A WHISPER OF ETERNIT

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Head tilted to one side, she regarded her husband as though seeing him for the first time. With her vampire sight, he was more handsome than ever. His black hair gleamed like polished ebony.

His eyes, as gray as storm clouds, were filled with apprehension.

She loved him too much to let him go on suffering, wondering if she hated him for what he had done.

But how could she hate him? She had vowed to love him until death parted them. In mortal time, that might have meant twenty or thirty years, perhaps forty, if they were lucky.But now…

A slow smile spread over her face. Deep down, in spite of everything she had said to the contrary, hadn't she always wanted to be what he was?To live forever? It was only her own cowardice, her fear of theunknown, that had kept her from making the decision. Subconsciously, hadn't she always hoped that Dominic would make the decision for her?

" Querida."He took a hesitant step toward her.
"I'm a vampire," she said again.

Henodded, his expression uncertain.

She closed the distance between them and placed her hands on his chest, loving the feel of his skin beneath her palms, the way the hair on his chest coiled around her fingers, the way he quivered at her touch.

She tilted her head back to better see his face. "We're alike now, you and I."

He said nothing, only watched her, his expression wary, as she ran her hands over the width of his shoulders.

Tracylaughed softly. "Areyou afraid ofme now?" He nodded again. "More than you can imagine."
His answer surprised her. "What are you afraid of?" "I am afraid of your hatred."

"Hate you?" She raked her nails lightly over his bare chest, slowly moving down, down, running her hands sensuously over his flat belly and up to his chest again.

He shuddered at her touch, but made no move to touch her in return. "I could never hate you, Dominic."

"You forgive me then?"

Rising on tiptoe, she kissed him, first one cheek and then the other. "I feel as though I've been dreaming my whole life, waiting for you to wake me up, and now it's happened." Her gaze searched his face. "Am I dreaming again?"