room and grasped her shoulders to halt her jerky steps.
“Anna, listen to me,” he urged. “This changes nothing for you.”
“Nothing?” Her beautiful hazel eyes widened. “Being mated may mean nothing to you…”
“Nothing?” He gave a short, bitter laugh. “No, querida. I have waited for what seems an eternity to at last claim you as my own. To know that I am forever bound to you fills me with a joy that I have never known before. My life is complete.”
Her features slowly softened as his fierce words sank in. “But…” Her words cut off with a gasp as she at last caught sight of the scrolling that marked her inner arm from her wrist to the bend of her elbow. “Oh my God. My arm.”
“That is the proof of my bonding,” he hastily assured her. “It won’t harm you.”
She blinked, looking stunned.
The sort of look to be expected from a young woman who awoke to discover herself bonded to a vampire.
“Is it permanent?”
He struggled to hide the tidal wave of smug contentment at the knowledge that nothing could alter the fact he was forever bound as her mate. He was supposed to be sympathetic, not smirking with satisfaction.
“Utterly and completely permanent,” he said, unable to halt the instinct to shift his hand and stroke his fingers down her cheek.
“But you just said that it changed nothing.”
“What I meant was that you are not bound to me.” His thumb brushed the corner of her mouth. “The ceremony has not been completed. Until you accept me as your mate and allow me to take your blood you’re still…”
“Unattached?”
Cezar smiled, grimly refusing to reveal the jagged flare of pain that raced through him. The dark ache beneath his contentment was something that he’d have to become accustomed to.
“Si.”
She lowered her thick lashes, almost as if she were trying to hide her inner emotions.
“We both know that’s not true,” she said, her voice so low that he wouldn’t have heard the words if he hadn’t been a vampire.
“What?”
“I’ve been very much attached for the past two centuries.”
A bolt of lightning shot through Cezar as he tugged her chin upward and studied her rueful expression.
“Anna?”
Her eyes narrowed, a dangerous glitter stirring to life in the hazel eyes.
“Don’t try to act surprised,” she accused him. “You’ve known since I followed you to Chicago that I never managed to forget you.”
Amazement at her blunt confession swiftly altered to something far more wicked. When he’d first brought Anna to this secluded room, he had felt nothing but concern as he had stripped off her clothing and tucked her beneath the covers. Then there had been the unpleasant task of revealing that he had mated her while she lay unconscious.
Now, however, his body refused to be denied any longer.
He didn’t know why she wasn’t ready to kill him for mating her against her will. Or why she was actually admitting that she didn’t hate him. All he knew was that they were alone in the bedroom and for the moment they were safe.
And most wonderful of all, she was already half naked.
What more could a hungry vampire desire?
Cupping her cheek, he allowed his free hand to drift lightly down her arm.
“I did suspect that there was more than a desire for answers that prompted your swift arrival,” he husked. “You, however, accused me of being arrogant.”
“You are.”
He laughed softly, bending his head to run his lips down the curve of her neck. “True enough.”
Her hands reached out to grasp his arms, as if her knees were suddenly weak. “But unfortunately, you were quite right,” she whispered, her neck arching in silent invitation.
Cezar shuddered, his body aching with the need to sink his teeth deep in her flesh and taste of her blood.
Dios, he hungered for her.
Attempting to avoid temptation, Cezar turned his attention to stroking his lips over every inch of her face.
“Why unfortunately?” he demanded, lingering a moment on the sensitive hollow beneath her ear.
She gave a tiny gasp, her nails digging through his shirt. “Because I was supposed to be able to get my answers and return to L.A. with you at last buried in the past where you belonged.”
“Never the past,” he rasped, scooping her into his arms and heading for the bed. “Our futures are forever entwined.”
Laying her down on the mattress, Cezar stilled as her hand lifted to gently touch his cheek.
“Forever? You promise?”
His heart squeezed at the vulnerability in her eyes. Like him she had been isolated and alone for too long. She no longer trusted that fate would not snatch away any chance for happiness.
“I will do everything in my power to keep you close to me, querida,” he rasped, joining her on the bed and pulling her into his arms. He wanted to swear that he would never let her go. That the mating would ensure they would never be parted again. But so long as the Oracles considered her one of their own, he couldn’t make such promises. “You are, and always will be, my mate.”
His words seemed to comfort her and the hazel eyes flashed with something that might have been pleasure as she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck.
“Does that mean you have to do everything I say?”
He gave the lobe of her ear a punishing nip. “I specifically said mate, not slave.”
She deliberately allowed her fingers to trail down his back. “A pity. I think you might enjoy obeying me on occasion.”
Cezar lifted his head to meet the sensuous gaze. His entire body hardened in reaction, the coldness that had held him captive since becoming a vampire melting beneath the heat of her searing hazel eyes.
“On occasion, eh?” he demanded, his voice already thick with need. “What sort of occasion?”
Her smile was slow and exquisitely wicked. “Like this occasion.”
His already hard erection gave a painful throb. Dios. He might be a five-century-old vampire, but this woman had the power to make him feel as if every touch, every searing sensation, was something that he had never, ever experienced before.
And perhaps it was.
Anna was his destined mate.
The one woman who was so intimately entwined with him that her slightest emotion, the very beat of her heart, was echoed in him.
Certainly he could feel her desire like a wave of longing that crashed through him with shocking force.
He groaned as he lowered his head to bury his face in her hair, filling himself with her delectable scent.
“I’m yours to command, querida,” he murmured.
Just for a moment she hesitated, and he smiled as he realized she was battling a flare of nerves. So far he had always taken control of their lovemaking. Now, she struggled to gather the courage to take matters in her own hands.
To take him into her hands.
He swallowed a low groan at the mere thought.
“Very well,” she at last managed to husk. “Roll on your back.”
Cezar readily followed her command, rolling until he was flat on his back. Anna paused another moment, then with a bold motion she sat up and before he could guess her intent, she was straddling his hips and gazing down at him with a tiny smile.
Cezar hissed, grasping the covers to prevent himself from jerking her downward and bringing a swift, explosive conclusion to the game.
If she was in the mood to play, then by God, they would play. And play. And play. And play.
Even if it killed him.
Easily feeling the tremors that shook his body, she held up a warning finger.
“Lie still.”
Cezar gritted his teeth, his fingers nearly ripping through the mattress as she calmly grabbed the edge of her tiny T-shirt and yanked it over her head. He didn’t need the candlelight to appreciate the beautiful thrust of her breasts or the smooth curve of her waist, or the ivory perfection of her skin.
“Dios…” he groaned, his hips thrusting upward to rub his erection against the thin strip of satin that was all that covered her moist core. “You’re so bloody beautiful.”
“You once thought me a wallflower and a…shrew, wasn’t it?” she demanded, her hands shifting to his shirt and making swift work of his buttons.
He struggled to think as her fingers explored his bared chest, circling his nipples before heading ever lower. It was the sweetest torture he had ever endured.
“I wanted you from the moment you entered that room, Anna Randal,” he growled, his hands shifting to run up her bare thighs. “You might be a shrew, but you’re my shrew.”
She chuckled softly as she slowly leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. “I watched you from the shadows, you know. You were so handsome, so exciting.” She gave his lower lip a teasing nip. “So far above me.” Her tongue trailed down his jaw, wrenching a groan from his throat. “And now I have you beneath me.”
He arched his back as a surge of pleasure raced through him. “You can keep me here as long as you want.”
“As long as I want?” Her lips skimmed down his throat, her hair spilling over his chest, the tips of her breasts brushing his skin. “That’s a rather dangerous offer.”
“Not nearly so dangerous as teasing a vampire,” he growled, his hands skimming up so he could rip off the delicate underwear.
“Behave yourself.” She nipped at his stomach. “You’re supposed to be lying still.”
He hissed as her hands began tugging at the zipper of his pants. “I may be undead, but I’m not made of stone, querida.”
Tugging his pants down, Anna was forced to pause to yank off his shoes before she could complete her task. Once she had him bare she straddled his legs and began crawling back up his body, her gaze squarely on his straining erection.
“You may not be made of stone, but there’re some parts of you that are as hard as a rock.”
His arousal twitched, silently pleading for her touch, even as he ruthlessly sought to control the passion that was swiftly raging out of control.
The fire that burned inside him threatened to turn him to ash on the spot.
“Dios, Anna, I can’t take much more.”
She slowly smiled, clearly pleased with her power over him. “Patience, Conde Cezar.”
Patience? Patience?
He could write a book on patience.
But after two centuries of wanting and longing for this woman, patience was not top on his list of priorities.
“Patience is highly overrated, Anna Randal,” he groaned.
That wicked smile curved her lips. “Maybe I can change your mind.”
On the point of assuring her that nothing could change his mind, not in this moment, Cezar gave a strangled shout and nearly shot off the bed as Anna shifted upward and took his straining shaft into her mouth.
He could die in this moment and be a happy vampire, he decided as she used her tongue to make his torture complete.
Oh, so, so, so happy.
His hips lifted off the bed as she enthusiastically explored every quivering inch of him, seeming to take special delight in tearing moans and groans from his raw throat.
At last Cezar could bear no more. One more lick and the entire game would be over.
Reaching down he grasped her arms and jerked her to sprawl on top of him. She sighed as her legs fell on either side of his hips, her slick core pressed to his erection and her hair draping around him like a river of honey silk.
Dios. Until this moment he hadn’t truly believed that there could be a paradise on earth.
“Anna, we can practice my patience skills later, I need to be inside you,” he groaned, his fingers skimming up her inner thighs to stroke through her moist heat.
“I…yes,” she breathed, bending down to kiss him with such tenderness that Cezar shuddered with bliss.
This woman—this wonderful, precious woman was his.
And he would give his life to keep her safe.
Stroking and teasing until she was at last pleading for release, Cezar gripped her hips and with one smooth thrust he entered her.
With his lips, he caught her moan of satisfaction, careful to keep his fangs from grazing her fragile flesh. The last thing he needed was to accidentally take her blood in the heat of the moment.
Lifting his hips from the bed, Cezar angled himself even deeper, the pleasure so intense that he had to pause a moment to simply allow himself to absorb the exquisite sensation.
“Cezar,” Anna groaned, her fingers tangled in his hair.
He hissed. “Am I hurting you?”
“God, no. It’s…”
“It’s what?” he demanded.
“I can sense everything you’re feeling.” She pulled back, her hazel eyes glowing in the pale light. “It’s as if you’re a part of me.”
“I am.” He shifted his hands to frame her face as he began to stroke in and out of her in a determined rhythm. “You hold my heart, my very soul in your hands, querida.”
“Cezar.”
Her head once again lowered and their lips tangled as Cezar continued to thrust deep inside her, his entire body humming with a joy that he had never dreamed existed.
Wow.
Anna decided that the word pretty much summed up what had just occurred between her and Cezar.
Well, maybe super duper wow.
Struggling to catch her breath, she snuggled next to the gorgeous vampire on the bed, feeling amazingly at peace considering in the past few hours she’d been ripped through a portal, nearly killed by an angry fairy, and woken up mated to a vampire.
Of course, it really was on par with how her days seemed to go lately.
No, that wasn’t quite true, she thought with a tiny smile. Everything had changed.
With a sense of wonderment she opened herself to her awareness of Cezar’s feelings. She was aware of his sated satisfaction, his pleasure in holding her in his arms, his restless anger that she was still in danger, and an odd fear that she was to be taken away from him.
It was beautiful and baffling and most of all…extraordinary.
She would never, ever be alone again.
For the rest of eternity, no matter what happened, Cezar would be a part of her.
Unaware that Cezar was closely watching the various expressions flit over her face, she gave a startled blink when he stroked a finger over her lips.
“I’m not sure I trust that smile, querida,” he said, his voice a pleasant rumble as she rested her head on his chest. “What are you thinking?”
She paused, then, tilting back her head, she met his curious gaze. “Tell me about the rest of the mating ceremony.”
His expression was instantly wary. “Anna?”
“You said it wasn’t completed,” she prompted, her eyes narrowing as she easily sensed he was guarding his emotions. “What else does it take?”
His fingers traced a path through her hair. “It would first take your willing desire to become my mate. You would have to be committed without reservation and without fear.”
She smiled wryly. Just a few days ago she would have been convinced that no one could enter a relationship without at least a few reservations. After all, there was nothing more terrifying than opening your life and heart to another.
Now, however, she knew that she was prepared to leap headfirst, without a parachute or safety net, with this man.
No, not man. Vampire.
“And then?”
His dark eyes flickered, as if in pain. “And then I would take your blood.”
“That’s it?”
He forced a smile to his stiff lips. “I suppose you could dance naked around the bed or sing, ‘I’m bringing sexy back,’ if you want.” His arms tightened around her, his head bending so he could plant tiny kisses over her cheek. “In fact, we don’t even have to be mated for you to do that.”
Anna instantly reacted to the cool touch of his lips. Okay, maybe it was more than reacted. The merest caress was enough to make her pant with desire.
And drool. There was definitely drool involved.
Still, her newfound sensitivity to his emotions warned her that this was as much about distraction as it was about passion.
“Cezar.”
His lips drifted down the length of her nose. “Hmmm?”
“Why haven’t you asked me to finish the ceremony?”
With a low groan, Cezar rested his forehead on hers. “Anna, this is not the time to be making a decision that will affect you for an eternity. You have enough on your mind at the moment.”
“You mean my homicidal great, great, great aunt and her band of fruitcake fairies?”
He lifted his head to offer a wry smile. “They were first on the list.”
She paused, then gave a firm shake of her head. “No.”
“They’re not?”
“That’s not what’s bothering you,” she clarified. “It’s something else.”
Without warning he pulled away and slipped from the bed to regard her with a somber expression.
“Stop, Anna,” he husked.
Holding the blanket over her naked body, she sat up in the bed. Unlike Cezar she wasn’t yet comfortable with flashing her more private parts.
You couldn’t live through the Victorian age and not be somewhat affected.
“Why?” she demanded.
“It’s dangerous.”
She narrowed her eyes and concentrated, only to discover that Cezar had retreated deep inside himself. A place she couldn’t reach.
“Dammit.” Anna crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the vampire who hovered over her. Okay, maybe it was more of a leer. After all, he was standing there stark naked, his hair tousled, and looking good enough to eat. Literally. “When are you going to tell me the truth?”
“When I’m allowed.” He lifted a slender hand to halt her angry retort. “I’m sorry, querida, but that is simply how it has to be.”
“Forever?”
“No, not forever.”
She heaved a deep sigh, wondering how her simple, boring life had suddenly become so complicated.
“This mysterious fate thing is really starting to wear on my nerves,” she muttered.
His stark expression eased at her petulant tone and a tiny smile tugged at his lips.
“Never fear, Anna Randal, all will be revealed in time.”
Without thought she plucked a pillow from the bed and tossed it at his head. “Now you’re just trying to piss me off.” She watched as he easily sidestepped her fluffy missile, his dark eyes regarding her with a strange intensity. “What are you looking at?”
“You.” With a coiled elegance he moved to perch on the bed, his finger brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. “You’ve changed from those days in London.”
“Changed how?”
“You have much more…” He struggled for the proper word. “Confidence in yourself.”
Anna smiled, unable to halt her flare of pride. She had changed. Or maybe she had simply grown into who she was intended to be.
In either case, it had taken several decades and a lot of work to accomplish.
“I’ve learned that I can stand on my own,” she said, her voice filled with satisfaction. “It’s an important lesson for every woman.”
His expression tightened. “I wish you hadn’t been forced to learn it. If I had been allowed to stay with you…”
She hastily pressed her fingers to his lips. She didn’t want to recall how many years she devoted to trying to make this man her enemy. It had been ridiculous, even childish, and she couldn’t deny a sense of guilt that she had been so selfish that she had never considered he might be battling his own demons.
Well, she assumed the Oracles were demons.
Instead she turned the conversation to a few of the less explosive questions that had niggled at her over the years. “You know, you’ve never told me why you were in London that year.”
His brows lifted, but with a smooth motion he shifted so he could pull her back into his arms and rested his cheek on the top of her head. “Viper requested that I join him in England. At that time Dante was being held prisoner by a coven of witches and he hoped that I could help him research a means to release him from his chains.”
“That’s awful.” She briefly wondered why any witch would want to hold a vampire captive. It seemed kind of like having a tiger by the tail. Never a good idea. “Did you help?”
Cezar grimaced. “No, all I managed to do was to become a captive myself.”
“To the Oracles?”
His lips brushed her hair. “And to you.”
Her heart gave a pleasant flop. Did all vampires know just what to say to make a woman all warm and tingly?
“What were you doing before you came to London?” she demanded, knowing her deep curiosity would take years, or perhaps centuries, to be satisfied.
She felt him shrug. “I was a part of the Spanish court. Every so often I enjoy dabbling in politics and royal intrigues.”
His tone was casual, but Anna gave a sudden blink. Damn, she’d never thought about how easy it would be for vampires to alter the course of the human world.
How many times had they…
No, she didn’t want to think about it. Not now.
“So you truly are a Conde?” she asked instead.
“I was given the title some centuries ago for a small service to the king.”
She wrinkled her nose. She suspected that small service was another thing she didn’t want to dwell on.
“Wasn’t it a little awkward when you didn’t age over the years?”
“I rarely remained more than a few years, and when I would return it was easy to convince others that I was a son of the previous Conde.”
It sounded way too easy and she tilted back her head to meet the dark gaze.
“You used mind tricks on them, didn’t you?”
“When necessary.”
Had she been just another human, she might have been offended by the ease with which he used his powers to manipulate them. After all, it wasn’t precisely nice. But her own years of being forced to hide and lie to protect herself had given her an appreciation of how difficult it was for an immortal to live in a world dominated by mortals.
“What did you do when you weren’t at court?”
“I spent time with various vampires and on occasion I was called to war between clans, but usually I retreated to my lair in the Alps to enjoy the books and works of art I had collected over the years.”
That sounded…perfect.
An isolated lair, a huge library, beautiful artwork, and Cezar all to herself.
“You liked being alone?” she demanded.
“At times, but I always knew that something was missing.” His fingers brushed her cheek. “A part of myself.”
A blush touched her cheeks as she studied the bronzed, elegant features. “Did you ever take women to your lair?”
He seemed startled by her question. “A vampire never shares his most private lair with another. Not until he mates.” His roaming fingers outlined her lips. “Someday I hope to take you there.”
Anna pulled away, regarding him with a sudden flare of hope. “Why can’t we go now? Maybe if we hide there long enough Morgana will forget about what that stupid seer predicted. I mean, prophecies are never accurate. Not unless you count a bunch of mumbo-jumbo that is so vague it could mean anything.”
His dark eyes narrowed. “How do you know of the prophecy?”
She did her own bit of eye-narrowing. “How do you know?” she charged back.
“It was written in one of Jagr’s books.”
“Oh.”
He grasped her chin. “Anna?”
“Clara the Fairy spilled the beans.”
“What did she say?” he demanded. “Tell me exactly.”
Anna heaved a rough sigh. The sooner she could put Clara and her horrid death from her mind the better.
“She said that some seer had claimed that an heir of Arthur would climb or appear or something from the darkness and condemn Morgana to hell.”
Cezar gave a slow nod. “And she believes you’re the heir?”
Anna made a rude noise. “It doesn’t matter to her if I am or not, she’s made it a mission to kill all of Arthur’s heirs just to be on the safe side.”
A lethal fury flashed through his eyes before he made an effort to smother his instinctive reaction. Anna didn’t doubt her mate would rip the limbs right off the Queen of Fairies if he could get his hands on her.
Not the most pleasant image.
“Anna, she will not stop this madness until we have managed to defeat her,” he rasped.
She heaved a rueful sigh as the dream of disappearing into Cezar’s remote lair was shattered. He was right, of course. If she’d learned nothing else over the past few days, it was that her lunatic aunt was nothing if not freaking persistent.
“Did you happen to pick up a clue in Jagr’s books as to how we’re supposed to do that? Some secret Kryptonite that will steal her powers or turn her into a frog?”
His expression remained somber. “No, but you did.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“It’s you, Anna,” he said, his tone flat. But Anna could easily feel the frustration smoldering deep inside him. He wanted to keep her safely tucked away while he battled her dragon (or rather her psychotic aunt), and the knowledge that he didn’t possess the ability was like a raw wound. “You’re the only one who can kill her.”
She smiled wryly. “A family thing, huh?”
Pained regret twisted his features. “I’m sorry, querida, if I could do this task for you…”
She once again silenced him with a finger to his lips. There was no way in hell she was going to cower behind anyone, not even Cezar. And she certainly wasn’t going to allow him to carry around a load of unnecessary guilt.
“No, this is my battle and I should fight it,” she said firmly. “Actually, I need to fight it.”
He frowned. “Why?”
“If you were being hunted by a crazed member of your clan would you hide away while I went to slay them?”
His frown deepened. “Of course not.”
“Then why should I feel any differently?”
His lips thinned. “You haven’t trained for battle, Anna, I have.”
“I’ve trained for the courtroom, which I can personally assure you, is as nasty and treacherous as any battlefield.”
The vampire wasn’t amused. “The judge doesn’t demand that you use your powers to kill anyone.”
Anna couldn’t hide her flinch. Dammit. This was the downside to having someone capable of reading her like an open book.
“If you want me to admit that I don’t relish the thought of killing anyone, including my evil Aunt Morgana, then fine, I admit it. But I’ve already proven that I’m willing to kill if necessary.”
“Not without cost,” he said harshly.
Her brows drew together. “It should never be without cost. To take another’s life…even someone horrible…it should demand regret and even pain.” She sucked in a deep breath. “I don’t believe in revenge, Cezar, but I do believe in justice. My aunt has slaughtered my entire family, and who knows who else, and if I’m the one who must hold her accountable, then that’s what I’ll do.”
He studied her a long moment, a strange expression on his face. “I begin to understand why fate has chosen you, Anna Randal.”