“Food,” he said with a grin. “I can't have my bride going hungry.”
Bride. Warmth spread through me. With all that had happened in the last few days, the fact that I had pledged my heart and soul to Rafe hadn't been uppermost in my mind.
I glanced at our surroundings. “I never thought I'd spend my honeymoon in a cave.”
“It's not where you are,” he murmured with a roguish grin, “it's who you're with.”
“How did you ever find this place?”
“When I first moved to Oak Hollow, I did a lot of exploring to pass the time. One night I stayed out too long. I was about to bury myself in the earth when I saw the cave. I spent the day in here. I came back whenever I needed to be alone, away from the temptation of too many beating hearts. And no,” he said, reading my thoughts, “I've never brought anyone else here. Only you.”
And so saying, he took me by the hand again and led me deeper into the cavern. The walls grew closer together as we left the light behind. I thought I heard the sound of falling water, and then, abruptly, the cave grew wider again, and I saw a small waterfall that spilled into a placid blue pool. A profusion of night-blooming flowers and lacy ferns grew around the edge of the pool. Looking up, I saw that there was an opening overhead, revealing a patch of indigo sky dotted with stars.
“It's beautiful,” I murmured, enchanted by the fairy-like wonder of the place.
“Feel like a swim?” Rafe asked.
I glanced dubiously at the pool. “Isn't it a little cold for that?” I asked, but Rafe was already undressing.
A familiar excitement unfurled deep within me as more and more of his body was revealed to my gaze. Had there ever been a man with shoulders that wide, a chest so irresistibly touchable, a belly so hard and flat and muscular? My cheeks warmed as he stepped out of a pair of black briefs and stood fully naked before me.
He flashed a knowing grin and then dove into the pool. He swam to the other side and back, then, treading water in the middle of the pool, he lifted a hand, beckoning me to join him.
At his look, heat flooded my body. A chilly dip to cool my heated flesh suddenly sounded very inviting. Besides, how could I resist a chance to be in his arms?
Acutely aware that Rafe was watching my every move, and feeling suddenly daring, I undressed as slowly and provocatively as I knew how. I had never done anything like it before, had never dreamed of such a thing, but now, with Rafe watching, it came as naturally as breathing. I only wished I was wearing something a little sexier than a pair of blue and white pajama bottoms, a T-shirt, plain white bikini panties, and fuzzy blue slippers. But if the look in Rafe's eyes was any indication, he didn't seem to mind.
Naked, I stood poised on the edge of the pool, took a deep breath, and dove in.
Expecting to plunge into cold water, I was pleased to find it was bathtub warm.
When I came up, Rafe's arms enfolded me. What a wondrous feeling, to feel his body next to mine, the sensuous slide of wet skin against wet skin.
With one arm wrapped around my waist, he kept me afloat easily. His free hand played over my body while he rained kisses on my cheeks, my brow, my chin, the tip of my nose. I tilted my head back, affording myself a view of the stars overhead while granting Rafe access to my throat. I shivered with anticipation at the feel of his tongue against my skin, tangled my fingers in his long hair at the touch of his fangs.
Pleasure shot through me from head to foot. Weightless, buoyant, I closed my eyes and gave myself over to the myriad sensations his kisses aroused.
“I want you.” His voice rumbled in my ear, deep and husky with desire.
I looked at him through heavy-lidded eyes. “Do you?”
He growled low in his throat. “Don't tease me, woman.”
“How much do you want me?”
He pressed his body against mine, letting me feel his erection.
“Ohhh,” I purred. “That much?”
He growled again, lower, deeper. “Do you know what happens when you tease a Vampire?”
“No,” I said, stifling a grin. “What happens?”
“This.” He carried me out of the pool and into the cave, showering me with kisses every step of the way.
When we reached the blankets, he sat down, holding me so that my legs straddled his thighs and then, very slowly, he reclined, drawing me down with him so that my body covered his.
He stroked my cheek, ran his fingertips over my lips. “You're beautiful,” he murmured.
“So are you.” His body was firm, his skin was unlined, his hair was black and thick, and he would always look this way. When I was gray and wrinkled, he would still be beautiful. When I grew old and feeble, he would still be young and strong. I tried to shake the troublesome thoughts aside, told myself it didn't matter. I didn't want to think about such things now, when I was in his arms, but I couldn't stop. He would never change, never grow old or frail. Would I start to hate him when I began to age and he didn't?
“Ah, Kathy, it doesn't have to be that way.”
“Yes, it does.” I knew he was thinking about Susie. She liked being a Vampire, and that was fine for Susie, but she'd had no choice in the matter. I did, and I didn't want to be a Vampire.
“Do you want to live with one?” Rafe asked quietly.
“Is there any way for me to keep you out of my mind?” I asked, exasperated that he read my thoughts so easily.
“You can try.”
“How do I do it?”
“Erect a wall around your thoughts.”
“How do I do that?”
“Imagine it in your mind. Build it a brick at a time, as high and as thick as you like.”
“And that will keep you out?”
“If it's strong enough.” He stroked my cheek with his fingers. “You didn't answer my question.”
“I don't know.” Tears stung my eyes. Only moments ago, I had been sure Rafe was everything I had ever wanted, but now…Tears of doubt dripped down my cheeks and fell on Rafe's face. He didn't wipe them away, only looked up at me through fathomless black eyes, waiting for me to go on. “Make love to me, Rafe. Hold me tight and don't let me go.”
Desperate and afraid to face the future, I needed to be held, needed to feel his arms around me, to hear his voice telling me that he loved me, that everything would be all right.
For a minute, I thought he would refuse, but then he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me, slowly, deeply, each kiss longer and more intense than the last. Closing my eyes, I surrendered to his kisses, to the sweet seduction of his hands moving over my damp skin, large hands that gently caressed me. His voice moved over me like rough velvet as he whispered love words in my ear, sometimes in English, sometimes in a language I didn't understand.