Christian stirred lazily and opened his eyes. A smile tugged at his lips when his gaze landed on Carolyn, sleeping beside him. He'd woken up before her this time, he thought and started to reach for her, but then retrieved his hand and rolled out of bed instead when his bladder complained of a need for relief. He quickly crossed the room, and slipped into the bathroom to tend to the matter.
Carolyn wasn't in bed when he returned and he paused, but relaxed when he spotted her by the closet. She must have heard the door open, because she turned then and smiled.
"Have I mentioned how incredibly handsome and sexy you look first thing in the morning with your hair all tousled like that?" she asked as her gaze slid over him, and then her eyes drifted back to his face and she added dryly, "And young."
"I've told you, I'm not as young as I look," he said, starting toward her.
She tilted her head. "How old are you?"
"I was born in 1491, I'm five-"
He broke off to rush forward as Carolyn's knees buckled and she started to slide toward the floor.
Catching her before she hit the carpet, Christian carried her to the bed, and sat her on the end of it. He then straightened and said wryly, "Well, you didn't take that quite as well as the rest of it."
She just stared at him and he shifted uncomfortably.
"I told you I wasn't younger than you are," he pointed out and then cleared his throat and said worriedly, "I know you have a problem with having a younger lover, but how do you feel about an older one?"
Carolyn just stared at him.
Christian ran a hand wearily around the back of his neck. It had seemed to be going well before this, but now... well his age had apparently knocked her for a loop and he didn't know what to say to make it all right again. It was also incredibly difficult to think with her sitting there naked on the foot of the bed.
"What's the difference between a vampire and an immortal?"
Christian breathed out. At least she appeared to be over the worst of her shock. Well, she was talking anyway.
"Vampires are mythical creatures, fabled to be cursed and soulless," he answered quickly. "Immortals are a result of scientific advancement. We have nanos in us that kill off illnesses and cancers, and so on, and repair damage done to the body by the sun or aging."
Carolyn absorbed that and then said, "Which is why you're alive and strapping at... My God, you're more than five centuries old," she breathed.
"Yes." He grimaced. "And some days I feel every one of those centuries." Like now, he decided and thought wouldn't it be ironic if, after refusing to get involved with him because he was too young, she now refused because he was too old?
"And the blood?" Carolyn asked suddenly, drawing him from his thoughts. "Why do you-?"
"The nanos use blood to propel and replicate themselves," Christian explained. "They also utilize it in repairs.
But it takes a lot of blood, more than a human body can produce. Immortals need an outside source of blood aside from what they can produce." He paused, and then added, "We didn't start out with fangs. The nanos altered my ancestors to aid them in getting what they needed."
"The nanos gave you fangs?" she asked with surprise.
Christian nodded. "And other benefits. We're faster than other humans, stronger, and see better at night...among other things."
"Other things like controlling Bethany and making her do what you want?"
Christian nodded unapologetically.
"So while you feed on bagged blood now...?"
"We didn't always have that option," he said quietly.
She seemed to accept that, and then asked, "So are you an alien?"
He smiled faintly. "No. We're human just like you... and you'll be immortal just like me when I turn you."
Carolyn stilled. "What?"
"If you want," Christian added quickly. "I would never turn you without your permission. It's not allowed, but even if it were I wouldn't. I-"
Christian paused and sighed, then moved to sit next to her on the bed.
"Carolyn," he said, taking her hands. "You're my lifemate, and that's a very precious thing. I also love you, which is inevitable between lifemates. The nanos pick the perfect mate, and-"
He paused, realizing that sounded about as romantic as dog food. He tried again. "The point is, you are my lifemate. I will never cheat on you, never stop loving you, and would sooner cut out my own heart than hurt you... And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I would like to turn you and claim you as my mate for so long as we both live."
Carolyn frowned and hesitated, and then asked, "So I wouldn't age anymore? I'd always look forty-two to your twenty-five?"
Before he could answer, she added wryly, "Which I suppose is better than looking sixty-two to your twenty-five if we had met later. Still, it seems unfair that for the rest of... well... however long we live, everyone will think I'm the older woman with the boy toy when you're really ages older than me." She shook her head and leaned it against his shoulder, moaning, "Why couldn't we have met twenty years ago? I'd look the same age as you then."
"You wouldn't look forty-two," he said quietly, relief already washing through him. She was willing to turn.
"You'll look somewhere between twenty-five and thirty years old."
Carolyn stiffened and slowly lifted her head. "What?"
"I told you, the nanos repair damage," he said gently.
"Yeah, like from the sun and illness and-"
"And aging," he put in. "They are programmed to keep their host in peak condition. They will repair everything, including any damage aging has done."
She blinked and then squawked, "That's not repairing, that's reversing."
"Yes, I suppose," Christian acknowledged.
"Well..." Carolyn frowned. "I don't know if I want to look twenty-five forever. For heaven's sake, nobody gives twenty five year olds respect. Not even me. I've been thinking of you all as a bunch of young punks since meeting you. Well, until I got to know you at least, and-"
She stopped talking and frowned when Christian suddenly started to laugh. "What's so funny?"
"You," he said gently. "What you're talking about is ageism. And it happens no matter the age. Twenty year olds think teenagers don't know a thing, thirty year olds feel the same about twenty year olds and teenagers, and so on." He quirked an eyebrow and asked, "Do you really think fifty and sixty year-olds don't look at you and feel the same way?"
Carolyn scowled at the thought.
"And it gets no better among immortals. My brother Lucern is over six hundred and treats anyone under four hundred like they're young punks." He paused briefly and then said, "And I hate to point this out, but most women would be pleased at the thought of being their peak age and physical condition for the rest of their lives... Always young, always healthy and vibrant."
Carolyn sighed. "I've always been weird."
He grinned. "It's part of your charm."
"Hmm," she said, and then suddenly stiffened. "Will I have to drink blood?"
"Not drink it, no. You needn't even taste it," he assured her quickly, suspecting that would be a problem. "If you puncture the bag with your fangs, they draw the blood directly into your system without it ever crossing your tongue. But you will have to feed to allow the nanos to do their work and keep you at peak condition."
She thought for a moment, and then asked, "Peak condition?"
"Yes." Christian peered at her curiously.
"Does that mean perky breasts and no cellulite?"
Christian's eyebrows rose. "I haven't noticed any cellulite, and I like your breasts."
"Yes, yes, I love you too," Carolyn muttered, obviously thinking he was only saying that out of love. "But would the nanos-?"
"Yes," he assured her patiently.
"Oh." She sighed and said, "Well, there's that then at least."
She made it sound like a booby prize. Frowning, he said, "Cara, I-"
"How am I supposed to explain it to my employees?" she asked suddenly.
"Ah." Christian frowned. "Well, that's-"
"I suppose I could let them think I had face-lifts and stuff."
"Er..."
"But I'd probably have to sell the advertising agency and do something else after a couple of years," she continued with a frown. "I mean, eventually they'd pick up on my not aging."
"Yes," he said with relief, glad she'd concluded that on her own and he hadn't had to tell her that would have to happen.
"Actually, it would probably be better if I did that before turning anyway," she muttered. "I mean, you live in Italy... I don't think I could bear to be without your arms around me for weeks and months on end, and-"
She paused on a gasp when he suddenly scooped her into his lap.
"You will never spend weeks or months without my arms around you," he assured her.
Carolyn smiled and slid her arms around his neck.
"That will make it all worthwhile then."
Christian just stared at her for a moment, then shook his head and said softly, "God, you are the strangest creature... and I love you more than life itself."
He caught the sheen of tears in her eyes, and then she drew his head down and they were kissing when the door opened.
"Carolyn, if we want to make breakfast-Oh, my God!"
Christian lifted his head, and turned toward the door where Bethany now stood gaping at them, but glanced back with surprise as Carolyn nearly toppled off his lap in her panic to get up. He steadied her quickly, and then glanced back to Bethany as she began to squawk.
"What the hell are you doing? Last night you come back half naked from a date with that captain guy and then today you're screwing gay boy? What the hell? You're supposed to be frigid and suicidal, not slutting around like some Mata Hari!"
Christian started to narrow his eyes on the woman, but Carolyn stepped in front of him.
When Christian glanced her way, Carolyn gave him a warning scowl. She'd recognized his concentrated look from last night. He'd been about to control Bethany and send her away again as he had then, but it wasn't necessary.
She'd handle this. She wouldn't allow her friends to be controlled.
Carolyn waited for Christian to nod and relax, and then moved to pick up his discarded T-shirt.
"Christian's not gay. Obviously," she said pointedly as she tugged the T-shirt on. "And I am not slutting around.
I didn't sleep with Jack." Propping her hands on her hips, she added, "And you're the one who keeps saying I should have a fling, so-"
She paused suddenly and then barked, "Frigid? Who the hell said I was frigid?"
"Nobody," Bethany muttered, scowling at her.
Carolyn eyed her silently. She'd never told Beth about her marriage, and she knew Genie wouldn't have. That left-"
It was Robert, wasn't it?"
When Bethany avoided her gaze, Carolyn frowned and added in a rising voice, "And what do you mean, I'm supposed to be suicidal?"
"She's been trying to drive you to suicide," Christian said quietly.
"What?" Carolyn glanced his way with amazement.
His gaze was focused on Beth. He was reading her, she realized, but surely he had that wrong?
"That's not true," Bethany said at once, but Christian just continued.
"She brought you here hoping that being surrounded by honeymooners while in the midst of a divorce would just add to the depression that has been plaguing you since your marriage fell apart. And then she feigned illness to ensure that you were alone to add to your sense of being a failure and a loser."
"Th-that's ridiculous," Bethany stammered.
"She's been feeding you her diabetes medication in the bottled water to make you feel sickly and add to your troubles. Though she wouldn't have minded had you had an accident while feeling poorly and disoriented. She even messed with several of your shoes to aid in the endeavor."
"How do you know that?" Beth asked, pale and shaking with horror.
Carolyn felt a slow burn starting in her gut. "Seriously, Beth?"
"I-"
Beth shook her head, confusion and horror on her face, and then anger plowed everything else under and she shrieked, "Well, what did you expect? You've made Robert's life a living hell for ten years and now you're trying to take him for everything he's worth? You're just a frigid little gold digger and he-"
"I'm the gold digger?" Carolyn asked with disbelief.
"How can I be the gold digger when the money is mine?"
"Oh, don't give me that crap," Beth snarled. "You were poor as a church mouse in university. Besides, Robert told me everything. How you refused him sex and kicked him out of your bed. How you spent his inheritance like it was water, and are trying to clean him out. We're going to marry as soon as the divorce is over, but you keep dragging it out, trying to squeeze more out of him with that fancy lawyer of yours."
Carolyn was trembling from head to toe by the time Bethany finished, but calmed when she felt Christian's hand on her leg. She leaned against his legs and asked quietly, "How long?"
"How long what?" Bethany asked resentfully.
"How long have you been sleeping with Robert?"
Bethany's teeth ground together and then she said, "We fell in love when you hired me to sell the first house.
But we aren't lovers. He refuses to be unfaithful."
"Except for the dozen or so women I've caught him with and the ones I haven't," Carolyn said dryly.
"That's a lie. He's always been faithful to you, despite the fact that you didn't deserve it since you wouldn't sleep with him."
"Right," Carolyn said wearily. "And whose idea was it to off me in St. Lucia?"
"He-I-"
Bethany flushed and paled by turn and it was Christian who answered for her.
"His. He suggested the vacation here and wanted her to kill you, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. The best she could do was try to make you as miserable as possible and hope you killed yourself. The diabetes drugs were the most she was willing to do, because she thought they would just make you feel poorly and more suicidal. Her conscience could deal with that."
Carolyn nodded solemnly. She stared at Beth for a moment, and then said slowly, "So he's got you so in love with him that you were willing to kill for him."
"No. I would never kill anyone," Beth protested at once, horror on her face.
"Don't fool yourself Beth, driving me to suicide is killing as much as if you had fed me an overdose or sliced my wrists open," Carolyn said coldly, and then picked up Christian's jeans and handed them to him before turning to grab the phone.
"What are you doing?" Beth asked with alarm.
"Doing you a favor, the last and best favor I'll ever do for you," Carolyn said as she punched in numbers. The phone rang twice and then Genie's voice sounded, pleasant and professional. "Genie, it's Carolyn."
"Oh, hey, hon," Genie said cheerfully. "How went the date?"
"I'll tell you about that later, I promise. But right now I need a favor."
"Okay, no problem. What is it?" Genie asked at once.
"I'm going to hand the phone to Beth and I'd like you to tell her everything you know about my marriage to Robert," she said quietly.
"Everything?" Genie asked with surprise.
"The affairs, the inheritance, Conroy... everything," Carolyn said firmly. "She thinks she's in love with him."
"What?" Genie squawked. "Oh, my God, put that idiot on the phone."
Carolyn handed the phone to Beth, and turned to Christian.
Seeing that he'd put on his pants, she held out her hand. When he took it, she led him from the room.
"If you had died," Christian began as they stepped into the hall.
"I haven't made a will. As my husband, Robert would have gotten everything," she said and then grimaced. "I guess I shall have to do it now to discourage him from trying again, but at least this gave me a heads-up."
"You're not going to call the police about this, are you?" While it was couched as a question, it really wasn't one. Still, Carolyn shook her head, and he frowned.
"You're just going to let them get away with it?"
Carolyn shrugged with indifference. "Get away with what? Nothing happened except that I didn't feel good for a couple of days. Besides, Bethany's basically in the same spot as I was ten years ago. She's as much Robert's dupe as I was. Well, except for the willingness to see me dead," she added dryly. Shaking her head, Carolyn grimaced. "I'm guessing if Bethany had succeeded at making me killing myself, she would have been his next victim. She's good at what she does and makes a heck of a lot of money." She smiled wryly and added, "Besides, I kind of owe her in a way."
"Owe her?" he asked with disbelief. "For what?"
"If she hadn't fallen halfheartedly in with his suggestion, he might have tried to kill me another way, one that might have been more successful. At least I now know I need to watch my back," she pointed out.
"Your back will be watched by many," he assured her solemnly. "You have a whole family now, cara."
"And that's the real reason I owe her," Carolyn responded.
"Because if she hadn't brought me here, I never would have met you."
When he stopped walking, she smiled faintly. "Hadn't thought of that, had you?"
Christian shook his head, a slightly stunned look on his face.
She peered curiously at his expression. "What are you thinking?"
"I've just realized you think very like my mother," he said with wonder.
"Er..." Carolyn frowned, not sure that was a good thing. Finally, she asked, "How is that?"
"She can see past the pain and suffering to the good too," he said solemnly.
Carolyn smiled. "The silver lining. I learned it from my mother. She always found the silver lining. It's how she survived the worst of times. How I did too."
"You'll have to teach me that." He scooped her up and carried her to the door.
"Are we going to your villa?" Carolyn said, automatically opening the door for him to carry her out. Neither of them worried about closing it. When he nodded, she pointed out, "I'll have to come back for clothes at some point."
"Gia and Mother would probably be happy to tend to that if you wish to avoid Beth in future," he offered.
Carolyn stiffened. "Your mother is here in St. Lucia?"
"Ah." Christian grimaced. "Actually, yes, and you've met her."
Her eyes widened. "I have?" She paused and stared, taking in his hair color and the shape of his eyes with a sinking feeling. "Not Marguerite?"
He nodded apologetically.
"But I-She-"
"She volunteered the band to replace the one that canceled because she recognized that you were my lifemate," he explained gently.
She stared at him blankly. "Then Julius is your..."
"Father," he finished.
"Oh, dear God," she breathed. "He doesn't look any older than you."
"We all look around the same age," he reminded her quietly.
"Yes, of course," she murmured, and couldn't resist asking, "How old are your parents?"
"My mother is a couple hundred years older than me."
"Is that all?" Carolyn asked faintly.
"And my father was born in 534 BC."
"B-BC?" she stammered. "But that's-That's more than 2,500 years old," she said incredulously.
"Considerably more than 2,500," he agreed easily.
"But... Who created these nanos? I mean, there can't have been that kind of technology back... Well, not even five hundred years ago, let alone 2,500. It's just not possible."
Christian hesitated, but then decided he'd best explain now, because once he got her back to the villa they wouldn't be talking much for a while. One of his arms was under her bare legs, the other around her back, his hand was resting against the curve of her breast through the T-shirt, and her scent was teasing his nose as he walked.
Not unexpectedly his body was responding. It would be a while before they could be in each other's company without wanting to get naked. Best to get all the explanations out of the way that he could, he decided and asked, "Have you heard of Atlantis?"