“Mmm,” I murmured.  “It’s unbelievably green there, and there are cliffs on the shoreline, and it’s overcast a lot of the time – a glorified Forks, actually.”

“Ah.”  Her eyes twinkled.

“There are castles everywhere,” I went on.  “It’s like a fairy tale on earth.”

“Sounds beautiful,” she sighed.

“And the sheep are very friendly.  You’d love them.”

She managed to laugh.  “The sheep?”

“They’re very trusting.  You’d have no trouble hunting there.” 

It was the first time I’d spoken so cavalierly of the future in her new life, and I swallowed.  But if not now, when?  Why not try to take the sting out of what was about to happen, now that it had to happen?

“They come right up to you,” I said, trying to keep my voice light.

“Poor things.”  Bella frowned.

“Yes,” I agreed, my voice faltering.  “Poor things.”

“But,” she said, biting her lip, “they would’ve had a nice life before being hunted … wouldn’t they?”

I smiled, feeling oddly emotional, as though we weren’t actually talking about sheep anymore.  “I hope so,” I said fervently.

She nodded, her eyes glistening.  “I’m sure they have.”

We looked at each other silently.  And then, suddenly, her lips were on mine, burning me with their intensity, and she was on her knees, taking fistfuls of my hair in her hands. I rose up to meet her kisses, and I threaded the fingers of one hand into her hair, used the other to pull her body against mine.

Somehow knowing that I had no choice but to turn her before dawn seemed to take away the blood lust I usually felt when she kissed me like this. I tried to be careful, knowing the venom could come at any moment; but it was impossible to refuse those kisses, and so I simply returned them hungrily, letting her lash my lips with her tongue, feeling a low groan beginning in my throat.  I was completely in her control, and I surrendered helplessly, willingly.

Bella must have known she was being reckless because she pulled away, breathing heavily, watching my eyes carefully.  With difficulty, I resisted the impulse to draw her back to me at once.  I watched as she slowly unknotted my cravat and pulled it from my neck.  I removed my jacket and tossed it to the floor.  She unbuttoned my shirt, taking her time, her eyes never leaving my face.