by Nadia Heaton
“I don’t think she would want to come back to you even if I did, old sport,” Cedric replied for Marianne.
“And what do you know?” he asked, jamming a finger into Cedric’s chest, “You’re just some new toy for her to play with until she’s bored again and moves on to the next.”
“I would advise you don’t lay another finger on me and move on now before you get yourself hurt.”
“What are you going to do about it, huh?” Charlie replied, shoving Cedric against the right shoulder with enough push to send move him back a little.
“That’s two, the third time you won’t be so lucky,” Cedric added.
Charlie said nothing this time, only bringing his hand forward again to give another hard push, this time with weight behind it, but his hand did not meet the mark. Before he came close enough, Cedric caught his wrist in mid-push; bending and snapping it back with one single flourish and once more, just as in the park, the snap of bones rung through the empty night.
Charlie screamed, looking down at his now broken wrist that still rested in Cedric’s hand. The vampire looked deep into his eyes, a light gust of wind bringing with it the heavy smell of alcohol through the air.
“What the fuck?” he yelled, pulling his wrist free.
“I’m sorry.” Cedric looked over his shoulder wide-eyed at Marianne, who looked on with apathy to the situation.
“Don’t be,” she replied. “He deserved what he got.”
Charlie in the meantime pulled back and away from the two, walking with his eyes locked on Cedric as he waddled backwards, shouting obscenities and threats of the law that will come after him. There would be no such thing. In the morning he’d wake up from his drunken bender, go to a hospital and claim it a mistake. Cedric glimpsed into his thoughts to make sure of it.
“Let’s just get inside,” Marianne said, stepping passed Cedric and walking up the two steps that led to her side door beside the bookshop entrance. Her eyes fixed on Charlie as he shuffled off backwards before turning and running down the street as fast as he could.
Cedric followed Marianne upstairs through the narrow stairway and into her small apartment above the book store. He was uncomfortable, for the most part, knowing that what she just witnessed wasn’t exactly the same as what she saw in the park. A vampire trying to harm her was different than a distant lover that may or may not have deserved what he got.
“I really do apologize for ruining our evening because of Charlie,” Cedric said again, finding himself lost at the entrance of her apartment not sure if he should walk in further or not.
“You really don’t have to be sorry,” Marianne replied, “I’m not going to let our night be spoiled because of that dirtbag.” She walked further into the apartment, noticing Cedric’s discomfort. “Come on in and get comfortable.”
Cedric finally obliged stepping through and into her home. It was quaint. Nothing like he’d ever been accustom to since the expansion of the Americas, but it was definitely somewhere he thought that a new up and comer like her should live to experience the early life of the hard working.
“Your home is beautiful,” he said, finding his way from the entryway, through the kitchen and to the lounge where he sat down. In his time awkwardly standing in the doorway, he lost Marianne somewhere in the house.
“Thanks, it’s not much but it’s a nice place to call my own, you know?” Marianne replied, from what he assumed was the bathroom.
“Not really much more you’d need in a place,” Cedric said.
Marianne didn’t reply and he was okay with that. Knowing that Charlie’s interruption didn’t break them away from the rest of their evening, he was happy to just exist while she did whatever she needed to do. He leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes for only the briefest moment to think about the night’s events.
If she could survive everything she saw here, not his worst but most certainly not him at his best, then they could definitely make this work. She wasn’t afraid of other’s getting hurt in the process of his protection. She showed no fear versus true vampire threat and she stood at his side as he fought for her honour. Everything about this was chalking up to be the makings of a good relationship.
The sliding door that led from her open spaced bedroom to the bathroom slid open and he opened his eyes again to the low light of the room. The ambience was there without the need of romantically charged lighting from candles and rose petals. Not that this was Cedric’s first thought. If Marianne merely wanted to sit and talk the night away, he would happily do so all the same. He got up from his seat, turning to face her and immediately his jaw dropped to the ground.
“You look amazing,” he said.
9
Marianne
Marianne had her doubts about how the evening was meant to go on. Their flirtatious banter about coming back home and spending the night between the sheets may have only been that, but she was too curious to find out not to take the plunge.
She stood before Cedric in a lace black negligée, low cut at the waist exposing most of her upper thighs allowing the tiniest view of the black lingerie panties to poke through when she walked slowly towards him.
“I thought maybe I should change into something a little more… comfortable,” Marianne replied, confidently stepping up to Cedric who couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
It was this passion that Marianne wanted. To feel wanted by the man she was with and Cedric, it seemed, gave her all that she desired. He was entranced by her, trapped by her womanly allure and deviously sexual nature. She liked this about him and she loved how his eyes danced across her body as she stepped.
“Well, if these are your comfortable things, I’d love to see what the naughty collection looks like,” Cedric teased, stepping towards Marianne, taking her in his arms.
“I don’t think you’d be able to handle that just yet. Those are… Ultra-revealing,” she gave him a sheepish grin and a cheeky wink, wrapping her arms around his waist.
They stood there a moment, Cedric freely exploring her body and the silky ensemble with his fingertips. His hands drifted down her back, resting on her ass and then back up her midsection to her breasts, stopping just on the verge of taking one. His touch sent shivers down her spine, and everywhere that his fingers danced across leaving a tingle in their wake.
“Cedric,” Marianne said, shyly looking down.
“Yes, Marianne,” he replied, a hand snaking up her chest and shoulder to raise her eyes to meet his.
“I want you,” she said.
“I want you,” he replied.
“No, I’ trying to say…” She chuckled in nervousness, tilting her head to the side just a little to expose her neck. “I want you to bite me.”
Cedric nodded his head, leaning in close to her lips and placing a soft kiss on them. She knew what it meant to offer him this grace. If what he said was true, he only ever fed off those willing, and that would mean there would be no corruption in their choice. She wanted this to be pure, to know if she could handle it and give him exactly what he needed.
She needed to be sure that she could do so because she was sure that he would give her everything that she could ever dream for.
The soft kisses continued from Marianne’s neck down her jawline and stopped on her neck. He bit softly, not yet exposing her vampire fangs, instead just tugging at the soft flesh of her neck before continuing to dot kisses down her shoulder line. Marianne couldn’t help herself, she squealed and let out a few soft moans as he moved down her body.
Cedric pulled back up, lifting her off the ground by the ass as she wrapped her arms around his neck, now embracing her in a passionate kiss allowing time to carry her over to the bed. She gave in to his every movement, almost fluidly moving along with him as he went, with no hiccups delaying the process.
When they reached her bed, Cedric dropped her onto the bed, half laying on top of her as the kissing continued on before he once more broke it. His hands continually exploring her soft skin
to get accustomed with each and every facet of her. Up and down her belly and breasts, snaking between her thighs and down her legs. Whatever he was doing blew her mind and made her body shake out of control.
Even without breaking the entry point, she was a master at pleasing. He knew how to treat a woman, she realized, and maybe that came with his years of experience. After a few moments of this passion charged kiss, and when she believed he had sufficiently taken in all he could with his hands alone, Cedric tilted her neck to the side and leaned in.
Again the kisses dotted her neck down her jawline and were guided to her neck. Marianne revelled in it, enjoying each and every second of what he did. Each gentle touch of his lips on her skin, every soft breath that touched her skin, every jolt and shiver that moved down her spine.
Again, he nibbled on her neck, tugging slightly. Each time he broke, he would return with a kiss and a slightly harder bite. She knew he was preparing her for the main event.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” Cedric asked, his deep voice masked in what she could only imagine was his own passion.
“Yes, I want you to have me wholly,” she replied, squirming under him.
Marianne, whose eyes were closed as she waited for Cedric to do what she near begged him for now, heard a light crackle come from his direction before the bite came down. In this state of complete ecstasy, it was impossible for her to feel the pain but instead pure exhilaration and pleasure as he sucked blood from the wounds his two sharp teeth created.
She moaned out, crying his name and felt herself come to the verge of orgasm from his bite and touches alone.
He truly is a master, she thought, collapsing under the weight of pleasure filled muscles.
When he stopped, she could feel it. He pulled back, and she turned to him, opening her eyes to expose his face now dripping with her blood and in that moment, she didn’t think he could have ever looked more attractive to her. His fangs were still present, his eyes showed a great determination that she hadn’t seen as of yet in him, and his presence felt more primal.
He leaned back down, licking her neck where the blood still poured in small drops from the little cuts. His hands wrapped around her back, unclipping the bra. Marianne helped, ripping it off and throwing it aside, sliding the negligee’s shoulder straps down to expose her breasts.
Cedric moved slowly down, starting at her upper chest, while the other hand snaked between her legs, sensually making his way down her body with each kiss, lick or light nibbling. Marianne slid her hands onto the back of Cedric’s head, gripping his hair as he moved lower and lower down her body.
Her mind was racing and she felt it coming on. She felt his warm breath tickle her skin, her heart was pounding as he made his moves and she couldn’t help but scream out in pleasure.
Everything about this felt right, against all those who gave her negative comments, she knew now that she had met the right man. He was charming, a gentleman, sinfully handsome and she was more than certain he would turn out to be a master in the bedroom. Everything he did was tactical and precise and it made her explode with pleasure both physically and emotionally.
“Don’t stop,” she cried out, one hand cupping her breast and his mouth preoccupied with a more sensual endeavour.
Cedric turned to her, the ferociousness that met her a moment before now gone and replaced with his own desires to have her. She couldn’t say no, hypnotized by the man she felt herself getting more and more attracted to with each and every fleeting second in his company.
Marianne gave herself to Cedric and he took his prize.
And there was nothing she would have done to stop him.
10
Marianne
Marianne woke somewhere between six and seven in the evening, feeling stiff and tight from the magical evening she spent with Cedric, though she knew that it was more because of their events in the bedroom the night before.
Unlike the previous day, where she felt abandoned and without purpose or hope, she was now in a world of pure elation. She couldn’t describe the feeling; she’d never been in love before – not really – and wondered if this may have been it. Was falling in love this early even possible?
Cedric was already up, only wearing his well-fitting jeans, standing in the kitchen with his muscular and toned frame her first sight.
“What a nice thing to wake up to,” she said, looking him over a few times. The night before was too busy and they were moving too much to even remotely have the chance to look on at Cedric, but now with the lazy kitchen light hitting him in all the right angles, she could enjoy the view.
“I thought you might need some coffee and maybe a bit of breakfast,” he replied, cracking two eggs into a bowl. The apartment was already filled with the smell of brewing coffee, bread being toasted and bacon being fried.
“I think that might be a good way to replenish the body’s needs, yes,” she replied, laughing at her comment.
“Well, you were a busy little bee last night. I could hardly keep up with you,” Cedric said, winking at her.
“Yeah, you’re going to need to work on that,” Marianne said, laughing at the idea.
She pulled herself up from her bed, a few squeaks coming from the springs she stood up and pulled a light satin gown around herself. She walked towards the kitchen, sitting opposite Cedric who was preparing what she thought was either going to end up being scrambled eggs or an omelette.
The same familiar feeling as the night before took her on again. This felt so comfortable that it didn’t seem like it was only their first day doing it. If she was a spiritual woman, she would have considered that maybe she knew him in a past life and he treated her so well, but at that moment, she knew it was just him being as a whole that made everything feel so easy and familiar.
“Did you sleep well, considering the sun and all?” she asked. She woke up somewhere through the day, realizing that her curtains were rather terrible at blocking out the sunlight as much as she could have wanted it to. To her, a drawn curtain during the day was a dark and gloomy affair, but to him, it may have been a very different situation.
“Yes,” he replied. “It’s not all that bad. The main issue is stepping into direct sunlight, so the drawn curtains were enough to keep me feeling fine.”
Marianne knew that now was the time to make her move. She needed to see if he felt the same way that she did and wanted to make sure that she wasn’t the only one who thought this whole thing had the potential to go further.
It was a nerve-wracking thing to bring up, just as her getting dressed in her skimpy outfit the night before after Cedric went through what could have been emotional hell was a difficult thing had he not accepted her advances. He didn’t seem like the kind of man that would put sex above everything else like most men she knew and that meant that he was different in many ways. He would only do it if it was comfortable and if he still felt comfortable after being jumped in the park and shattering Charlie’s hand, then it maybe he did want her the same way she wanted him.
“That’s good. I mean, I expect you’ll be sticking around a while, so I don’t really want you to be uncomfortable in my bed,” Marianne said softly.
“Well, the mattress is going to have to change. I’m not really much one for the squeaking, but apart from that you’re probably going to have a very difficult time getting me out of here without an eviction notice,” Cedric teased.
And again, what proved to be becoming commonplace in their conversations, butterflies swirled within Marianne’s belly at the thought of having him around more often. He had the power to take and have anyone he wanted. He could have been with supermodels and the near equivalent of a Goddess and yet he was happy with a woman like her that didn’t care much for those peculiar choices in luxury.
Maybe they were too high maintenance, she considered and though that probably wasn’t the case, she wanted to believe something about her was special. That she was the person that just went through the motions and othe
rs could see that and want to be with that.
But all that overthinking meant nothing.
Cedric wanted to be with her and it was enough to have tears welling in her eyes at the thought.
“It was one crazy night,” she said suddenly.
“It was for sure, but only because I was with you,” Cedric replied.
“What makes me so special, huh?” She watched as he stirred the eggs in the bowl they were set in, applying salt and pepper when finished and whipping them around again.
“Must be your dangerous personality.” He winked, taking the bowl over towards the stovetop.
“I’m going to have a shower while you finish off breakfa…” She cut herself off. “Dinner quick.”
“Go ahead.” He looked over his shoulder at her.
Marianne drifted off to the bathroom and turned the shower head on. She stood a moment, collecting her thoughts as she looked on at herself in the mirror. She didn’t have a clear head just then and she needed to have one to think of all that she wanted to tell Cedric.
A shower would clear her mind, she thought and hopped in letting the hot water run down her body, hoping between it and the steam her mind would be less foggy when she got out. But when she stepped from it, the confusion she felt was ever more present in that moment.
She dried herself with the towel, throwing the same nightgown on as earlier and stepped from the bathroom met by two plates full of food on the centre island of her kitchen, coffee beside and Cedric waiting for her to get back. He still sat shirtless at the table. She walked back to him, leaning in and giving him a kiss.
“Thanks for the food,” she said.
“It’s the least I could do. You fed me lat night, after all,” Cedric replied.
Marianne forgot about that, running a hand over her neck where she was bitten the night before, but there were no marks left.
“There won’t be any marks,” he replied. “I can’t really explain it but they heal themselves after a bite.”