Vampire Cursed Read Free Page A

she needed answers.
    The door to the study was open, and she saw him standing by the gothic window, his back to her.  His broad shoulders obliterated her view of the panes, and she found her eyes traveling down to his muscular backside encased in snug-fitting black pants.  Her mouth watered.
    “I’ve been expecting you.”  The Duke’s voice didn’t startle her, and Abby wondered if she’d dropped into some alternate dimension.
    “For someone who insists he knows what I want, you’re a little dense. You didn’t think I’d want answers after you dropped that bombshell on me?”
    “You were not ready.”
    “Why do you get to decide that?” Her voice held censure as well as curiosity.
     “It wasn’t difficult to deduce.” He still hadn’t faced her, and irritation propelled her forward. “I felt your panic. Destiny frightens you.”
    “There’s that word again.”
    He turned, and his eyes, hot chips of blue, blazed into hers.  “Not talking about it won’t make it go away. “
    “Obviously not, but harping on it will make me go away. And will you stop looking at me like that?”
    “Like what?”
    “Like you want to kiss me.”  She paused.  “Again.”
    Nathaniel moved away from the window, toward her.  With infinite grace, he swept out a hand toward the nearest chair.  “I’ve always heard that asking for seconds was a compliment to the chef.”
    Heat raced up her neck and enveloped her face. Good Lord.  Did the man have a manual, something telling him the right thing to say to disarm a woman?  Abby sat, afraid her legs wouldn’t hold her for much longer.  “Why did you welcome me home after we kissed?”
    “Because that’s where you are.”
    “Your home.  Not mine.”
    He nodded slowly.  “I knew you would need time to absorb my words.”
    “Isn’t that the truth?”  She blew out a breath. “Will you tell me why you don’t want me to leave?”
    His face hardened, and he sat down across from her, dropping his hands between his splayed knees.  “You would not understand.”
    “Do you really think keeping me in the dark is going to convince me to stay?”
    He inclined his dark head.  “Perhaps not.”  Nathaniel shifted, his muscles bunching beneath his shirt.  His hard features, chiseled from stone, softened momentarily.  “But maybe it would be best to give you some time to adjust.”
    Abby sat up straight in the chair, every muscle in her body attuned to his words, every nuance.  “Time to adjust to what?”  She managed to swallow past the lump in her throat but didn’t take her eyes off his face.  She saw no deception there, just blatant honesty.  That scared her more than the thought of a lie.
    “Your new life.”
    Her heart began a rapid thump inside her chest.  “You mean here?”
    Hands folded, he met her stare boldly.  “Yes. Now that you’re here, Abigail, I can’t allow to you leave.”
    Abby struggled to breathe as her Irish temper flared.  “You cannot allow.  I see.  Your Grace, are you aware of what year it is?  Are you aware that women can make their own choices now?  I don’t know if you fell asleep and woke in the wrong century, but here, we have freedom to come and go as we please.  We can walk away.” She stood, brushed her hands down the front of the flimsy nightgown she still wore. “Which is exactly what I’m going to do.”
    He had approached her again without her knowledge. That thought alone was enough to frighten her into backing against the closest wall.  She wanted to push him away, but his closeness was overpowering, drugging, almost.  Her hands came up to rest against the span of his chest.  The steady beat of his heart should have reassured her.  He was alive, a normal male.  Okay, well, maybe not normal, but he was at least a male, a man who with the sheer magnetism of his presence was attempting to overwhelm her.
    Gathering her resolve, Abby began to inch along the wall.  “So if you will excuse me,