How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire(44)

The poor man. She longed to touch his handsome face and offer words of encouragement. Just then, the DVN reporter started a series of flashbacks, chronicling the highlights of the Gala Opening Ball.

Shanna gasped when her own picture filled the screen. There she was, discovering vampires for the first time. My God, the horror on her face. My face.

She watched herself throwing the glass of blood to the floor. Then Roman grabbed her, flung his cape around her, and she disappeared. The whole thing was digitally recorded so vampires could enjoy watching it over and over.

With trembling fingers, Shanna turned the television off. The full weight of her situation bore down on her. A vampire assassin wanted to kill her. Another vampire wanted to protect her. Roman. She wished he were with her now. He didn't frighten her. He was kind and caring. A good man.

Radinka, Connor, and the others agreed. Roman was a wonderful man. He just couldn't see it. He was too haunted by awful memories, memories too atrocious for one person to bear.

If only she could help him see himself as she did. She lay back on the bed. How could a relationship with him ever work? She ought to avoid further contact with him, but she knew in her heart she couldn't resist. She was falling in love with him.

Hours later, in the deep, dreamy moments before sunrise, she felt a sudden chill and snuggled deeper under the covers.

Shanna.

The cold seeped away, and she felt warm and cozy. Desired.

Shanna, darling.

She blinked her eyes open. "Roman? Is that you?"

A soft breath tickled her left ear. A low voice.

Let me love you.

                       
       
           



       CHAPTER 19

Shanna sat up and peered about the dark bedroom. "Roman? Are you here?"

I'm upstairs. Thank you for letting me inside.

Inside? Inside her head? It must have happened while she was asleep. An icy jab of pain shot from one temple to another.

Shanna, please. Don't push me out. His voice faded till it sounded like an echo coming from the far end of a cave.

She rubbed her aching temples. "Am I doing this?"

You're trying to block me. Why?

"I don't know. When I feel something coming at me, I just push back. It's a reflex."

Relax, sweetness. I won't hurt you.

She took a few deep breaths, and the pain lessened.

That's better. His voice sounded closer. Clearer.

Shanna's heart raced. She wasn't at all sure she wanted Roman in her head. How many of her thoughts could he read?

Why are you worried? Are you keeping secrets from me?

Oh God, he could hear her thoughts. "No big secrets, but there are some things I'd rather keep private." Like how incredibly handsome and sexy he-You're an ugly old toad!

Sexy?

Darn. She wasn't good at this telepathy stuff. The fact that he could read her mind made her want to produce strange thoughts just to throw him off track.

An air of amusement surrounded her like a warm cocoon. Then don't think so much. Relax.

"How can I relax if you're in my head? You wouldn't make me do something against my will, would you?"

Of course not, sweetness. I won't control your thoughts. I'll only give you the sensations of me making love to you. And as soon as the sun rises, I'll have to go.

She felt something warm and moist against her brow. A kiss. Then, soft fingers caressing her face. They rubbed at her temples till the last vestige of pain slipped away. She closed her eyes and felt the fingers tracing her cheekbones, her jaw, her ears. She wasn't sure how he managed it, but it felt so real. So wonderful.

What are you wearing?

"Hmm? Does it matter?"

I want you naked when I touch you. I want to feel every lush curve, every deep hollow. I want your breath shuddering in my ear, your muscles tensing with passion, tighter and tighter-

"Enough! You had me on the first sentence." She pulled off her nightgown and dropped it into a silken puddle on the floor. Then she nestled into the warm sheets and waited.

And waited. "Hello?" She gazed at the ceiling overhead, wondering what was happening on the fifth floor. "Hello? Earth to Roman-your bedmate is naked and ready for launch."

Nothing. Maybe he was so tired, he fell asleep. Great. She'd never been good at holding a man's interest for very long. And Roman-he could be around forever. How could she be more than a passing fancy to him? Even if their relationship lasted a few years, it would be like a blink of an eye to him. With a groan, Shanna rolled onto her stomach. How could this ever work? They were polar opposites, as in alive and dead. When people said opposites attract, they didn't mean it in such an extreme way.

Shanna?

She raised her head. "You're back? I thought you'd left."

Sorry. Business. His fingers gently kneaded her shoulders.

With a sigh, she lowered her head onto the pillow. Business? "Where are you exactly? You're not at your desk, are you?" The thought that he might be doing paperwork on the side really irked her. The man was so brilliant, he could probably give her a mental orgasm while answering his email.

He chuckled. I'm sitting in bed, having a bedtime snack.

He was drinking blood while he mentally massaged her shoulders? Ugh. How romantic. Not.

I'm naked. Does that help?

Oh Lordy. She visualized his gorgeous body-ugly old toad.

He stroked her back with feather-light caresses. She shivered. This was wonderful. He applied pressure with the heel of his hand, burrowing into her with slow, sweet circles. Correction-this was heaven.

Can you hear other vampires?

"No. One is quite enough, thank you." She felt his presence looming larger, swelling with emotion.

Pride. No, fiercer than that. More like …  possessiveness.

You are mine.

Right. Just because she could hear him, it gave him ownership rights? Alive for more than five hundred years, and he still thought like a caveman. Though his hands did feel absolutely delightful.

Thank you. I aim to please. His hands roamed her back, his long fingers seeking out knots of tension. Caveman, huh?

Damn, he could hear too much. She could almost see him smiling. It was a good thing he didn't know she was falling in-ugly old toad, ugly old toad.

You're still not comfortable with me in your head.

Bingo. Two points for the mind-controlling demon. She felt a light smack on her rump. "Hey!" She lifted her shoulders, only to be pushed back down. "You're manhandling me." Her voice was muffled by the pillow.

Yes, I am. He had the gall to sound pleased with himself.

"Caveman," she muttered. With a whole harem of women. "You said before this was impersonal. It seems very personal to me."

It is right now, because it's only you and me. I'm thinking only of you. His presence felt heavy around her, heavy and hot with desire. Her skin tingled in response. He skimmed his fingers up her spine to her neck. There he brushed her hair to the side.

She felt something hot and moist on her neck. A kiss. She shivered. It was so weird, getting kissed by an invisible face. His breath warmed her ear. Then something tickled her toes.

She started. "There's something in the bed."

Me.

"But-" It was impossible for him to kiss her ear and reach her toes at the same time. Unless his arms were six feet long. Or he wasn't quite human.

Bingo. Two points for you, sweetness. Roman nuzzled her neck and tweaked her toes. On both feet.

And he continued to rub the skin between her shoulder blades.

"Wait a minute. How many hands do you have?"

As many as I want. It's all in my mind. Our mind. His thumbs dug into the arches of her feet. He massaged her back with the heel of his palm, dragging the circles down her spine. And still he continued to kiss her neck.

She sighed dreamily. "Oh, this is nice."

Nice? His hands stopped.

"Yeah. Very nice, very-" Shanna tensed, aware of a simmering irritation inside her head. It was coming from him.

Nice? Sparks sizzled around him.

Oh dear. "I'm enjoying it. Really, I am."

His voice hissed through her head. No more Mr. Nice Guy.

He seized her ankles and pulled her legs apart. More hands curled around her wrists. She wiggled, trying to get loose, but he was too strong, with too many damned hands. She was pinned down and helpless, her legs spread wide open.

Cool air wafted against her most tender flesh. She waited, tense and exposed. Her heart pounded loud in her ears.

She waited. The room was quiet, except for the labored sound of her breathing. Her nerves coiled, sensing an imminent attack. Where would he strike first? There was no way to tell. He wasn't visible to the eye. This was terrible. This was …  exciting.

She waited. Four hands still gripped her wrists and ankles. But he had an infinite number of hands and fingers, as many as he could imagine. Her heart raced faster. The muscles in her buttocks contracted in an attempt to squeeze her legs together. She was so exposed. So open to him. Her skin began to tingle. He was doing this to her. Making her wait. Making her ache with anticipation.

Longing. Desire.

And then he was gone.

Shanna raised her head. "Hello? Roman?" Where did he go? She sat up and glanced at the clock radio beside the bed. It would be just her luck if the sun was rising and he was officially dead for the day. But it was too early for sunrise. Had he just run out on her in the middle of a date? Minutes ticked by.

She rose onto her knees. "Dammit, Roman, you can't leave me like this." She considered throwing something at the ceiling.