“What is it?” Francesca asked softly, placing her hand in his.
He smiled at her. She was his world. The only one in it. Very slowly he brought her palm to the warmth of his mouth, lingering for a moment to inhale her scent. “You are an extraordinary woman, Francesca.”
She was glad the others were already out of the room. She could hear them as they walked down the hall together, pleased with the outcome of the meeting. Color was moving up her face like a schoolgirl’s; she was blushing simply because he had kissed her palm. Francesca tried to tug her hand back.
Gabriel retained possession, his white teeth very much in evidence. “You are shy with me even after all we have shared?” Deliberately his voice held a husky seduction, a teasing temptation.
“I am not,” she lied, embarrassed by her reaction. She had once thought his eyes so empty of emotion, yet when they rested on her they were filled with such hunger, such intensity, she could barely think straight.
His white teeth flashed at her. “I think we need to find a store and furnish a room for our teenager. I never thought I would have to ‘father’ a girl of her age, and a human at that. I pity any young man who thinks he might like to take her out on a date. Reading minds is very helpful in certain situations.”
Francesca reached up to rub his chin. “Thank you for wanting to do this with me. I’m really excited about bringing Skyler home with us and it’s nice you share that with me. She’s such a beautiful girl.”
“Yes, she is. She should have clothes that make her feel good about herself.” He suddenly grinned. “I know quite a bit about the world, almost any subject, but I have no idea what a teenage girl would want in her room. I must rely heavily on you in that department. There were no images in Skyler’s head of what she would like.”
“I don’t think she’s ever thought about such things. Her life has been one of survival. I have been thinking we could give her the upstairs room with the balcony, the one with the small turret attached to it.”
He nodded solemnly. “I believe she would like that very much, Francesca.” He took her hand. “Fly with me this night. We can go to the shops and walk unseen until we decide what we would like to purchase. Allow yourself to feel the freedom of our race once more. You have not done such a thing in a very long time.”
Francesca found a small smile forming at the idea. It was true. She had given up many of the gifts unique to their people in order to think and feel and act human. It had been very necessary in order to hide herself. But now the temptation was too strong to resist. Allowing her senses to flare out into the night, scanning the entire area, she waited until she knew there was no one in the vicinity, then took a running leap skyward. As she launched herself into the air, feathers shimmered, iridescent and beautiful, so that she flew silently across the starlit sky.
The feeling of soaring through the night was so incredible, she could hardly take it in. It had been so long since she had allowed herself the luxury of thinking like a Carpathian. She had wanted her thought patterns to be wholly human at all times. Now it seemed she could enjoy the special privileges of her race once again. She laughed with joy as she moved through the sky.
Gabriel joined her, a large raptor, silent and swift and deadly, winging through the sky toward the heart of the city. He knew her mind, knew she would go first to the home of Skyler’s father to retrieve the precious locket. He flew close to Francesca, determined to protect her even from her own exuberance if necessary. He was in her mind, ensuring that she held the image of the bird in flight so she could make no mistakes. He shared her joy and reveled in her freedom, but he remained a shadow, determined to protect her.