She rolled over to stare at him; his hand cradled her face as he watched her. “Not even your family?”
“They see my blindness as a weakness, and there are many people that want to keep me weak. If they realize that I have my vision back and that it’s because of you, they will kill you to keep me weak. They may not know why I can only see around you either, and they won’t care. You can’t let anyone know.”
She bit on her lip as she nodded. “I won’t,” she promised.
He smiled at her, pressing soft kisses across her cheeks. She was amazed by him, stunned by the tenderness he showed her, shocked by the fact that he had so easily been denied something she knew he desperately wanted. He was a vampire, a monster, and yet she knew now that though he could be volatile, he was not a monster. He never would be, not with her anyway. She knew it instinctively, deeply, and with every fiber of her being.
“What are you going to do with me?” she asked softly.
His smile was swift and stunning, his eyes twinkled brightly. “Whatever you want me to do.” Aria couldn’t help but smile back at him as she lightly traced the hard ridge of his jaw. “I know you want your freedom Arianna, and I understand that, but I can’t give it to you. I will keep you protected for as long as I can, for although I am a prince there are those with more power than I. It may take a little while, but I will work through this, somehow. I won’t let them kill you.”
Aria nodded, warmed by the words, but not comforted by them. There would be little either of them could do if it were decided that she was a threat that needed to be taken care of. “You look exhausted.”
“I am,” she admitted.
“Sleep, we can talk later.”
But she didn’t want to sleep, she wanted to lay here and feel him against her. She wanted to lay here and enjoy the simple wonder of her strange and tenuous situation. But though she struggled against it, sleep was swift and deep when it claimed her.
Chapter 10
Braith watched the light play off of Arianna’s vibrant hair. Her head was bent, her legs drawn up beneath her as she sat curled within the window seat. She had moved on from Ivanhoe and now held Of Mice and Men before her. Her instincts were quick and honed, she had actually managed to slap him after all, but she had not noticed his arrival. She was enrapt with the thin novel, her eyes wide as she read through the page.
She may not be the most beautiful woman, but she was by far the most stunning and appealing. He felt a surge of emotion as he watched her; it was an emotion he had never felt before, and one that he couldn’t name right now. Actually, the longer he stood and stared at her the more he realized that, to him, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. That she always would be.
She seemed to finally realize that he was there as she lifted her head, blinking at him in surprise. Then, a small smile spread over her face, lighting her delicate features and sparking her sapphire eyes. She swung her feet down, placing the book beside her as she rose. Her wrist and fingers were still bandaged; the white cotton a stark contrast against the soft hue of her skin.
She was mouthwatering, alluring without meaning to be, beautiful without even trying. And she was his. The possessive feeling was strong, intense, and consuming as it surged through him. It was true, he knew that. She was his, and he would do everything in his power to keep her safe, and protected.
“Hello,” she said softly, her gaze darting briefly away as her cheeks flooded slightly with color. He had left her sleeping, unwilling to wake her after the events of yesterday, when he had left this morning. Now her innocence, her uncertainty raced to the forefront.
“Arianna,” he greeted, smiling as he placed his cane next to the door. It was wonderful to be able to see once again, but the best thing was being able to see her. Keegan padded slowly into the room, and settled by her feet. Braith had not missed the fact that even the wolf seemed infatuated with her. “Did you eat?”
She nodded; her smile wan and tremulous as her gaze darted to the tray of food. Her dark eyebrows drew sharply together; a tumultuous expression crossed her face. Then, her expression cleared and she met his gaze again. He could see the fleeting thoughts that crossed over her expressive face, sense the questions that lingered just beneath the surface. He was surprised when she held her tongue though. It was a first since he had met her, he realized.
“Arianna?”
She smiled brightly at him, but it was a smile that did not reach her eyes. “This book is very good,” she said softly.
He glanced at the novel resting upon the seat, heaving a sigh as he pulled his coat off. He could guess at what troubled her, but if she didn’t want to speak about it, then he wasn’t going to force her to. It wasn’t something that he really wanted to discuss anyway. He was not going to push it on her, he was not going to make her do anything that she did not want to, but he still needed to feed. Even if he found the women he took blood from undesirable now, even if it was really her blood that he craved. He still had to sate his hunger otherwise he might hurt her without intending to. “It is one of my favorites.”
She watched him as he moved silently toward her. He was itching to touch her again, itching to feel her once more. Her head tilted back as she stared up at him, her mouth parting slightly, and her breath coming more rapidly. He could hear the increased beat of her heart; her pulse sped rapidly through her veins. He smiled at her, pleased to know that he affected her as much as she affected him.
He caressed her face, his hand twining into her thick hair. Her eyes were bright as they twinkled up at him. She truly was the most wonderful thing he had ever seen. He bent over her, pressing a soft kiss to her full lips. Her sweet breath left her on a soft sigh that he caught as he pulled her closer to him. His arm encircled her waist; he lifted her against him, holding her tight as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
She melded against him, nestling easily, perfectly. He was amazed by how incredible she felt against him, how right all of this felt. How on earth had it come to this? That he, of all vampires, had managed to find himself in this situation, in this predicament of being ensnared by the allure of a human. But he found himself not caring as he lost himself to the feel of her mouth and body against his.
He was so lost to her that he did not hear the knock on the door until it was too late. It was Keegan’s low growl that alerted him to the new presence, Keegan had never liked Caleb. Braith froze, his hands stilling on Arianna as he pulled slightly away from her. She stared up at him in wide eyed shock as heat flared through her face. Though Braith could not see his brother, he could feel the force of his gaze on his back.