afael abruptly broke the kiss, embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” he said. “For what?” she said breathlessly. “We both wanted it.” He took her hands carefully. “Randi, this isn’t the kind of occupation for a long-lasting relationship,” he said. “It wouldn’t be right for me to take advantage of your kindness and hospitality.” “But…,” she started. “Randi,” he sighed, “I like you, I really do, but being a vampire hunter is my duty. It is my calling. I can’t let anything come between that and me.” “I can’t give you what you what.” She took a breath. His cell phone began to ring. “I have to answer it,” he said. She nodded her head while he answered the phone.
“How do you know that Robert was murdered?” Anna asked. “Because the night Pedro attacked me, I saw droplets of blood on the floor at the gallery,” Cristian said. “Robert had called me to meet him there, but when I arrived, he was nowhere to be found. Someone killed him.”
“It could’ve been either Pedro or Pearson,” Sage said. “There’s no way to be sure.” “Robert was helping Pearson and maybe he turned on him.”
“I’m sure that Rafael found someone else to assist him by now,”John said. “He was still recovering from a concussion and a broken arm, and I’m sure he needed new supplies. I’ve seen how his mind works. If one plan fails, he always has another.”
“Then we should have a back up plan as well,” Sage said. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay the night,” Cristian said. “It would give me peace of mind to be near you.
Anna cast a glance at Samuel who gave no hint of a reaction. “Please let me do this,” he pleaded.“Okay,” she said. “I just need to go pack a few things and I’ll be back,” he said. Sage nodded her head silently.
Once Cristian exited the room, Anna grabbed Sage’s arm. “We need to talk,” she said.
They went to the rooftop to talk privately. “How do you feel about Cristian staying the night?” she asked pacing back and forth. “Maybe we can talk this time,” Sage said. “I should hear him out at least.”
“I have to ask you about Samuel,” Anna said. “I remember when I introduced him to you that a bolt of lightning struck. It was very apparent the attraction between you two.”
“Yes,” Sage acknowledged. “It knocked the wind out of me. Now, mind you, I had only been consumed with thoughts of Cristian, and I thought I would never feel anything again. But at that moment when I met Samuel, something stirred in me, and I couldn’t deny it.”
“So you spent a night together?” Anna asked, arching her eyebrow.
“Yes,” Sage admitted with a smile, remembering how they held each other close trembling, coming down from heightened peaks of pleasure after their encounter. “I never thought you would act on it,” Anna said.
“We kept it between the two of us,” Sage replied.
“You both did a great job of concealing it,” Anna said. “He’s a fine man, besides being very beautiful.”
“He is,” Sage said.
“He’s been respectful of my relationship with Cristian.” “How do you feel about Samuel?” Anna asked. “Samuel is special,” Sage said, her eyes sparkling.
“He’s a great friend and confidant. I trust him completely, as I trust you.”
“But I have been in love with Cristian for so long that that was all I could see.” “Perhaps you have been in love with the memory of Cristian for so long that you didn’t think that you could give your heart to anyone,” Anna said, “and that is why it has come full circle.”
“Sometimes we can’t move forward with our lives until we put the past to rest.”
Sage considered her statement. “Enough talk about me,” she said. Anna chuckled, knowing she wanted to change the topic. “What about you and Daniel?” “We spent a night together,” “A night and a day—we lost track of time” she chuckled. “It was indescribable. As far as continuing a relationship, I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t believe that love conquers all—no offense.”
“Maybe the thought of falling in love frightens you,” Sage said.
“I just want to have fun right now,” Anna murmured, remembering Daniel’s inspiring words at the department store with a shudder. No one had ever spoken to her in such a moving way.
“Fun, like the kind you had with Billy?” Sage grinned. “Billy is untamable,” Anna said, remembering how both were unable to move after their animalistic encounter. “He was absolutely wild.”
“I was surprised that you didn’t take Samuel as a lover,” Sage said.
“No, not after I saw the spark between you,” Anna said, “Out of the coven, Billy and Daniel are the only ones I’ve been with.”
“I’ve only spent the night with Samuel,” Sage said. “I really didn’t have that many vampire lovers.”
“Speaking of potential lovers, Lisa and John seemed to come to a standstill,” Anna said.
“I’ve noticed,” Sage replied. “He’s really shy; maybe he’ll outgrow it.” “Maybe he doesn’t want to get involved with a vampire,” Anna shrugged.
“If he waits too long, he’ll miss out, and someone else will come along and sweep her off her feet.”
“Maybe she’s already met that person,” Sage said.
“Cody,” Anna said. “I thought she and Pedro would end up together, because they were practically joined at the hip.” But as we know, Pedro was obsessed with you.”
“Good thing he never knew of you and Samuel.” “Can you imagine what he would’ve done?”
“Pedro,” Sage said. “We will need to deal with him once he makes his presence known.”
“I wonder if he is back in his physical form yet?” Anna said.
“When I felt his presence, I couldn’t see him,” Sage said. “Maybe he hasn’t completely regenerated yet.”
“We’ll know in due time” Anna said.
“That was Jillian West,” Rafael said, hanging up the phone. “We were going over the plan for tomorrow night.” Randi silently nodded her head and walked over to the refrigerator to fix a sandwich. “Are you hungry?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said, “but I only eat a vegetarian diet.”
“That’s fine,” she said. He walked over to her, tucking his hands in his pockets. “About earlier,” he began. “I’m a big girl, Rafael,” she said. “At least you told the truth and didn’t let it get too out of hand. Other men in your position wouldn’t have done that. But after tomorrow night, we’ll readdress the issue,” she grinned.
He began to laugh. Her phone began to ring. She answered it. “Hi,” she said excitedly, signaling to Rafael that it was her doctor friend returning her call.
“I have a request to ask you,” she said. “It has to do with vampires.”
Anna and Sage walked back into the grand living room to rejoin the others after having their girl talk. “Daniel, I need to speak to you,” Anna said with urgency, grabbing his hand as they left the room. “Fun, huh?” Sage thought as Anna flashed a grin. “Sure, she wants to talk,” Billy joked. “We won’t see them again for the rest of the night.” “Lisa, if you don’t mind I’d like your company tonight,” Cody asked. “Sure,” she said. “I don’t mind.” She said goodnight to Sage, glancing over at John as she left the room.
“Well, uh, goodnight,” John said with a wave walking out the room.
“Goodnight, Queen V,” Billy said, yelling for John to wait for him, leaving Sage and Samuel alone.
“Seems John and Billy are becoming fast friends,” Sage said. “When he’s not always scaring him,” Samuel joked. He stared at her longingly as the room became painfully silent. “Goodnight, Sage,” he said as he began to leave the room.
“Samuel, wait,” Sage said. “I’d like to continue our conversation from earlier.”
“I think you and Cristian need to resolve the differences between you,” he said gruffly. Sage blinked, taken aback by his firm tone.
“I want to see you happy and smiling,” he said, softening his voice. He sighed, caressing her face. “We’ll speak again when the time is right, but tonight isn’t the time.” “Goodnight,” he said with reluctance.
“What if you’re wrong?” she thought, watching him leave with a foreboding feeling that the next time may be too late.