kind of an understatement, don’t you think?” Alex asked dryly. “He’s fricking ancient.”
“Yeah.” Sam nodded. “But he still looks good.”
Alex gave a snort of laughter, and then sighed and ran a hand wearily through her hair.
“You look exhausted,” Sam said sympathetically.
“I haven’t slept since I got here,” Alex admitted.
Sam’s eyebrows rose. “Why not?”
“I was thinking. Trying to decide what to do.”
“Alex, you’ve never been any good at decision making when you were exhausted. Get some sleep. It will clear your head, and then you’ll be able to decide.”
“You’re right.” Alex grimaced. She was always a little foggy when she was exhausted, and she was more exhausted at that moment than she’d ever been in her life, in spirit as well as body. Between being attacked, taking her relationship with Cale to the next level, and then this whole vampire bit, a lot had happened in a very short time. It would have been hard enough to take it in after a good night’s sleep, but without it, it seemed impossible. Sleep definitely seemed a good idea, but Cale was waiting.
“I’ll tell him you’ve gone to rest,” Sam said quietly when Alex glanced reluctantly toward the bedroom door they stood in front of.
“Thanks,” Alex said with relief, and turned to move toward the room Marguerite had led her to when they’d had their talk.
“Alex.”
She paused at the door and glanced back in question.
“I love you,” Sam said quietly. “No matter your decision, I want you to know I love you. I never want you to forget that.”
Alex smiled quizzically. “I love you too, Sam.”
Sam smiled sadly and turned to enter Cale’s room, and Alex turned back to her door, wishing she had a map or instruction booklet to life. She just wanted someone else to tell her what to do, which decision was the right one. Should she leap impetuously after love,or would it be smarter to stand on the shoreline and watch the love boat sail away?
“The Love Boat,” she muttered with disgust as she entered her room. Now she was just getting sappy. She definitely needed to sleep.
Seventeen
Alex woke up with a little sigh of pleasure andstretched in bed. She felt fabulous, absolutely fabulous, even. She’d dropped off to sleep as soon as she’d lain down on the bed, and then had enjoyed some pretty erotic dreams, all of them featuring Cale. Damn, he was as good in her dreams as he was in real life. And he’d said some wonderful things in her dreams as he’d cherished her with his body. He’d told her everything he loved about her, from her nose to her stubborn determination to prove she could do anything she set her mind to. He’d also said that he’d love her forever.
It might have just been a dream, but Alex was going to take it as an omen and say yes. Even one night with him was worth any heartache that might be waiting. Besides, it wasn’t in her nature to refrain from doing something out of fear; otherwise, she never would have taken a chance and started the first La Bonne Vie … orthe second for that matter. She must have been incredibly exhausted after everything she’d experienced, or Alex was sure she wouldn’t have been so confused and uncertain by the time Cale had woken from healing.
A knock at the door drew her attention, and she sat up on the bed to peer toward it. “Yes?”
“Morning,” Cale said cheerfully as he pushed the door open and sailed in. “Or good evening, I guess. It’s late in the day.”
“Hi.” Alex smiled, her gaze moving curiously from the tray he carried to the shopping bag hanging over his arm.
“I’ve brought you a snack, and these clothes for you to put on afterward,” he announced, setting the tray on the foot of the bed, and then dropping the large bag beside it.
“Thank you,” Alex said with surprise, glancing over the tray. It held some sort of sandwich and a cup of steaming coffee, she noted, and then glanced back to Cale, only to see that he was heading for the door as quickly as he’d entered.
“Take your time, and then meet me downstairs,” he said lightly and slid out of the room pulling the door closed.
Alex glanced back to the tray and then pushed the blankets aside and crawled to the end of the bed to grab the coffee. It had already been fixed with cream and sugar just the way she liked it. She smiled