"Will I see you again?"
She nods. "When you need to."
"How will I know?" I ask with a hint of desperation. I don't want her to leave. I need to know more. "I don't even know your name."
The Light Enchantress stands and looks down at me adoringly. "Solara."
Then she's gone. And I am no longer in my seat. I'm not even in the coffee shop. I am back in my car, facing an empty lot where the coffee shop was just seconds before. I can't even begin to understand what just occurred here. But I'm not afraid. I'm not worried in the least. I am filled with an inexplicable peace that carries me through the rest of my day, reviving the parts of me that were broken and battered.
When I arrive home that evening, to my surprise, Dorian is waiting for me, furiously pacing back and forth in my bedroom. I don't even have the chance to ask what he's doing here or demand he leave before he is in my face, grasping my shoulders.
"Gabriella, what were you thinking?" he asks though it sounds like a demand.
I shrug out of his hold and take in his slightly disheveled appearance. "What are you talking about, Dorian?"
"You went to see the Light? Are you insane? Did you forget that there is a fucking killer after you? You could have been slaughtered on the spot!"
I roll my eyes, kicking off my shoes and flinging them across the room. "Oh, like I could have been the moment I laid eyes on you?"
Dorian glares at me with vehemence yet my stance doesn't falter. "Where is this coming from? What did she say to you? I told you I wouldn't hurt you."
"You didn't know that then! You weren't even sure what you were doing with me! This was all a ploy, remember? An illusion," I sneer, conjuring Solara's words. "Tell me, Dorian- the first time we kissed, was that real for you? Or were you just playing along to see how close you could get to me?"
He steps forward, boldly cradling my face in his palms. "Is that what you think?" His blue eyes sparkle as they earnestly search my face for understanding. "You think it was meaningless to me? That I wasn't forever altered the moment my lips touched yours? That I didn't obsess every second of every minute of every day until I could feel them again?"
His words strip away my tenacity and my body relaxes under his touch. "I don't know. I don't know what to think any more. But I do know that I've been a fool. I trusted you with everything in me. I trusted you with my life, my heart. And you've played with both."
Dorian brings his face closer to mine, close enough that I can smell the cool sweetness of his breath. "I never meant to. If you never believe a word I say again, you have to believe that. That I would rather die a thousand fucking times than hurt you. Believe me. Just please be patient, little girl. Just wait … for me."
"Wait?" I shriek jerking my head back. "You want me to wait? For what? Until you are done with your little sham of a marriage?"
Dorian's eyes dart around the room in suspicion. "My words are not safe. You told me you trusted me. That you loved me and wouldn't be afraid. I need that from you now. I need you to trust me wholeheartedly, no matter what. Just believe me, ok?"
"You seriously want me to wait for you? Why? You can't ask this of me and not explain. Shit, Dorian, you are immortal. Hell, I'm immortal! I could be waiting for centuries!"
"I've waited for you for centuries, Gabriella. When you have eternity, decades pass in a blink of an eye."
I shake my head turning away from his hypnotic gaze. "You can't ask that of me. You didn't even know me then. You had no idea who you were waiting for. I can't stand by and watch you marry another woman and potentially … have a family with her." I catch a glimpse of the little blue anchor on his hand that he and I share. "And how is it that you can even do that in the first place? We're both marked," I explain, holding up my own marked hand.
Dorian reflexively brings his hand up to his chest and rubs it with his other. "But it was me who did it."
"So what? You're exempt? The rules don't apply to you?"
He reaches a hand towards mine and intertwines our fingers so that our anchors are side by side. "Gabriella, if you were able to do it, I would gladly wear your mark. It would be my honor. But you can't until you ascend. And if you will have me, I want you to claim me as I have claimed you."
The fuck?
"Claim me? Did you just say you claim me?" I ask dropping my hand from his.
"That is what the mark means. You know that." I can see the exasperation in his weary eyes. He looks older, as if he hasn't slept or eaten in days. The sight causes me to abandon my previous question.
"Dorian, are you ok? You don't look so good." He looks like he could drop from exhaustion at any moment. I grab his hand and lead him to sit on the bed. "You've been using?"
He shakes his head and looks away, refusing to let me see him up close. "No more than usual."
"Then what's wrong?" I know I've seen better days but with last night's senseless murder still fresh in my mind and Dorian out of my life, it's hard to muster up the strength to care too much about trivial girl worries.
"It's just been … difficult," he mutters still looking away. I pull his face towards mine and though I know he doesn't want me to see him, he doesn't fight.
"What happened to you? Tell me. Please," I whisper, taken aback by the obvious wrinkles at his eyes.
Dorian sighs in defeat. "You, Gabriella. I lost you. I wasn't exaggerating when I said I was addicted to you. I need you to live. You sustain me."
"You need to breathe me." It's not a question; it's a fact.
"Yes," he replies casting his eyes downward in shame.
"You're dying?"
Dorian nods. "Slowly but surely. Unless I breathe another source or acquire a life. I don't want to do either." His eyes finally meet mine, and they are filled with so much regret and pain that my chest aches for him. "I would never ask that of you. It's … personal. Intimate. And I know I don't deserve that of you."
"But you'll die, Dorian," I nearly beg. This world isn't meant for me and neither is a world without Dorian.
He shrugs and looks away again. "I deserve much worse for how I hurt you. You have no idea how much I hate myself for putting you through all of this. For being so selfish that I need you to live."
A long moment passes between us as we both fight the questions in our heads. "Do you want to?" I finally ask.
Dorian whirls his body to face mine faster than I can see. "Of course, I want to. I have never wanted anything or anyone so badly. But I wouldn't ask that of you. I can't guarantee my restraint."
"Restraint?" I ask with a raised brow.
His eyes are on my lips. "Sexually."
"Oh," is all I can reply with wide eyes. Just the reminder reignites the fire deep in my belly. It's been so long, and my body craves him just as much as my heart does.
We sit in silence, unsure of what to say next. "Do you want to try?" I ask after a beat.
Dorian's lips curl into a smirk, his eyes settling into his sexy smolder. I can almost feel my panties melting right off me. "Are you sure?" he asks already inching towards me, preparing to strike.
"The breathing, Dorian. That's it. Nothing more."
He fails at hiding his disappointment yet agrees, taking my hands in his and putting them to his lips. "Thank you," he sighs between tender kisses. Then he breathes the inside of my palm, his chest rising and falling with an audible "Mmmm." But he doesn't stop there. He moves up the length of my arm, leaving another kiss on the inside of my elbow. Then his hands are on my shirt, unbuttoning stealthily.
"Ummm, what are you doing?" I ask pulling back a bit, but not bothering to retract my arm. Ugh, the flesh is weak!
Dorian's intense gaze falls on me, his eyes already awakening with his arousal. "Gabriella, as much as I want to lie you down right here and make love to you until you pass out with immeasurable pleasure, I'm not going to try. It's just easier this way. More … potent." He carefully finishes unbuttoning my shirt before sliding it off my shoulders. Then he removes his own. Minutes tick by as we take in the sight of each other, both of our expressions tortured and hungry for more.
"Lay back," he whispers, easing me down. "I want you to be comfortable. I promise I won't do anything you don't want me to."
I nod and comply, not even bothering to cover up the cleavage sitting atop my black lace demi bra. Dorian settles beside me, propping himself up on an elbow as he admires my nearly trembling frame.
"Are you cold?" he asks frowning.
I shake my head and try to swallow, my mouth going dry. "No. Just a little … nervous."
Dorian gently splays a warm hand on the width of my stomach. "I told you I won't hurt you. And if you want me to stop, I will. Do you believe me?"
"Yes," I nod breathlessly. The rise and fall of my chest perks my nipples and they ache against the thin fabric. I am almost certain Dorian takes notice though he is trying to be a gentleman.
"I want you so bad, little girl. So bad it hurts me just to look at you, so unbelievably stunning. But if this is what I must endure just to be near you, than I gladly accept this torture. I happily burn for you." He places a soft kiss on my navel, then another right above it. Before I can react or object, he is kissing a trail up through the middle of my breasts and I fail to stifle my contented sighs. He really is trying to rein in his passion, and all I feel are his soft lips, not the rousing tingles that usually accompany his touch. He wants to make this moment as innocent and tender as possible.