Chapter
5
For Elena, the next few weeks passed
like something in a fairy tale. For a girl who didn’t believe in
ghosts, goblins, or magic, she was beginning to think that Wolfram
Castle was under some sort of enchantment. Or that she
was.
Drake was definitely magical. Whenever
he was near, she had to fight the urge to touch him, to go to him.
When they were apart, she yearned for the sound of his voice. At
night, he haunted her dreams. She told herself it was merely
infatuation, that it would pass, that what she felt was gratitude
because he was providing her with food and shelter.
The cat, which she had taken to calling
Smoke, kept her company during the day. Elena had no idea where the
mysterious Mr. Drake spent his days and when she asked, he merely
shrugged and told her, firmly but politely, that it was none of her
business.
With no one else to talk to, Elena
often chatted with the cat. Strange as it seemed, there were times
when she was absolutely certain that the creature understood every
word she said. Odder still was the fact that the silly feline
seemed to appear whenever she was feeling lonely. Even though she
didn’t like cats, she was grateful to have another living,
breathing creature to keep her company in the drafty old
castle.
When she complained to Drake that she
needed something to do to occupy her time, he brought her a dozen
of the latest paperback novels, a number of crossword puzzle books,
drawing paper, pens, crayons, and markers.
When she complained she was growing
tired of wine, he bought an ice chest and kept it stocked with cans
of soda, iced tea, and lemonade, as well as fruit and milk. He also
stocked the kitchen with snacks and other, nonperishable
items.
Meals continued to appear morning and
evening. When she asked where they came from, he told her he had an
arrangement with one of the women in town.
Elena had never cared for cooking, but
she loved baking and she spent a part of every day in the kitchen,
learning how to bake in the ancient oven. Her first few endeavors
ended up in the garbage, but eventually she learned to make a
decent pie, and then turned her hand to cakes and cookies. And
always, the ubiquitous cat looked on, a bored expression on its
face.
Drake refused to eat anything she made,
declaring that he preferred to take his meals in private, and that
he had no taste for sweets.
He was gone every day and most of the
nights, and felt no need to explain where he went. At first, being
alone didn’t bother her. She was an only child; back home in
Colorado she had always been good at entertaining herself. But as
the days passed, Elena began to long for more than just a cat for
companionship. She wanted someone who would do more than just
listen, someone with whom she could share thoughts and hopes and
dreams. And so it was that she decided to stay up one night and
wait for Drake’s return.
She was staring into the flames in the
hearth, the book in her lap forgotten, when Drake suddenly appeared
beside the sofa.
“I didn’t hear you come in!” she
exclaimed, one hand pressed to her rapidly beating
heart.
“I thought you would be in bed.” He
removed his long black cloak and tossed it over the back of the
sofa.
She stared up at him, struck anew by
how tall and broad-shouldered he was. As usual, he wore
black—boots, shirt, and pants. But it was his face that held her
attention. He was incredibly beautiful for a man, with finely
shaped lips, straight black brows, sculpted cheekbones. And those
incredibly blue eyes. Looking at him made her want to touch him, to
trace the curve of his lips, to sift her hand through his thick
black hair, to explore the muscles flexing beneath his
shirt.
He was looking at her oddly, one brow
raised as if in amusement.
Elena curled her hands into fists and
buried them in the folds of her skirt, her cheeks burning with
embarrassment at her wayward thoughts. Beyond some exploratory
kissing and necking in high school, she had never been intimate
with a man, partly because her uncle had refused to let her date,
and partly because she had seen what happened to one of her friends
who ended up sixteen and pregnant. Elena had never wanted to have
to decide whether to keep a baby born out of wedlock and try to
raise it on her own, or to give it away and never see it again. Her
friend Dorina had given her baby away and regretted it every day of
her life.
Drake dropped onto the sofa across from
her. Stretching out his long legs, he regarded her over his
steepled fingers. “What are you doing up so late?”
“I was bored.” Her gaze slid away from
his. “And lonely.”
Drake grunted softly. It hadn’t
occurred to him that she might be lonely. “Would you care to go for
a walk?”
She looked at him, her eyes wide. “Do
you mean it?”
“Of course.”
She bounded to her feet, her heart
racing with anticipation as she ran upstairs to change her
shoes.
He was waiting for her by the front
door when she returned. He opened it with a flourish and bowed her
through.
Outside, she hesitated, not sure which
way to go.
Drake made the decision for her. “This
way.”
He turned down a narrow, tree-lined
path that led away from the castle toward the distant hills. It was
a beautiful night. A new moon hung low in the sky. Stars glittered
like millions of sparkling diamonds flung across the midnight sky
by a careless hand. A faint breeze rustled the leaves of the oaks
and chestnuts.
He was ever aware of the woman walking
silently beside him, just as he was cognizant of her growing desire
and the confusion it caused her. Young and untouched, she wasn’t
sure what to make of her feelings for him.
A shift in the wind carried the faint
fragrance of her perfume. During the nights she had been with him,
he had memorized the silky texture of her inky black hair, the
softness of her petal pink lips, the delicate curve of her throat.
But it was the scent of her blood that sang to him, a dulcet song
that called to him like nothing else he had ever known. The taste
of it lingered on his tongue long after he had sipped the crimson
nectar that flowed warm and sweet through her veins.
He had tasted her several times in the
nights she had been with him. Never more than a few sips at a time,
to be sure, but a few sips of her blood was more satisfying than a
pint of any other. With luck, he could keep her with him
indefinitely.
He came to a halt when he reached the
meadow nestled between a pair of low hills. The lake, located in
the middle of the grassy expanse, gleamed like a sorcerer’s dark
glass in the moonlight.
“Oh!” Elena breathed, turning a slow
circle. “It’s lovely!”
Drake nodded.
“Does all this belong to
you?”
“Indeed.”
“Can we go down by the
water?”
“If you wish.”
With a smile, she hurried toward the
lake, then paused as an owl swooped down out of the sky, coming to
rest on a tree branch. In the light of the moon, she saw that it
was a barn owl. They were beautiful birds, with their white,
heart-shaped faces and golden buff-colored feathers. She took a
step toward it, sighed with disappointment as it took wing, soaring
effortlessly out of sight.
Continuing on, she made her way to the
lake where a myriad of ferns and rushes grew along the shore. Night
birds called to each other across the lake’s expanse.
“It’s so beautiful,” Elena murmured.
But it was more than beautiful. It was an enchanted place, filled
with wonder. A magical place where anything might happen, where
dreams might come true. Had she been a princess in a fairy tale,
she would have met her handsome prince here, by the lake, and he
would have carried her away to his castle.
She glanced quickly at Drake. He had a
castle. Was he a prince in disguise? The thought made her
smile.
Pausing at the lake’s edge, she sank
down on her knees and leaned forward, her fingers trailing lightly
back and forth in the water, which felt refreshingly
cool.
She was thinking how daring it would be
to shed her clothes and underwear and slip into the cool, clear
water, when Drake knelt beside her. The idea of swimming in the
nude, with Drake looking on, brought a flood of heat to her
cheeks.
“Shall we go for a swim?” he
asked.
She looked at him sharply. Was he
reading her mind? The thought of swimming while Drake looked on had
been outrageous enough. But to go skinny-dipping with him . . . did
she have the nerve?
“Together?” It was all she could do to
force the word past her lips.
“Why not? It is dark and we are
alone.”
“But . . .” She felt her cheeks grow
even hotter, if that was possible. All her life, she had been
called a prude. Chicken. Scaredy cat. The most daring thing she
could remember doing was sneaking out of the house and going to a
movie with Jenica. Elena had thought it the height of daring to be
out at night without her uncle.
Drake was watching her, one dark brow
arched as he waited for her answer. Elena was about to say no when
some rebellious part of her asked why she was hesitating. She was a
big girl now. Besides, no one would ever know.
He grinned at her, a wicked gleam in
his deep blue eyes. “I know you want to.”
Goaded into action, she gathered her
courage and gained her feet. Her courage wavered when she began to
undress, and she turned her back to him.
Drake grinned as he pulled off his
boots, then stood and shrugged out of his shirt.
Elena was careful to keep her gaze
averted as he undressed, yet the same naughty imp that had urged
her to agree to swim with Drake had her continually darting glances
at him. His back and shoulders were broad and well muscled, his
skin smooth and pale in the moonlight. His arms were long, corded
with muscle that rippled as he moved.
When he unfastened his trousers, she
dashed into the lake, keeping her back to the shore.
The water was cool but not cold and she
struck out for the other side of the lake, reveling in the touch of
the water on her bare flesh. She couldn’t believe how different it
was, how exhilarating it was, to swim in the nude.
She was halfway to the opposite bank
when Drake swam up behind her. How had he caught her so quickly?
She slid a glance in his direction, felt her insides quiver at the
brush of his naked thigh against her own. A rush of heat suffused
her, and with it a sudden need to touch him, to run her hands over
his broad shoulders, to sift her fingers through his long black
hair, to press her mouth to his.
Good grief! What was she
thinking?
She gasped as his arm circled her
waist. What was he doing? She couldn’t reach the bottom. Thoughts
of drowning flashed through her mind.
“Relax,” he murmured. “I have
you.”
She noticed he wasn’t treading water,
so why weren’t they sinking?
All thoughts of drowning fled her mind
as he drew her body closer to his, crushing her breasts against his
chest. Did he mean to ravish her, there, in the middle of the
lake?
There was no mistaking the lust that
burned in his dark eyes, or the evidence of his desire pressing
against her belly. She had never been sexually active, but she
wasn’t totally ignorant, either. She had taken biology in high
school and talked about it with her girlfriends. Sex had been their
main topic of conversation. Who was doing it? Practically everyone.
Where were they doing it? Practically everywhere, including the
back of the school bus.
“Elena.” His gaze moved over her, hot
and hungry.
She stared at him, troubled by the
insidious thought that he wanted more from her than sex, though she
had no idea what that might be.
“Moonlight becomes you,” he said
quietly.
Her gaze slid away from his as she
murmured, “Thank you.”
A smile tugged at the corner of his
lips as a flush rose in her cheeks. “Not used to sweet talk, are
you?”
She stared at him, not knowing what to
say. Her uncle had often complimented her, but instead of making
her feel pretty or desirable, his flattering words had made her
feel dirty somehow.
“You are of an age to be married,”
Drake remarked, his brow furrowing thoughtfully. “How is it that
you are still unwed?”
“No one ever asked me.”
“Except your uncle?” he
guessed.
“Yes.” She shuddered at the mere
mention of him.
“If you were to marry someone else,
your uncle would have no further claim on you.”
“There is no one else.”
“I take it none of the young men in the
village appeal to you.”
“It’s a small town. There aren’t many
boys my age and . . .” She shook her head. “I don’t care for any of
them. I know you must be tired of having me here, an uninvited
guest, but please, don’t send me away.”
Drake frowned. He had no intention of
sending her away. She was a beautiful young woman. Her skin was
smooth and clear, her limbs nicely rounded, her breasts full.
Unless all the young men in the town were blind, it was hard to
believe that none of them had offered for her hand, he thought. It
was far more likely that her uncle, wanting her for himself, had
turned all of her suitors away.
His gaze moved to her lips, which were
full and pink and inviting. Too inviting to resist. He heard the
sudden intake of her breath as she realized he was going to kiss
her. But she didn’t pull away when he lowered his head toward
hers.
At the touch of his mouth, Elena went
suddenly still. In a distant part of her mind, she admitted she had
been longing for this since the first time he had kissed her. It
was even better the second time. Just a kiss, she thought, until
his tongue slid over the seam of her lips and coaxed her to open
her mouth. Her uncle had kissed her like that and she had found it
repulsive. But there was nothing repulsive about Drake’s kiss. It
burned through her like chain lightning, heating her from the
inside out.
She moaned a soft protest when he took
his mouth from hers, leaving her aching for more than just
kisses.
Drake gazed down at her. He wasn’t
surprised by his body’s reaction to her. He was a strong, virile
male, and she was a very young, very desirable woman. It was only
natural for him to want her, just as it was in his nature to hunger
for her blood. So easy to take what he wanted, to ease his lust
while he slaked his thirst.
So easy. Tempting as she was, he knew
that if he took her in his current state of mind, she would never
survive. Somewhat taken aback, he realized that for the first time
in years he was more concerned with a mortal’s happiness and
well-being than with his own.
“We should go back,” he said abruptly.
Releasing her, he struck out for the shore without a backward
glance.
Elena stared after him. What had just
happened? One minute he was kissing her like there was no tomorrow.
And the next, he was gone.
Drake was waiting for her on the bank
when she waded out of the water. His gaze caressed her. Never, in
all his existence, had he seen anything as breathtakingly lovely as
Elena as she stood naked on the moon-dappled sand, her long black
hair falling over her shoulders, her damp skin glistening like
alabaster in the silver light of the moon. Her limbs were long and
perfect, her waist incredibly small.
His gaze moved to the graceful curve of
her neck, to the pulse throbbing in the hollow of her throat. Need
rose up within him, reminding him that he was a hunter and she his
prey, and as much as a lion might love a lamb, there was little
hope that the lamb would survive such a relationship.
Even though he had fed earlier, the
need Elena aroused in him would not be denied. Drake dressed
quickly, then waited impatiently for her to do the same. He
escorted her back to the castle and saw her safely inside. Then he
fled into the night without a word of farewell lest he take her in
his arms and satisfy the thirst that burned hot and heavy within
him.
Later that night, Elena lay in bed,
staring up at the ceiling, her thoughts in turmoil. Why had Drake
put her away from him so abruptly? Had she said something to anger
him? Done something to displease him?
Troubling as his sudden leave-taking
had been, it was the memory of his kiss that kept sleep at bay as
she relived the incredible pleasure that had suffused her from head
to heel when Drake’s lips touched hers. It had been so much more
than just a kiss.
She touched her fingertips to her lips,
wondering how she could get Drake to kiss her again. Wondering, as
heat flooded her cheeks, what it would be like to share his bed.
Shameful creature that she was, she couldn’t help imagining what it
would be like to run her hands over that hard, male body, to feel
his hands stroking hers. She knew she should be shocked to even
think about such things, but after seeing Drake naked in the
moonlight, after feeling the length of his body pressed intimately
against her own, she couldn’t think of anything else. Couldn’t stop
wanting him.
A bold idea came to her as she
remembered something Drake had said earlier. She smiled, thinking
it would solve all her problems, if she only had the nerve to
propose it.
Elena was sitting on the rug in front
of the hearth, thumbing through a magazine, when Drake entered the
room. She looked up, surprised to see him so early. It was usually
well after dark before he made an appearance, if he showed up at
all. Could it be that, after last night, he was as anxious to be
with her as she was to be with him? The mere idea made her heart
skip a beat. In all the world, had there ever been a man who was as
tall and dark, as sinfully handsome, as the one who now stood
before her?
“Good evening, fair Elena,” he
murmured, smiling.
His voice flowed over her like silk,
soft, sensuous.
“Good evening, Drake. I didn’t expect
to see you so soon.”
“Shall I leave?”
“No! I mean, it’s your home, after
all.”
“Indeed.” He regarded her solemnly, one
brow raised. “Is there something you wish to say?”
She blinked up at him. Did he know what
she was thinking? But how could he? He couldn’t read her mind. Such
a thing was impossible.
He took a seat on the sofa, then
gestured for her to join him. Suddenly nervous, she hesitated a
moment before taking a place beside him. What had seemed like such
a good idea late last night now seemed utterly
ridiculous.
“You look upset,” he remarked. “Is
something amiss?”
“Yes. No.” She twisted her fingers
together to still their trembling.
“Something obviously has you upset,” he
remarked. “Why not tell me what it is? Perhaps I can
help.”
“Yes, you can,” she said, the words
spilling out in a rush. “I don’t want to go back to my uncle, and I
have nowhere else to go, and you live alone with no one to care for
you, so I thought maybe, if it wasn’t too horrid a thought, that
you might marry me. Not a real marriage, of course. It would just
be in name only. . . .” she said, her words slowing as her cheeks
burned with embarrassment.
“You want to marry me?” Of all the
things she might have said, a proposal had never entered his
mind.
“Well, my marrying someone else to get
away from my uncle was your idea, after all. I can cook and clean
and wash your clothes, and . . .” She swallowed hard, her courage
suddenly deserting her. “I won’t be any trouble.”
Lifting one brow, he muttered, “Somehow
I doubt that.”
At his words, she bowed her head, her
shoulders slumped in defeat. It had been a stupid idea. “If you
don’t want to marry me, maybe you could lend me some money so I can
take a bus to Brasov and find a job. I’ll pay you back, somehow, I
promise.”
“Elena?”
She didn’t answer, refused to meet his
gaze. He was a grown man, older than she was, refined, educated.
Why would he want a wife in name only when he could probably have
any woman he wanted?
“Elena, look at me.”
“No.” She was too embarrassed to face
him.
“Elena, I accept your proposal of
marriage.”
She lifted her head. “Do you mean
it?”
“Indeed, I do.”
For a moment, she could only stare at
him. She hadn’t really expected him to agree and now that he had,
she wasn’t sure how to respond. “I promise to do my best to keep
your house clean, and to make you happy, except for . . .” Her
voice trailed off as her gaze slid away from his.
“Never fear. I promise not to make any
husbandly demands upon you unless you ask me to.”
“Thank you, Drake.”
“How soon do you wish to
wed?”
“Oh, there’s no rush,” she said. “We
can have a long engagement.” The longer, the better, she thought.
After all, an engagement was almost as good as a marriage for
keeping her uncle at bay.
“I think not.”
“What’s the hurry?”
“I have reasons of my own. Is tomorrow
night too soon?”
She blinked up at him. “Tomorrow
night?”
It was easy to see he had taken her by
surprise. “Tomorrow night,” Drake said, lightly kissing her on both
cheeks. “Be ready at sundown.”
Elena stared at him, unable to shake
the feeling that he had somehow manipulated her into doing exactly
what he wanted.