She stirred with drowsy contentment, the slight movement bringing her breast against his mouth. Her hands stroked his hair gently. “I am not the one who worries, lifemate. I know there is no other.”
His tongue made another lazy, contented curl around her creamy skin. “One who has gone centuries in utter darkness takes a long time to believe he will not lose the light. Go to sleep, Savannah, safe in my arms. Let the soil heal both of us and bring us peace, as Julian knew it would.”
She was silent for a moment, but his mouth feeding at her breast was causing little aftershocks, rushes of liquid heat. “I will if you behave.” There was soft laughter in her voice, an acceptance of anything he wanted.
He wanted her to sleep and silently pushed at her mind, helping her to grow more tired, but he couldn’t quite give up her body yet. He spent a few minutes gently, tenderly, nuzzling her breast. She held him while she drifted in a hazy, erotic dream.
“Sleep now,” he commanded softly and gave them both up to the healing soil and the rising sun.
* * *
Chapter Thirteen
Gary tried not to notice how pale Savannah was as she fixed him a pot of coffee. Her satin skin was almost translucent. He was groggy from the trance-induced sleep and had a hard time waking up, even after a long shower. He had no idea where the change of clothes had come from, but they were lying on the end of the bed when he awakened.
Savannah was beautiful, moving through the house like flowing water, like music in the air. She was dressed in faded blue jeans and a pale turquoise shirt that clung to her curves and emphasized her narrow rib cage and small waist. Her long hair was pulled back in a thick braid that hung below her bottom. Gary tried to keep his eyes to himself. He hadn’t seen any evidence of Gregori this evening, but he didn’t want to take any chances. He had a feeling the one thing that could change that remote expression fast was to have another man ogling Savannah.
“As soon as Gregori returns, we can go out and get you dinner,” Savannah said softly as he accepted the steaming mug of coffee.
It was already dark. Gary had no idea what had happened after he arrived at the house the night before. He cleared his throat nervously. “What exactly happened last night? All I remember is getting to the house with you and then waking up an hour ago. I’m assuming that I slept the day away.” There was a wariness in his voice, in his mind, that hadn’t been there before. It was a singular experience to realize someone had taken all control away from him.
“I didn’t wake you until we were certain it was safe. Last night Gregori had an encounter with two of the undead’s servants and a lesser vampire. He defeated them, of course, and destroyed them so they couldn’t rise again. It was safer for you to remain here. We weren’t holding you prisoner. We simply wanted to keep you safe.” Amusement crept into her voice. “I don’t think Gregori really knows what to do with you.”
Gary’s heart jumped. He cleared his throat. “I hope you mean that positively.”
Savannah’s eyes laughed at him. “Do you really think he’ll harm you? He can read your mind. If you were an enemy, he would’ve killed you back in that warehouse.” Wickedly she leaned across the table. “Of course, he really is awfully unpredictable, so you never know what he might do or where he is—” She broke off, laughing, as her arm was flung into the air as if something had shackled her wrist and jerked her backward. Savannah was dragged by something unseen from the kitchen. She was laughing, her blue eyes dancing with mischief.
Gregori tugged at her wrist, taking her out into the sanctuary of the courtyard with its dense, overgrown plants. Flowers tumbled from the overhead arbors and trailed along his shoulders as he emerged fully into the night. “You are deliberately scaring that young man to death,” he accused.