Forbidden by Amy Miles

vampire myth.   A myth that Roseline had fought hard to never live up to.
    No.   The need she felt for Gabriel went beyond fleshly desires.   Even her lust for him faded against the bond she felt with him.   As if their souls had somehow entwined.   And that fact scared the heck out of her.   She couldn’t fall for a mortal.   It was forbidden.   And yet…
    “What do you think you’re doing?” a shrill voice wrenched Roseline from her inner turmoil.
    “Claire,” Gabriel gasped, teetering towards the opening.   Roseline’s hand shot out, gripping his shirt as she pulled him back from danger.   He gave Roseline a weak smile of thanks before rushing down the ladder.   “What are you doing here?”
    Roseline dashed across the room and snatched her heels.   In a flash they were wound around her ankles and she was back at the attic hatch.   Neither Gabriel nor Claire had noticed her movements.
    “Looking for you, duh,” Claire snapped, swaying slightly on her feet.   Her blood red lipstick was smeared; her breath reeked of alcohol and something else.   Roseline leaned through the opening and sniffed the air, her nose scrunching with disgust when she recognized the scent.  
    “How dare you cheat on me Gabriel Marston,” Claire shrieked, slapping him across the face.   Roseline bared her teeth and hissed but her reaction went unnoticed as Gabriel rubbed his reddening jaw.   “You’re father is going to hear about this!”
    Claire turned and stomped towards the stairs, wavering precariously on her silver stiletto heels.   Her hands waved wildly just before she tumbled end over end, landing in a heap on the landing.   Groaning, Claire righted herself and scooted down the remaining steps.  
    Roseline hurried down the ladder, peeking to make sure no one would see her descent.   Gabriel shook his head, deeply embarrassed by his girlfriend’s state.   “Sorry about that.   She probably won’t even remember this tomorrow morning.”
    “I sure hope she doesn’t remember what else she’s been up to,” Roseline muttered under her breath as she smoothed out her dress.  
    Gabriel’s eye brow rose.   “Oh yeah?”
    Roseline chuckled, shocked that he’d overhead her.   “Well by the looks of it, your girlfriend hooked up with Oliver.”
    Gabriel grimaced.   “Yeah, that sounds like them.”   Roseline glanced away.   No matter what she might or might not feel for Gabriel, she didn’t like the idea of him being in such a terrible relationship.   “I’m gonna have to do something about her.”
    Roseline stepped towards the stairs.   That was her cue to leave.   No way could she handle a talk about his crumbling relationship with Claire.   “I should probably get going,” she muttered. “Thanks for the tour.”   She turned to head down the hall but Gabriel caught her arm.  
    “I meant what I said earlier.   I really want to get to know you Rose.”
    Roseline struggled to pull her gaze away from him.   She could already feel the gravitational pull building between them.   Roseline cleared her throat, annoyed by how flustered he made her feel.   No guy had managed to do that in over three hundred years.   “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.
    “Me either,” he admitted.   “But I don’t care.”
    She hated how easily those four words changed her life.   Roseline knew it was wrong, for so many reasons, but at that moment she refused to care.   She nodded and slipped down the stairs.
    “Where have you been?” Sadie moaned as soon as Roseline arrived on the ground floor.   Sadie was relying heavily on the wall to remain upright.   “I’ve been looking all over for you.   I think I’ve had too much to drink.”   She belched loudly and swiped her arm across her mouth.   Her hair was matted with crushed chips and gooey chocolate from the fountain that’d been set up in the kitchen.   She must have gone in head first.
    “You think?” Roseline laughed as