For the rest of eternity, no matter what happened, Cezar would be a part of her.
Unaware that Cezar was closely watching the various expressions flit over her face, she gave a startled blink when he stroked a finger over her lips.
“I’m not sure I trust that smile, querida,” he said, his voice a pleasant rumble as she rested her head on his chest. “What are you thinking?”
She paused, then, tilting back her head, she met his curious gaze. “Tell me about the rest of the mating ceremony.”
His expression was instantly wary. “Anna?”
“You said it wasn’t completed,” she prompted, her eyes narrowing as she easily sensed he was guarding his emotions. “What else does it take?”
His fingers traced a path through her hair. “It would first take your willing desire to become my mate. You would have to be committed without reservation and without fear.”
She smiled wryly. Just a few days ago she would have been convinced that no one could enter a relationship without at least a few reservations. After all, there was nothing more terrifying than opening your life and heart to another.
Now, however, she knew that she was prepared to leap headfirst, without a parachute or safety net, with this man.
No, not man. Vampire.
“And then?”
His dark eyes flickered, as if in pain. “And then I would take your blood.”
“That’s it?”
He forced a smile to his stiff lips. “I suppose you could dance naked around the bed or sing, ‘I’m bringing sexy back,’ if you want.” His arms tightened around her, his head bending so he could plant tiny kisses over her cheek. “In fact, we don’t even have to be mated for you to do that.”
Anna instantly reacted to the cool touch of his lips. Okay, maybe it was more than reacted. The merest caress was enough to make her pant with desire.
And drool. There was definitely drool involved.
Still, her newfound sensitivity to his emotions warned her that this was as much about distraction as it was about passion.
“Cezar.”
His lips drifted down the length of her nose. “Hmmm?”
“Why haven’t you asked me to finish the ceremony?”
With a low groan, Cezar rested his forehead on hers. “Anna, this is not the time to be making a decision that will affect you for an eternity. You have enough on your mind at the moment.”
“You mean my homicidal great, great, great aunt and her band of fruitcake fairies?”
He lifted his head to offer a wry smile. “They were first on the list.”
She paused, then gave a firm shake of her head. “No.”
“They’re not?”
“That’s not what’s bothering you,” she clarified. “It’s something else.”
Without warning he pulled away and slipped from the bed to regard her with a somber expression.
“Stop, Anna,” he husked.
Holding the blanket over her naked body, she sat up in the bed. Unlike Cezar she wasn’t yet comfortable with flashing her more private parts.
You couldn’t live through the Victorian age and not be somewhat affected.
“Why?” she demanded.
“It’s dangerous.”
She narrowed her eyes and concentrated, only to discover that Cezar had retreated deep inside himself. A place she couldn’t reach.
“Dammit.” Anna crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the vampire who hovered over her. Okay, maybe it was more of a leer. After all, he was standing there stark naked, his hair tousled, and looking good enough to eat. Literally. “When are you going to tell me the truth?”
“When I’m allowed.” He lifted a slender hand to halt her angry retort. “I’m sorry, querida, but that is simply how it has to be.”
“Forever?”
“No, not forever.”
She heaved a deep sigh, wondering how her simple, boring life had suddenly become so complicated.
“This mysterious fate thing is really starting to wear on my nerves,” she muttered.
His stark expression eased at her petulant tone and a tiny smile tugged at his lips.
“Never fear, Anna Randal, all will be revealed in time.”
Without thought she plucked a pillow from the bed and tossed it at his head. “Now you’re just trying to piss me off.” She watched as he easily sidestepped her fluffy missile, his dark eyes regarding her with a strange intensity. “What are you looking at?”
“You.” With a coiled elegance he moved to perch on the bed, his finger brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. “You’ve changed from those days in London.”
“Changed how?”
“You have much more…” He struggled for the proper word. “Confidence in yourself.”
Anna smiled, unable to halt her flare of pride. She had changed. Or maybe she had simply grown into who she was intended to be.
In either case, it had taken several decades and a lot of work to accomplish.
“I’ve learned that I can stand on my own,” she said, her voice filled with satisfaction. “It’s an important lesson for every woman.”
His expression tightened. “I wish you hadn’t been forced to learn it. If I had been allowed to stay with you…”
She hastily pressed her fingers to his lips. She didn’t want to recall how many years she devoted to trying to make this man her enemy. It had been ridiculous, even childish, and she couldn’t deny a sense of guilt that she had been so selfish that she had never considered he might be battling his own demons.
Well, she assumed the Oracles were demons.
Instead she turned the conversation to a few of the less explosive questions that had niggled at her over the years. “You know, you’ve never told me why you were in London that year.”
His brows lifted, but with a smooth motion he shifted so he could pull her back into his arms and rested his cheek on the top of her head. “Viper requested that I join him in England. At that time Dante was being held prisoner by a coven of witches and he hoped that I could help him research a means to release him from his chains.”
“That’s awful.” She briefly wondered why any witch would want to hold a vampire captive. It seemed kind of like having a tiger by the tail. Never a good idea. “Did you help?”
Cezar grimaced. “No, all I managed to do was to become a captive myself.”
“To the Oracles?”
His lips brushed her hair. “And to you.”