“Don’t you, hello me! I just talked to Chance. Were you even going to say goodbye? We watch your cat for weeks, then you just pop back in, take your stuff and leave?” Aubrey’s shrill voice came over the line.
“Whoa, whoa…slow down there. It’s not like that.” I watched the washing machine as it spun with my sheets.
She sniffed. “Really? After everything we’ve done for you?”
“Listen, I got a line on a place while I was in Romania and when it came up today, I jumped at it. I didn’t plan to pack up and leave while you were gone, but I had the time, and it just happened.”
“Typical. Anytime things get hard, or someone says something you don’t want to hear, you bail. Just like law school. I should’ve known…”
Oh, heck no, “Seriously? If you want to know the truth, I left because of your husband. He hates me, and he hates my cat. After you left today, he made it crystal clear that I’m not welcome there anymore.”
“Chance wouldn’t do that.”
I scoffed. “Are you calling me a liar? Ask him. He said that he had to look out for your well-being and that I need to take my devil cat and move out. I’m not going to stay somewhere I’m not wanted.”
I heard my friend suck in a breath on her end of the line. “Chance didn’t mean it like that. Caro, you know how sensitive you can be? You must be super worn out from your trip and just took what he said the wrong way. I just wish you wouldn’t have been so hasty. We could’ve helped you. I just feel like you packed up like a fugitive in the middle of the night.”
“I’m sorry. I know you’ve done a lot for me. You need that room for your baby, and I need my own place.”
“I know. It just sucks. I’m going to miss you…”
“Well, Chance won’t…” I offered.
“It’s not like that, and you know it. Chance is really good with animals, but Lucy is, she’s…difficult,” she ended carefully. “Come to dinner tonight?”
I gazed around my new place. “How about instead, you come over here? I’ll run to that Chinese place and pick up takeout.”
“How about we pick up the takeout on our way over. Text me your new address.”
Aubrey would win the battle of the food, so I didn’t even bother arguing.
After ending the call, I texted her directions.
Then I texted Ethan.
Me: I’m all moved into the townhouse! Now I get to unpack!
Ethan: Great! I’ll bring dinner over, and we can celebrate.
Me: Aubrey and Chance are coming over at 7, want to join us? They’re bringing Chinese food.
Ethan: I wanted you all to myself, but that’s fine. I’ll bring some hors d'oeuvres and wine. Is Aubrey happy for you?
Me: I think so, she just seems angry at me all the time.
Ethan: She’s used to being in charge and taking care of you. I think change is hard; you’re not that lost college girl anymore.
Me: I know.
Ethan: Gotta go! See you early? Maybe 6?
Me: Please! I feel like I saw less of you in Romania than I did here.
After pulling my clean sheets from the dryer and making my bed, I drew myself a bath. Soaking in the tub, I gazed out the window into the sparsely forested hillside of the side yard.
Number 5.
Something seemed to rap at my mind.
Something about this townhouse.
Shaking it off, I scrubbed my body clean and shaved my legs until they were silky smooth. Stepping onto the cold floor, I realized that I’d forgotten to unpack towels.
“Crap!” Naked and soaking wet, I tiptoed into the kitchen where I’d set most of my boxes. None of the windows had curtains because they all faced open space and trees.
“Clothes, shoes, ah! Linens! There you are!”
A knock startled me from the front door. “Who is it?”
“It’s Ethan. Were you expecting your other boyfriend?” He called out to me.
Wrapping a towel around my body, I sped to the door and pulled it open.
Ethan stood there with a beautiful bouquet of flowers in a crystal vase and a bag from the local market.
“Oh! Is it six already?” I asked, pulling myself up onto my tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. “Come in.”
He followed me into the open space that served as both kitchen, dining, and living area.
I sniffed the flowers before setting them on the counter.
“I’m actually late,” he said, “but maybe I should be early from now on.”
I laughed, “Maybe.”
Watching him set down his other burdens, he neared me, like a panther stalking its prey. With a saucy smile, he picked me up by the waist and sat me on the kitchen counter that separated us from the living room.
“I have thought of nothing but you today,” he growled, kissing my chest above my towel.
I weaved my fingers through his hair, “Oh yeah? You could’ve come over sooner.”
“You should’ve just moved in with me,” he whispered, his fingers splayed on my bare thighs.
Nipping his bottom lip, I laughed, “It’s too soon and more fun this way.”
His tongue plundered my mouth, and I pressed myself into him, moaning as his fingers slid beneath the towel to tease me.
“Want to initiate this kitchen?” He asked me.
I laughed, “There are no blinds; someone could see us.”
He shook his head, “No one will see us.”
I undid his belt and the top button of his pants. “Leave the towel on.”
“As you wish.” He pulled me toward him on the counter until he pressed against me.
With our gazes locked, Ethan held my hips as he slowly and carefully thrust into me.
I gasped as he filled my body, making me burn.
“You’re so sexy.” His voice came out as a growl.
He was careful, too careful, and I wanted more.
His movements were too slow, too teasing.
“Harder,” I told him, my voice coming out breathy.
I could tell he still held himself back.
“Harder,” I pleaded, my voice nearly a whisper.
Grabbing my hips, he slammed into me over and over again until stars filled my vision, and euphoria overcame me.
Ethan let out a groan, holding me against him as he came.
Panting, I sagged against him. When a branch snapped outside, our eyes went to the kitchen window. Two people stood there in the twilight like peeping toms.
I gasped while my vampire laughed.
“It’s Aubrey and her husband,” he said as the pair scurried away.
I pulled my phone off the counter and checked the time. “Oh shit! They’re early! Why are they here so early! Oh my god! Oh my god!” I pushed him back, jumped off the counter, and ran to the bedroom.
Sitting on my bed, gripping the towel with one hand and covering my face with the other, I heard Ethan approach.
Sensing his proximity, I didn’t look up until he touched my shoulder. “Are you okay? I don’t think they saw anything.”
“Their expressions said otherwise,” I mumbled miserably.
He shrugged and kissed my head. “Get dressed, I’ll go invite them in.”
I frowned. “I’m never going to live this down.”
Tilting his head, Ethan smiled. “It’ll be all right. They were the intruders, not us.”
I hesitated before asking, “Can you erase their memory of what they saw?”
He let out a breath, “I can, but on principle, I won’t.”
I tossed a pillow at him, “This is an emergency.”
He threw it back. “This is on them. They shouldn’t have been snooping around the house. Maybe their voyeurism will bring a spark back into their relationship.”
“Ethan, they’re still newlyweds!” I laughed, “Trust me, I lived with them for almost four months, the spark is definitely still there.”
Fully dressed, including shoes, I smiled tentatively at our guests.
Ethan had pou
red them each a glass of wine, including Aubrey, who had set hers on the end table, untouched.
“Hi guys, I’m so glad you both could come over for dinner.” I couldn’t help the awkward smile pasted on my face. I picked up my friend’s discarded wine glass. “Aubrey, can I get you a glass of water?”
“Why are you taking her wine?” Ethan questioned me.
“She’s pregnant. Pregnant women aren’t supposed to have alcohol,” I told him with only a touch of exasperation in my voice.
“Oh, they aren’t? Why?” His befuddled, yet adorable expression, made me smile and shake my head.
“Because it’s bad for the baby,” I leaned over and brushed a kiss on his lips before strolling back to the kitchen.
“How was the drive over,” I heard Ethan ask.
“Uh, good. Not too far. So, is this your place?” Chance asked, a little on edge.
“No, this is Caroline’s townhome. My house is just over the ridge about two kilometers away,” Ethan answered smoothly before sipping his wine. “So, Chance, Caroline says you’re an artist?”
The Aussie nodded, “Uh, yeah. Sculptures mainly.”
I could see the gleam in Ethan’s eye, and it meant none of this information was new to him. “She was telling me about the sculpture you’re making for the city building. I was thinking of asking you to do one for the roundabout in front of the office.”
As the men spoke, Aubrey’s disapproving expression began to melt away. I blamed the pregnancy for the moodiness.
The guys stood talking about the plan and design of the townhomes. Ethan ushered Chance outside while they spoke.
I twisted my lips. “Want to help me set the table?”
Aubrey hefted herself from her position on the couch. “Sure.”
As she opened the paper bags filled with food, she sighed. “I’m sorry that you think I’m not on your side. Believe it or not, I am.”
“I know. I’m sorry for moving out so quickly,” I told her, setting chopsticks on top of the blue and white plates. We walked to the modern slab that made up the table.
“You guys actually look happy together,” she said, settling herself down in a chair.
“I think we are. Ethan asked me to move in with him, but I told him it was too early.”
“Oh?” She asked casually before honing in on my necklace. “Oh, wow. Is that new?”
I closed the space between us and bent to let her look at it.
“That’s really pretty,” she whispered, examining the intricate dagger with small silver leaves twisted around the handle. “It looks like silver.”
“It is. Ethan had it made for me while we were in Romania,” I told her.
“Yeah?” She asked.
I nodded and explained the castle and the jeep trail. I praised the ruins that looked out over the valley.
Pausing, my thoughts went back to the pool of red wine in the snow, and something nagged at my mind.
A wisp of memory floated just out of reach, but the more I tried to grasp at it, the more elusive it became until it was just gone.
“That sounds very romantic,” she sighed. “Any hiking sounds terrible to me right now. I feel like a whale.”
“You’re glowing with pregnancy!” I said, before holding the dagger in my fingers.
Aubrey took my hands into her own, her belly looming between us. “Just tell me you’re happy.”
I tilted my head to the side. “I am. I promise.”
“Oh! Baby’s kicking!” She grabbed my hand and placed it to the side of her belly.
I startled when I felt the nudge against my palm.
She laughed, “Your eyes went so wide! I swear, this little guy’s going to be trouble! Last night he decided to kick my bladder like it was a punching bag!”
“Wait?! Do you know what the baby is? It’s a boy?” I shook my head, a silent laugh sliding a smile onto my lips.
“No, no, no. I just have a feeling. I feel like it’s a boy.”
“Why don’t you just find out?”
She bit her thumbnail. “No. Chance wants it to be a surprise, so we’re going to wait and do a gender reveal at the baby shower. Have you talked to my mom? She’s already been planning the whole thing.”
I scrunched up my nose. “She wants to do the baby shower for you next month, but by then I don’t think you’ll be pregnant anymore.”
“Oh my gosh! Next month? I’m due in a couple of weeks!” She rubbed her belly absentmindedly.
“I’ve tried telling her this but, it’s her grandbaby. Maybe she wants to see the baby while she’s here and not make two trips?”
Aubrey chuckled, “I’ll call her.”
The guys walked in talking about how the buildings on Dumont land were made using straw, clay, and cement.
Sitting down at the table with Ethan and my closest friend, Aubrey—and Chance—my heart swelled, and for the first time in a long time, I felt truly happy.
20
That night, Ethan stayed with me in the townhouse and held me until I fell asleep. This became his routine. When I awoke every morning, I’d find him on his computer reading the news and drinking coffee in my kitchen. It was comforting, and I couldn’t help but imagine doing this forever.
It had been a little over two weeks since I’d last seen Aubrey.
We talked on the phone or about the baby, but I couldn’t speak to her about Ethan, because of the NDA or about vampires, because she’d think I was crazy. And every day, my vampire became a more significant part of my life.
The Saturday after her due date, I drove over to help paint the baby’s room.
The entire drive I debated in my head about telling her about vampires.
By the time I pulled up in front of the neat one-story home, I had realized that no matter how I said it or how convincing I was, Aubrey would never believe.
It was this secret that had wedged its way between us.
Knocking on the door, I found my friend in an old UMD t-shirt and sweatpants. She had coffee waiting for me and a biscotti for us both.
“Come on back, let’s plan this out,” she told me as she dunked the pastry.
I followed her to my old room, where she had two lawn chairs set up against one wall.
“Is this our planning station?” I asked, peeking at the cans of paint on the tarp-covered floor.
“So,” she said, settling down and placing her cup atop her belly. “I’m thinking of eggshell white on these three walls, and blue as the feature wall, over there. What do you think?”
“Blue? That’s a strong feeling you have then…”
A smile curved her lips, “I found out a few days ago—it is a boy.”
My eyebrows shot up, “I thought Chance didn’t want to know.”
She cringed and waddled around the room, “He doesn’t.” She finally sat in one of the lawn chairs. “I was by myself, and I hadn’t felt the baby move all day. So I went in, and they did an ultrasound. I saw what the baby was—it was obvious. In my defense, there’s no way I could’ve missed that.”
“But you asked—to be sure? I knew you couldn’t hold out!”
“Of course, I asked. I couldn’t leave it like that! Knowing, but not really sure! What if I’d just seen the umbilical cord or something…which is what I actually saw…but still, I was right.”
I shook my head with a smile, “So, if it’s a boy, why don’t you want the whole room blue?”
Shaking her head, she twisted her lips, “It’ll be too dark.”
“So, what did Chance say about buying blue paint?”
She tapped her fingers together in front of her face and chuckled. “He doesn’t know.”
“He doesn’t know?”
“No. I’m going to keep the room closed off until the party. Then I’ll unlock the door and reveal that we’re having a boy.” She made a cringe-worthy smile.
“So, you think you can keep him out of this room for a whole other week?” I rubbed the spot between my eyes. My eyesight w
as getting bad again.
“Well, I’m hoping I’ll go into labor before my shower, but either way will work.” She stood and began pouring paint into the pan for the roller.
“Hey, hey, hey, preggie, let me do that. You—go open the windows.” I nudged her away and began filling the trays.
She streamed music to a small speaker that sat on the window sill.
“Have you had any contractions? What does the doctor say?” A drop of paint splattered my face.
“They say it’s normal to go past your due date. Everything’s fine….” She trailed off. “You know, this wasn’t planned, but it’s exciting. I feel like the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Oh! Speaking of which, I started talking to this woman who’s a history teacher at Westlake Prep school. She’s due in a few months and needs a long-term sub to fill in for her? She said she’d ask the administration specifically for you, but you need to apply.”
“Aww! You’re selling me so well!” I laughed, my heart jumping at the thought of going back to teaching, then falling like a stone. “Crap, I don’t know if I can. My whole housing situation is completely wrapped up with my job.”
“I thought you said Ethan asked you to move in?”
I bit my lip. “He did, but right now, we’re happy with the way things are. I do miss it though—teaching.” Paint droplets flew off and rained down on my hair.
“You keep splattering yourself. You have to scrape the end of the roller like this,” she said, sliding it over the metal edge of the pan.
“Okay, I am interested in the job. Let me talk to Ethan about it,” I said, careful to wipe the extra paint off the side of my roller this time.
“Well, that’s perfect, because I’ve already emailed them your résumé.”
I shook my head. “Wow. I want to be mad, but I can’t.”
She batted her eyelashes and shrugged, “Okay, I know this time I definitely-maybe crossed a line, but it was for the good of everyone. Even though you’re happy with Ethan, I can tell that you just aren’t cut out for office work, am I right?”
I groaned. “I hate that you know me so well.”
“No, you don’t. Besides, you’ve acted differently since you’ve worked at Dumont, and I just want the old Caro back,” she dabbed my nose with paint.
Bloodthirsty Bastard: A Hero Club Novel Page 18