She searched instinctively for the gaze she felt burn through her clothes all the way down to her skin, leaving her feeling naked, but she was unprepared when her eyes met his. It was him. Although she had seen it, she still had dare not believe it. Jessica felt her heart start to swell. It was suddenly hard to breathe. Minutes passed as they simply stared at one another. Neither moved; neither gaze wavered. Jessica felt as though he were caressing her, though they stood a world apart, across the room there from each other.

She wanted his touch. More than anything, she wanted to feel his hands on her. Visions of lying beneath him naked as she had when she had been Lillian in her dreams took her breath away. Ashamed of the turn her thoughts had taken, her cheeks flaming, she turned and fairly ran to the restroom.

Shameer sat stunned, his heart hammering heavily in his chest. He didn’t know why, but something within him was drawn to her. Unable to stop himself, he rose to pursue her. This feeling was by far the most intense perception he had felt in over a hundred and fifty years. In more than a century, no woman had even kept his interest for more than a day, and even then, they hadn’t had this effect on him.

Now, suddenly, this woman had not only captivated him, but had set his body and his very soul on fire in an instant. This was not what he had planned. He had been going to find a lady, who was perhaps lonely herself, offer her company, and perhaps have a mindless fling. This was not a girl he could do such a thing with.

This girl was one that called to his innermost heart. She was one he knew he could not walk away from. He knew he should stop. He knew to follow her was against every rule he had set for himself since Lillian’s death. But he was completely unable fight the force that drew him to her; his pace quickened. He had no choice but to follow her and follow, he would..

Standing in front of the mirror, Jessica wet her hands in the sink, then used one to dampen her forehead and the back of her neck. When she stood again to her full height, she stared into the mirror’s depths, close to tears. It had been all in her imagination, she thought. This was not one of her premonitions, she yelled at herself inwardly. You are just imagining things from that crazy dream. He just resembled the man in her dreams. That wasn’t Shameer. It couldn’t have been. There was no way humanly possible. Shameer was a vampire, and vampires don’t exist.

"There is no reason for you to act so stupid," she scolded herself aloud. "He’s just another pretty face." She nodded at her reflection in the mirror, trying to believe what she said. "Yeah, that’s it. Just another completely, surreally gorgeous man, probably out looking to get laid."

"Excuse me?" the deep, slightly accented voice said to her, touched her soul like a gentle breeze, but shocked her nonetheless. She turned so fast she lost her balance and would have slipped on the hard floor, had his hands not caught and steadied her.

He held her, remaining close to her even after she had regained her footing. Once again, each looked into the other’s eyes, feelings rushed unbidden between them. "My dear, are you all right?" he asked softly, holding her to him, almost as though afraid to let her go.

Her tongue slid across her dry lips as she nodded, afraid to attempt speech. Unexpected heat coiled through her as she stood locked in his arms. Images of her dream floated once more through her mind. They moved through her like a whirlwind, turning into a shudder. Her breath escaped her as she felt his hand running through her hair.

Longing filled her at the feel of his other hand touching her cheek. She tilted her head back, her eyes closed. His eyes moved to the exposed column of her neck. The vein pulsed, open to him. He could take her, it would be easy; he could feel the beating of her heart like a drum with his own. It would be so easy.

He gently leaned toward her, placed a soft kiss at the base of her throat, before turning, and mumbling a hasty, "I’m sorry," as he moved away from her and back through the doorway of the lavatory, leaving her once again, alone.

Opening her eyes, she stared at the empty doorway, confused, surprised and disappointed. Her hand went up to the spot on her throat where he had kissed her. She felt the pulse beneath her fingers. Shaking her head, she looked back at her reflection, eyes going to her neck, checking. "Oh, now I know I am crazy," she said to the mirror, cursed at herself for being so stupid.