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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Final Choices

  Copyright ã 2005 Lydia Parks

  ISBN: 1-55410-560-9

  Cover art and design by Martine Jardin

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by eXtasy Books, a division of Zumaya Publications, 2005

  Look for us online at:

  www.zumayapublications.com

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  Chapter One

  When Nathan woke, he didn’t simply open his eyes and leisurely stretch. Instead, he sprang from his bed and flattened himself against the basement wall. His heart would have pounded, had it any inclination to beat at all.

  He sniffed the air and listened, but found no hint of what had awakened him so abruptly. No burning buildings or angry mobs. No thieves sneaking through the darkness. He heard only relative silence in his house, and nothing more ominous than a stray cat yowling outside as it turned over a garbage can. Deciding there was no real threat and chiding himself for his ridiculous reaction, he relaxed and made his way to the bathroom, shedding clothing in preparation for a warm shower.

  Sometimes, in the late evening just before the sun’s rays completely disappeared, Nathan had dreams of a sort—or more accurately, perhaps, distorted memories. These tended to have ill effects on his humor, but usually wore off within a few minutes. This time, however, in spite of having no memory of dreams, his humor remained foul as he dressed and climbed the stairs to his kitchen.

  With summer in full swing, he knew the air would be hot and humid, even after dark. The temperature wouldn’t bother him, but he found the scent of so much human sweat distracting. And the hospital would be filled to overflowing with injuries inflicted by one short-tempered person onto another.

  Nathan stopped in front of his living room window and sighed. He had no choice but to go out; he’d have no nourishment left by sunrise and despised the thought of going to bed hungry.

  Two pints of O-positive improved his disposition to some extent. He slipped on a light jacket and walked out into the Atlanta night.

  He had plenty of time before he was due at the hospital, not that timeliness really mattered. If he were late, he’d simply convince those around him that he’d been there all along. He’d also arrange it so that after he left they’d think they’d just seen him if anyone asked.

  As he strolled, Nathan listened to the sounds of Atlanta at night. Sirens screamed, children squealed and cried, car engines roared, and in dark corners, whispered deals were made, exchanging money for drugs and sex. Amid the noises of humans were those of nature. An owl hooted from his perch on a rooftop, a small colony of bats winged overhead after insects, singing their high-pitched songs in eerie harmony, and the wind whipped leaves in the tops of oaks.

  Just as he felt his spirits lifting, he caught another sound—footsteps paced to match his own.

  Nathan stopped.

  The footsteps also stopped.

  He turned but saw no sign of anyone behind him.

  Listening, he walked on until the footsteps matched his own again, then he used his preternatural speed to disappear behind the closest tree.

  Still, he saw no one, and the footsteps following him fell silent.

  The strange thing was that he felt nothing. A mortal wouldn’t have the reflexes to disappear so quickly, and a vampire would leave an impression that only another vampire could sense.

  There was no vampire in the area.

  Could he be imaging things? Were the sounds he heard somehow echoes of his own footsteps?

  Nathan waited for an hour, but no one appeared. Returning to his path, he continued to the hospital without recurrence, his senses heightened. By the time he arrived, his temper was nastier than it had been when he’d arisen.

  Squinting against the intrusion of fluorescent lights, he hurried through the front door of the emergency room, only to be assaulted by the head nurse, Sharon Freeman, as soon as he approached the desk.

  “Look, Nathan,” Sharon said, “if you can’t bother to show up on time—“

  Nathan leaned close to the woman and glared as he shoved his thoughts forward. “I was on time,” he growled.

  Sharon Freeman fell backwards to the floor and stared up at him.

  Nathan frowned. He hadn’t meant to be so forceful, and started to offer her a hand up when an orderly grabbed his arm. “Come on, we’ve got a line.”

  Nathan withdrew his arm from the young man’s grip and then followed him down the hall to the lab where a dozen patients sat on benches, waiting to have blood removed from their veins either as donations or for testing.

  “Richard, isn’t it?” He turned to the orderly.

  “Yeah. Look, you start the needles and I’ll label bottles.”

  Nathan glanced around. It was fortunate that he’d fortified himself before leaving home, or withdrawing blood from so many people in the conventional manner might prove difficult. As it was, his fangs began to ache a little.

  “Yes, Richard. Bring out the bottles, and perhaps a few extra bags. I believe some of these people may wish to donate more than they’d originally planned.” He smiled at the crowd, emanating goodwill.

  * * * *

  “Son of a bitch,” Terra muttered through clenched teeth. She glanced at the clock to her right, then back across the room where detectives stood in a circle around Kevin O’Brian, slapping his back and laughing.

  How could O’Brian have made sergeant? It wasn’t fair. He hadn’t been a detective as long as she had, and his record wasn’t nearly as good as hers. And she’d eat her gold shield if he’d scored higher on the sergeant’s exam.

  Disgusted, Terra jumped up from her chair, grabbed her purse, and marched from the bullpen, ignoring all hails and greetings as she left the building a half hour early. Let them fire her—she didn’t care. She’d never get anywhere in such a chauvinistic organization anyway. “Bastards.”

  Terra drove home, nearly sideswiping an Oldsmobile driven by someone whose head barely topped the steering wheel, narrowly avoiding a drunk as he stepped off the sidewalk, and screeching to a halt as a ratty looking mutt dashed across the road in front of her. By the time she stepped inside her apartment, anger had nearly overwhelmed her.

  Terra threw her purse across the room and screamed, “Dammit, dammit, dammit!”

  A knock at her door made her jump. She crossed the room. “Who is it?”

  “It is I, Nathan.”

  Terra closed her eyes for a moment, trying to get a handle on her emotions. She hadn’t seen Nathan in quite a while and always enjoyed his company, but he’d picked a rotten time.

  After taking a deep breath, she opened the door and tried her best to smile. “Hey. Come on in.”

  Nathan hesitated a moment, then stepped inside. “Perhaps I’ve chosen a bad time.”

  Terra shrugged as she closed the door behind him. “My entire life is a bad time right now.”

  “Oh?”

  She waved off his concern. “No big deal. You wa
nt some tea?”

  He nodded. “Please.”

  Nathan rarely actually drank any of the tea she served him, but she didn’t stock anything appropriate to offer a vampire, except, perhaps, her wrist. And at the moment, that didn’t sound like such a bad idea.

  Remembering the night she’d discovered that her new acquaintance was a vampire almost made her smile, in spite of her troubles. How many people could say they’d gone to an orgy and found their very own Dracula?

  Keeping Nathan’s secret hadn’t been as difficult as she’d thought it would be. Of course, at first it had been easy—he’d erased her memory. Or tried. If she hadn’t been a resister, he wouldn’t be standing in her kitchen now, and she’d have no choice but to deal with all the office shit alone.

  Terra filled a kettle and placed it on the stove, then stared at the blue flame, wondering if Nathan could sense how pissed off she was.

  “What’s wrong, my pet?”

  She sighed and turned to face him. “My career’s in the toilet. O’Brian, the bumbling oaf, was promoted over me. I’ve been on the force longer, have a better record, and probably scored higher on the test. You know why he was promoted? Because he’s a guy, that’s why. Me? I just get to continue on, poor little blonde Terra who thinks she can get somewhere in a man’s world. She’s just too dumb to know better.” Anger boiled in her veins as she spoke, and she fisted her hands at her sides. “I wish I had something to hit right now.”

  Nathan cocked his head to one side. “I’m at your service.”

  “Pa-lease.”

  He pointed to his stomach. “Go ahead. You can’t hurt me.”

  “How do you know?”

  He grinned. “Trust me.”

  She frowned.

  Nathan raised both eyebrows. “You’re just a girl. How hard can you possibly hit?”

  That did it. Terra punched his stomach as hard as she could.

  Nathan grunted, but didn’t move. “Not bad. Another?”

  She swung again, following a right with a left and another right, and she continued until the fury dissolved. Then she stopped, standing close to Nathan, and fell forward into his arms. She felt empty—relieved.

  He held her with his mouth pressed to the side of her head and stroked her back gently. “Better?”

  “Yes,” she muttered into his red silk shirt. “Thanks.”

  “That’s what friends are for.”

  Terra shook her head against his chest. “No, it isn’t. You’re not supposed to go around hitting friends.”

  A soft chuckle rumbled through Nathan’s chest like the purr of a giant cat. “Perhaps not, but I think we can make an exception in this case.”

  How could she ever make him understand how wonderful it was to stand in his arms at that moment? Beneath silk, cool flesh covered muscles that could have been made of steel and were capable of unbelievable feats, yet he held her to him as if she were a precious china doll.

  “I’ve missed you, my dear Terra.”

  She nodded, surprised to realize just how much she had missed him, too.

  His open hand slid slowly down her back and he drew the band from her ponytail as he moved his mouth from the side of her head to her neck. His lips, icy and firm against her bare skin, seeking the most sensitive spot of flesh, sent a shudder through her entire body.

  He groaned softly, then raised his head and lifted her face to his.

  She knew the taste and feel of his kiss, but in the months since she’d last experienced it, she’d forgotten the effect it had on her. Why hadn’t she gotten in touch with him?

  Work was only an excuse. In truth, it terrified her that every time he seduced her, she lost a little more of her heart to him.

  Nathan kissed her tenderly first, his lips to hers, his palm against her cheek, nudging her toward a place where all troubles were forgotten. As his kisses became more adamant, more demanding, he moved his hand to the back of her head and buried his fingers in her hair, guiding her.

  Terra clung to his shoulders, her knees suddenly weak from the desire spreading through her like heated chocolate syrup over ice cream. She opened her mouth to him, unable to even consider pushing him away. But he wasn’t in her head as he had been before. He was simply kissing her, tasting her mouth, sampling what she had to offer and holding her to his body as any man would. And feeling his growing erection pressed against her abdomen caused her knees to give out altogether.

  The screaming teapot interrupted the kiss, and she stared up into Nathan’s eyes as he turned off the stove. The glimpse of the vampire in his glowing eyes caused her to shake, just as the lust she found there warmed her insides. She knew the strength he held in check and that he wouldn’t hurt her, no matter what. That knowledge caused the heat to intensify and focus between her legs.

  Without speaking, Nathan followed Terra to her bedroom.

  He undressed her as he kissed her mouth and her face and her neck. She worked on his shirt buttons, enjoying the sensations his hands spread over her skin.

  “Terra, my sweet,” he whispered. He drew her up against his bare chest as he kissed her long and deep, lifting her with his hands under her buttocks.

  She kissed him back, drawing hard on his tongue, suddenly overcome with need. With one hand fisted in his hair, she wrapped her bare legs around his hips and happily surrendered to his will.

  His thoughts came to her then—thoughts of need and longing and animal lust. They snaked slowly around her brain, sending signals to the rest of her that were beyond her control. Her nipples hardened to the point of pain, aching for his touch as she tightened the grip of her legs.

  By the time Nathan lay her across the bed, his clothes were also gone. She wondered how he’d undressed, but when he slid across her body and stretched out beside her, the question melted away.

  “I will enjoy the bite of your sweet cunt, my dearest,” he said. “It has been much too long.”

  She whimpered in response.

  Turning his full attention to her physical needs, Nathan kissed her as he caressed the length of her, rubbing her nipples, skimming lightly over her ribs and stomach, easing his hand into the space between her legs. He nudged her legs apart with his own as his fingers stroked over the center of her heat, hinting at entering, spreading her juices over her swelling clit.

  His touch was as light as a feather and as erotic as silk. Her body trembled under his attention and her hips began to rise and fall on their own.

  He straightened out on top of her and she felt the head of his erection pressed against her, ready just as she was, but he held back as he nibbled the tender flesh of her neck. Instinctively, she turned her head to give him access as she raised her knees on each side of him and lifted her hips.

  “Oh, yes,” she breathed.

  “Not yet,” he whispered, his voice a growl. His thoughts of impending pleasure and tentative self-control swept over her. Frustration gripped her in response.

  Urging him on, Terra drew her fingernails roughly up the length of his back.

  Nathan growled again, this time louder, then he took her mouth with urgency as he entered her all at once.

  The intensity of his entry stole her breath in a gasp, but her body quickly adjusted as his tongue swirled greedily around her mouth and his massive cock slid out and back in.

  She felt the sharp edges of his fangs against her lips and her excitement surged. Waves of need washed over her, both from his thoughts and hers, and she opened her mind completely, no longer wanting to know which desires were her own.

  He drew her up to him, lifting her into a cloud of dark longing, promising more, wanting her as no other could. She opened herself to him without fear, wishing to give all, needing all in return.

  He filled her body with his own until every muscle strained and swelled, and she knew she couldn’t hold out.

  His thrusts grew quicker, deeper, unrestrained, and deep animal sounds vibrated in his chest.

  Terra gripped his hair and dragged his mo
uth to her shoulder as her body exploded into a million mirrored fragments, each glimmering with pleasure, each reflecting the universe. The pieces rose and fell, tossing her to the stars with every pulse, and she clung to him.

  When he pierced her flesh, her back arched at the exquisite pain.

  Nathan drew hard on her shoulder as he filled her, his cock stretching her to the limit, reaching the deepest part of her.

  A second orgasm started in answer to his, rolling over the first with unbelievable strength. Her blood roared in her ears, matched only by the sound of her own voice screaming her joy. Need and satisfaction swirled together, blending into a silvery fog.

  The fog darkened as the waves of pleasure finally waned.

  Terra felt Nathan’s satisfaction like a warm blanket around her, holding her in safety until she could recover. She smiled as she slipped into the murky void.

  * * * *

  Nathan lay on Terra’s bed at her side, watching her as she began to stir. He brushed the hair back from her face with one finger and smiled.

  How had it happened that this one mortal had become so important to him?

  Even more of a puzzle was how he’d become so important to her. He knew how much she cared about him; he could taste her affection—her love. And that love lingered in his thoughts long after the effects of her should have worn off, as if he were experiencing his own emotions. After three hundred years, he knew that was impossible. Still, she seemed able to stir feelings in his long-cold heart.

  Terra’s eyes fluttered open and she turned her head to look at him.

  Nathan realized he could easily have lost himself in her blue eyes when he was human.

  “So,” she said, her voice a little shaky, “you here for the sex or the platelets?”

  “Both, my dear. How can I possibly resist such an exquisite treat?”

  She laughed and stretched, then sat up and looked down at him. “You sweet talker, you.”

  Nathan watched Terra slip on a short blue robe. He dressed and followed her to the kitchen.