Miss Me When the Sun Goes Down by Lisa Olsen Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lisa Olsen
the glass between his fingers. “Many of my brethren fathered children, but I have no direct knowledge of any of my own progeny beyond those who I’ve made as draugen .”
“Then, you don’t have any direct descendents out there?”
“None that I know of, but it’s a possibility,” he shrugged, unconcerned. How could he not care one way or another? I’d want to know if I had a family line out there if I lived for as long as he had.
“So, the ring was hers? Your wife’s?”
“It belonged first to my mother, given to her by my father. A ring of queens.” Jakob picked up my hand and pressed a kiss to it above the ring, much as I’d seen him do in the memory. “I gave it to you, queen of my heart.”
Cripes , what do you say to something like that? “Um, thanks,” I smiled, teeth scraping at my lower lip as I racked my brain for a more appropriate response that wouldn’t completely lead him to believe I felt more for him in return than I actually did. “It’s very beautiful, and so was she. I can see why you loved her so much. What happened to her?”
“She died.”
Leave it to me to bring down the room. Of course she’d died, it was thousands of years ago. Why had I brought it up? Still, given his obsessive nature with women, the next question begged asking. “You weren’t at all tempted to, you know, turn her?”
“She died before I had tasted human blood. We didn ’t know then that we could make others in our image.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” I reached for his hand, covering it with mine. “That must have been rough on you.”
Jakob squeezed my hand back, the heat warming mine. “I’ve had many years to make my peace with it. I showed you my beloved Sanna because I wanted you to know what she was to me. And when I first saw you… I felt…” He leaned forward in his seat, searching for the right words. “I felt I had a chance to live the life I was cheated of with her.”
“With me?” I blinked. “But how? I’m a completely different person.” Besides the ring and the blonde hair, we had absolutely nothing in common, separated by too many years to count. Jakob waved it away as unimportant though.
“There is something of her spirit in you. I recognized it, immediately. Perhaps you share more than you think.” His expression grew pensive, recalling days past. “She was the only one ever to refuse me, and I didn’t recognize that for the gift it was at the time.”
“What do you mean by that? A gift?”
“I was young and impatient. I forced her before she was ready.” Jakob began to talk faster, a pucker appearing on his brow. “You must remember, times were different then. It was my right to take her, regardless of her tender feelings.”
He hadn’t just forced her feelings, he’d forced her physically. I recoiled in disgust, pulling my hand from his. How could someone so considerate of my wishes that he let me be with another man treat any woman like that? Especially one he claimed to love. “But you said she came around, and I saw how much she loved you. How could she forgive you something like that?” He didn’t meet my gaze and all at once I understood. He’d compelled her into loving him.
“I chose for her,” he admitted, head hanging in shame. “I didn’t understand until now what I gave up in making that decision for her. How much I want you to choose me of your own free will. I’ve never experienced love freely given.” His head came up, blue eyes seeking mine. “I would have that from you, älskling .”
He asked me for love almost in the same breath that he told me he’d raped his first wife both physically and emotionally. Did he really not understand the position that put me in? “I’m sorry… I don’t… I, I just…”
His hands came up in supplication, cutting off my stammered response. “No, you mistake me, petal. I do not
“Then, you don’t have any direct descendents out there?”
“None that I know of, but it’s a possibility,” he shrugged, unconcerned. How could he not care one way or another? I’d want to know if I had a family line out there if I lived for as long as he had.
“So, the ring was hers? Your wife’s?”
“It belonged first to my mother, given to her by my father. A ring of queens.” Jakob picked up my hand and pressed a kiss to it above the ring, much as I’d seen him do in the memory. “I gave it to you, queen of my heart.”
Cripes , what do you say to something like that? “Um, thanks,” I smiled, teeth scraping at my lower lip as I racked my brain for a more appropriate response that wouldn’t completely lead him to believe I felt more for him in return than I actually did. “It’s very beautiful, and so was she. I can see why you loved her so much. What happened to her?”
“She died.”
Leave it to me to bring down the room. Of course she’d died, it was thousands of years ago. Why had I brought it up? Still, given his obsessive nature with women, the next question begged asking. “You weren’t at all tempted to, you know, turn her?”
“She died before I had tasted human blood. We didn ’t know then that we could make others in our image.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” I reached for his hand, covering it with mine. “That must have been rough on you.”
Jakob squeezed my hand back, the heat warming mine. “I’ve had many years to make my peace with it. I showed you my beloved Sanna because I wanted you to know what she was to me. And when I first saw you… I felt…” He leaned forward in his seat, searching for the right words. “I felt I had a chance to live the life I was cheated of with her.”
“With me?” I blinked. “But how? I’m a completely different person.” Besides the ring and the blonde hair, we had absolutely nothing in common, separated by too many years to count. Jakob waved it away as unimportant though.
“There is something of her spirit in you. I recognized it, immediately. Perhaps you share more than you think.” His expression grew pensive, recalling days past. “She was the only one ever to refuse me, and I didn’t recognize that for the gift it was at the time.”
“What do you mean by that? A gift?”
“I was young and impatient. I forced her before she was ready.” Jakob began to talk faster, a pucker appearing on his brow. “You must remember, times were different then. It was my right to take her, regardless of her tender feelings.”
He hadn’t just forced her feelings, he’d forced her physically. I recoiled in disgust, pulling my hand from his. How could someone so considerate of my wishes that he let me be with another man treat any woman like that? Especially one he claimed to love. “But you said she came around, and I saw how much she loved you. How could she forgive you something like that?” He didn’t meet my gaze and all at once I understood. He’d compelled her into loving him.
“I chose for her,” he admitted, head hanging in shame. “I didn’t understand until now what I gave up in making that decision for her. How much I want you to choose me of your own free will. I’ve never experienced love freely given.” His head came up, blue eyes seeking mine. “I would have that from you, älskling .”
He asked me for love almost in the same breath that he told me he’d raped his first wife both physically and emotionally. Did he really not understand the position that put me in? “I’m sorry… I don’t… I, I just…”
His hands came up in supplication, cutting off my stammered response. “No, you mistake me, petal. I do not