by Emily Bex
He continues to watch her through the window, trying to get a read on how much Rissa has told her.
“I don’t know, did she mention anything specific? I have a past Kate, she knows that, but I am not that man any longer. Perhaps she thinks I will play with your heart, but I promise you, I do not want that. I want to be with you, mi amore, spoil you, take care of you. Please tell me how can I banish those thoughts from your mind?”
Shade is confused. Kate didn’t mention anything about vampires. Perhaps Rissa was bluffing, showing off for Alec. Damn it, she may have just told Kate he was a major player with women, going from one woman to the next.
***
Kate wants to believe him, but she has been here before. She always wants to believe them.
“She has mentioned your past... after the first time I met you when I called for your number. She warned me off then... and again tonight. She was... pretty graphic.”
***
Cazzo! What did Rissa tell her? “I have a past Kate, everyone does. Mine is worse, perhaps. Did I ever treat you badly? Was I ever anything but a gentleman to you? Please, I only wish to be given a chance to show you what kind of man I can be. Honest, faithful and loving.”
***
Kate rolls over on her back. Faithful and loving, Ha! How many times has she heard that before?
"You know, if I had a dollar for every man who had promised to be faithful to me, I could retire a rich woman. So what makes you any different?”
He can see her face and sees her anger, her past and her pain clearly evident and this is not going to be easy.
“Perhaps, Miss Reese, it is not me but you that have made the difference. I have had sex with many women, but none of them could capture me. But you have me spellbound. I can think of nothing but you. And all I want is to prove to you that I am a man worthy of your heart, and giving you love like you have never felt, but of which you are so worthy. I am not a man of flowering verses. I am what I am. But I also know what I see before me. I dreamt of a beautiful woman with a pure heart, a soul that aches for her mate, a woman with a contagious laugh and beautiful eyes that melt me. Her intelligence and common sense are rare and exceptional. She is the sexiest female I have ever beheld, and she doesn’t even try. She is just herself. Then you stepped out of my dreams and walked into my life and I don’t want to lose you or let go of you.”
She hears his words and fresh tears fall. She wants to believe him, but she has been down this path before. Broken promises, Ethan was a master of broken promises, and she has heard them all.
"Please... I just need some time. I'm begging you. Give me some space to figure this out.”
***
He watches her struggle, deciding, trying to make the decisions she needs to protect her heart from the past that haunts her. He would kill any bastard who would ever hurt her again.
“It is all I can ask for, mi amore. Grazie, for giving me a chance to speak to you. I will give you all the space and time you need. I understand your pain, Kate. I have been hurt as well. I am not immune to being hurt. The opportunity is yours to give me. I will await your decision.”
***
She listens to the gentleness in his voice and she wonders if she is being unreasonable? His voice holds pain as well. How could any of what Rissa said hold an ounce of truth? But then, what does she really know of this man? Nothing!
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I think I was really falling for you, maybe things were moving too fast. I just got out of one relationship... Never mind, you don't need to hear all that. Just... I'm sorry. Please. I need to go now.”
***
He issues his final plea. “Kate, please. Just one more thing, I’m always here for you. You must promise if you need me...you need help, anything, you will call me. I only want...you. Buonasera.”
He hears her hang up and his heart feels like someone stomped it into tiny pieces. How did this mortal female get to him so fast? His beast sat up and roared, because she was born to be his. And he would fight till his dying breath to have her back, to have her for all eternity.
***
She disconnects from the call. His words send more tears down her cheeks. How could she have listened to Rissa? Her head is clouded in doubt, a part of her saying run away, and another part wants to call him back and beg him to come to her now. She drops the phone on the bed, buries her face in the pillow and cries.
14
Kate slept very little, waking often, thinking of him, always him. Now she has to get through the whole weekend with him on her mind, without the distractions of work. She stays in her robe, not bothering to dress, gorging on junk food. Okay, this is not as bad as the ‘almost at the wedding breakup,’ and if I can get through that, I will get through this. But she keeps second guessing herself, because he did nothing wrong, maybe she should call him.
She is sitting mindlessly in front of the TV, not even aware of what is on when her cell rings. Her heart skips a beat, as she picks up the phone. Shannon, well, this will be interesting. She answers with some reluctance, hating even to tell her best friend the outcome of last night.
"Hey Shan."
***
Shannon hears the lack of energy in her friend’s voice. “Uh oh... I don't like the sound of your voice. What's up? Did you go out with him?"
“Yeah... sort of. We went to Alec and Rissa's for the cocktail party I told you about, but I left without him."
“Kate! What happened? What did he do?”
“Nothing. He did nothing. It was Rissa. She pulled me aside and told me a lot of... stuff. You know she warned me off once before, that he was a player, but last night, she just dumped all this other stuff on me. I got kind of panicked and left, at her suggestion now that I think about it.”
Shannon is puzzled. “Stuff? She told you stuff? Come on Kate. Is he like a murderer, a rapist, a pedophile? What the heck could she have said to make you bolt?”
***
Kate replays in her head all of Rissa's words, and they sound even more ridiculous in the light of day. She can't tell Shannon the part about Shade being a vampire, not even Kate is buying that. And Alec and Rissa are vampires? Get real! She has seen both of them out in broad daylight. Isn’t that impossible if you’re a vampire? But Shannon will push for details. She will have to tell her something.
"She just told me again what a player he was, that he was into really rough sex... like, really rough, she practically pushed me out the door."
Shannon laughs, "Is that supposed to be a bad thing? Sorry, I shouldn't make light of this, clearly you were freaked out. But Kate, come on. Has he shown you any indication of this?”
“No! Of course not. He has been, if anything, extremely patient with me. But Rissa made some comment about him luring me in. Now I'm just confused.”
Shannon continues to probe. “Well, what happened after you left? Did he try to call you?”
“He called. I didn't answer the first time. He left a voicemail, pleading with me. I picked up the second time. His voice... I mean, he sounded as broken as I felt, and he begged me to see him, to let him explain, to give him a chance. I just asked for some time. I needed time. And that's where we left it. So, here I sit, with no clue what to do next. I mean, why would Rissa go to such lengths to warn me off of him if there wasn't something wrong?”
“Okay Kate, I'm just going to say this. You know me, no filters, right? When has Rissa ever given a fuck about you? I know we were all in college together, but let's get real here. Unless you were New England blue blood, she really didn't want to be too closely associated with you. And you had to come from money, and not just any money, old money. I don't know a lot about Shade, but from what you've shared about him, he is clearly old money. I think Rissa is just jealous, or scared. God forbid you would end up in her social circles. And maybe if she thinks this guy is really serious about you, she's just trying to break it up, you know?”
“I know you're right about her. She has always kept me at arm�
�s length, and I was well aware of why. But... why would she tell me the sex stuff?”
“Oh hell, Kate, I don't know. Because she knows it would freak you out? Besides, how would she know? Has she slept with him?”
Kate ponders the question. Has he? She hadn’t thought of that before. Shade with Rissa. She shakes the image out of her head.
“I... she didn't say she had... but he did tell me on the phone he had been with a lot of women, so it sort of collaborated Rissa's story that he is a player. Maybe he dumped her or something, and she’s getting back at him.”
“Kate, you don't get to walk around looking like him and not have sex with a lot of women... you get that, right? I mean, the man can have his pick, if you get my drift. But here's the thing, Kate. He can have his pick, and if he was just a player, he would have moved on. I mean, let's face it, you've been rather high maintenance for him. I doubt seriously the man has had to work this hard to get a woman in bed in his whole life. He's been chasing you for three weeks now, have you slept with him?”
“No! Shannon, you know... you know how I feel about that.”
Shannon sighs. “Yes, I do... and you need to get over it. I mean really Kate. I know you're never going to be the girl that puts out on the first date but come on. And besides, don't you want to know? The sex is such an important part of the relationship. I think people need to know how they are together. It's not always great, you know? I mean, all guys think they're good, but you know better. You've at least been with enough men to have figured that out by now. So, why waste all this time exploring your ‘relationship’, only to discover he's a dud in bed? Let's face it, great sex can make you overlook a lot of other shortcomings in a relationship.”
Kate blushes. “I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you.”
“Oh, we're having it! So here's my advice. Fuck Rissa and make your own decisions. You like this guy. I know you do. Give him a chance. Take the time to find out who he is, and where this relationship is going, if anywhere. But you decide. You decide if you want to spend more time with him, if he's worth risking your heart. Don't let Rissa dictate how it plays out. Maybe he won't be for you, but that should be something you discover. Come on, Kate. I know you. If you don't follow through, you will question yourself about it forever.”
“Yeah... you're right about that part. I'm already questioning myself.”
“Right? So get back in the game. And hey, I'm always here for you. If he breaks your heart, we'll just pull another weekend bender getting drunk on wine and you'll get through it. We always do. Okay?”
Kate answers, still unsure. “Yes... I'll think about it. I promise I will.”
“Okay, well I have a shit-load of errands to run this weekend, so I have to go. So you ‘think’, and I'll talk to you later. But I am not going to let this go, so I'm just warning you now!”
Kate laughs, "Shannon, I would be totally disappointed if you let it go. Now go get your stuff done. I'm fine, we'll talk later."
15
Kate begged him to give her time, and he has honored her request. It has been several days now, and he has not tried to call, and she has not called him. She has not had the nerve, despite Shannon's prodding. But he stays on her mind, always.
She is wondering if maybe he has just moved on. She is, as Shannon pointed out, 'high maintenance'. There is a part of her that wishes he would ignore her request, a part of her that wishes he would just storm back into her life, with his larger than life persona, and say, 'Enough, Kate!'
One day fades into the next as the week passes by. She looks for him at the Metro stops, the Starbucks where they met for coffee, outside her office building, but there have been no more 'accidental' encounters. She fears she has lost him, and she knows she won't chase him. She would never have the self-confidence to approach him after this much time has passed. She feels tired, and she knows her emotions play into that as well, as she gets ready for bed, slipping on a gown and climbing between the sheets. She turns out the light and watches the red light on the Washington Monument as it blinks on and off, before she slips into another night of troubled sleep.
***
Many nights have passed, and Shade watched her through the window for every single one of them. Her body language and facial expressions told him enough to know she was miserable, and yet, she gave him no sign of wanting him back in her space. She asked for time, and he has given her a week. How much time did she want? How much thought did she need to know they were meant to be together, she was the one, and she was his?
It felt like the hundredth time since he had stood here at the window watching her, as she climbed into the bed and finally fell to sleep. He had kept his promise, given her time, while staying close, observing. If nothing else, he had been a man of his word, but his patience was running thin. She had a lot of time to think, she had not asked to see him, she had not called him, and there was only one way to hold her and have her, convince her they were meant to be.
He teleports into her condo, shadowing himself from her view and waits for her to fall asleep. That crimson hair is tangled about her head and strewn across the pillows. He knows already she is going to be his greatest strength and his biggest weakness, and somehow, he is very comfortable with that.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he gently brushes the red silk from her face and she doesn’t move, but there is a slight moan. That’s it, mi amore. Come to the one you need. He lays his hand upon her head and walks into her dream. This is where he can have her, convince her and leave her with a memory she will never forget, a memory that will drive her to come back to him. It is his gift to dream-walk and he has never been more grateful for it than right now.
***
She could see him there among the crowd as she moved through the large room, full of people. She watched him, dapper in his Italian hand-tailored suit, and she loved what she saw. Her gown was red, it flowed to the floor and her heels peeped out from the side slits of either side of her gown, those slender ankles flashing with each step.
They circled the room, he on one side, she on the other, and the crowd of people between them. They stalked each other, their eyes locked across the room. There was a sexual tension growing between them, a burning passion building, and he could feel it in her body as she moved. Her hips took on a slight sway, the shape of that beautiful ass enhanced with the heels, her gorgeous breasts tightly strapped into the gown, but enough of those lily-white orbs spilling over the top of her dress to keep his eyes glued and his mouth watering.
She knew what she was doing, tempting him, teasing him, but so did he. The music began to play, and couples danced in a blur in the center of the floor. Their eyes did not see the other dancers, they saw only each other. She liked the man she saw across the room, as he slides his hand through his long black curls and smiles at her. He walks straight for her, slowly, sensuously, deliberately taking his time, his ice blue eyes boring into her dark brown ones. He does not speak. He just takes her into his arms and begins to dance with her. He dances slowly, holding her tight and close, and the gaze she gives him is one of need and unbridled passion, on the edge, begging him to unleash it and take her.
She comes willingly into his embrace as they sway to the soft sounds of John Mayer singing “I Don’t Trust Myself”.
Her body melds into his, it fits like she was molded perfectly for him and him alone. She is small and delicate compared to his large frame, but somehow, it is perfection, and he can feel her warm and soft against him. Swaying with her to the music as they move around the large dance floor, they see no one else. The other people disappear, and it is just the two of them, bel rosso and her lover. The scent of roses wafts up to him as he swirls her across the dance floor.
Their dance is an erotic play, her closeness, her scent, the feel of her pressed against him, how his hand fits perfectly in the small of her back. Leaning down, he nuzzles her neck, feels the shiver of excitement slide through her delicate frame. He whispers in her ear
, his breath hot against her skin, “Enough of this game, bel. No more running from me.” Her hands go into his hair, and he softly licks her ear, letting his tongue slide over its shell like form, and then nibbles the spot on her neck where her vein thumps harder with every heartbeat.
He feels her body give in to him, wanting him. Her body communicates what her mouth refuses to speak. She missed him and wanted to experience him and knows his words are true. He could love her like no other and she would be bereft without him. The music changes as The Scorpions sing “Send Me An Angel”, and the atmosphere becomes more heated. He pulls her closer to his body, grinding his hips into her softly, letting her know he wants exactly what she wants. There is no denial from either of them. He dances them to the blurred edges of the room, and they break through it, dancing slowly to the rhythm that leads them down a long empty hallway. He lets her lead him but stays close to her and then spins her gently and stops, pushing her back against the wall, grasping her hands and holding them above her head. He pushes his body into hers, kissing her deeply, passionately, leaving her breathless and those eyes half closed, and begging. His lips are close to her ear, his voice hoarse with passion, his whisper is almost a low growl. “You know you want this. Let me show you what no man can ever make you feel.”
***
How could she have grown so used to those kisses so fast? She wants him, wants more, and she is pulled in by his promise of where he can take her.
***
Shade lets go of her hands, but she keeps them above her head, and he slides his hands down her arms, down her sides, burying his head between those glorious breasts and licks her cleavage, nipping softly at her skin. He lets his hands slide down her hips, grabbing her firmly and slowly gyrates his hardened cock against her.
His hands slide down her thighs, as he slips them under the slit in her gown that reaches almost to her hip. He grabs the edge of the silken material and rips it all the way to her breasts, letting it fall in a puddle of bloody red silk at her ankles. Her gasp is soft and breathy as she turns her face to the side, her soft pink tongue licking her lips. He grabs her into his arms, her lacy lingerie all that remains on her body.