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Startled, he glanced down at Sara to find her staring up at him, her wide blue eyes filled with jealousy

"Don&039;t even think of going to that that woht be for the best, cara"

"No"

"Sara, she has the power to hypnotize others to do her will If she es to destroy me, you&039;ll be at her o to her"

Gabriel raised one black brow " Youwon&039;t let me?"

Sara shook her head "You&039;re mine noon&039;t share you with her or any other woer you are"

"I love you, Gabriel"

"Sara"

"I know," she replied "I know" And taking him by the hand, she led him into her bedroom and closed the door

"Are you sure, cara?"

She looked deep into his eyes, ree, the nights he had taken her to the ballet, to the opera He had saved her life, turned her dreaht hiel at all, but a man as cursed to spend his life in darkness, a creature of the night

The man she loved

"I&039;m sure, Gabriel," she whispered

"Are you?"

He turned her so that she was facing the looking glass in the corner, and then he stood beside her, his arm wrapped around her waist

They stood side by side, but only her reflection stared back at them

"I&039;m a vampire, Sara Jayne I can only share half of your life I can&039;t give you children I&039;ll never grow old Can you live with that?"

She glanced at Gabriel, standing beside her, and then stared at the ain She could hear him She could touch him, yet he cast no reflection at all

"Sara?"

"Are you still trying to get rid of lass she was touching only empty air "Don&039;t you know that&039;s ih, she took hi his as she rubbed her breasts against his chest "I&039;el," she whispered She ran her hands over his shoulders, down his ar her into his arer now, he re as her soft curves were revealed to his gaze How beautiful she was! And she wanted him It was incredible

When he started to undress, she stayed his hand, then bent to the task herself, letting her hands glide over his chest as she re herself with the hard planes of his body

He groaned low in his throat as her hands aroused hi her down to the h on his lips as their bodieshis naain as the passion between they and the heat of the sun

She was all the light he would ever need, soft and war the loneliness froasp his name Aone last ti moment, he held her close, his face buried in the curve of her neck Knowing heher, he rolled onto his side, his body folding around hers, holding her close Too soon, the daould be upon them But for now, for this brief span of time, she was his to hold, and to love

He stirred with the co herself up on one ar?"

He esture with his hand "I need to find a new lair"

"Stay"

"No"

"Why not?"

Why, indeed? She knehat he was; he had no need to hide himself from her

"You can rest in here, as you did before"

"I would have your prohtfall"

She sat up, the covers tucked under her arht how beautiful she looked, with her hair falling over her shoulders in glorious disarray, her lips slightly swollen from his kisses

"Why?" Sara asked candidly "Don&039;t you trust aze met hers "With my life, cara, but I would rather you didn&039;t see arded hi what he didn&039;t want her to see

"Please, cara"

"Very well" She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, quickly gathering the clothing she would need for the day

"Sara, be careful today Nina could be in Paris She ht have summoned help Keep the doors and s locked Don&039;t open the door for anyone you don&039;t know"

"I have a rehearsal this afternoon"

"Is Maurice picking you up?"

A flush rose to her cheeks "Yes"

"Good Stay close to his you ho from you"

"I don&039;t want you to be alone"

"What about you? What if she sends so the day, Sara," he said, hoping to ease her mind And it was true, up to a point

She worried her lower lip with her teeth for a hed "Maybe I should stay hoain that he had agreed to spend the night with Nina, to pleasure her as she desired But for his stupid pride, his revulsion at the idea of being Nina&039;s plaything, even for one night, Sara would not now be in danger

"Gabriel?"

"I think you&039;ll be all right, cara After rehearsal, I want you to buy so it over your doors and s Have you a cross? Good, wear it when you go out"

"You&039;re frightening athered her into his arht briefly of taking her away from Paris, but wherever they went, Nina would find them She would sense his presence, as surely as he could sense hers

"I love you, Sara Jayne Be careful"

The sun was up He could feel the strength draining froe of the bed as the lethargy slowly began to steal over him

"Sara, cover the "

"What? Oh!" She flew out of his ar a heavy quilt over the , effectively blocking out the sht that had penetrated the curtains "Is that better?"

"Fine Co around his waist "What&039;s it like when you sleep during the day?"

"It&039;s like death, cara When I was firstelse I learned to accept the darkness, the blood, but every tihtened her arrew stronger, I discovered I could stay awake for a short while after the sun ca as I stayed out of the light"

"Do you dream while you sleep?"

"No And yet, there have been ti When the orphanage caught fire, I knew you were in pain, but there was nothing I could do" He gazed into her eyes, re, knowing you neededI could do"

"But you did help me," she reminded him "If not for you, I&039;d still be confined to that chair"

"And now, because of er"

"I don&039;t care! I wouldn&039;t trade a ether Not afor us Maybe she was only bluffing"

"Maybe," Gabriel said And maybe the sun wouldn&039;t shine and the rain wouldn&039;t fall

He held her a er, and then sent her away "Your pro her to see him when the deathlike sleep was upon him "Remember your promise"

"I remember" She kissed hi the door behind her