My Love Eternal Read online

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  My Love Eternal

  by Liz Strange

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  Fantasy/Romance

  Copyright © 2010 by Liz Strange

  First published in 2010, 2010

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  NOTICE: This ebook is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Duplication of this ebook by beaming, email, network, disk, paper, or any other method is a violation of international copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines and/or imprisonment.

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  Back Cover Copy

  Blood, sex and eternal life… What more could a girl ask for?

  Tall, dark, and sexy, as well as fabulously wealthy, Giovanni is everything a girl could ask for in a lover. There’s only one catch. He’s been undead for more than three hundred years. When Rachel is drawn into Giovanni’s world, she learns that the rules of human existence mean nothing in the world of vampires. This, however, is a fair price to pay for a love that will last forever.

  Hunted by the Desmarais family, who carry a centuries-old vendetta, Rachel and Giovanni travel to the ends of the earth in order to stay one step ahead. Can their love survive, or will their eternity together end?

  Content Warning: Violence, sexual encounters with the undead.

  Highlight

  He looked back to my solemn face. “We shouldn’t feed here.”

  “I don’t want to feed yet,” I said. “I want you.”

  With smooth, feline grace he came to the bed, his coat dropping to the floor. Slowly he removed his clothing until he was standing completely naked before me. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and licked along his bare stomach. His hands found my arms, and he gently raised me to my feet. Slowly, teasingly he removed my clothing, kissing me deeply between each item. By the time I was undressed I was shaking with need. I throbbed with the desire to have him inside me.

  We fell back against the bare mattress, with no need for words. His urgency met mine as he pushed himself inside my body. I cried out. He took his time, savouring each kiss, each thrust. This time there was no violence, no painful memories to flash over my pleasure. We were lost to each other. I drank in ecstasy from his body, and love and desire from his mind. It was a connection so intensely intimate and primal I knew there could only ever be him.

  My Love Eternal

  By Liz Strange

  Lyrical Press, Incorporated

  My Love Eternal

  Copyright (C) 2010 Liz Strange

  Edited by Nerine Dorman

  Book design by Renee Rocco

  Cover Art by Renee Rocco

  Lyrical Press, Incorporated

  Staten Island, New York 10308

  www.lyricalpress.com

  eBooks are not transferable. All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission.

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE:

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

  Published in the United States of America by Lyrical Press, Incorporated

  First Lyrical Press, Inc. electronic publication: March 2010

  Dedication

  To my mother, Louise, and my brother Bill. Thanks for always standing by me, especially when times were tough.

  To Holden, Ezra, Lydia and Iris, my beautiful, wonderful children. You make my life magically hectic and fulfilling, and I wouldn’t change one minute of it for anything.

  To all the readers; I hope you love this story, and my characters as much as I do. There’s a little of my own blood, swear and tears in each of them.

  Acknowledgements

  Thank-you to Renee and Frank Rocco, owners and publishers extraordinaire of Lyrical Press, for taking a chance on this unknown author. You have been wonderful and supportive, and I really couldn’t imagine a better experience for my first novel. Thank-you to Nerine Dorman for her editing assistance, and for being so solidly behind my vision. A true sister of the night.

  And lastly, but certainly not least, a HUGE thanks to my dear friend and fellow author David McAfee. Without your keen attention to detail, editing prowess and unflinching honesty, My Love Eternal (and subsequent works) would never have gotten off the ground. You have always been there to commiserate with, encourage me, or run an idea by. Lots of laughter, some frustrations and several moments of ‘agreeing to disagree’ has come from working together, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it. I have nothing but respect and admiration for you, and I think it’s a blessing to call you my friend. Always-Vix.

  Of the night I died there are only three things I can clearly recall. I remember the terrible pain, Giovanni’s eyes like sapphires in the velvet darkness, and the raw, unbridled lust throbbing throughout my body. My mind swam with memories, some real, some imagined, and some from a past that was not my own. And even though that night was almost twenty-five years ago, the image is as fresh as if it happened only moments ago.

  Chapter 1

  Fate

  The Patient Records department of the hospital where I worked was painfully quiet, as usual for the graveyard shift. Hired to that timeslot initially, as most new employees were, I had chosen to stay even after opportunities for day shifts became available. I had no children, no boyfriend and the night suited me.

  Alone in the department one evening, I listened to the rain drumming softly against the windows while entering lab results into the computer, when a figure passed by the open door. Looking up, I wondered who was wandering the halls at that time of night, and quickly dismissed it as a security guard making the rounds. What was out of the ordinary, though, was security passing by again so soon.

  Allen, the overweight and over-friendly guard, who had been there longer than I’d been alive, had been by a little less than an hour earlier. Looking in as he usually did, and finding me alone, he had stopped by for a brief exchange— brief on my part, at least. Though he wasn’t obviously coming on to me, I always felt slightly unclean after any exchange with him, as though his words and manner held an underlying sexual intent. Other than security, it wasn’t often that someone passed by on my shift. Sometimes a patient having trouble sleeping, or other staff on a wayward errand passed my door, but generally it was just me, another employee and piles of paperwork.

  I’d glanced up at the clock. Barely three hours of my shift had passed, and I was uncharacteristically impatient for it to be over. Usually I had company here, but one of the girls had recently left— the position yet to be filled. If I wasn’t so used to the environment, I supposed the quiet and stillness would have been spooky. The only sound was the soft humming of the overhead lights, or music from the radio— if I remembered to turn it on.

  Coffee would jolt me from my funk. I leant to grab my wallet and when I sat up again I was face to face with the most beautiful man I had ever seen. He had been so quiet I hadn’t heard him approach, and was now standing just on the other side of my cluttered desk. My breath drew in sharply. He reached out a pale hand, touching my arm so gently I almost wasn’t sure he had touched me at all. Time froze in that moment we looked into each other’s eyes. I couldn’t
pull my gaze away, but oddly I wasn’t embarrassed or concerned about the way I was acting. That alone should have sent off warning bells.

  His eyes were a shade of blue I don’t think I’d ever seen before, large and deep-set in his face under dark arched brows. Their colour was luminous against the pale ivory of his skin. Rich ebony hair surrounded his face, shaggy curls hanging almost to his shoulders, and his lips were full and slightly tinged with red. It was those lips that drew my attention most of all. He pulled them back to smile, revealing sharp white teeth. A cold lump of unease formed in my stomach.

  The smile lingered, changing his features, making him seem softer, and much younger than I initially thought. My own smile felt tight, my pulse raced, and my heart beat so hard I was sure he could see the throbbing vein in my throat. A hot flush crept up from my collar, my mind curiously blank. I raised a nervous hand to my neck, and his gaze moved from my eyes to my hand.

  The strangest feeling I had ever experienced struck me then. An odd panic overcame me, yet I was completely drawn to the man, wanting to run away as much as I wanted to lick every inch of his body. His eyes shimmered as he stared at me with inexplicable hunger. He seemed to be struggling with the same conflicting emotions, appearing as though he wanted to kiss me or hurt me, but fighting against both. His look was so intimate, loving almost, yet so primal. The small hairs on my arms rose. It was as if I wasn’t even in control of my own thoughts, let alone my actions or reactions.

  When he finally spoke, breaking the spell of our silent exchange, his voice was soft and low. It slipped gently over me with a soft caress. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I walked by and saw that you were all alone here… ” He had a slight accent, a different momentum to the way his words were expressed. “I didn’t mean to bother you.” He smiled again.

  It took a tremendous effort on my part for words to come naturally, not too rushed. I didn’t want him to see how flustered I was, and how much his presence affected me. “You’re not bothering me. I was just about to take a break, actually.” I indicated the wallet in my hand. “I don’t see many people down here at this time of night.” My chitchat sounded nervous, making me self-conscious and anxious.

  He broke his gaze and looked about the office. “I don’t suppose most people would have reason to come to this part of the hospital.” The room where I sat had two workstations with computers. Several doors led into the main hallway and the records storage area. A supervisor’s office and a smaller hallway ending at the employees’ lunchroom were at the back. “Do you always work alone down here?”

  “No, at night there’s usually another person here, and during the day there’s quite a few staff in and out.” I tried to seem nonchalant during this odd exchange, but I was silently wishing for Allen to pass by again.

  “And you like working at night?” I thought I detected something odd in his voice, humour perhaps, or maybe concern. His presence made me so flustered, I couldn’t think straight.

  “I do, actually, it’s quiet. I can come in and get my job done.”

  “The nights are not for everyone.” He turned his gaze toward the window. “Or the rain.”

  Smiling, I also looked outside. “I don’t mind the night, or the rain. I find the darkness and the quiet peaceful, and the rain always make me think of cleansing, a way to clear out all the impurities that pop into our lives.” Why I was being so open and honest was beyond me. The words were flying out of my mouth of their own accord. There was something so unsettling about him, though he wasn’t threatening in any overt way.

  “Mother Nature’s tonic for the ills of the world.” His face held a wistful look.

  I sat back in my chair, studying him. “Do you work here? I haven’t seen you around before.”

  “I’m new in town.” He smiled again, this time without the sentiment reaching his eyes. His response was an answer without an answer.

  My inner alert switched to high, and whatever had passed between us moments before was replaced with good old-fashioned fear. I didn’t know this man, I was alone in an isolated part of the building, and the set-up for something bad to happen couldn’t be more perfect. He seemed to sense the change in my demeanour, and took a step back from the desk. When he stopped, his body was still in a way I had never seen before in another human being. His gaze pierced me again. Something lurked in those eyes, a darkness that marred their cold beauty.

  Then, without realising I had moved, I stood beside him. I was so close, the fabric of his jacket brushed against my bare arm. I tensed, unsure if the sensation was good or bad.

  “I like the night too.” His voice was soft, and his words seemed comforting, not strange like they should have. The sight of a young man and woman sitting on a large rock under a canopy of ancient trees appeared suddenly in my mind. Then as quickly as it came, it vanished.

  I trembled, my throat tight. I tried to speak with a bravado I did not feel. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

  “Of course.” He did not move. Instead he placed an ice-cold hand on my arm. I found myself trapped in my odd lust and fear. He smelled so sweet, like the rain. My hand was pulled up between us, and his finger lightly traced the ring I always wore. “I like your ring. Garnet is a nice colour for you, but not your birthstone, I believe.” His gaze was hesitant, almost quizzical.

  I shook my head. “No, it’s not. How could you know that?”

  He looked me straight in the eye, and my heart not so much pounded, as clenched in my chest. “I have a way of reading people.” Normally an exchange like this would have at least irritated me, if not totally creeped me out, and I would have simply walked out of the room or called the security desk. I did neither, and though the fear was building, I did not want to leave.

  I drew even closer, my hand still held lightly in his. “And how do you read me?”

  “Strong, smart, a little dark. You are more than people realise.”

  What a strange and amazing thing for someone to say. “Really?”

  The whole situation was absurd. I was hanging onto his every word like a lovesick teenager. I was twenty-six years old, and though he was almost unbelievably beautiful to look at, something about him frightened me. One couldn’t be attracted to and fear someone at the same time?

  I cursed myself for acting like a complete moron, but he continued to regard me with the most wonderful expression. He smiled again, and my focus was drawn to his soft red lips and white teeth. My hand dropped from his. Then without any noticeable movement he stood in the doorway, looking back at me. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”

  He looked me straight in the eye, licking his lips, and the room closed in on me. What was it that felt so off? My arsenal of stinging rebuffs and outright dismissals seemed to have been absorbed into the lump in my throat.

  My ears began to ring and I closed my eyes. When I opened them again he was gone. I stood in the room alone, wallet in hand. The building was silent. It was as though he had never been there at all. If it weren’t for my pounding heart and my breath held tightly in my chest, I might have believed I had imagined the whole thing.

  As I made my way toward the parking lot later that night, I crossed paths with Allen. He hurried from the acute care wing of the hospital, a dark look on his heavy face. Allen was always in a good mood, teasing and flirting relentlessly. He all but ploughed me over before realising I was in his way. “Sorry Rachel, I didn’t see you there.” No jokes… tense voice.

  “That’s okay. What’s going on? You look upset.”

  He stopped, but seemed undecided about what he should, or could say to me. “There were four deaths here tonight. All in the same area, all around the same time.” I immediately thought about the man who had been in my office earlier.

  “And the deaths are questionable I’m assuming.”

  “Yes and no. Two were cancer patients, very sick, on their last legs so to speak. The other was a lady who’s been in a coma for a few years, no chance of regaining
consciousness, and a trauma victim from a car crash earlier tonight.”

  “And?”

  “One of the nurses thought she saw someone coming out of one of the cancer patient’s room, but when I tried to get details, she couldn’t give me any.”

  “What do you mean, couldn’t?”

  “It’s weird. It’s like she blacked out or something. She just can’t remember what the person looked like. Can’t even tell me if it was a man or a woman.”

  I saw the stranger’s face again. Could he have something to with it? “You know, Allen, there was a guy in my office tonight. I mean, it might be totally unrelated, but he was kinda weird, and when I asked why he was there he didn’t really answer.”

  Allen shifted stiffly, and snapped open his notebook. “Tell me.” If the situation weren’t so serious, his reaction would have been comical.

  “Um, dark hair, kinda long. Blue eyes, fair skin, he was wearing dark clothes and a long jacket.” Incredible gorgeous, creepy but definitely hot. Cool it, Rachel. “He came in, talked to me briefly and left. Sorry, that’s all I got.”

  “When did this happen?”

  “Around two.”

  “Just after all this stuff went down. Looks like you mighta seen our guy. If there’s anything more of this, I’ll come talk to you again.”

  “Okay, but what do you mean if there’s anything more.”

  “Well, there’s no visible signs of violence… It’s bizarre, actually. Maybe it’s nothing, could be just an incredibly unlucky night. It’s been known to happen.” He didn’t sound any more convinced than I felt.

  “‘Kay, well you know where to find me.”

  I walked through the underground parking lot wishing I had eyes in the back of my head. When I reached my car, I jumped in, locking the doors. It was a quiet and uneventful drive home.

  “God, Rachel, you’re such a dork sometimes. He was hitting on you!” Shannon cut in, wiping away the tingly, sensual, anxious feeling as suddenly as the man had vanished from the office. When I looked at my roommate, she grinned and shook her head.