by Emily Bex
She unbuttons her blouse and slips it off her shoulders, tossing it on the bed. She unzips the skirt and slides it down her hips, letting it puddle at her feet before stepping out of it. She sits on the bed, crosses her legs and unstraps the black shoes.
***
Shade walks around the apartment undetected and locks the door quietly behind her. As he turns around, she is already heading into the bedroom and he follows, watching her ass swish and sway in that tight skirt. Cazzo, it mesmerizes him. He stands back along the wall of windows and crosses his arms over his chest, watching her. As she slips off her blouse, the silk is as white as her skin and he feels his breath catch in his throat at those delicious orbs of smooth, white flesh pour generously over the edge of the lace bra she wears.
The garments drop to the floor as his cock rises, and the beast inside him growls. His eyes follow the path of those shapely legs from her ankles to her ass. He sees the garters, the stockings, that beautiful sweet thong.
Gulping hard, he watches as she sits on the bed, leans down and unstraps those stilettos. Fuck me! He aches to be on his knees in front of her, taking those shoes off her himself. He lets his eyes wander up her body once again, and watches her fling those crimson waves back, and the scent of roses assaults his nose...strong, sweet, and all he knows is one thing... I want that. Mine!
***
She kicks her shoes off and stands. As she starts to remove her bra, she feels a shiver down her spine. She turns and looks around the room. Of course, there is no one there. Walking back to the window, she draws the drapes, then removes the bra and tosses it on the bed. Sitting back down, she unhooks the stockings from the garter, then slides them down her legs, tossing them aside before unhooking the garter belt. Walking to the closet, wearing only the lace thong, she pulls her robe off the hook, sliding it on and tying the belt at her waist. She turns suddenly, again, shivers down her spine, and she can’t shake the feeling of someone watching her.
That man... Shade... she can't get his face out of her head. Get a grip, Kate Reese! You took a solemn oath in front of Shannon over wine at Happy Hour, one hand on your heart and the other on the wine list...No more men!
She walks back to her bed and piles her pillows against the headboard, grabs the remote and turns on the TV, pushing mute. Digging into her purse, she pulls out her cell phone and hits dial for her best friend, Shannon.
***
Shade watches her every movement, his eyes glued to her. Her motions so liquid, unaffected and nonchalant, she has no idea what she does to a man, and especially this man. She is not trying to be sexy or alluring, she is just being herself. He sees a flash of fear across her face, and knows she senses something. She cannot possibly see him, but it intrigues him that a mortal can occasionally feel his presence. Something about her touches him inside. It speaks to the beast that lives in the very core of him, calls out to him on a primal level. He wants to hold her in his arms, hold her to his chest and protect her, reassure her nothing will ever touch her again, not if he has anything to do with it.
He tells himself to be patient. She would run like a wild deer if she knew what he was. She walks right past him and draws the drapes closed; her nearness makes him almost lose control as the beast struggles for release. He wants to reach out and run his fingers in that crimson silk. My bel rosso. He moves to the opposite side of the room when she climbs onto the bed and he sits down in a delicate French chair to observe her, his big frame barely fitting into the chair. She seems agitated, unsure of something, and then she picks up her phone. He waits and wonders if there is a male she calls to check in with. A male she calls because she is afraid?
***
Laying her head back on the pillows as the phone rings, she wonders if it will go to voice mail. It is still pretty early on a Saturday night for Shannon, and then she hears her voice.
Shannon grabs up her phone. “Hey you... I thought you were going out tonight?”
Kate laughs, "I did go out! You know, some of us do manage to get home before the sun comes up." She puts her on speaker and lays the phone down on the bed.
“Yeah, well... some of us know how to have more fun than others. Just sayin'! So what were you up to again?”
***
Shade hears a female voice on the other end of the call and calms down. He was expecting a male and the very thought of it put his beast on edge, ready to claim her, his fangs aching to punch through. What the fuck, Shade? She doesn’t belong to you. She doesn’t even remember your name. But he is determined she will. He is not letting go of this one, he wants her and not just sexually, the beast inside him has come alive. He is feeling an emotion he thought was long dead. An excitement that has his blood rushing through his veins, his beast sitting on his haunches, anxiously waiting. The black bastard hasn’t done that for about 100 years. Watching her face, she laughs and it makes him smile, his heart lurches at the trilling sound of her happiness and all he can think about is how he can give her pleasure, how can he make her laugh like that for him.
She gestures with her hands when she talks, and Shade is amused, as there is no one there to see the gestures. Well, no one other than him.
***
“I was at that big cocktail party Rissa was throwing for Alec. A lot of politicians were there, the rich and famous... rubbing elbows.”
Shannon responds, “Hmm, sounds boring.”
Kate pulls the sheet over her legs. “Well, it was pretty stiff. But I did meet a guy there.”
“What? You met someone? Did you get his number?”
Kate sighs into the phone. “No, I didn't get his number. I barely got his name. Shan, I was a hot mess. I mean a serious mess. I couldn't even talk. I sounded like a complete idiot. So I don't think I'll ever see him again. I practically broke my neck trying to get out of there. Besides, I took a pledge, remember? A sacred oath. Swore on the wine list, so that must be binding. No more men!”
“Yeah, well, that pledge was after Ethan cheated on you for the hundredth time and you finally got a clue. And I think you were on your second bottle of wine, so I’m not sure it counts. Legally, you may not have been ‘of sound mind’ as they say. So, who is this handsome stranger? He must be handsome if he left you speechless.”
Kate is sketching aimless circles on the sheet with her finger. “Okay, could we not talk about Ethan? Anyway, I'm not sure who he is. He is friends with Alec. I mean, seriously, that's all I know about him. Well, I know he's Italian, because he has an accent. His name is Shade. Shade Medici. And that's it, that's all I know. Other than how he looks; tall, dark and dangerous. I mean, really Shannon, I couldn't even talk. He took an empty glass from my hand, and his hand touched mine, and it was...electric. He helped me put my coat on and I could barely breathe. I made such a fool of myself. I don’t even know how to fix that. And to be honest, I'm not sure I can. If I saw him again, it would happen all over again, me coming undone.”
***
Shade listens to the conversation of the two females and watches her face, her funny expressions as she talks, and talk she does. It amuses him, her facial expressions, the tone of her voice, the way she wrinkles her nose and those eyes, like deep dark pools, fuck, he could get lost in them. No, she didn’t get his number, but he definitely got hers.
He smiles when she says no more men, no problem there, bel rosso. He is no ordinary man. He growls softly when he hears this mortal bastard cheated on her. What the hell? Was the crazed idiot blind? He listens to her description of him. Oh yes, I am most handsome, but I won’t be a stranger for long.
He loves that she remembers his name. He slides his hand through his hair and smiles, somehow that pleases him more than he ever thought it would. The sound of his name rolling off those ruby red lips has him undone and he adjusts himself in this fucking little chair. Oh, bel rosso, electric is just the beginning, the next time I touch you, you will light up everywhere. You will see me again, not a problem. I have no intention of leaving here until the sun is up.
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***
Shannon’s laughter rings out in the room. "Oh girl... you’ve got it bad. Just call Rissa. Get his number. Fuck him and get it over with.”
No matter how long they have been friends, Shannon’s brashness always shocks her.
“Shannon! Oh my God! I barely know his name. And seriously? Isn't this what gets me in trouble every time? I mean, I fall hard before I know anything about them? You said I extend my trust too easily.”
“Hey, I wasn't talking about a relationship, just a hook-up. Get him out of your system and move on. Jeez, Kate, you are so puritanical. Not every guy you meet has to be relationship material.”
“I can't do that. I just can't. If there's nothing there, nothing I think could be long-term, I just can't. And yes, I know it's old fashioned. I'm out of touch with the times. You've told me a million times. But I just can't. And this guy? He is way out of my league, trust me. I mean, you could tell he was wearing a hand-tailored suit, expensive. He looked older, sophisticated, not a lot older, late thirties, probably around Alec's age. I don't know. I can't imagine, after my bumbling act tonight, that he would have any interest in me.”
***
Everything about her intrigues him. He watches the pain roll across her face and her body stiffens when she mentions Ethan. He hears her friend suggest a ‘hook-up.’ His bel rosso will not be a hook-up. He has had enough women in his life to kill dozens of mortal men in sexual bliss. He quickly blocks out the images of his darkest days from his mind. They were worse than hook-ups, they were animalistic, barbaric, and he pushes the memories from his head. He listens to her words, her heart speaks deep, and she describes herself as old-fashioned. He wants her, and he loves everything about her. He feels she has been placed in his path, the perfect woman dropped in front of him from out of nowhere. He knows something special sits right before his eyes.
This will be no walk in the park. She thinks he is out of her league, she knows nothing about his world, or who he is, what he is, and he will have a hard road ahead of him. He knows winning a mortal female heart will not be easy. It is not looked upon in his world as acceptable, and because of who he is, it could be a disaster. He doesn’t care, she has captured him, and he needs more. Besides, his beast is clawing at his insides, demanding her. She calls to him like an addiction, his cocaine, and all he can feel and see is her.
***
Shannon gives her a lecture. “You think too much! Really Kate, men are men, regardless of how expensive their suits are. Call Rissa tomorrow, get his number. You'll never get him out of your head if you don’t. Just meet him for a drink or something.”
Kate stands up and walks to the dresser, letting her robe drop to the floor as she pulls a nightie out of the drawer, slips it over her head, and walks back to the bed.
“Yeah, maybe. I don't know. I'll see if I can get up the nerve. Hey, want to meet me for dinner tomorrow if you don't have plans?”
“Sure, I can do that. Since you have Italian on your mind, want to meet at that Italian place on H Street?”
Kate laughs at her. “You are relentless. But Italian sounds good. I'm tired, Shan. Going to turn in. See you around seven tomorrow evening then?”
Shannon yawns through her goodbyes. “See ya, and pleasant dreams.”
Kate shakes her head as she plugs the phone into the charger by her bed, and turns out the light, sliding beneath the cool sheets. She closes her eyes, but all she sees is him.
***
Shade can’t take his eyes off of her as she stands and lets the robe drop and his body comes alive. He licks his lips and thinks about how she would taste, how she would feel under him, or on top of him. He watches her slide on a sheer nightdress and listens to the conversation. Italian is a good choice. H Street tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. It is early October here and the sun sets early, perfect timing for an ‘accidental’ encounter with a couple of ladies. Oh she will have pleasant dreams, and they will be sweet.
As the lights go out, he stands and walks to the side of the bed. Her eyes closed but her breathing too rapid to be in a sleeping state. He waits for her to slide into her dreams. Then it is time for him to do a little dream-walking, inside the dreams of a gorgeous redhead named Kate Reese.
***
She wakes suddenly, looking at the glowing dial of the clock. 2:30 a.m. She’s only been asleep about an hour and a half. Her mind is consumed with him. His eyes. Those blue eyes. In her dream, she could look at him without looking away. She could get lost in those eyes. This is ridiculous, Kate! You don't even know this man. She fluffs up her pillow and lies back down, returning to sleep.
He lifts her hand to his lips, a soft kiss on the back of her hand, his eyes peering up through his dark hair. His voice is deep as he repeats her name. His hand is in her hair. Her eyes are closed, and she feels his hand as he runs it through her hair, and goose bumps cover her body with his touch. She moans softly as his hand slides down her back...
What the fuck!
She sits up abruptly in her bed again. Shaking her head, she looks at the clock. 4:00 a.m. This is insane! She touches her hair, calms her breathing. It felt so real... his hand in her hair. You are seriously out of your mind, Kate Reese!
She flops back down on the pillow. Get out of my head tall, dark and dangerous. Now!
She rolls over on her side, grabs the other pillow and holds it to her chest, and imagines holding him, imagines being held by him. Stop it!
Tossing the pillow aside, she sits upright again, sliding her feet to the floor. She stands and walks to the kitchen, flipping on the light. Opening the fridge, she stands and stares. Not hungry. She closes the door of the fridge and leans against the counter. Picking up a banana from the bowl of fruit on the counter, she peels it back and takes a bite. Oh well... that's not too Freudian is it?
She laughs out loud as she finishes the banana and tosses the peel in the trash. Walking into the living room and over to the window, she looks out at the view of downtown D.C. She leans her forehead against the cool glass. Where are you, Shade Medici? Where do you lay your head this night? Who am I kidding? A man like that never goes home alone. You will never see this man again, so just get over it.
She walks back to her bedroom and slips back between the sheets, and the last thought in her head before she falls back asleep is...You missed your chance.
***
He watches her as she slips into a soft peaceful sleep. He stands beside the bed and looks at her, and those long beautiful lashes against her cheeks. Her crimson locks lay across the white cotton of the pillowcase and spreads like a silken sea of red, wave after wave. He cannot control the need to touch her. His hand slowly slides up her bare arm, soft and white and very warm. He lifts her hand and kisses it gently. She will not awaken just yet. He breathes in her rose scent and his cock responds instantly. She smells so innocent, fresh and sun kissed.
His eyes wander up her body and fall upon those crimson waves. Standing beside her, bolted in place, he closes his eyes as his hands slide into her hair, fisting it gently, feeling it fall between his fingers. She is the most beautiful female he has ever laid eyes on, and he watches her move and moan in her sleep. That sound almost makes him lose his mind. Her soft, sweet moan, and he wants desperately to hear it as she writhes beneath him.
He feels her awaken and he covers himself in shadows and watches her sit up straight. She is thinking already about her dream of him. As she flops back down, he waits once more until she is asleep and touches his hand to her head and enters her dreams. Dream-walking is his gift, every vampire has a special talent, and he has his down to a science. He can see what she dreams, or make her dream whatever he chooses, good or evil. Inside her dream, he stares at her with his icy blue eyes and watches as she looks back at him, eye to eye. No need to run, mi amore. He lets her see him, without being intimidated, or scared. He shows no emotion and keeps his distance. He lets her walk closer to him and he slides his hand in her hair, kisses her delicate lily-white hand and let
s her feel no fear from him. He loves how she looks at him with innocent eyes, but there is something more in them, something alluring and sexy. He senses her vulnerability, and her need to feel protected and he lets her feel that in her dream. I will never hurt you, nor let any other bring you harm.
He sees her wake again, getting up from her bed and walking to the kitchen, her body bathed in a light sheen of sweat. He stands back watching her struggle with what she has dreamt of him. She picks up a banana and eats it. Watching her is torture, her mouth sweet and puckered, wrapping so lusciously around the banana. He is captured by her movements, how she chews the banana and then licks her lips. He needs to get the hell out of here before he does something he will regret. He watches as she walks so close to him on her way to the window and he can tell she still thinks of him, her mind consumed with the dreams he has given her and he smiles. Teleporting out without her detection, he sits on the rooftop of a nearby Arlington condo and watches as the sun begins to come up.
"Soon, mi amore, you will see me again."
4
Kate woke up late, feeling restless, with vague memories of him. Did she dream of him? Her mind feels fuzzy. Climbing out of bed, she heads to the shower, then dresses for a casual Sunday binge watching Scandal on Netflix. She stops around five o’clock, to get ready to meet Shannon. Finishing her make-up, she slides on a short skirt and a comfy sweater, then digs through her closet and finds a pair of killer Jimmy Choo leopard print heels. She grabs a black fedora and pulls it down over her red hair and puts on a pair of dark glasses as she heads back to the garage for her car.
Fall is her favorite season, still warm and no humidity. She heads for D.C., fighting the flood of tourists who are all leaving the city after the weekend, and makes her way to H Street, tossing her keys to the valet and heading inside. She stands at the door, and sees Shannon already seated. She waves to her friend as she moves to join her.