Bannockburn Binding (Beloved Bloody Time) (25 page)

Lee stared at him and saw that Tally was also staring, dumbfounded. The baby hiccupped and made a tiny sound. Tally silently rocked him.

“Is she…still with us?” Lee asked carefully.

Rob shook his head. “She’s not with the agency that I know of. She might be passing, somewhere. We lost track of each other a few centuries ago, long before the Censure period.”

“So you can’t say who it is, then,” Tally concluded. “What happened after you were made?”

“I carefully moved into France, to set myself up there and build up a family estate.”

Lee pressed his fingers to his temples. “
Charbonneau
!” he groaned. “
Constant Charbonneau Villeneuve…
Je suis un idiot! 
“ When he looked up, it was Rob who was looking at him with the same stupefied expression Tally had just been wearing.

Lee pointed at Rob. “Charbonneau
is
your real name,” he said. “’Charbonneau’ is ‘black’—for your black Celt looks. Did the villagers give you that name or did you take it for yourself?”

Rob grinned. “I took it. It seemed fitting.”

“’Constant’ almost needs no translation,” Lee continued. “But it is a play on the English ‘constant’—or steadfast, or ‘always there’, if you really want me to paint the picture. And ‘Villeneuve’ is basically, ‘the new man in the village,’ which the villagers definitely would have given you.” He looked at Tally. “His name is a picture of his origins in France.”

Tally gave a small laugh. “There’s any number of travellers who speak medieval French in the agency, because they have to do that Marie Antoinette run. You’d have thought they’d have figured that one out and wondered about you, Rob.”

“I’ve been resisting pressure for weeks,” Rob admitted. “I wouldn’t share my motives for wanting to join the agency after passing silently in France for generations. It was starting to bother them.” He leaned over with his other hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb. Lee heard her catch her breath. “Soft, again,” Rob murmured, with a tone of wonder.

“But not warm,” Tally said sadly.

“Neither am I,” Rob reminded her. He cupped her cheek. “I’ll take ye either way, Tally, my love.”

“But why
France
?” Lee insisted.

Rob turned to look at Lee and rolled his eyes. “You jest,
mon amant?
”

Tally giggled. “That’s your fault, too, Lee.”

“Too?” Lee said, aggrieved.

“You told Rob there were no vampires you knew of who had come out of France. God knows, we’ve all got tired of doing that awful jump back to England and then across the channel.”

“He told me more than either of you realize,” Rob added. “From words you had used and extrapolating from those words, I knew there would be a revolution, and that most of France’s royalty would be destroyed, so I knew I had to set myself up as a landed commoner, not true blue-blood, and that I had to stay aloof from the crown until the crown disappeared. I even knew there would be two world wars that would decimate the country sometime after that. I knew about the Censure from hints you’d given. Those four events were enough for me to navigate past most of the major crises that a rich, landed Frenchman might face over a thousand years or so. By staying in France and out of contact with any other vampires, I built up a personal history there. It’s what made me so attractive to the agency as a traveller, when I finally made contact at the beginning of this year. I knew Tally would have already travelled back to Scotland. I was right, the agency tripped over themselves to pull me in. I just had to make sure I didn’t meet you, Lee, before you left—but I knew I wouldn’t, because you didn’t know me when you met me back in the past.”

Lee wrinkled his brow. “Christ, it’s a wonder your brain isn’t twisted like a Celtic knot after working this one through. I’d have a headache if I were in my human form.”

“I had a thousand years to figure it out,” Rob said placidly. “Ten centuries to iron out the wrinkles and anticipate snags.” He reached out to pick up Lee’s hand and Tally’s. “And think about this moment.”

Tally looked down at the baby in her arms. “He’s asleep at last,” she murmured. She handed him over to Rob. “Put him in the basket, hmm?”

Rob looked down at the tiny baby in his arms, clearly startled. Tally got to her feet, while Rob stared down at the baby.

“We need a name for him,” Lee said. “Perhaps, as you have such a facility for names, we should leave it to you to come up with a short list,” he told Rob.

Rob nodded, his gaze on the baby as he lay him in the basket.

“That’s a first,” Tally said. “Taking my clothes off usually rivets your attention upon me.”

They both looked up, startled. Tally stood at the foot of the bed, wearing stockings and garters and a diminutive silk and lace something the colour of ripe peaches that seemed to show far more flesh than it hid.

Lee found himself next to Tally, with no clear memory of crossing the floor. He had been focused more fully on Tally’s exotic appearance and the promise in her eyes.

Rob reached her at the same time, but his hands as he went to lay them on her waist were shaking badly.

“Rob,” Lee whispered, alarmed.

“It’s adrenaline breaking through,” Rob said. “Pay it no mind. It’ll pass. For you, it’s only been a few days. For me, this moment has been over a thousand years coming.” His hand settled on her waist and he sighed and rested his head against hers.

Lee wrapped his arms about both of them. “A year ago I would never have dreamed I would be able to this. Not here and now. Not with either of you. Who said all vampires were cursed?”

“We’re not,” Tally replied. “Not anymore. Thanks to Rob.”

“Thanks to you two,” Rob said, “I have lived a very long, interesting life and found love waiting for me just where I left it. And we have a son that lives. No, we’re not cursed in the slightest.”

He kissed them, the first of many more.

Book Two of the Beloved Bloody Time series:

Can they love again? Is it too late?

Nayara Ybarra and Ryan Deasmhumhain are the most powerful vampires known to humans in the 23rd century. They lead the Chronometric Preservation Agency, welded together yet divided by grief that won't heal, their lives on hold. Vampires have lived apart from humans in the two hundred years since Nayara and Ryan jumped back in time and killed their lover, Salathiel, to halt the time wave that was destroying humanity
and
vampires.
 
Now, Càel Stelios, Worlds Assembly member, intends to make humans like vampires any way he can. He knows the vampires must become allies. Their unique strengths and abilities will help humans in the coming battle against the raging psi and their psychotic leader, Gabriel.

While he wages his political and social campaign he hides his true ambitions: to win Nayara and Ryan for himself.
 
But despite being politically powerful, rich, smart and sexually potent, Stelios has an overwhelming disadvantage:
 
He's human. “No” is not a word he accepts without a fight, however.
 
The psi-filers and Gabriel have plans, though, that will make fighting very real and bloody indeed...

WARNING:
 
This book contains two hot, sexy alpha heroes, frequent, explicit and frank sex scenes and sexual language.

It includes heart-stopping sexual scenes between the aforementioned sexy heroes, menage scenes, and anal sex.

Do not proceed beyond this point if hot love scenes offend you.

No vampires were harmed in the making of this novel.

Click here to buy this book from Amazon now:
 
http://amzn.to/QALCWB

Other books by
Tracy Cooper-Posey

Blood Knot Series (Urban Fantasy Paranormal Series)

•
        
Blood Knot

•
        
Blood Stone

•
        
Blood Unleashed
(Upcoming)

•
        
Blood Revealed
(Upcoming)

Beloved Bloody Time Series (Paranormal Futuristic Time Travel)

•
        
Bannockburn Binding

•
        
Byzantine Heartbreak

Kiss Across Time Series (Paranormal Time Travel)

•
        
Kiss Across Time

•
        
Kiss Across Swords

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Kiss Across Chains (Upcoming)

Guardian Bonds (Gargoyle Paranormal Series)

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Carson’s Night (As Teal Ceagh)

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Beauty’s Beasts (As Teal Ceagh)

•
        
Sabrina’s Clan (Upcoming)

Destiny’s Trinities (Urban Fantasy Romance Series)

•
        
Beth’s Acceptance
 
(As Teal Ceagh)

•
        
Mia’s Return
 
(As Teal Ceagh)

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Sera’s Gift
 
(As Teal Ceagh)

Short Paranormals
 

•
        
Solstice Surrender

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Eva’s Last Dance

Guns ‘n’ Lovers Series (Romantic Suspense)

•
        
Red Leopard

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Black Heart

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Blue Knight

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White Dawn (Upcoming)

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Silver Noon
 
(Upcoming)

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Golden Day
 
(Upcoming)

Go-get-‘em Women (Short Romantic Suspense Series)

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The Royal Talisman

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Delly’s Last Night

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Ningaloo Nights

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Dare to Return