Deeper than the Night - By Amanda Ashley Page 0,47

his finger beneath her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Does it make a difference? If it does, tell me now." Before it's too late, he thought, knowing that once he possessed her, he would never let her go.

"I don't know." She'd never really given it a great deal of thought. She'd always assumed that someday she'd get married, but she'd never given much thought to having children. She'd just presumed they'd come along in their own good time a handsome little boy and a pretty little girl.

She looked at Alex and imagined having his child. A little boy, with Alex's black hair and dark eyes. And a tiny stripe down its back . . .

"Kara?"

"It doesn't matter," she said, pushing her fears aside. "I love you, Alex. I'll love your children if God grants them to me. And if not . . ." She shrugged. "If not, then I'll be content to be your wife."

His arm tightened around her, drawing her closer, as he uttered a silent prayer that she would never regret her decision.

Kara felt his lips move in her hair, felt the warmth of his breath against her neck. In that instant, she wished they could make love, but Alex was right. It was better to wait until there was no danger of her becoming pregnant. "I wish . . ."

"I know." A sigh of frustrated longing swept through him. "For tonight, just let me hold you."

Kara nodded as she settled into his embrace. "Yes," she whispered. "Hold me and never let me go."
Chapter Fourteen
They slept late. It was early afternoon when Kara woke to find herself pressed against Alex, her legs entwined with his, her head on his shoulder. She studied his face for a long while. He was so beautiful. It was hard to believe that he was over two hundred years old. Hard to believe he was from another planet. In a small way, she could sympathize with his plight. He had been sent away from his home, forbidden to return. Shewas in exile, too, she mused, but at least she had hope of returning home, of seeing her loved ones again.

Strange as it seemed, she thought she might be content to stay in his mountain retreat, in his arms, for the rest of her life.

She closed her eyes for a moment, wondering what it was going to be like to spend her life with this man. She was his now, and he was hers, as surely as if they had been married in front of an ordained priest. She thought about what'd he'd said the night before, about not having children. How would she feel in ten years, twenty, watching herself age while he stayed young?

With a sigh, she pushed her troublesome thoughts away. She was bound to Alex now, bound by vows of love and commitment. Whatever problems they might encounter in the future paled beside the more important problems of the present like Dale Barrett wanting her blood.

When she opened her eyes again, it was to find Alex watching her, his dark eyes filled with tenderness.

"Kara." He whispered her name as his fingers trailed over her cheek. "Do you know how empty my life was until I met you?"

She nodded, lost in the yearning she could see swirling in the depths of his eyes. Black eyes that seemed to see into the furthest reaches of her heartand soul.

"It was the same for me," she murmured. "I think I've been waiting for you my whole life. Maybe, deep inside, I knew you would come." She laughed softly. "But that's impossible, isn't it?"

"Is it?"

Looking at him, feeling his nearness, it didn't seem impossible at all. "What are we going to do now?"

"Whatever you want, Kara."

Her gaze slid away from his. "I want to go to the store."

Alex arched one brow. "The store?" he asked, pretending he didn't know what she was talking about. "Why do you need to go to the store? We have enough supplies to last a week or so."

She punched him in the arm. "We don't have everythingwe need."

He watched a tide of color wash into her cheeks, and hegrinned. "Ah," he said. "There's an all-night drug store not far from here. I'll go as soon as it's dark."

"I could go now," Kara remarked, wondering if he thought it brazen of her to suggestsuch a thing.

Alex shook his head. "Tempting as the thought is, I don't want you going anywhere alone." He grinned down at her. "But I'm glad