Desired by Morgan Rice Read Free Book Online Page B

the glass windows, which blocked a lot of the light, making it seem darker than it was.
    “This way,” Caleb said.
    He took her hand and led her down a narrow corridor, and it opened up into a grand hal , with high, arched windows on both sides. It was much lighter in here, even with the dust.
    There was some furniture left over in here, too: a long, medieval oak table, surrounded by ornate, wooded chairs.

    At its center sat a huge, marble mantel, one of the largest fireplaces Caitlin had ever seen. It was incredible. Caitlin felt as if she had walked right back into the Cloisters.
    “I had it built in the 12th century,” he said, looking around himself. “Back then, this was the style.”
    “You lived here?” Caitlin asked.
    He nodded.
    “For how long?”
    He thought. “Not more than a century,” he said. “Maybe two.”
    Caitlin marveled, once again, at the huge increments of time in the vampire world.
    Suddenly, though, she got worried, as she thought of something else: had he lived here with another woman?
    She was afraid to ask.
    He suddenly turned and looked at her.
    “No, I did not,” he said. “I lived here alone. I assure you.
    You’re the first woman I’ve ever taken here.”
    Caitlin felt relieved, though embarrassed at his reading her mind.
    “Come on,” he said. “This way.”
    He led her up a spiral stone staircase, and it twisted and turned, and let them out on the second floor. This floor was much brighter, with large, arched windows facing every direction, sunlight pouring in, reflecting the distant sea. The rooms were smal er here, more intimate. There were more marble fireplaces, and as Caitlin wandered from room to room, she saw a huge four-poster bed dominating one of them. Chaise lounges and overstuffed velvet chairs, were spread throughout the other rooms. There were no rugs, just a bare stone floor. It was very stark. But beautiful.
    He led her across the room, to a set of huge, glass doors.
    They’d been covered in so much dust, she hadn’t even known they were there. He stepped up and tugged hard at the locks and knobs, and final y, with a bang and a cloud of dust, they opened.
    He stepped outside, and Caitlin fol owed.
    They stepped out onto a huge, stone terrace, framed by an ornate limestone, column railing.
    They walked together up to the edge, and looked out.
    From here, they had a commanding view of the entire countryside, of the ocean. Caitlin could hear the crashing of the waves, and smel the sea heavy in the air on the rol ing breezes. She felt like she were in heaven.
    If Caitlin had ever imagined a dream house, this would definitely be it. It was dusty, and it needed a woman’s touch, but Caitlin knew that they could fix it up, could get it to the state that it once was. She felt that this was truly a place they could cal home together.
    “I was thinking about what you said,” he said, “the entire flight here. About our building a life together. I would like that very much.”
    He put an arm around her.
    “I would like for you to live here with me. For us to start our life over again. Right here. It’s quiet here, and safe, and protected. No one knows about this place. No one wil ever find us here. I see no reason why we can’t live out our lives safely, as regular people,” he said. “Of course, it wil need a lot of work to fix it up. But I’m game, if you are.”
    He turned and smiled at her.
    She smiled back. She had never been more game in her life.
    More than that, she felt deeply touched that he’d invited her to live with him. Nothing had ever meant more to her. The truth was, she would have lived with them anywhere, even if it was just a hut in the woods.
    “I’d love to,” she answered. “I just want to be with you.”
    Her heart pounded as they came together in a kiss, the sound of the waves in the background, the ocean breezes rol ing over them.
    Final y, everything was perfect in her world again.
    *
    Caitlin had never been so happy as she