Rogue Darkness by Dianne Duvall

Smiling, he clung to the thought as they both succumbed to slumber.



Nicole awoke, feeling as if she had never slept better. Sean lay sprawled on his back with one muscled arm wrapped around her. She was snuggled up to his side, her legs tangled with his and one arm resting on his broad chest. Smiling, Nicole drew her fingers through the coarse hair there. Sean had kept her up until dawn, exploring her body and making her moan with pleasure. She’d had no idea sex could be so…

Well, she couldn’t seem to find the right word for it, but she had never in her life felt this close to someone.

Her stomach growled.

Though his eyes remained closed, Sean’s chest rumbled with a chuckle. “Sounds like you worked up an appetite.”

She laughed. “And slept through lunch.”

Tiling his chin down, he opened his eyes and studied her. “No regrets?” He drew the back of one finger down her cheek in a soft caress.

Nicole caught his hand and pressed a kiss to it. “No regrets.”

His gaze sharpened. “No anxiety?”

She opened her mouth, intending to say no, but this was Sean. He was her best friend. She could tell him anything. “Maybe a little.”

“What’s worrying you?”

“Reordon.”

“Forget Reordon. He can’t dictate your private life. And how will he even know?”

She rolled her eyes. “Chris knows everything.”

He laughed. “Not if we don’t tell him. And I don’t think any of the telepaths are going to tattle. Not unless you’re only sleeping with me because you feel obligated.” He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips playfully. “You aren’t, are you?”

“Well, yeah,” she said with a distinct duh inflection. “I mean, if I don’t sleep with you, who will? Look at you. All those muscles. That chiseled jaw. Those gorgeous brown eyes. And you’re smart, too? What woman would possibly want that?”

He grinned. “You?”

“Damn!” she exclaimed in mock frustration. “I thought I was hiding it better than that.”

Dipping his head, he pressed an exuberant kiss to her lips. His brown eyes were somber, however, when they met hers. “All kidding aside…”

Her heart flip-flopped in her chest.

“I do have a lot of muscles, a chiseled jaw, and gorgeous brown eyes.”

Laughing, she gave him a hard shove. “Not so smart, though, are you? Clearly, I was wrong about that.”

When she tried to clamber over him to get out of bed, he locked his arms around her. “Oh no, you don’t. You can’t leave now. I want more compliments.” He tickled her ribs. Helpless giggles poured forth as she squirmed and tried to keep his fingers from finding ticklish spots, but he was merciless. “Give me more compliments!”

“No!” she refused with a laugh. “Let me go, you egomaniac!”

“Never,” he declared with a grin, tickling more giggles from her. When he finally stopped, she sprawled on top of him, gasping for air.

A warm smile bathed his face as he watched her. Reaching up, he brushed her mussed hair back from her face. “Never,” he whispered.

Nicole stared at him. Did he mean…?

Was that love she saw in his eyes? More than the love one felt for a friend?

Her heart began to beat faster.

Then his stomach growled.

She grinned. “As much as I’d like to spend the whole day in bed—”

“That’s music to my ears,” he proclaimed, resting his hands on her hips.

“I’m sure it is.” His arousal was prodding her in the stomach. “But I need to go for my daily run. I’ll pick up some lunch for us while I’m out.” With much reluctance, she slid off of him, then stood beside the bed.

Sitting up, he glanced at the window. Beyond the curtains, bright sunlight shone. “Let me tank up on blood, and I’ll go with you.”

She frowned. “You can’t. You have no tolerance for sunlight, Sean.” He was one of the youngest immortals in the area and had not been turned by an ancient, so he lacked older immortals’ limited endurance. “You’d have to carry a couple of blood bags with you to keep your skin from blistering when the first infusion wore off.”

He slid out of bed and stood before her. “Then I’ll carry a couple of bags with me.”

“Seriously? You don’t think people will freak out if they see you holding a bag of blood to your fangs?”

Scowling, he stepped closer. “Then don’t go jogging.”

“I have to,” she reminded him patiently. “I’m supposed to be Becca and need to adhere to at least some of her normal schedule. She jogs every day after class, so I jog every day. Besides, vampires can’t attack me when the sun’s up. They’re even more photosensitive than you are.”

“I still don’t like it.”

She stared up at him. The moment stretched. “I’m sorry. I can’t concentrate when you’re standing there looking so irresistibly rumpled and poking me in the stomach. I’m not used to having naked conversations.”

He glanced down at his erection and laughed. “I can’t help it. It’s just what you do to me. And I not only enjoy having naked conversations with you—even though you’re currently aggravating me—I hope to have many more in the future.”