There's Always Tomorrow (Immortal Series) (16 page)

In a quiet
voice, and without looking at him, Sophie pressed on.
 
“Then, tell me.
 
What makes you so special?
 
Why do call yourself cursed?”

“Well, I guess
if living
forever
doesn’t impress you, you might like to know that while
I can’t do some of the stunts, that the average celluloid vampire can do, I do
not fall prey to their frailties, either.
 
You can drive a wooden stake through my heart and it won‘t kill me.
 
It’ll hurt like hell, but I’ll survive.
 
I can walk in the sunshine and not
burst into flames.
 
I do not have
to feed on blood to keep up my strength.
 
In fact, if I do not want to eat or drink, it really isn’t necessary
that I do so.
 
I am partial to
Italian food with a lot of garlic, chocolate, and a fine wine, now and
then.
 
A beautiful woman taught me
to appreciate the finer things in life.
 
But I digress.”

“You what?”

“I suffer no
ill effects at all, except for a few minor hunger pangs.
 
No silver bullet will kill me and I am
a converted Catholic.
 
Holy Water
is just that, and presents no physical harm when coming in contact with my
flesh.”

“Do you wear a
crucifix around your neck?”

Tony shook his
head.

Growing very
serious, he deliberated for a few moments, wrinkling his forehead and lost in
thought.
 
His eyes took on a dark,
ominous gleam.
 
He lowered his
voice and spoke in a well-measured and calculated tone.
 
“If all that is not enough to impress
you, my dear, think on this.”
 
His
hands gripped Sophie’s arms tightly, forcing her to remain motionless.
 
“When I close my eyes to dream, I see
the fires of hell open up, thrusting its burning tentacles toward me...reaching
for my soul...seeking to devour me.

“Is that
special enough for you?”
 
Never had
Tony unburdened himself so completely.
 
He hoped he hadn’t made a mistake.

Sophie was
clearly dumbstruck.
 
She loosened
her arms from Tony’s strong grip, and slid off the bed.
 
She needed to put some space between
herself and the handsome man she so desperately wanted.
 
She retied the belt of her robe, giving
her time to think of the perfect words to say.
 
Suddenly, out of the blue, she started to giggle.
 
It was all crystal clear.

“Okay.
 
Someone told you that I’d believe
anything
;
that I was just that gullible—a real blonde.
 
Immortal
?
 
Sure, Tony.
 
Anything you
say.
 
Look, if you want to break it
off with me, go ahead.
 
Never see
me again.
 
But at least be a man
and have the guts to tell me the truth.
 
You owe me that much, Tony.”
 
Tears filled her amazing eyes and her chin started to tremble.

It broke Tony’s
heart to see her cry over him.
 
Once again, he had unintentionally hurt her.
 
What could he say to bring her comfort?
 
He’d already told her the truth, but
she didn’t believe him.
 
He would
simply have to press on and reveal more of his past.
 
Perhaps then, she would be convinced.

“Sophie.”
 
He reached for her, but she pulled
away.
 

“Sophie, I love
you, or I would never have told you my secrets.
 
It is the love, which I have for you, that makes it all
necessary.
 
I want to marry you,
Sophie.
 
I want to have a family
with you, but it wouldn’t be fair not to first inform you of the many
pitfalls.
 
I will not age as you
do.
 
As you see me, today, so I
looked in 1810, 1923, and 1950.
 
More than likely, when you are sixty, I will look as I do, right
now.
 
At some point, our children
will look older than their father.”

It was a lot to
wrap one’s mind around, and Tony knew he had to give Sophie some time.
 
How could any woman, with full
knowledge of what they faced, commit to such a strange relationship?
 
He’d be her loving husband always, but
could she deal with the ever-widening gap of their physical ages?

“I want to
marry you, Sophie.
 
It would be
your first marriage, and my fifth.
 
That may not sound so preposterous, but I haven’t been in a serious
relationship since my last wife died in 1950…over sixty years ago.’

“So, you’re not
fooling me?
 
You’re not crazy?
 
You really are immortal?
”
 
Sophie’s knees began to buckle, as she
slowly spiraled to the floor.

Tony was quick
to catch her up, and carry her limp form back to the bed.
 
He was such a fool.
 
Of course, she was going to be in
shock.
 
With her, being Sophie, it
just took a little longer to realize what he was saying.
 
He smiled to himself and kissed her
beautiful mouth.

Sophie’s
eyelashes began to flutter.
 
She
was coming around.
 
Tony held the
glass of wine to her lips.
 
“Drink,
darling.
 
It will give you
strength.”

She did as she
was told.
 
Finally, waving the
glass away, she gazed into the stern face of the man she loved so much.
 
“What kind of a person would I be, if I
turned my back on you for something you had no control over?
 
It’s not like it’s catching or
anything.
 
It isn’t, is it?” she
asked as an afterthought.

“No,
sweetheart,” he chuckled with relief.
 
“You can’t catch it.”

“Will our
children have it?”

“No, they
won’t.
 
Are you saying that you’re
willing to marry me?”
 
Tony was
afraid to hope.

“Well, the way
I see it, you’re a hero.
 
You saved
that young girl’s life, and she saved yours…for me.
 
I’m grateful all the way around.
 
What happened to your friend, Thomas?
 
I’d like to meet him.”

Tony turned
away before he spoke.
 
He could not
allow Sophie to see his face, while he spoke of his best friend.
 
“Thomas was the real hero, that night,
so long ago.
 
Many years later, he
did something equally reckless, and was once again, very heroic.
 
It killed him.
 
He died.”

“But Tony…I
thought that…”

“Enough!
 
I’ve told you everything you need to
know to make an informed decision.
 
I can’t say more,” he shouted.
 
Lowering his voice, he clarified, “There’s more to tell, but I’m
exhausted.
 
Forgive me,
darling.
 
I can’t talk about
Thomas.
 
It’s too difficult.
 
Someday, you’ll know everything.
 
I promise.”

Tony couldn’t
believe his good fortune.
 
Sophie
had looked past his curse and saw the man he truly was, and now, he held her in
his arms.
 
Her lithe, young body
felt warm, and fit against him perfectly.
 
Her soft, blonde curls smelled fresh and clean.
 
They tickled his nose as he buried his
face in her fragrant hair.

With a move,
slow and seductive, Tony’s fingers loosened Sophie’s belt and slid up across
her bare shoulders, causing her robe to slip silently to the floor, exposing
her glorious naked body to his full gaze.
 
Tony was robbed of speech.

“I want you,”
she whispered softly, rubbing her firm breasts against his chest.
 
“I want you very much.”

Tony was quick
to respond, as he picked Sophie up and carried her toward his bed and lowered
her onto the mattress.
 
Staring
down at her nude form, he smiled tenderly.
 
“Thank you,” he whispered.

Sophie’s hand
moved slightly, in an attempt to cover the soft, golden triangle at the apex of
her thighs.

“No,
please.
 
You’re exquisite,” Tony
murmured.
 
“Don’t hide your
loveliness from me.”
 
He brought
her hand to his lips, kissed her fingers, and then tucked them in, next to her
side.

A raging fire
consumed his blood; a fire that only Sophie could quench.
 
Tony pulled at his sweater, revealing
his strong and well defined set of muscles.
 
His unblemished flesh glistened with sweat.
 
No chest hair marred his masculine
beauty.
 
It wasn’t until one
glanced below his naval, that a line of dark, coarse, hair appeared and led
directly to his engorged shaft.

“You’re
gorgeous,” Sophie exclaimed, a smile breaking out across her face.
 
She unconsciously licked her lips in
anticipation.

Tony
laughed.
 
“As are you,
sweetheart.”
 
His hand crawled
lightly up her thigh, causing her smooth, silky flesh to break out in delicate
goose bumps.
 
Closer, Tony allowed
his fingers to roam over her soft skin, seeking out her most private places.

Sophie
moaned.
 
She wanted him to touch
her there, to stroke her most sensitive spot.
 
As his lips brushed across the pink tip of her breasts, she
cried out, begging for relief.

“God,
Tony.
 
Love me,” she begged.

Tony aimed to
please, but first things first.
 
His mouth settled on a ripe, pink nipple.
 
While his tongue flicked it, back and forth, he sucked
gently, causing the peak to swell and pebble in his mouth.
 
It was delicious.
 
Then, carefully, so as not to cause
discomfort, Tony’s teeth nipped and tugged on the tender tip, elongating the
nipple and filling his mouth with a bit of heaven.
 
He found it difficult to contain his enthusiasm.

Once again,
Sophie pleaded for mercy, as she arched her hips against Tony’s hard body.
 
She needed relief, and she needed it
soon.

Tony stood back
and quickly dropped his pants.
 
His
body was trembling with an overwhelming need of its own.
 
The most primal of all male urges
surged through him, threatening to devour him.
 
His desire for this woman was all consuming, and it was time
he claimed her for himself.

Sophie parted
her thighs, giving Tony an unobstructed view of his prize.
 
He could see the glistening drops of
moisture gathered there, upon the tight curls and along the sides of her legs.
 
It was a true indication of the desire
she felt for him.
 
She was so
turned-on that he could almost feel the moist heat rising up from her.
 
He savored the heady aroma of an
aroused female.
 
Nothing was
sexier.

His erection
throbbed with a primitive need, so strong, it threatened to override his strong
will.
 
Tony wasn’t absolutely
certain that Sophie had experience with love.
 
In so many ways, she was an innocent.
 
The last thing he wanted to do was
charge in like a raging bull, and ram his cock full force, into unchartered
flesh.

Tony slid his
finger into her tight wetness.
 
Sophie gripped him so firmly; he thought he might explode, then and
there.
 
She was hot and silky
inside, and incredibly tight; it made his mouth water at the thought of simply
tasting her.

As he was still
wondering about her innocence, Sophie reached down and wrapped her fingers
around his fully enlarged and hardened penis.
 
She stopped moaning and stilled her gyrating hips.

“Tony?”
 
Her voice sounded small and unsure.

“What’s the
matter, sweetie?” Tony asked, after he caught his breath and found his voice.

“Tony, I
lied.”
 
She started to whimper,
softly.

Tony could feel
her body tremble, ever so slightly.
 
He stopped massaging the tiny bud found hidden within her feminine
folds.
 
He sighed, “What did you
lie about?”

“Oh, Tony.
 
It’s so embarrassing.
 
I’ve never done this before.
 
I’ve never touched a man.
 
You’re so big…it scares me.”
 
She covered her face with her hands.

So he had been
wise to proceed with caution.
 
The
last thing he wanted to do was hurt Sophie.
 
It was critical to make her first time, perfect.
 
Tony put his arms around her and held
her close to his bare chest.
 
He
could feel the rapid thumping of her heartbeat.
 
He slowly rocked her, back and forth, for a few moments, and
then bent down to kiss her pouty lips.

“You shouldn’t
be embarrassed, Sophie.
 
I kind of
guessed.”

She was
surprised and stopped her whimpering.
 
“You did?
 
And you still
wanted me?”
 
The girl couldn’t
believe it.

“Yes,
darling.
 
The gift you give to a
man, is priceless.
 
I’m honored you
have chosen me.
 
In years gone by,
it was most common for a woman to save herself until marriage.
 
Nowadays, no one seems to cherish
innocence.
 
Lucky for you, I’m an
old-fashioned guy.”
 
He winked.

Sophie giggled.
 
“A
real
old-fashioned guy, huh,
Tony?” she teased.
 
Then she
sobered.
 
“Will it hurt much?”

“I wish I could
say no, but it is different with each woman, and the man she has chosen to
introduce her to love.
 
I promise
to be gentle.
 
The one truth is, it
only hurts for a few seconds and then it never returns.

“Sex is
nature’s gift to us, Sophie.
 
It’s
fun and comforting.
 
It sometimes
also brings new life.
 
Would you
like that, Sophie?
 
Would you like
having my babies?”
 
Tony feared
that she might not want his children, as their lives would be most unusual.

“I’m glad it’s
you, Tony.
 
I’m ridiculously in
love with you, and I want lots and lots of your babies.
 
Can we get back to what we were doing
now?”
 
Her cheeks flushed.

“Gladly,” he
growled.

* * *

Tony cradled
Sophie’s head on his shoulder.
 
Making love to her had been the single most memorable thing he’d ever
done.
 
She was pure and innocent,
yet highly seductive.
 
After the
first, brief moment of pain, upon his entry, she had been fearless.
 
Sophie was eager to try anything and
everything he suggested.
 
How
refreshing it was to be with a woman so uninhibited and yet so sweet and
open.
 
As he gazed down at her long
lashes resting upon her cheeks, he smiled.
 
“Poor thing,” he whispered.
 
“I’m afraid I wore you out.
 
I should have been more thoughtful of you.”

Sophie turned
in his arms.

He didn’t
expect her to awaken so soon after their last bout of making love.
 
She had been quite exuberant.

“I’m not tired,
Tony.
 
I was simply waiting for you
to find the strength to love me again.
 
I especially liked it on top.
 
Can we do that again?”

Tony
chuckled.
 
“You’re a gift,
Sophie.
 
Whatever did I do to
deserve you?”

“I think you
were always meant to be with me, Tony.
 
You were just born too soon.
 
It was a cosmic mistake, and now that we’ve found each other, nothing is
going to come between us.
 
I just
need to take real good care of my skin.
 
It’s the first thing to age, you know.”
 
She giggled.
 
“And maybe my boobs.”

Tony laughed
and squeezed her tightly.
 
“I’ll love
you no matter how wrinkly your skin gets or how droopy your boobs.
 
Even when all your teeth fall out, I’ll
still love you.
 
In fact,” he
joked, “it is said that a woman without teeth, gives a damn good blow job.”

Sophie swatted
his arm.
 
“Well, sorry to
disappoint you, but I intend to be buried with all my teeth firmly implanted in
my mouth.

“Oh, Tony,” she
said, wistfully.
 
“It sounds
wonderful…you and I together, forever.
 
Will you tell me all your stories?
 
I promise not to get jealous of your past loves.
 
I feel sorry you lost them.”

It was evident
from the look on her beautiful face, that she was sincere.
 
Sophie was all goodness, Tony thought.

“Someday, I’ll
tell you everything.
 
Unfortunately, there is a lot of sadness in my past.
 
Life was hard on families, before
technology brought us antibiotics, advanced surgical techniques, and
seatbelts.”
 
He grinned.
 
“People tend to see the distant past
through rose-colored glasses.
 
I’m
here to say, it was not a
golden era
.
 
Citizens went hungry, not like today.
 
They starved in the streets.
 
Crime ran rampant in the cities and the
towns of the old west.
 
When we
have time, I’ll tell you about the yellow fever epidemic.

“In 1853, more
than twelve thousand people died in New Orleans, alone.
 
That’s one in fifteen.”
 
His eyes darkened with pain at the
memory, and he squeezed her slender hand.
 
“People died faster than their graves could be dug.
 
Oddly enough,” he smirked, “the phrase,
‘You’ll dig your own grave,’
was born there.

“Not all of my
memories are sad, however.
 
I once
lived in a Lakota camp.
 
I saw
General Custer, but only from a distance.
 
I’ve been all around the world and loved many women, but I married only
four.”

“Please tell me
more,” Sophie insisted.

Tony cleared
his throat and put a reassuring arm around her shoulder.
 
“Penelope Andersen was my first wife,
and she was much like you, darling.
 
She was blonde and very sweet.
 
We married in 1817, in Salem, Massachusetts.”

Sophie caught
her breath.
 
“The Salem?”
she asked, wide-eyed.

“Yes, darling,
but we soon moved, settling in Epping, New Hampshire.
 
My best friend, Thomas, married a lovely woman with flaming
red hair.
 
We used to laugh about
her temper, but in reality, she was slow to anger and loved Thom very
much.
 
They were extremely happy,
for a few years, until she died in childbirth.
 
He never rebounded from her death.
 
The loss of both his wife and son left him tossed like a
ship on the ocean without a rudder.
 
He had no compass to guide him.
 
Thom lost his way.
 
He began
to drink and gamble heavily.
 
For a
time, we lost touch.”
 
A feeling of
great sadness settled heavily on Tony’s shoulders when he thought of his friend
during those lonely years.

“Tell me more
about Penelope,” Sophie chimed.
 
“Did you have children?
 
Did
she make you very happy?”
 
Sophie
was smiling, as if she was hearing the story in a heartbreaking romance novel,
instead of hearing the real-life tales of her soon-to-be husband.

“We were very
happy.
 
I helped her family, with
their farm.
 
We soon had the best
milk cows in the state.
 
Our
cheese, butter, and milk were sold in my store.
 
It was a nice living.”