by Peter Glenn
“You think?” She didn’t move her eyes a bit as she spoke to me.
“Of course!” I grinned at her, even though she couldn’t see it. “He’s probably just stopping to get you flowers or something.”
“Getting me flowers? But I didn’t… I mean, he was the one who…” She finally broke her stare at the stone steps leading into the bar and turned to face me, a look of abject terror in her face. “Oh no. Should I have gotten him something?”
I chuckled and patted her on the arm. “I’m sure he’ll be overjoyed just to see you. You’re all the gift he’s going to need. Trust me.”
“Are you sure?” Charmaine was worriedly using one of her fangs to fuss with her bottom lip. “I should have gotten him a welcome home gift. He’s going to hate me.”
“He’s going to what now?” a booming voice said from the entryway.
A giant smile crossed Charmaine’s lips as Daequan came bounding down the rest of the stairs, arms held out wide to the sides. He was holding a big bouquet of tulips in one hand.
“Daequan!” Charmaine shouted.
She rushed over to him, and they embraced, him picking her up in his big, strong arms and lifting her off the ground as they squeezed each other so tight I thought one of them might pop.
“Baby girl!” Daequan said. He rained kisses down all over her face as he set her gently down to the ground. “Let me get a good look at you.”
Tears of joy were streaming down Charmaine’s face as she looked up into his own teary eyes. “Oh, sweetie, I missed you so much!”
“I missed you, too, baby girl. I missed you, too.”
The two embraced for another minute or so before they started making their way back to the bar proper, hand in hand, looking every bit the adorable couple.
It was wonderful to watch. Wonderful, and a little agonizing. For the first time in those two weeks, I was desperately missing LaLuna. I’d barely had time to think about her while I was recovering from my injuries, but now that I was feeling better, and I was watching two love birds reunite, I was missing my own little fountain of happiness.
Daequan and Charmaine took seats next to me at the bar, with Charmaine the closer of the two.
“Two Mango Tango daiquiris, please,” Daequan said to Mei. “Extra coconut pee.”
I heard a collective snort come out of the bar patrons as Daequan said that last little bit.
“Sure thing, soldier,” Mei said, grinning slightly and shaking her head. “I’ll make sure there’s plenty in there for the both of you.”
Mei went off to mix the drinks as Sevin settled in on the other side of me.
“Good to see you, mon ami,” he said.
I raised my glass to him, and he raised his own. We clanged glasses in the air, and I took a sip of mine. “Good to see you, too, Frenchie.”
“Fraunchie,” he corrected with a grin. Then his expression changed, and he frowned at me. “We were worried about you, mon ami. Hadn’t seen you in some time.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, well, I was healing. This whole saving the world thing is hard work, you know.” I stretched a little, and my chest gave me a little pang of pain as if to accentuate the point.
“Oui, mon ami.” Sevin clapped me on the shoulder. “But we are friends here. I could have helped you, you know. Or Hank. Or even Mei. We all would have been happy to help you feel better.”
I waved a hand at him dismissively. “It was no big deal,” I lied. “I was mostly just napping. I’m lazy like that.” I gave him my best fake smile.
In reality, the healing had been nothing but trouble. I’d barely even been mobile for the first few days and could hardly even make it to my own front door to get the food deliveries. Several of them had had to come in and take me food right to my bed.
Then there was the giant mess left behind from it all. Since I could barely move, I couldn’t very well clean. I’d almost drowned under a sea of paper bags, wrappers, and napkins. It was getting to the point where it was embarrassing just to have someone over.
Not that it wasn’t anyway, but still.
I’d managed, though. I always seemed to manage just fine on my own.
“Well, next time, give me a ring.” Sevin patted me on the back, and I tried not to wince. The memory of wounds was still fresh there. “I’d be all too happy to help you out in a pickle.”
“Thanks, mon ami,” I said, using his turn of phrase for once. “I’ll remember that.”
And I would. It was true that I was fine handling things on my own. Really, it was. I’d done it for close to two hundred years before I’d met Mei.
Okay, maybe I hadn’t managed well before that, but I’d figured it out.
But having friends—real friends, not just ones that I saw at the bar several times a week—well, that sounded really nice. Should there ever be a next time I was injured saving the world—and something told me there would be—I’d have to take him up on his offer.
The drinks came in for the vampires then, and they both took a long pull of their beverages and whispered things to each other. It was cloyingly sweet to watch, so I turned my attention toward the far wall where Yuri and Isaiah were deep in chat.
Yuri caught my gaze, and he gave me a big, hearty wave, so I waved back at him. I knew Frenchie would do just about anything for me. He’d let me borrow his car a half dozen times. That takes a lot of trust. But would Yuri? Would Isaiah? Would any of the others be so gracious?
Something told me Yuri would. That all of them would. That maybe I wasn’t giving them enough credit.
Charmaine nudged me a moment later, and I turned to look at her. Her eyes were shining brightly, and her whole visage looked cheery and happy.
“Something wrong?” she asked me.
“Meh,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “No, I don’t think so. Everything’s good over here.” I flashed her the best grin I could muster, which wasn’t much of one at the moment.
“Thank you again for all your help, Damian,” she said. “I wouldn’t have gotten Daequan back without you.”
“It was nothing,” I insisted.
She nudged me again. “It wasn’t nothing, Damian. You quite literally saved all of vampire-kind. That’s something.”
Heat rose to my cheeks, and I tried to bury my head in my Ramones shirt. It was my backup for when I couldn’t wear Duran Duran. I’d found another one, but it was seventy bucks, and I just didn’t have that on me right now.
“Now you’re making me blush,” I told her.
Charmaine smiled at me and lightly patted my shoulder. “Thanks again. If you ever need me in the future, I’ll come running.”
Something about the way she said it made me believe her wholeheartedly.
I was starting to fear that I’d faint of embarrassment, so I quickly changed the subject. “How are the flowers?”
Charmaine took the bouquet of tulips in hand and sniffed them. “They smell so heavenly. Tulips are my favorite, you know.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded. “Yep. Daequan always gets me tulips when we haven’t seen each other in a while. It’s a small way in which I know he loves me.”
That reminded me. LaLuna loved purple irises. Something about them always made her smile. Maybe I’d bring her some the next time I saw her. I bet she’d like that. And I did want her to be happy, too.
“Go to her,” Charmaine said out of the blue.
“Huh?” I blinked a few times as my thoughts were brought back to the present.
“The girl,” Charmaine explained. “Go to her. Be with her. Tell her what’s on your mind.”
“Am I really that obvious?”
“It’s that look in your eyes. That sad, longing look, like you’d rather be somewhere else. One specific place, really. Daequan has that look. Sometimes, when we’ve been apart for a while, I’ll catch a glimpse of him looking like you do. Of course, it always changes when he sees me. But you have that same look right now.”
“Heh.” I grinned at her.
“I didn’t realize you could tell like that.”
“When a woman’s been around as long as I have, Damian, she knows a lot of things. Like how to spot someone that should really be with their girlfriend.” She gave me a big, bright smile and shoved my shoulder. “Now get out of here already!”
“Okay!” I said, chuckling. “Don’t need to tell me twice.”
As I turned and left the bar, I could have sworn I felt Mei’s knowing smile on my back.
I pressed the doorbell next to LaLuna’s door and took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. I’d been nervous the last time I’d been here, but that nervousness was nothing compared to what I felt here and now. I could barely even feel my toes, I was so nervous.
Several seconds passed, and no one came to the door. I checked my watch. It was nine pm. A little late for someone with a small child.
I should have known better. I should have waited until tomorrow morning to come, but Charmaine had been so insistent, and Sevin had lent me his car again, so I’d leapt at the chance.
A few more seconds passed, and I was about to give up when I heard the sound of the deadbolt unlatching.
Butterflies danced around in my stomach, and I thought I was about to throw up right there on her steps. Some entrance that would have been, huh? “Sorry I haven’t seen you in forever, now clean up my vomit.”
Yeah, I was super glad that didn’t happen.
The door swung open and I saw LaLuna’s face light up as she saw me standing there in the dim porchlight.
“Hi, stranger,” I said in the weakest voice I’d ever mustered. Somehow my tone had cracked on those two little words.
“Hi,” LaLuna repeated, grinning at me. “Long time no see.”
“About that. I was… I was resting from this big demon attack and…”
“And you forgot how to call me?” LaLuna crossed her arms over her chest and looked down on me.
I frowned and lowered my gaze. “Sorry. You’re right, I should have… called or texted or something.”
“You’re right, you should have.” She looked angry. No, worse—disappointed. “So why come now?”
“Umm…” My stomach twisted in knots, and I felt sick again with the weight of her gaze bearing down on me. I thought fast. “Well, I… I guess I… I missed you?”
It wasn’t what I’d intended to say. I’d had this whole speech prepared about how I’d completely screwed up, and I should have known better, and how I’d be better in the future. I’d treat her the way a girlfriend should be treated and take her out places. It was a good speech. But it wasn’t what came out.
“You… missed me?” LaLuna gave me a quizzical look, and her features softened just a little.
“I… yes, I… what I mean to say is, yes. I missed you.” I gave her a weak grin.
“Well, why didn’t you say so in the first place?” Her eyes brightened, and she gave me a warm smile and held out a hand to me. “Won’t you come in?”
I was so surprised I almost did a double-take. “Uh, sure.”
LaLuna took my hand, and I went inside, shivering a little from the abrupt change in temperature. She liked her place warm like Mei did. It felt inviting and comfortable on a cold night like this one.
“Are those for me?” LaLuna asked, pointing to the bundle in my other hand.
“Y-yes, yes they are.” I beamed at her and held the item up for her to inspect it closer.
“Purple irises. My favorite.” She leaned in and sniffed them. “Ooh, they smell so pretty.” She took them from my outstretched hands. “I can’t believe you remembered.”
“Of course I remembered,” I told her, grinning again. “How could I forget your favorite flower?”
“Hang on a minute while I put them in a vase.”
LaLuna turned and headed into her kitchen. I heard her rummaging around for a few minutes and the sound of water running.
“So, how is Grace doing?” I asked, raising my voice a little while trying to stay quiet. I didn’t want to wake the baby.
“Grace is good. I think she misses you, but she’s growing up nice and fast.”
“Yeah?”
“Yep. She’s smiling at me pretty regularly and starting to learn how to roll over.”
“Isn’t that advanced for her age?”
LaLuna came back into the room, holding the flowers in a pretty glass vase. “A little, I think. I read the book, and they say they’ll start to roll over around three months or so. We don’t really know how old she is, but assuming she was about a month when we found her, that’d make it two weeks early.”
She smiled at me and set the flowers down on her coffee table. “But how did you know that?”
“Me?” Suddenly the room felt a little too hot and I tugged on my collar. “Oh, you know, I… um… asked Hank about it.”
LaLuna snorted. “You asked Hank about raising children?”
I nodded. “Yeah, well, you know, he’s had several, so I thought maybe he’d know something about it.”
“Aww, Damian, you’re so sweet.” She patted my shoulder gently, and it sent waves of fire through my skin. Good waves. Man, I wanted her.
I stared deep into her eyes, my longing for her growing with every passing moment. I wanted her so badly, but I didn’t want to ruin things, either.
Eventually, I looked away. “So, umm, could I see Grace or something? Just for like a minute.”
LaLuna grabbed onto my chin and pulled on it until we were looking into each other’s eyes again. “I suppose you could, but I was kind of hoping you’d want to do something… else.”
My heart raced. “Something… else?” I could feel my arousal increase as I sat there, staring at her.
“Uh huh.” She gave me a suggestive wink and motioned with her head toward the bedroom.
“I see…” I felt my heart skip a beat as words escaped me, and my head inclined toward hers.
Our lips met, and we kissed long and hard as waves of desire swept through me, and my heart sped up even more. Then we parted for just a second, and I took in a deep breath, just staring at her in all her glory.
“You’re so beautiful,” I whispered.
I saw her smile just a little, then our mouths were at it again, kissing, searching, probing each other’s with our tongues.
LaLuna’s hand slipped underneath my shirt, settling on my chest. Her touch tingled and made me want her even more.
I moved my hands around her waist and pulled on her pants, loosening them and sliding them off her smooth, round hips. The garment fell to the floor, and she kicked it off, quickly forgotten.
Moving together as one, we headed toward the bedroom, continuing the dance of undressing each other as we went along. Her hands deftly undid my jeans button, and I kicked those away as I slid her shirt over her head, then she slid off my shirt as I pulled down her underwear and went to work on her bra.
Soon enough, we were in bed, and she lay there before me, completely naked. My desire soared to new heights, and I bent down and kissed her nipple, tugging on it gently with my tongue.
I heard her moan as her entire body shivered. I started kissing her again, moving slowly with my mouth over to her other nipple while I teased the first with my fingers. I wrapped my lips around that one, too, and tugged, licking it gently as it hardened from the pleasure.
“Oh, Damian,” I heard her utter.
I looked up into her eyes and saw that same desire I felt for her reflected back in them. Yes. She wanted this. Wanted me. And there was nothing to stop it this time.
“LaLuna, I… I…”
“You talk too much Damian,” LaLuna said. “Why don’t you use that tongue for something else?”
Her eyes trailed downward and I followed her gaze down, down, past the navel. Right to her core. Yes. I could use my tongue there to great effect.
“As you wish, my lady.”
I started kissing her again, leaving a trail of soft, fluttery kisses down her body as I headed toward her center.
Yes, I could please her this way, too.
I was so hard I could barely think about anything else, but I needed patience. I had to take care of her first.
“Yes,” she purred.
I gave her a broad smile and moved into position.
“Yes,” she repeated. “Yes, yes.”
I kissed the inside of her thigh as I maneuvered into position, ready to give her what she wanted. What we both wanted. It was time.
That’s when the baby started crying.
“Damn it,” I whispered, pulling away.
LaLuna’s strong hands pulled me back down on top of her. “Leave her,” she demanded.
“But…” I craned my neck in the direction of the nursery. Grace’s cries were powerful.
“Please, Damian. I need you.”
Yes. My pulse quickened again, and I stared into her eyes. She needed me, and I her. It was so simple. So easy. If only it weren’t for that baby.
LaLuna caught me hedging. She wiggled one of her fingers, and the baby stopped crying.
I gave her an appalled look. “Did you just use magic to put her back to sleep?”
“Forget about her,” she begged. She pulled me toward her, and we kissed again, sweet and pure. My longing starting to overwhelm me.
“I need you, Damian. Please,” she repeated.
No more noise came from the nursery. Was Grace safe? Ah, hell, I was sure she was.
Besides, far be it from me to let down a lady.
I moved in closer until our bodies were one. It was a long, wondrous time till morning.
Damian’s older brother comes to visit, but not all is rosy. His son is missing and it’s up to Damian to solve the mystery. Read about it in Immortal Brother, Where Art Thou, the next installment in the Immortality Curse series.
Author’s Notes
April 8th, 2021
Here we are again. What a rush, huh? I don’t know about you, but I thought that was a pretty awesome book. One of the best I’ve ever written, in fact. What did you think, was this a fun ride from start to finish? Be sure to let me know!
If you liked the book, please leave a review. Reviews mean the world to me and I still read them all, for every book. A good review can make my whole day. A bad one not so much, but even if you didn’t like it, at least that gives me good information for the next time. So please leave one. Besides, it might just help that next book come out just a little bit faster.