A Vampire's Soul (28 page)

“What do you mean?”

He stroked the pad of his thumb over my lower lip. “If you're going to be spending the rest of your life with me, wouldn't it be natural for you to move away and come live with me?”

I don't know why I assumed that we would continue to live separately, but the idea that Gabriel might want me to move in with him had never crossed my mind. It shouldn't have been that much of a surprise, given his possessive nature. I suppose a part of me had figured we'd cross this bridge eventually, but not quite this soon.

“You really want me to do that?”

“Of course, and if you don't like my apartment, we can always get something else. Anywhere you want.” He grinned. “Although I have a feeling once you see the size of my bathroom, you're not going to want to leave!” I slapped him playfully on the arm. “Of course,” he continued, “if you prefer, you can always say your new living arrangements are because of something a little more permanent.”

“You're worried about how Laycee is going to react, aren't you?”

“She is a woman of remarkable fortitude who should never be underestimated,” he said seriously. She was also the only person who now knew all our secrets. “Don't you think she might feel better if she knew how committed I am to you?”

I caught my breath. “You mean . . . like saying we're engaged or something?”

“Yeah, that's exactly what I mean. Only I don't think there should be any
something
about it.”

Leaning over the side of the bed, he grabbed his jeans from the floor and pulled something out of the pocket. With fangs fully extended, he placed a small velvet box in my hand. Opening the lid, I was dazzled by the brilliant bolt of red fire that winked up at me, and I forgot how to breathe.

“Rowan Marie Harper, will you marry me?”

Taking the box from my hand, Gabriel slipped out the ring and slid it on the third finger of my left hand, already knowing what my answer was going to be.

“Are you sure?” I asked, completely blown away by both the ring and his proposal. “I mean,
do
vampires get married?”

“Funnily enough, when they find someone they love, they do. I hope you don't mind if we exchange our vows at night. I'm told it's very much in vogue right now.”

I was so overwhelmed I couldn't speak. Overwhelmed and on the verge of tears. Throwing my arms around his neck, I kissed him, delighted when he surrendered to me.

“If I had any idea this was how you would thank me,” he said when I finally let go of his mouth, “I would've gotten you something bright and shiny a long time ago.”

“It's not the ring,” I said, feeling another swell of emotion. “It's the fact that you gave it to me.” Then, like any girl with a new bauble, I extended my arm and watched the gem sparkle.

“You can tell Laycee it's a red diamond,” Gabriel said, kissing my shoulder. “I thought it would be perfect for you.” He cupped my chin as my lower lip began to wobble. “Awww, sweetheart—don't cry.”

I couldn't help it. The dam burst, and I began sobbing like a baby. Secure in his embrace, I let myself go into emotional free fall. When I finally managed to regain some semblance of control, I reached over him and pulled open the nightstand drawer.

“Has Christmas already been and gone?” I had no idea what day it was, much less the date.

“Not yet. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I was going to give you this for Christmas, but if it's not the twenty-fifth somewhere in the world, it's close enough to be okay.” I placed my own small velvet box on his chest.

He opened it . . . and said nothing.

“Ohhhh . . .” Disappointment formed a hard knot in the middle of my chest. “You don't like it, do you?” It was a stupid thing to ask.

Gabriel looked up at me, his eyes totally changed. Brilliant gold pupils centered in a sea of hot electric blue. “It means more than you can possibly imagine,” he said huskily. “Put it on me.”

My fingers shook as I took the slender band out the box and hesitated over his hand. Impatiently he stabbed his ring finger forward and I slid the band on. Twin bands of platinum cradled a circle of deep mahogany between them, the colors and substance complementing each other perfectly. And, like mine, it was a perfect fit.

“Are you sure you like it?” I asked worriedly. It seemed so plain when compared to the dazzling hunk of carbon he had given me.

“I couldn't have asked for anything better,” he said, rolling me over so I was beneath him once more.

I could tell as he slanted his mouth over mine that his way of thanking me was going to involve an awful lot more than a kiss, and I felt my body ignite for him, the heat inside me matching the gem on my finger. Unfortunately, the sound of a car pulling up outside the house told me Laycee had arrived.

“Gabriel—we don't have time!”

Taking my hand, he put it on his shaft, moving it up and down.

“Sweetheart,” he said nuzzling my neck, “there will always be enough time.”

 

I
found Laycee sitting on the porch swing, sipping a glass of iced tea. “Don't get up,” I told her, “I can help myself.”

I hadn't been sure that Laycee would want to move into my house, considering what she had been through in the front yard. Bad memories might linger, but with Jake about to get custody of his kids, it seemed like a no-brainer. “It's okay if you don't want to,” I'd told her as she helped me reduce the contents of the living room to a number of large brown shipping cartons. “I can always put it on the market.”

“Don't you dare!” she'd admonished. “I refuse to raise my kids anywhere else.” She promptly burst into tears, which was how I found out what Jake had given her for Christmas—actually more like Thanksgiving, if her due date was correct. “Damn hormones!” she wailed, wiping her eyes.

Now, as I put the pitcher of iced tea back in the sparkling new fridge, I smiled to see it had a water and ice dispenser in the door. Still, I couldn't help feeling a wave of nostalgia for my ancient Frigidaire with the iffy motor. Laycee had felt awkward, bad even, about wanting to completely remodel the kitchen. She hemmed and hawed and danced around the subject so much, I eventually had to take matters into my own hands. The look on her face was priceless when she walked in and saw all the old appliances missing.

“Unless you want me to buy the first ones I see,” I told her, gesturing to the big, empty spaces between the counters, “you better go choose what you want and get them delivered.” After that, installing a new air-conditioning system and water heater was a piece of cake.

Carrying my glass of tea outside, I joined her on the swing seat. That, she had assured me, was not going to be replaced. The air was warm, but the humidity was still bearable and would be for another month or so. My dad's hydrangeas were blooming, and the light scent of jasmine filled the air.

“So, what do you think?” Laycee stretched out her legs so I could admire her new shoes.

“Ah, I see you got them.” I made complimentary oohing noises over the Louboutins she was wearing, a birthday gift from Gabriel and me, but the high heels made me anxious. “Do you really think it's a good idea to wear them in your condition?” I had nightmares about her balancing the extra weight on such a thin heel.

“Don't worry; I won't actually walk in them until after the baby gets here.” She gave me a look that was only slightly greedy. “Was Eye Candy serious when he said I could choose a pair every year if I wanted?”

“Yes, provided it won't be a problem with your guy.” I added.

“Oh, don't worry, my guy is very comfortable with having friends who are stinking rich,” she said with a laugh.

Apparently, Jake had been impressed to learn that Gabriel owned an apartment in the very classy Colonnade Towers. Laycee forgot to mention that it wasn't just any apartment, but the penthouse suite, and also that Gabriel actually owned all the apartments in the building. As well as pretty much most of the real estate you could see from the penthouse terrace. And he'd been right about his bathroom—it was huge.

I grinned at her. “Speaking of the big lug, where is he?”

“He's taken the kids for ice cream.”

I sipped my tea. “Ah, how's that going?”

“The kids are just wonderful,” she answered. “They're really happy to be back with their friends, and honestly, I'm not asking for much more than that. I'm taking each day as it comes.”

I watched as she slipped off her new shoes and placed them neatly beneath the swing. “You sure there's only one in there?” I asked, watching in amazement as she managed to tuck her feet beneath her and sit down.

“Yep, that's what the doc says. Guess it's gonna be a big one.” She took a sip of her tea and became pensive. “We never did have had that long conversation, did we?”

“No,” I answered with a slow shake of my head. “We never did.”

“Do you think we could do it now?”

“Are you sure you want to, Layce?”

“Yeah, I think it's as good a time as any—ooooh!” She grabbed my hand and held it against her swollen abdomen. “Baby Jake's kicking.” The feel of movement beneath my palm took my breath away and stole a piece of my heart. “I'm not asking for any explanations,” Laycee said, continuing to hold my hand in place, “but I need to talk to someone.”

“Do you want to see someone professional?” I didn't know how I would get Gabriel to agree to this, but if Laycee felt it was necessary, then somehow I would.

“Puhleeeze!” She rolled her eyes. “I'm okay talking to you right here, right now, but really, Ro? If I tell anyone else, they're going to send me for a sleepover in the nearest psych ward.” She paused and a frown creased her brow.

“Everything okay?” Not knowing much about the nuances of pregnancy, I became worried every time her brow wrinkled.

“Yeah.” She moved my hand off her belly. “Baby Jake's gone back to sleep.”

Linking her fingers through mine, she took a breath. “This is the only time I'm going to say this, understand?” I nodded. “I know what I saw, Rowan, and vampire chick was exactly that.”

“Exactly what?”

“A vampire.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah, you bet your ass, Rowan Marie Harper.”

She let go of my hand and picked up her glass again. I noticed it shook. Not enough to spill, but enough that I noticed. That night had been a truly horrifying experience, and it wasn't something either of us could pretend hadn't happened.

“Is there anything I can say to help you with this, Laycee?”

She shook her head and put down her glass. “No. I don't know what you went through when you were gone, but I know that it was something you can never explain.” She turned to me, her eyes unnaturally bright. “And I also know you didn't come back the same.”

The lump that suddenly filled my throat was the size of a bowling ball, and I could hardly get my words out. “What do you mean . . . not the same?”

“I saw what she did to you, Rowan.” For the second time in my life I didn't know what to say to my best friend. I had never wanted Laycee to get up close and personal with a vampire, and certainly not one like Katja. “By the way, what happened to her?”

I had to clear my throat before saying, “Ryiel took her away.”

“Ryiel? Big guy, dark hair?”

I raised my brows, surprised she remembered.

“You're not likely to forget someone who looks like that,” she said in response to my questioning look. “And the view from your bedroom window is real good.”

She hadn't been kidding when she said she'd seen everything. “And you still want to live in this house?” I asked with a wry smile.

“Nothing happened
inside
the house, and Jake's promised to landscape the hell out of the front yard for me, beginning with having a proper driveway put in.” She nudged me with her elbow. “So, what did Ryiel do with psycho vampirella?”

I hoped it was just the light playing tricks, but it seemed to me that Laycee's eyes glazed over a bit at the mention of the Original Vampire's name. I put it down to her current unpredictable hormonal state.

“He took her to an abandoned monastery in the Himalayas.”

“You're kidding, right?”

“No.” I shook my head and took a sip of tea. “Apparently Ryiel doesn't have much use for the
modern world
.” I made quotation marks in the air. “He lives pretty much secluded from society, with no TV or Internet or anything.”

“Uh-huh. And what d'you suppose they'll do with no TV and all?”

“Gabriel tells me he's very scholarly and spends most of his time examining ancient texts.” She didn't need to know that he was searching for a way to nullify my wager with a demon.

“Yeah, well, I think the Kama Sutra could be classified as an ancient text,” Laycee pointed out drily.

For a few moments neither of us spoke, our attention captivated by a hummingbird at the feeder. Its head bobbed up and down as it helped itself to the bright red mixture Laycee replenished with an almost religious fervor.

“You know that even though she did what she did to me, I'm not like her. Katja, I mean.” I said in a low voice.

“Yeah, I know, but wherever you went, it changed you, Ro. I don't know if you had an out-of-body experience or something, but I do know you came back different. You
are
different.” She reached for my hand and squeezed it gently. “Eye Candy isn't the only one who notices things about you, and you're more like him now . . . and less like me.”

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, and I fought to regain my composure before speaking. “So . . . what are you saying?”

She took a deep breath. “I will always be your friend, Rowan, and in my heart I will always love you, but,” she paused, “this is a small town and people talk. And if they don't talk about you, then they surely will about that man of yours.” I wanted to tell her that I'd make sure Gabriel behaved, but she shushed me with a wave of her hand. “I may not know Eye Candy as well as you—actually,” she gave a throaty laugh that was reminiscent of the old Laycee, “I
know
I don't know him as well as you—but I trust what I see. He's not like other men. No matter how you dress him up, or down. He doesn't fit here, and neither do you. Not anymore.”

As usual, Laycee had got to the heart of the matter—telling me everything I already knew but hadn't quite faced up to yet. I was different, and it wasn't just because I now lived in a swanky apartment on the ritzy side of town. I wondered what Laycee would think if I told her that Gabriel and I slept in a bedroom that had protective runes covering the walls, while a five-hundred-year-old sentinel stood watch outside?

“People will notice, Rowan,” Laycee repeated. “Not at first, of course. They'll think you've got the best plastic surgeon in the world, but eventually they'll see you're not the same. And they will talk.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“You have to move on with your life, Rowan. Move on and leave us behind. Me and Jake and the kids. I can't deal with having vampires in my life. Knowing about Gabriel is hard enough, but I can't see him or you or the big Russian guy anymore. Please don't ask me to.”

This was one of the adjustments Gabriel had warned me about. Not so much my difficulty dealing with the people in my life, but their difficulty in dealing with me. Laycee was right, of course. Katja had proved that being around me could also be dangerous, and now I had baggage of a different kind: a powerful demon with an unhealthy interest in me, and let's not forget a confused angel who had already shown he could be treacherous. As much as it hurt—and it felt like my heart was being shredded—it would be better if I was out of her life. Laycee had no place in her life for anything supernatural, and I was going to respect her wishes.

“Would it be okay if I sent you a postcard every now and then?”

“You better! How else am I going to see all the great places you're going to visit?” She shifted on the swing seat, repositioning herself so she was now facing me. “Remember what I told you out at Rosie's the night you first saw Eye Candy?”

“You told me lots of things,” I said, blinking furiously and sniffing. “What part did you have in mind?”

“I told you to grab your happiness when it presents itself—no matter how it comes packaged.” She gave me a smile that lit up her face. “I'm glad to see you took my advice, even if the packaging isn't quite what I expected.”

“Yeah, well that and not eating yellow snow were the best tips you've ever given me.”

We hugged each other, recognizing that our friendship had detoured down a different path. We would always be friends, but each of us sensed something had been lost. We would not grow old together, or share stories about our children or grandchildren, or complain about the crotchety old geezers our husbands had turned into.

“I will love you till the day I die,” I whispered in her ear.

“Yeah? You better mean that, because I got a feeling that's not going to happen for a very long time.” Tears of her own now spilled down Laycee's cheeks. “Damn hormones,” she muttered, fishing a tissue out from her sleeve.

I was helping her to her feet when the sound of knocking made both of us turn our heads. Laycee took my hand as we went to the front door together. It was still light, but nighttime was just around the corner. The sky had become a canvas of deep purple and indigo, and the horizon was bathed in red and gold.

“Hey, Gabriel, how are you?” It always threw me when I heard Laycee use his name.

“Couldn't be better,” he replied, giving her a smile that was nothing short of beautiful. “How's the baby?”

She rested her hand on the crest of her stomach. “Couldn't be better. Rowan got to feel him kick earlier.”

I saw him reach for my hand and then snap his arm back. Noticing the gesture, Laycee gave him a concerned look and asked, “What's wrong?”

“I, uh, I can't come in,” Gabriel said, looking slightly embarrassed.

“What's wrong, are you sick or something?”

He shook his head and looked at me, his hair dazzling in the dying embers of the day. “I can't come in,” he repeated with a grin. It took me a moment to realize just what he was saying. Oh my god—
he couldn't come in!

I turned to Laycee. “You finally got the deed to the house registered, didn't you?”