“Well then, it’s settled,” she said firmly. She looked around for her backpack. She needed a small time-out so she could gather herself. Her legs were shaky and her eyes burned like hell, but she could do this. She would do this, no matter the cost to herself, because someone had to be in his life. Someone had to love him and care for him. Most of all, someone had to “see” him.
She looked over her shoulder at him as she removed her toothbrush and toothpaste from her pack. “You’re not a ghost, Andre. Not to me. Never to me. I do see you and I’ll always see you.”
Because she was his woman and she was going to make this work. Somehow. Blood-taking aside, she’d make it work. Andre needed her, and deep down, where she kept all her secrets, she knew she needed him as well. She turned away from him. “I need water for rinsing out my mouth. This is just gross.”
Andre stood there just watching Teagan, his body utterly still. She had cried for him. Cried. Real tears. For him. He could love her for that alone. Are you mine? Such a simple question, but it meant everything to him. She was giving herself to him. I do see you. I’ll always see you. He had no idea a woman could wrap herself so tight inside a man that he couldn’t find breath without her. You’re not a ghost. He closed his eyes briefly just to savor the soft sound of her voice breathing life into him.
He wrapped his arm around her from behind, a cup of water in his fist. She took it and gave him a small smile over her shoulder. Just a flash of her rich, dark chocolate eyes. A deep, melting brown. Liquid. She tried to look stern at times, or tough, he was never quite certain what look she was going for because to him everything she did, every expression, was adorable. Cute. Beautiful.
“Thanks, Andre. I’ll be finished in a minute.”
He heard the warning in her voice as she turned back to rinse her mouth and brush her teeth. She was determined to see this through. He didn’t want that for her. She really was too sensitive. He needed her to know why he had to make the decisions he made, but he didn’t want her traumatized for life. Still, she was determined and she was impressive in her determination.
His woman. Teagan. He breathed her name in his mind. Beautiful, sweet Teagan. Her light shone bright even in the darkest of times. He had never thought to relive his worst day and yet he had when he clawed his way from Carpathian paralysis knowing Teagan was so close to a vampire’s lair. He hadn’t been able to breathe. He could barely think, his mind swamped with images of the loss of his human family.
Sweet, beautiful Teagan who commanded the light and could find humor in anything. He had vowed if he saved her, if he reached her in time, he would never allow her to be in such a precarious position again.
He’d faced countless battles and had suffered horrendous wounds. Nothing had ever threatened to break him—to shatter him—after the death of his human family. Not once in all the centuries of his existence, until he thought he might lose Teagan.
He found the way she brushed her teeth with such enthusiasm fascinating. He found everything about her fascinating. He liked the way she walked, the soft sway to her hips. He liked that she was small and he could practically surround her waist with his hands. Her muscles were small as well, but firm and tight, a climber’s muscles.
She had cried for him. His own mother had never looked at him with soft eyes or wet ones. Only Dorina, his human mother who had died far too soon and in such a brutal way. No one else ever had. Until Teagan. Every moment he spent with her, he was aware he was falling deeper under her spell. He knew the lifemate bond was strong, unbreakable even, but he hadn’t known his feelings for her would be equally as strong and unbreakable.
He was having a much more difficult time with his emotions being so new and raw and overwhelming. He felt everything and when the memories closed in, the sorrow was all too real and impossible to ignore.
He felt her then, pouring into his mind. Strong. Unbelievably strong. Her ability shocked him when few things in the world did anymore. She was a powerful psychic and with the enhancement of his blood, she was growing even more in strength. He didn’t know if it was her particular gift or not, but she was definitely already partway in the Carpathian world.
He took her hand, locking their fingers together as he drew her back to the chairs he’d manufactured for her. She had a long way to go before she learned all that was in store for her with her new life, but everything she saw, even his memories, would help to prepare her.
She settled into the smaller of the two chairs, drawing up her knees almost protectively, although he knew she wasn’t aware that was what she was doing. Andre couldn’t have that. He reached over and lifted her right out of the chair and into his lap.
“What are you doing? This lap thing is becoming a habit, and I’m not the kind of girl to sit in men’s laps,” Teagan declared, but she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“You might want to rethink your position on that,” Andre said. “I like having you close.” He paused, nuzzling the top of her head, wishing again that her long hair was out of the braids so he could bury his hands in all its richness. “I need you this close to me.”
Teagan leaned into Andre, allowing herself to breathe him in. She was already rethinking her position on laps. He was so warm, and he felt as good as he looked. More, his arms were strong and that made her safe. Well . . . she loved the way he smelled. Really loved it. Mostly, if he was going to relive the rest of his nightmare, she wanted to be close. She wanted to be holding him so he knew he wasn’t alone.