Promise

birthday that included seeing one of our favorite bands in concert. Instead, he made me homemade soup and we watched my favorite movies.

'You probably shouldn't be here,' I said to him my first miserable night. My voice was hoarse and nasally.

'It's Valentines. Of course I want to be with my love.' He sat on the end of the couch, my head in his lap, and stroked my hair.

'You really don't want to catch this, though.' A fit of coughing emphasized my point.

'I don't get sick,' he said. 'I didn't think you could, either.'

I started to answer, but coughing took over again. My head and shoulders and chest—oh, hell, my whole body—ached from it.

'Her body's not that strong,' Mom answered for me. 'Her skin can heal, but her internal organs aren't as powerful. She'll get over it quicker than most, but she still gets sick.'

'I'm still somewhat normal, in other words,' I croaked.

'That explains how the wine made you drunk,' he said.

'You guys don't get drunk?' I asked with mild wonder. Tristan and Mom both shook their heads.

Then Tristan looked at me thoughtfully. 'What about your bones?'

'We don't know. That cut last fall was the worst I've ever been hurt. I've never broken a bone, so we don't know if they'll heal on their own or not.'

'Hmm…you're more fragile than I realized,' Tristan said. I looked at his face, trying to understand the grim tone. 'I must be extra careful with you from now on.'

* * *

I was disappointed but also relieved that Tristan had to cancel the plans for Orlando. I knew there'd be more opportunities, but I thought a weekend away, just the two of us, may take us to the next level…we'd have sex, in other words. I'd been thinking about sex a lot. I knew our relationship was serious enough for this to become a hot topic anytime now. I'd never really planned my first time…though many times I wondered, when I was younger, if I'd ever have a first time…so I had not specifically decided to keep my virginity until I was married. In fact, I wasn't sure if I thought that was fair to either party. Mom had repeatedly lectured me about how it was the most important gift I could ever give and I could only give it once, 'So you make it count.' I thought I'd know when the right person and right time came along, whether it was before marriage or on my wedding day. Now I was torn.

I knew the right person had come along, but I hadn't yet figured out the right time. Every time we'd get passionate, my body would scream to continue. But my mind—and Tristan's self-control—always won and I always felt relieved it ended that way. I didn't want to regret it when it did happen. I wanted to know for sure it was right and not just hormones taking over. Tristan helped. He had his own issues to deal with—like trying not to kill me. We would go a little longer and get a little further each time before he had to stop.

Not until late March did it even become a discussion between the two of us. It was a memorable night—for more than one reason—at the end of Spring Break, which I had used to finally finish the book. It was just the first draft, but the story was finally out of my head. Tristan took me out on the boat and then to his place so he could make me a celebratory dinner. At least, that's the reason he'd given me.

After dinner, we went out to the beach to watch the sunset. Unlike the beach by Mom's cottage, this one was empty. Beaches were generally public property, but people assumed those in front of the big houses were private. Tristan spread a blanket out for us and I sat down facing the water. He usually sat behind me so he could hold me, but this time he kneeled in front of me, his back to the sunset.

'You're, uh, facing the wrong way,' I pointed out the obvious.

'I prefer this view,' he said with a stunning smile. It was cheesy, but I fell for it anyway and smiled sappily at him. His smile faded as he seemed to be thinking hard about something. 'Can I ask you a question?'

'Sure…you can always ask .'

He ignored my old answer. 'How do you see the rest of your life?'

'Oh. Huh.' He caught me off guard.

We hadn't really discussed this, at least seriously, since that night I learned there was more in store for my life than I ever realized. The night I learned I could possibly have true love, but nothing else about my future would go as planned. No settled family life in a comfortable home with normal kids who played sports or music or danced and had lots of friends who came to our house to play. Instead, I had a future that may or may not include writing, may or may not include love and may or may not include children…but would definitely encompass moving frequently, possibly running from danger and whatever else would happen after the Ang'dora . And my time stretched out long before me, possibly hundreds of years or more, if I was anything like Mom or Tristan.

'Well, that's a long time you're talking about. You mean my immediate future or later, after…?'

'Both. The rest of your life.'

'Hmm…well, I have no idea what it'll be like after, unless it's just more of the same, since that's how Mom's life is. I'd still like to write. And I definitely still want real, soul-mate love and a family…if that's possible.'

'What if I can make it possible? Can you see me in the rest of your life?'

I took a moment to seriously consider it—not that I hadn't already. I'd thought about it many times, but now I had to answer him. And I still came to the same conclusion. Although I didn't even know what it was like to be with anyone else, I just couldn't imagine feeling stronger love for another man. I just didn't think it was possible. Our connection was too deep. Just who we were told me we were meant to be together.

'I definitely want you to be in it.' I searched his face, trying to figure out why he brought this up now. His eyes sparkled brightly and a smile played on his luscious lips. 'I said 'soul-mate love' and I still believe you are my soul mate.'

'And I know you are mine.' He took a deep breath. 'So, Alexis Katerina Ames…will you do me the honor of allowing me to spend the rest of my life with you? Will you marry me?'

He held his hand out and opened a small box to reveal a ring. The air caught in my throat and my heart stopped beating. I couldn't even see the ring clearly as tears filled my eyes. I looked at him instead, his eyes serious and pleading. So loving. So damn beautiful.

I froze. He did not…? Oh, yes, he did! Oh, my!!

'Oh…' I finally breathed. Speak, stupid, or he'll take it the wrong way. 'Um…yes…of course…Yes, Tristan Knight, I would love to spend the rest of my life with you.'

'Thank you,' he breathed with relief. Did he expect any other answer? He slid the ring on my finger and before I could get a good look at it, he took my face in his hands and kissed me passionately.

We fell back on the blanket and his hand slid down to my neck, around my shoulder and down my side as our kisses became more fervent. He held my waist and our lips and tongues continued their dance. His mouth traveled slowly down to my neck, kissing and sucking, his hand gliding up the front of my stomach, sliding over my breast. A small sound slipped through my throat. He gently cupped and caressed my breast, moving his lips slowly over my skin to the opening in my blouse, slipping his tongue under it. One of my hands clawed at his back while the other twisted in his hair.

With one hand, he undid my two top buttons, enough to expose my chest, and kissed around the tops of my bra on both breasts. He traced the birthmark—a strange design of slightly lighter pigment—over my left breast with his finger, then his lips, kissing and sucking. I tugged at the bottom of his shirt and he pulled it over his head as I undid the last buttons of my blouse, letting it fall open. He pressed his body down, so hot and hard against me. His lips found mine again, sucking and tugging, his hand between us on my breast, his fingers slipping under my bra. With so much skin-to-skin contact, the electricity stimulated every nerve. I couldn't control the moan or the spasm as my pelvis jerked against him.

And that was the breaking point.

He groaned and pounded his fist into the sand next to me. He sat up on his knees over me and I started to reach up and touch his bare chest and stomach. He was so beautiful, so perfect. Except his eyes. Fire burned within them. I dropped my hand. He stood up and strode away without a word. I lay there, drawing ragged breaths, staring at the darkening sky. My heart raced and the blood throbbed in delicate places. After several minutes, I finally buttoned my blouse with trembling fingers and sat up. The sky had darkened enough that I couldn't see him anywhere. I picked up the blanket and his shirt and headed inside.

Tristan wasn't in there, so I sat on a kitchen chair and waited. His house wasn't quite home to me, not like