Free 3.5 The Innocence of White by Christin Lovell Page A

continued to study me, the blood within my veins pulsing at an above average pace.
    He chuckle d lightly. He bent at the waist placing his lips near my ear, inches from my erotic bloodline . “I would never take advantage of a lady in public. I wish to ravish you in private, senorita .”
    For the first time in nearly a century, I felt feverish.
    Rafi proved his love and adoration of me time over. He was a fierce warrior, a strong leader for the security division of the Bladang vamp guard. He made me laugh. He balanced me in a way no other vamp could. Poor Kai and Kalel, my business partners and shared owners of the Bladang vamp guard, tried to manage me, but no one seemed to tame my inner ferocity like Rafi.
    When tragedy struck and he was killed in battle, caught in the crossfire of a battle fought to defend my dear vampeen friend, Lexi, and her soul mate , Kellan, I thought my lungs would cease to operate. Rafi had been a staple in my life. It was his face I looked for and looked forward to seeing each morning. Our connection was strong. I thought our connection was the closest thing to love a vampire could achieve. I reveled in my life with him… until he passed.
    Then I ran into Jack again.
    Eighty years ago, I’d had a one-night fling with the man of mystery. He fled the second I learned of his true identity. Eighty years later, he still caused my gums to ooze, my pulse to triple and my body to ache in unmentionable places. But he’ s the reason my dear Rafi was murdered. It was because of Jack that I lost a lifetime of memories and happiness in a single shot. And yet, it was because of Jack that I was able to move on.
    Like I said, love is blind, blind to everything the other person has done in the past. Love is infuriating; it’s frustrating to know you have no control over who your heart desires. And l ove is overwhelming; it rules your world with an iron fist . I wanted to be angry. I wanted to scream obscenities at the man who’d caused my last lover’s death, yet, with one look at the Jack, all my anger dissipated and only enchantment existed. My cold heart yearned for him.
    Love is stupid, stupid to reason and common sense. When you’re in love, it dominates your life. You’re no longer in control; your world revolves around the person who owns your heart. It’s an imprisoning situation, and my anger over Rafi’s demise was trapped in the imprisonment of an uncontrollable pull in another man’s direction. Jack was the last person I wanted to feel for, and the first person to ever truly make me feel.

Chapter 1
Gabi
    “Are you sure you want to do this, Gabi?” Lexi checked, her voice rising in pitch over the phone. She was worried, fearing that I was rushing into things. It was logical , but love was the opposite of rational.
    “I don’t know how to explain it so you’ll understand, but I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”
    “I’m not saying not to marry him, but don’t you want to wait, possibly give your heart a little time to heal from Rafi?” She broached the subject with ease, yet still rubbed me the wrong way.
    “Listen, Lex. I know you’re looking out for me, but I’m not a little girl. I’ve been around for well over a century and have learned a thing or two along the way. I was the vampire who thought marriage was an archaic institution. After Kai shredded my self-esteem along with my heart, I vowed never to consider marriage again. The entire time I was with Rafi, I was content to just be with him. I never had that drive to slap a ring on anyone’s finger. But this is different. Jack is different. You have to understand where I’m coming from because look at you and Kellan. You got engaged like two months after you got together.”
    “Yes, but I didn’t loose the man I’d been with for decade s mere days before deciding to accept his proposal .” I knew she was speaking out of concern; she probably assumed that Jack was a hot rebound.
    “I’m doing