Dead Perfect

He stood there, motionless in the way of vampires, watching her, and waiting.

And she wanted him. Right or wrong, she knew she would never be happy in this life or in any other without him.

Desire arced between them, moving through her like a jolt of electricity. She felt it in every nerve and cell of her body, in the sudden intake of her breath, the pounding of her heart, the warmth that suffused her from head to heel.

And still he stood there, watching her, waiting for her to make the first move. When she continued to stand there, mute and unmoving, he whispered her name.

“Shannah.”

Just her name, nothing more. Never before had she heard such love, such pain, injected into a single word. It brought a hot rush of tears to her eyes, scalding tears that burned away her anger and turned the last vestiges of her resentment to ashes.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “So sorry.”

He took a hesitant step toward her, his arms open, and she closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, her arms wrapping around his waist.

“I missed you,” she said. “I missed you every night, so much.” She felt the brush of his lips in her hair. “Can you ever forgive me?”

“Hush, love, there’s nothing to forgive.”

“I’ve just been so confused. Everything’s so new, so different.” She made a vague gesture with her hand. “Nothing is as I thought it would be.”

“I know.” His arms tightened around her, as if he would never let her go. “I know.”

She looked up at him. “You’ll stay here tonight, won’t you?”

“If you want me to.”

“Not just tonight, every night.”

“Shannah!” Closing his eyes, he rested his brow lightly on the crown of her head. “I was so afraid I’d lost you forever, that you would never forgive me. I worried that you might hate me, that you might hate yourself. That you might destroy yourself.”

“I behaved badly.”

“No.”

He lifted her head and gazed down into her eyes. “Tell me that you forgive me.”

“I forgive you, though there’s nothing to forgive. I’m glad you brought me across.” She smiled up at him. “Like you once said, it isn’t a life I would have chosen, but I don’t regret it now.”

“Ah, Shannah, love!”

“Aren’t you going to kiss me?”

“Count on it,” he murmured, and lowering his head, he claimed her lips in a kiss that seared her heart and soul, kissed her until she clung to him as the only solid thing in a world that seemed to be spinning out of control.

When she could breathe again, she rested her cheek against his chest. “I love you,” she said softly.

“And I you. Will you marry me, Shannah?”

She looked up at him and blinked. “You want to marry me?”

“Very much, if you’ll have me.”

“Of course I will!” Standing on tiptoe, she pressed her lips to his, thinking she was happier at that moment than she had ever been in her whole life, past or present.

“Can we make it soon?” he asked.

“Are you in a hurry?”

“Most assuredly. I’ve wanted to make love to you since the moment you first knocked on my door.”

“Then why haven’t you?”

“Because you’re a virgin, my sweet, and I’m an honorable man.”

Touched by his old-fashioned chivalry, she rested her head on his chest again and listened to the slow, steady beat of his heart. He wanted to marry her. The thought made her smile anew, and then she raised her head and looked up at him once again. “How long will you love me?”

His knuckles stroked her cheek. “Ah, Shannah, I will love you as long as I draw breath and beyond.”

“Will you? People are always telling each other ‘I’ll love you forever’ when they don’t have forever. But you and I…we could have centuries together. What if you get tired of me?”

“It seems more likely that you’ll get tired of me.”

“Never! But I keep remembering your friends getting married because they had nothing better to do…”

“Believe me, Shannah, that’s not why I want to marry you. I think I loved you the moment I saw you. Do you have any idea how difficult it’s been for me to hold you and not ravish you?”

“Well, it’s your own fault. I’ve been willing on more than one occasion.”

“I know, love, but I’m a product of my time and, as I said, an honorable man. I couldn’t defile you, couldn’t take your virginity when you didn’t know what I was.” He glanced past her, his expression suddenly solemn as he murmured, “I have enough sins to atone for.”

He really was an honorable man, the most honorable man she had ever known, and she loved him the more for it.

With a sigh, she caressed his cheek, then frowned. “What about my parents? They’ll be so hurt if they aren’t at the wedding.”

“Then we’ll invite them, and anyone else you like.”

“Oh, Ronan, you’re so good to me!” She showered him with kisses and, abruptly, she drew back, frowning.

“What is it?” he asked. “Have you changed your mind already?”

“No, but don’t you think it’s time you told me if Ronan is your first name or your last?”

Chapter Thirty-One

Shannah called her parents the next evening to tell them the good news. “Married?” her mother said, sounding somewhat hesitant. “Is that wise? I mean, well, you know, your health…”

“I’m much better, Mom. The doctors were wrong about everything. I’m fine now.”

“That’s all they had to say? They were wrong? All that worry and…”

“Mom, I don’t want to talk about it. It’s over, and I’m getting married next month.”

“Next month! Don’t you think you’re rushing into this a little hastily? I mean, you hardly know this man, not that it won’t be wonderful to have a celebrity in the family, but…”

“I know all I need to know about him, Mom,” Shannah said. “We’re planning to get married at home, so you’d better start looking for a dress. And tell Dad to rent a tux.”

“How soon will you be here?”

“Not for a couple of weeks. Ronan and I have some things to take care of here first, business, you know. Will you see about the church? We’d like to have an evening ceremony.”