Romancing The Dead Read Online Free PDF Page B

first day together, he’d made me cucumber sandwiches and the whole traditional thing. So, I’d dug out a nice sundress, some white gloves, a big straw hat, and sandals. I imagine I must have looked a bit like a Goth Mary Poppins tooling up to his farm on my bike. He’d had the whole thing laid out under the maple tree in his backyard. Of course, this time his herb garden was in its full glory. William Baffin roses climbed on the rail fence. Sun -flowers and daisies nodded in the hay-scented breeze.
    Sebastian had put fresh mint spears in the iced tea and treated me to smoked salmon spread, cream cheese puffs, and a curried mushroom-filled pastry I could still taste melting on my tongue. He ’d dressed for the occasion, too. A white cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up, black jeans, and barefoot. Okay, so it wasn’t an Armani suit, but the gentleman farmer look suited him better. Then, after a pleasant hour of food and conversation, Sebastian informed me that it was only proper we have a cup of hot tea as well. I protested that it was too warm outside, but he insisted. Plus, he ’d said, I could read his fortune in the tea leaves. Even though I said I didn’t do that kind of magic, I found myself staring at the dregs anyway. A ring was there at the bottom. Your future, he’d said, is with me.
    Goddess, I love this man.
    I looked over at Sebastian. His hair had come unbound and it hung loosely around his face in dark waves—sexy bed head—but he was frowning so hard creases appeared between his eyebrows. It wasn’t the expression I was expecting. I was about to ask him about it when he said: “I’m not getting on my knees for Lilith. No way.”
    I gave a little wicked laugh. “Why not, darling? It could be fun. There are plenty of worshipful things you could do while you were down there.”
    “Garnet!” Sebastian said.
    I rolled my eyes at him, even though I wasn’t sure he could see me in the dark. “Are you seriously shocked, Sebastian? Aren’t you older than the Victorians?”
    “Significantly,” he sniffed.
    “Then get over yourself,” I teased. “In fact,” I added, jumping up to straddle him. “I think maybe you ought to practice. Lilith might demand all sorts of demeaning positions from you.”
    He chuckled, low and hungrily.
    I wasn’t going to get any sleep.
    Yet at some point I must have nodded off because the insistent chirping of house sparrows woke me from a pleasantly wicked dream. Blearily, I glanced at the bird feeder that hung just inches from my bedroom window. I was fishing around on the floor for a slipper to toss at the screen to discourage the noisy birds when Barney came to my rescue. She lumbered along at top speed and threw herself so hard against the screen, I thought for a second she might tear through it and plunge to her doom one story below. The birds scattered. My cat sat down, dignified, as if she’d intended all along not to catch and eat one, and primly cleaned a paw. Sebastian groaned and buried his head under a pillow.
    The very best thing about having a vampire lover who wasn’t allergic to the sun was waking up next to him. I’m a firm believer that people show more of their true selves first thing in the morning before they have time to compose the masks they put on for other people. Sebastian, I’d discovered, was a lot like a lion. When he didn’t have anywhere to be, which was often, he luxuriated. Today, for once, I didn’t have to go into the store. I flopped back down and closed my eyes, ready to oversleep to the point of waking up mildly grumpy because half the day was already gone.
    Of course, I couldn’t.
    I made a valiant effort. I probably lay in bed for six or seven extra minutes before giving up and making my way to the bathroom. After my usual morning routine—a quick shower, dental hygiene, and several vitamins—I decided that I’d tackle some of my friends’ natal charts. I’d finished about a half a dozen before I heard Sebastian