My NEW RELEASE!
15th MARCH
Night's Eternal Promise
READ EXCERPT AND WATCH FOR THE RELEASE ! Secret Cravings Publishing.
Vincent followed the young woman up
the concrete steps of her apartment building and stood behind her as she
jiggled the key in the lock of the glass security door.
What was he doing here? He crossed
his arms over his chest and regarded her in the reflection of the glass. What
would he do if she glanced up and caught note that his reflection did not fall
in behind her? Why was that he wondered, not for a first time? Was it because
he had no soul? Was our reflection really the true face of our soul staring
back at us? He shook himself from his mournful thoughts and stared down at the
perfect pale arch of the girl’s slender neck, beckoning for his attention. His
gums tingled. The sweet perfume of her slim young body, singing an age-old tune
to him. She was so small, so frail. So easily he could break her. Nonetheless,
he knew he wouldn’t. Already, his emotions were running deeper than intended.
The woman called to him, like a siren’s song. Sweet, alluring, her blood would
be like honey on his tongue, but the taste of her mouth would be even sweeter,
as would the arch of her body against his. He felt a stirring in his loins,
kindling a flame in his belly, which he thought long dead with the death of his
wife. He knew he should leave, go now, never see her again. Yet, knew he would
not. But, he could not help thinking of what happened to people when he got too
close. He looked down at her small white hands fiddling with the lock. Those
people died.
“Got it.” She glanced over her
shoulder with a tentative smile. “The lock is old and has a tendency to stick.
Sorry ‘bout that.”
He gave her a strained smile of his
own. It was, how did that song go? Now or
never. She pushed open the door and preceded him inside, and he stepped
into the foyer after her.
Swiftly they climbed the two flights
of stairs and walked down a narrow hallway. Vincent could have made the journey
in a fraction of the time had he swept her into his arms and traveled at his
normal pace, but unfortunately that was out of the question.
He counted three doors before she stopped,
once more producing her bunch of keys. They seemed almost too large for her
small hand.
“Would you like me to do that?” He
reached for the keys.
She handed them to him and moved
aside. “I seem all thumbs tonight.” She smiled.
He fit the key to the door, pushed it
open, switched on the light around the corner, and allowed her to enter. When
he did not follow, she turned, a frown marring her lovely face.
“I thought you were coming in?”
“Do you wish me to?”
“I thought that was understood. You
were going to have some wine, listen to Bach.” She sounded agitated.
“Then you must ask me.”
Again, she frowned. “I thought… Is this some
kind of joke?” She took off her jacket and held it to her chest almost
defensively. “If you don’t want to come in just say so.”
He pushed his hands into his coat pockets
and looked into her dark olive green eyes. He knew she was annoyed, but how
could he explain that a vampire could not enter a dwelling unless he was
invited. He remained silent, seeing a gambit of emotions cross her face.
“Very well.” She sighed. “Would you like to
come in?”
He released a heavy breath, stepped into the
room, and shut the door behind him. Well, he was here. Now what? A young woman
had never invited him home before, this was all new territory.
She tossed her jacket onto the lounge
and crossed the carpet to switch on the heating. “Have a seat while I get
something for this headache. I’ll just be a moment.” She disappeared through a
door on the left. He heard her rummaging in a drawer in what must have been the
kitchen, the clink of a glass and the running of water.
He had a feeling she was angry with
him.
He didn’t really care. He could make
her forget he ever existed and leave in the blink of an eye, but she interested
him, so he would stay awhile. It had been long since he’d shared company with a
woman, and she had promised him Bach.
