His Dark Embrace

“What is it, love?”

“I don’t want to wake up alone.”

“Then I’ll be here.”

She snuggled against him and then she smiled. “Good. The curtains are closed, and I promise not to disturb you.”

He laughed softly as he hugged her tight. “You can do whatever you like, darlin’.”

“I love you,” she murmured. And then her eyelids fluttered down as sleep claimed her once again.

Lying there, with the scent of their heated lovemaking all around him, he vowed he would forfeit his existence and everything he possessed before he let anyone or anything hurt a hair of her head.

Skylynn woke slowly, reluctantly. She had been having such a delicious dream, she hated to see it end. In her dream, Kaiden had made love to her all night long. Never before had she felt so cherished, so loved. He had made her feel as if anything was possible, and maybe it was. He had tasted her during their lovemaking and in some way that she would never understand, he had given her access to his thoughts and feelings. It had magnified every touch they shared, enhanced every caress. It had been amazing, their minds and hearts and bodies merging so that they really had become one flesh.

With a sigh, she rolled over and opened her eyes. And he was there, the man who made her feel like the most desirable woman in the world. Remembering the night she had spent in his arms caused her stomach to curl with pleasure. He was so gorgeous, his body hard and sculpted with muscle, his face serene at rest. A male sleeping beauty. If only she could wake him with a kiss, she thought with a sigh, and then smiled. It was probably just as well that she couldn’t. She ached in places that had never ached before, but it was a wonderful kind of pain, a reminder of how thoroughly, how exquisitely, he had loved her. It was a night she would never forget, one she couldn’t wait to repeat.

Whispering, “I love you,” she kissed his cheek even though he couldn’t feel it. And then, with a low groan, she slid her legs over the side of the bed. She sat there a moment; then, taking a deep breath, she headed into the bathroom for a hot shower.

Sky had just poured herself a cup of coffee when there was a knock at the door.

She froze a moment, remembering last night when Desmarais had come calling, and then laughed with a giddy sense of relief. The sun was up. It couldn’t be the vampire.

Still, Kaiden had warned her about opening the door without knowing who was on the other side. And he was right. Better to err on the side of caution.

Wishing she had a weapon, she went to the door. She peered through the peephole and then, with a cry, she turned the lock and opened the door.

For a minute, she just stood there, too stunned to speak, and then she threw her arms around him.

“Sam! Oh, Sam! I’ve been so worried about you.” She released him a moment and stood back so she could get a good look at him. He needed a shave, his hair was long and unkempt. He looked thinner, far older than his years.

Blinking back tears of joy, she wrapped her arms around him again. “I’m so glad you’re all right.” She hugged him tightly, then grabbed his hand, afraid if she let go, he might disappear again. “Come on in. We’ve got so much to talk about! I want to hear everything, where you’ve been, why I never heard from you.”

When he seemed reluctant to follow her, she tugged on his hand. Once inside, she shut the door, then headed for the kitchen, pulling Sam along behind her. “I just made a fresh pot of coffee.”

“Slow down, lady,” he said, jerking his hand from hers. “Who are you?”

Sky turned to face him. “What?”

“Who are you?”

Skylynn blinked at him. “Are you kidding?” she asked, frowning. “It’s me, Sky”

“Skylynn, right. You’re my sister?”

“Yes, of course.” How could he not know her?

“And I’m Sam?”

“Yes. Samuel Patrick McNamara.” Fear coiled in Skylynn’s belly as she saw the confusion in her brother’s eyes. Had he lost his mind?

He ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t remember who I am.”

“Then how did you get here?” This had to be a joke. Sam had always liked to tease her, like the time he had told her that her face would turn blue if she chewed blueberry bubble gum.

“Some guy at the hospital ...”

“Hospital?” Her gaze moved over him again. “What hospital? Were you wounded in action?”

“I had a high fever for a while.” Sam lifted one hand to the back of his head. “I got shot. They said I hit my head pretty hard, probably when I fell.”

“Go on.”

“Anyway, some guy at the hospital recognized me. He told me my grandfather lived in Vista Verde. I looked up the address in the phone book. Is he here?”

Sky folded her arms over her chest, wishing she didn’t have to tell him bad news when he’d just returned home. But putting it off wouldn’t make it any easier. “Granda passed away while you were gone.”

“Were we close?”

“Very. He raised the two of us after our parents died.” Sky bit down on her lower lip. How could he not remember?

“Boyle said you were living in Chicago.”

“I was, but I moved back here after Granda passed away.” She reached for his hand again. “Come on, let’s have a cup of coffee. We have a lot to talk about.”

Skylynn sat by the front window, staring out at the rain. Sam was home, wounded in mind and body. They had talked for almost three hours, with Sam asking her one question after another about their parents, their grandparents, events of the past.

Sky had dug out an old family album, hoping that photographs of people he had known and places they had visited might help him remember. She had waited, hoping that seeing their old house, his old friends, might trigger a memory, but so far it wasn’t happening. Sometimes she thought she saw a spark of recognition in his eyes, but then it would fade.

“Who’s this?” he had asked, pointing at a photograph of Nick taken shortly before the wedding.

Sky had stared at the picture. How had she missed that one? After the divorce, she had thrown away everything that reminded her of her ex-husband. She told Sam about her disastrous marriage and quick divorce in as few words as possible and then pointed at a photo of Sam and a small black and tan puppy.

“Do you remember Nellie?” she asked. “We found her in an alley. She’d been hit by a car and you nursed her back to health.”