Gypsy Nights

GYPSY NIGHTS.

by Mandy M. Roth.

To Shane, for all that you do to help me do what I love. Thank you.

Chapter 1.

Gitana divided the mint rhizomes out carefully on the countertop. She glanced at the parent plant and bent down to take in a deep breath. The scent of peppermint never got old. She concentrated on cutting the runners into the sizes needed to replant them. She was just about to make another snip when the bell, which signaled that a customer was in the shop, dinged. Dusting her hands off, she gave them a quick swipe across her smock before reaching up to adjust her falling hair.

Hours had been dedicated to trying to unlock the secrets of keeping her unruly hair up, but after twenty-nine years, it was still a mystery. It was hard to fight the gift that Mother Nature had given her, wavy dark brown locks that seemed to grow faster than a weed. She shrugged and gave up.

Oh, well, you can"t flaunt what you don"t have.

Leaving the greenhouse, she headed into her tiny herb shop. It provided her with enough income to pay her bills and she enjoyed it. "Be right with you," she called out, hurrying to hang her smock on a hook and adjust her hair--again.

"Take your time," a deep male voice said, rolling over her, through her, before finally settling in the apex of her thighs.

Gitana glanced up, and drew a deep breath in, ceasing to fidget with her smock. Every now and then she"d get a health conscious hot guy who wanted to jump on the homeopathic bandwagon, but never had she had a man as stunning as this one walk in before.

The tall stranger stood smiling at her just inside the doorway. His onyx hair hung in loose curls over his shoulders and blended in with his black leather jacket.

He slid a pair of leather gloves off his pale hands. His long fingers seemed to caress the sh.e.l.l they"d been enclosed in. Whoever he was, he"d managed to turn the simple task of removing a glove into an erotic moment. She"d never wished to be a pair of Italian gloves before in her life, but now she did. The thought of having his long fingers sheathed inside of her was almost too much.

"Umm, h.e.l.lo...is there anything I can do to you...I mean for you? Can I help you?" Gitana rolled her eyes slightly, embarra.s.sed by her slip of the tongue. A slow devilish smile crept onto his handsome face and she reddened.

Great, blush a little more, why don"t you.

He took a step toward her. "Oui, I was told that you were the woman to see if I wanted to start my own herb garden." His voice was laced with a heavy French accent.

She gave him a sideways glance. He didn"t look like the gardening type. No, he looked more like the millionaire international playboy type. Jet setting and yachts came to mind when looking at him--not herb gardens. But, if he really wanted one, she"d help. "Sure, what size garden do you have in mind...?" She didn"t have a name to address him by, so she let her question just fade away.

"Je m"appelle," he said, stopping quick and shaking his head slightly. "Pardon, I did not mean to be rude. My name is Sebastian Rolle. I purchased the house across the way." He pointed out toward the woods. "I am thinking of having several gardens put in."

Yep, just as she thought, he wasn"t the gardening type. He probably already had a crew of twenty men waiting for him to tell them where to dig. "You can have your landscaper call me. I"d be happy to help him out with what he needs."

His brow furrowed. "Je ne comprends pas--I do not understand. I have no landscaper. I will be handling all of this on my own."

She let out a tiny laugh and covered her mouth, hoping that he wouldn"t notice. Much to her dismay, he did. "Do you find that amusing, Madame...?"

"Gitana," she said, walking out from behind her counter and extending her hand to him. "Sorry, no...I don"t find it funny. It"s just that you don"t strike me as the type who"d want to get dirty."

"Getting dirty is one of my many specialties." He slid his cool hand over hers and cupped it gently. For having had gloves on, Sebastian"s hands were like ice. She knew just the place to warm them, but refrained from commenting on it. Pulling away slowly, she noticed that she"d left dirt on his hand. She waited for him to try to find a place on his designer shirt to wipe it, but he just glanced down and smiled.

"Looks like I am well on my way to being an avid gardener."

Impressive, indeed, perhaps she"d underestimated him. Sebastian"s shoes alone were worth more than her entire wardrobe and yet here he was in her tiny shop, wanting her a.s.sistance. The best part of it all was that he was her new neighbor. "You bought the old McGregor estate?"

Sebastian nodded. "Oui, it needs quite a bit of work, but what can I say? I fell in love with it." He brushed his hair back and exposed the most beautiful pair of navy blue eyes she"d ever seen. He winked at her and made her jump. A nervous laugh escaped her. "Would you mind if I use your restroom? They will not have my water on for some time yet. I attempted to find other accommodations for the night, but it seems that this quaint little town has none."

"Sure, umm, you"ll have to use the one in my house. The one here in the shop has been acting up for weeks now. I"ve been meaning to call someone, but with spring just around the corner I"ve been too busy."

Chapter 2.

"You are sure that I am not putting you out?" Sebastian asked as Gitana poured him a cup of tea. A piece of her chestnut-colored hair fell forward and covered one of her large brown eyes. He had to fight the urge to reach up and brush it out of the way. From the moment he"d seen those chocolate-colored eyes that were the doorway to her soul, he"d wanted to touch her and to know what it would be like to be buried deep within her while she called out his name. The very idea of filling her eyes with l.u.s.t, with pa.s.sion, shocked his senses, and left him shifting awkwardly to hide his erection.

He"d been surprised when she"d not only invited him in to use her restroom, but had also insisted that he stay for some tea and a bite to eat. It was clear that Gitana had no idea what he was, or she would have never bothered offering him food. Sebastian was old enough now that he could hide some of the oddities that normally betrayed his kind.

It was easy for vampires to lose their humanity if they didn"t work to maintain control. His eyes would be the first thing to give him away if he didn"t control them. They had a tendency to swirl with vibrant shades of navy and black whenever his emotions ran too high or too deep. The next, and generally most recognizable, trait was his teeth. He"d mastered the art of hiding his fangs when he smiled and talked, long ago. Kissing was a different situation. He"d spent centuries trying to work the kinks out, but every now and then he still drew blood. He thought of his lips on Gitana"s, how tempting hers were, calling out to him, but the last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her. He"d spent too long searching for her to allow anything happen to her.

It"d taken Sebastian almost thirty years to find Gitana, but here she was. She was even more beautiful than her mother was. He hadn"t even thought that possible. Her mother, even in her final moments, looked like a gift from the G.o.ddess herself. He"d come across her mother, Tawni, during the war between the Roma (Gypsies) and the demons. Christians had long mistaken the Roma as being at one with the demons. They"d tired of this misconception and decided to banish a few well-known demons to another realm. Their power was great and they succeeded, but they also managed to bring the wrath of the entire demon community down on them. All walks of demon life attacked them and in such numbers that few tribes survived.

Sebastian cringed when he thought of the heinous acts his own kind had committed during the height of the war. Word had spread of a tiny group of healers who had come to help the victims of the war. He"d been unable to stop the others from going once they heard that the healers were Romas, so he"d followed in the shadows and did his best to save as many innocent lives as he could.

The war between good and evil had been a b.l.o.o.d.y one. It still claimed victims although not in the same numbers it once did.

He could still remember how scared Tawni was when he found her pregnant and hiding in the woods. She kept calling out the word mullo and covering her face. Sebastian had been alive long enough to know that mullo meant demon in her native tongue, and that the young girl was right, that"s exactly what had attacked her tribe.

Tawni went on and on about how she was pregnant with the chosen one, and that was why she and her people were attacked. He tried to tell her that it was a random act of violence, but the more he thought about it, the less random it seemed. The vampires had been ordered to seek out the Gypsies in the area and destroy them. When a master vampire ordered his people to do something, they did it without question, at least all but Sebastian did.

He carried the very pregnant Tawni to the nearest group of human soldiers and left her near their base. He"d thought that would be enough. He"d a.s.sumed that the young woman would seek help, but he was wrong. When he returned the next night, he found her bitten and on the verge of death. The mullos had returned and found her alone. She used what magic she had left to fight them off, but she was unable to hold them all back. Sebastian tried to pick her up and carry her all the way into the Roma base, but Tawni wouldn"t allow him to touch her until he promised to make sure that her child was safe. Reluctantly, he agreed.

"You will be the one for her. It has been foreseen," she said, and with that Tawni, the tiny Roma woman, died in his arms. The actions that followed would haunt him until the end of his days. In the height of his glory as a blood drinker he would have taken great pleasure in mutilating a human, but that had changed. Sebastian had softened over the years, and forcing Tawni"s child into the world was bittersweet for him. He"d aided in saving the tiny baby"s life, but had been unable to save her mother. Sebastian took the baby and returned her to the survivors of the brutal attack. That night he"d been plagued by visions of Tawni and by her final words to him. The next night he tried to find the Roma tribe that he"d left the baby with, but they had vanished. He"d spent the next thirty years trying to find the child again.

Now, as Sebastian watched Gitana prepare a sandwich for him, he had a hard time believing that she was the same child he"d seen so many years ago. Gone was the tiny, purplish, screaming bundle he"d carried, wrapped tightly in his coat for miles in the pouring rain. He could still remember how loud the thunder was that night, and how severe the storm was that followed. He"d feared that the tiny baby girl would not make it, but she did. Now, Gitana was a creature of such beauty that he thought for a moment that his heart had actually started to beat. Of course, that was ridiculous, he hadn"t fed today and it wouldn"t beat again until he took the blood of the living into him.

"Would you like some mayonnaise?" Gitana asked, glancing at him and then the sandwich.

Sebastian wasn"t sure how to respond to that because he wasn"t entirely sure what that was. He could eat human food, but it did little in the way of sustaining him, so he tended to avoid it. Gitana wrinkled her nose up and gave him a very adorable look.

"It"s okay to tell me what you do and don"t like. I won"t hold it against you when I help you with your herb garden."

"Very well then, no, I will pa.s.s on the may-o-nnaise. Thank you, though."

She took time to cut his sandwich and arrange it on the plate, just so. It had been ages since someone had done that for him--over a hundred years. He sighed and thought of Tawni"s last words. Could Gitana really be the life mate he"d been searching for?

Could he really be the one for her? He looked around the tiny yellow kitchen for signs of a man"s touch. Dried herbs and flowers hung upside down from the ceiling and lined the walls. Gitana was an excellent housekeeper, at least from what he"d seen so far, so he couldn"t gauge by the number of dishes she had out. A more direct approach was in order.

"Your property is almost as large as mine. It must be hard on you caring for all of it. I am already asking myself why I bothered to buy such a large house and so much land when there is only me."

Gitana sat down at the other end of the table and looked out the window in the direction of his house. "It"s not so bad. You get used to being alone. I purchased this place right out of college. My husband...."

The phone rang and she stopped talking. Sebastian felt as if his sh.e.l.l of a heart had been ripped from his chest. He"d been searching for centuries for that perfect someone, his one true mate, and now that he had finally found the one who was supposed to be it, she was married.

Sebastian tried to be polite and block out Gitana"s conversation but his vampire hearing made it easy for him to pick up on almost any noise. He perked up when he heard an older woman"s voice. The woman was talking about a man named Aaron, and about how Gitana should return his phone calls.

Gitana turned in towards the phone and tried to whisper. "Grandma, I"m not going to call him, and don"t you call him either. The divorce is final and the restraining order is clear, if he sets foot on my property, I"ll call the sheriff. I have to go now...yes...I"ll call you in the morning."

Sebastian"s blood boiled. Who was this Aaron and what had he done to his Gitana? If he found out that Aaron had harmed her in any way, he would personally snap his neck. Right after he drained him of his blood.

No sooner did she hang the phone up than it rang again. Gitana picked it up expecting to find her meddlesome grandmother on the other end and felt her stomach drop out when she heard Aaron"s voice. She glanced over at her guest and hoped that she didn"t look as nervous as she felt.

"Gitana, don"t hang up. I just want to talk to you."

"You were told not to call here. I"ve changed my number enough," she said, as quietly as she could.

"Come on, baby. I just want to see you, that"s all. Your grandmother thinks we should try to work things out."

"She also thinks that she can communicate with the dead and read people"s fortunes, still want to go with what grandma thinks?"

She didn"t wait for a response. "I have to go. Don"t call here again."

"Don"t hang up on me, Gitana, I"m warning you."

She put the phone down and shut the ringer off. Aaron could redial her number all night, and she wouldn"t have to be bothered with him. She turned her attention back to Sebastian. His jaw was tight and his body language said that he was agitated.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, his gaze narrowing.

She glanced back at the phone and hoped beyond hope that he hadn"t overheard her conversation. She"d had a hard enough time meeting and keeping men around due to Aaron. Her ex-husband had made it his mission in life to see that she was single. He"d once beaten up a man she"d gone out to dinner with and threatened any others that he found out about. Aaron had made it hard for her to do much of anything. He"d been possessive when they were married and he was still doing it now, two years after the divorce had become final.

Gitana gave him a slight grin and sat back down in her chair. "Yes, everything is fine. So, tell me, how do you like the house so far?"

Good girl, change the subject.

"Ah, the house is perfect. Well, it is perfect minus the lack of water, electricity, and heat. They cannot turn anything on until the contractors are done making upgrades. I apparently purchased a money pit, but after having met my new neighbor, I believe it is worth my while." He winked, and her heart fluttered.

Gitana brought her hand to her face as she smiled. If Sebastian was flirting with her, he was doing a great job. If he was only being polite, well, that was still good too.

She watched him stir his tea. He leaned forward and placed his spoon on her saucer. Her eyes bulged. One of her grandmother"s specialties was reading fortunes. She could do it in just about anything: tealeaves, water, crystal b.a.l.l.s, even candles. Sebastian"s very casual discarding of his spoon was a sign of a marriage to come--at least, it was if you bought into divinations. If grandma was right, then Gitana was heading back down the aisle soon. She laughed a little at the absurdity of it all, even though part of her wanted more than anything for that to be true.

Chapter 3.

It felt so wrong to him to invade Gitana"s mind, but Sebastian was finding it hard to control himself around her. His rage over her ex-husband calling her had set him on the edge and he"d suddenly found himself deep within her mind, exploring her most private of thoughts. He had been pleased to find out that he"d inadvertently given her a sign of a pending marriage and was even happier to find that she hoped it was true. He wanted nothing more than to find his mate and spend eternity with her. And part of him knew that Gitana was the one.

Sebastian"s only complaint about his potential mate was that she always covered her smile. He"d get her to stop doing that soon, even if he had to hold her hand away from her face while he made love to her, and he had no doubt that he would make love to her very soon. He would stop at nothing to see that happen. He would be a gentle lover for her, if that was what she needed, different from this Aaron fool who obviously didn"t know how to treat a woman of Gitana"s caliber.

He had to fight to keep a feral smile off his face when he heard Gitana thinking about his chiseled face, thick neck, and how his chest looked from the little bit she could see. He was pleased that she found him attractive, but was even more pleased by how perfect she was. In his eyes, there had never been a woman as beautiful as Gitana. Her olive skin and delicate features made him want to wrap his arms around her and protect her from the world. He had none of his normal primal urges to use a woman and discard her after he was satisfied. No, Sebastian wanted nothing more than to please Gitana.

He took a few bites of the sandwich she"d made him and tried to wash it down with the tea she"d poured him. The last thing he wanted to do was offend her, but trying to push down human food on an empty stomach was never a good idea. After he had blood, he would sometimes eat a few strawberries or have a gla.s.s of wine. He should have fed before he came to see her, but his excitement over finally finding her had clouded his better judgment. He needed to go and feed soon, or he"d be unable to control himself much longer. As much as he hated to leave her, he didn"t want her to see his demon manifest itself. He rose from his chair and picked up his plate.

Gitana rushed around the table and took it from him. "Here, I"ll get that."

"Merci, and I hope to see you again soon. I really should be getting home."

She shifted and bit at her lower lip. Instantly, his body tightened and his c.o.c.k hardened. Thoughts of her lush lips wrapped around his shaft flooded him.

"Are you sure? I mean, you don"t have any utilities hooked up yet and it"s supposed to be cold tonight. I have a guest bedroom.

You"re welcome to stay in that."

He couldn"t hide his shock. He never expected her to go so far as to invite him to stay the night. Sure, he"d hoped, but he never really thought that she would. Truthfully, he didn"t mind sleeping in a house with no heat. His body stayed cold regardless of his surroundings, so it didn"t matter. As much as he wanted to be with her, in her, the need to feed was too great. He was about to decline her polite offer when he sensed her fear of being alone. Aaron"s call had unnerved her and Sebastian wanted to have a go at him if for no other reason then that. Standing slowly, he nodded.

"If you are sure that it would be no trouble, then yes. I would welcome the opportunity to not only have a warm bed, but the company of a beautiful woman as well." His comment was suggestive, just as he intended it to be. Gitana blushed and it warmed him. He wanted to touch her, hold her in his arms and feel the length of her body pressed close to his.

Suddenly, the lights flickered and then died. Gitana yelped and crashed into the corner of the table. Sebastian"s vampire eyes could see perfectly in any light, and he used his speed to cover the distance between them. Touching her arm lightly, he whispered in her ear. "It is okay. A storm approaches from the west." He ran his fingers down her arm. She tipped her head back, exposing her smooth neck to him, and let out a soft, s.e.xy sigh. "Can you smell it...the rain I mean."

Gitana took in a deep breath and held it for a moment. "Yes, I do smell it."

She turned into his arms and tightened under his touch. Her body wanted him. He could sense it. But she was unsure of what to do next. Sebastian also sensed fear in her. It was unclear if her fear was of him or for him. There was only one way to find out.

Leaning down to her, he let his lips hover just above her cheek. He wrapped his body around hers, embracing her, holding her tight. "Ma vie, you are shaking. Do you not like storms?"

"No, I"ve never liked them. I have these dreams sometimes of...." She stopped short.

He moved his head more and blew out a cool breath onto her cheek. It wasn"t hard to notice the sweet smell of her nervous sweat and the soft scent of vanilla that she seemed to secrete. He wondered if her cream would taste every bit as sweet as it smelled.

Thunder boomed around them and the window lit up with the blue flashes of lightning. Gitana jumped and threw herself against Sebastian, leaving his body tightening and his c.o.c.k painfully erect. He closed his eyes for a moment to try to regain his composure, but being this close to her proved to be too much.

He wanted to have her naked in his arms, to taste what wonders lay beneath her long red skirt, and to press his c.o.c.k deep within her velvety folds. At least, if he"d taken blood today, he could have held his s.e.xual urges at bay. But now he wasn"t sure if blood would do much in the way of calming him while he was around Gitana, and that was a sign that she was a candidate to be his mate.