Page 124 of The Ghost and the Graveyard (Knight Games 1)
Remorse
Anxiety checked into Hotel Grateful the moment I woke up. When Michelle's life was at stake, becoming the witch seemed like the obvious thing to do. But now in the light of day, I realized what I'd done. Let's just say I could forgive myself for having sex with a virtual stranger by intellectualizing that I'd been married to him in a past life, and we shared each other's thoughts. The sex was incredible, after all, and people had gone farther on less.
But even if I could set the sex aside, I did magic that involved cutting myself. I drank Rick's blood. Even for me that was pretty racy. I hadn't done anything evil. On the contrary, I'd cast out a vampire and sent Prudence to heaven. But what did becoming the witch mean for my soul? I was in uncharted territory here.
What now? If I wasn't able to send Logan back, I'd be obligated to include him in my life. It wasn't like either of us could move out.
But it was obvious Rick wanted more from our relationship. Hell, he wanted to get married. I was twenty-two years old. I wasn't ready to be married. To be honest, I wasn't sure I was ready to have made such a lifetime commitment as becoming the witch.
Speaking of lifetime commitments, there was something I needed to know about Rick-the sooner, the better. I turned over within his arms and was startled to find his eyes open and watching me. "Oh, you're awake!"
"Yes," he whispered. "I don't need to sleep like you do."
"You don't sleep?"
"I do, but I don't need the amount that you do. Not if I'm well fed. A few hours a week is sufficient."
I thought he was joking, but his face gave no hint of humor. The light filtered through the lace curtains and washed over the hard bones of his jaw, the crooked line of his mouth, sharp cheekbones, and clear gray eyes. Without thinking, I ran my hand up his body, from his stomach to the scar on his chest. My fingers lingered there, teasing the raised flesh as if it were the most natural position in the world. His gray eyes widened.
"I need to ask you something."
"Then ask, mi cielo." He leaned into me, tracing his nose up the side of my face. He buried his lips in my hair.
"We had sex last night."
"Yes, we did," he breathed. "But that isn't a question." He nibbled my ear.
I pressed my hand against his chest, trying to fight the lightheaded feeling that was quickly overcoming me. "Unprotected sex."
He pulled back to meet my eyes.
"How worried should I be?" I asked.
"I can't impregnate you. Unfortunately, this immortal body is unable to procreate."
"Actually, I'm on the pill, so I wasn't so much worried about the possibility of pregnancy. I was asking more for peace of mind about your history. You know, STDs?"
"STDs? You're worried about sexually transmitted diseases?"
"I'm a nurse, okay? It is everyone's responsibility to be worried about STDs. Let's face it, you are tall, dark, and handsome and have had more than a lifetime to be with who knows how many women. You may be immortal, but I'm not. I want to know if I should be worried."
Rick placed his finger under my chin and his pupils expanded crowding out the gray. I thought I would drown in those black pools, like the darkness would swallow me up. The thought should have been frightening, but it was oddly peaceful.
"The only person I have ever made love with is you," he said.
I blinked a few times in his direction while that piece of information sank in. "What?" I asked dumbly.
"I was a virgin when I married you and I could not bring myself to be with anyone else after your deaths."
"Wow." The word slipped out of my mouth. In front of me was a man with a face and body that would fit as the lead heartthrob in any blockbuster movie. Rick was a man who could make women swoon, and he'd waited for me, not once but multiple times.
"You need to know that I've been with other people."
"It was before you knew of me. The times are different now. It is to be expected."
I cocked my head to one side. "We're not married, Rick. I haven't promised you that I won't be with anyone else ever again."
"Then marry me. Make that promise."
