by J. E. Taylor
His grin was infectious and I couldn’t help the curve of mine, but I offered a shrug in answer because I couldn’t say yes to him. I wasn’t in love with him. Sure, I was dependent on him, but I had to be in love before I made that kind of commitment.
Forever was a long time, especially since we were both, by all accounts, immortal.
Chapter Twenty-two - Damian
A blast of arctic air couldn’t have doused the heat any faster and I pulled away, giving her a nod and some space. I began to realize this was going to be a very complicated relationship, one that was going to test my patience.
“What happens if I never get to that point?”
The dread in her voice smoothed the aggravation and I sighed, meeting her gaze. What happens, indeed? I didn’t have an answer, so I went back to cleaning the last of my blood from the slate.
“Damian?”
“I don’t know,” I answered watching the slow swipes of the mop on the floor. I didn’t turn at the shift in the air around me, nor did I when her fingers ran down my bare back. I just kept up the slow movement across the floor, cleaning all traces of my close call from view.
“Are you angry?”
The mop stopped and I closed my eyes, giving a shake of my head as an answer. My heart ached and I sighed, analyzing the emotions sweeping through me. The pendulum swung from one extreme to another almost as if I was a hormonal teenager again, and it irked me. I opened my eyes and turned my gaze to her.
“I am sorry,” she whispered.
“Don’t be.”
Her eyes drifted over me again and I saw the spark light up in her eyes.
“Maybe I should get dressed,” I said, her hungry gaze tempting fate and I had to distance myself a little from this crazy brew in my blood.
“Maybe you shouldn’t,” she said and crossed her arms, cocking her head, her teasing tone getting under my skin.
“You better make up your mind, girl, because this hot and cold shit is going to drive me up the fucking wall.” I turned and grabbed the bucket, heading into the laundry room and stashing the cleaning equipment. I leaned against the wall with my back to the door, regretting the harshness in my tone, but she didn’t comprehend the pending storm.
“Damian?” her soft voice implored.
I turned, leveling my best stay away glare and she took a step back. The fear that flashed in her tight features diffused the ticking bomb inside me. When she turned and ran toward the bedroom, I didn’t follow.
Instead, I went back into my office and slumped at the computer, pulling up my latest online class. I hadn’t checked the lesson plans in over a week and the number of lessons stacked up yanked a groan from my throat. The last thing I wanted to do right now was homework, not with Naomi sulking in the bedroom.
“Damn it,” I cursed and pushed the chair back, storming across the expanse and pushing the door open.
She lay stomach down on the bed with her face buried in her crossed arms. “Look,” I started and her glare shut me up.
“Maybe I should find another place to stay,” she said and rolled to her side. Her tearstained face tugged at my nerves just as much as her statement.
I glanced at the ceiling, trying to find the right words before I brought my gaze back to hers. “You don’t need to do that. I can find somewhere else to go if that makes you more comfortable.”
She tensed and under the aggravation, I saw a flare of pain.
“It’s not that I don’t want to be here with you,” I started back-tracking and stopped, blinking away the need to babble until that hurt look evaporated from her eyes. Jesus, what the hell is wrong with me?
Her lips pressed together and I sighed.
“Naomi, this whole thing is new for me and I’m not entirely sure what to do with you,” I said, laying it out for her with no excuses.
Her face relaxed and she sat up, crossing her legs Indian style. “You’re overwhelming to me, too,” she said.
I laughed and crossed the floor, taking a seat on the bed facing her. “Well, I guess it’s good that’s mutual.”
She smiled and studied me for a moment. “Are you in love with me?”
Her question took me by surprise, so did the silent plea in her eyes and I shrugged. “I don’t know. Logically, it’s way too soon.” I dropped my gaze, not adding that I would be if I could figure out how to break down the last of the crumbling brick around my heart. Instead, I asked, “Are you?”
“I’m at the same place you are,” she said and I glanced into her eyes, seeing the conflict. “Being with you feels right. Natural. Like it was meant to be, but I can’t fathom that.” She glanced around the room. “I can’t fathom any of this.”
I nodded, dropping my gaze. “It’s funny how things turn out.”
“I can’t reconcile my feelings right now, Damian,” Naomi whispered and I met her stare. “On one hand, I am still very pissed off that you did this to me and on the other…” She trailed off and her gazed drifted over my still bare chest. She inhaled and continued, “And on the other, you create such a heat in my soul that I can’t ignore it, but I’m not sure if it’s going to ignite or explode.”
The smirk came naturally and she swatted my arm.
“I’m serious.”
“I know, it’s just your description is dead on and you’re not telling me anything that hasn’t crossed my mind.”
Dimples appeared in her cheeks and she fought the smile, but lost and I shifted, crawling over to her with a predatory hunger, and she giggled.
“Heat, huh?” I said and pushed her back, nuzzling my face into her neck. “I can show you a heat that’s out of this world.”
Her laughter filled the room and I joined her, tickling her sides with my fingers and nipping at her neck and she squirmed under me. Naomi’s hands found my only ticklish spot, an obscure spot on my natural waist and I jerked away, my laughter turning to a squeak of surprise. The mischief in her eyes bloomed and she went on the offensive, tickling relentlessly, until I caught her wrists and stretched them over her head.
Both of us continued to shake with laughter and I moved to nip her neck again. She pulled her shoulder up, blocking access. I tried the other side and she blocked me again, the game repeating through a half dozen times before I let go of her wrists and settled over her, propping myself up on my elbows.
The laughter wound down and she reached out, sliding her palm over my cheek.
“Thank you.”
“For?”
“For making me laugh,” she said.
I turned my lips to her hand, placing a kiss at the heart of her palm. “I can’t remember the last time I laughed like that,” I said and sighed.
Her smile faded and she stared at me with those beautiful chocolate eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said and offered a ghost of a smile.
I inhaled her sweet scent and then pulled away. “I’m way behind in my studies,” I said and rolled off her and glanced at the clock. “And I only have a few more hours before nightfall, so…”
“So, you’re bailing on me?”
“Yes. If you want something to read, I can show you to my library.”
Her eyebrows rose.
“Either that or you could go exploring. There are quite a few sections of this place you haven’t seen.”
“Really?” she asked and smirked. “And here I thought you were shallow and just had places to screw around.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “I’m sure you’ll find more than enough intriguing places for us to screw around, if that’s what you desire.” With that, I slipped off the bed and headed out of the room.
Chapter Twenty-three - Naomi
The view of his back was mighty fine and when he shot that twinkling smile back at me before disappearing around the corner, I thought my skin would catch fire. I dropped onto my back and stared at the ceiling.
He was smashing almost every notion I had about vampires, although, I wondered if i
t was just his innate ability to charm that had me smitten. And I had to admit, I was smitten, maybe more than smitten now that he'd let his guard down and laughed with me.
Rough housing impressed his sense of humor, and that was a rarity in the vampire realm. From what I had heard, vampires were cold with no depth of personality; all they wanted was blood and that trumped being civil. The disease burned out any hint of fun.
Damian was different. He was as full of life as a twenty-five-year-old should be, like turning the sands of time stopped not only his body, but his mind from aging. He was a strange contradiction. His normal persona was so charismatic and bright, but his shadow form, well, frankly, that terrified me.
I wondered if being an Archangel’s lackey had some influence on his demeanor.
Damian stepped back in the doorway.
“I’m not his lackey,” he said, the aggravation making his features hard.
“That’s what you got from my silent ramblings?”
His cheeks transitioned to embarrassed red and his gaze dropped to the floor. When his mouth opened and closed a couple times trying to form a rebuttal, I stifled a chuckle. However, in the end, he just offered me a shy smile.
“Your notion of what a normal vampire is like isn’t that far off. They crave blood more than you and I do, and it turns them into uncontrollable monsters.”
“Why are we different?”
Damian bit his lip and met my gaze with a shrug. “Probably because you and I survived on vampire blood that first day and we’ve both been infused with angel blood.”
My eyes widened. “You bit Michael, too?”
The bitter smile surfaced and he nodded. “He nearly took my head off.”
I thought about how pissed he was when I bit him, and I’m part of his bloodline. “Why didn’t he kill you?”
“He got a mental viewing of what happened to his daughter and knew how hell bent I was on revenge.” Damian leaned on the doorjamb and crossed his arms. “I also think the fact I didn’t divulge where Zoe was held some weight.”
“So it wasn’t just a pity thing,” I said and grinned.
His eyes narrowed and he leveled a glare in my direction before disappearing down the hall. This time, I scrambled after him, catching him halfway across the living room.
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” I said.
He looked up at the ceiling before bringing his gaze to me. “You didn’t offend me. It’s just still a sensitive subject,” he said.
“Even after all these years?”
His lips pressed together and he nodded. For a brief instant, I saw the underlying pain flogging his soul, and I reached out, cupping his cheek with my palm. I wanted to erase every last drop of strife in him and the soft smile that appeared tugged at my heartstrings.
I moved closer and allowed my hand to drop to his chest. His heartbeat tapped a soft rhythm at my proximity.
“Do you know why the connection between us is so…” I trailed off, unsure of the proper way to describe it. Strong wasn’t the right word but it was the only one I could come up with and the thought prompted his smile to gain traction.
“Electric?” he asked, his voice lilting in a pleasant question.
My face heated and I nodded.
“I don’t know,” he said. “But when you get this close, I can’t think straight.”
His admission made me smile. I liked the fact that I pushed him to the edge of control, because he certainly had that effect on me.
“Is this a supernatural side effect to being a vampire?”
He laughed. “No,” he said when the laughter wound down. “You were out with people last night. Did you feel this connection with anyone else?”
I thought about the stroll through the mall and the number of people surrounding us. Not one of them captured my attention and I shook my head.
“I really have studying to do,” he said but instead of moving away, he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close. When his lips touched mine, I swear a bolt of lightning pierced through my soul, searing me to him for all eternity.
Chapter Twenty-four - Damian
The taste of a summer rainstorm washed over me and I couldn’t help myself. The kiss transitioned into the flash over zone and before I knew it, I had her pressed against the wall. My hormones went into overdrive and all I wanted was to hear her cry my name with her throaty, sex-laden voice.
The reality of our connection sucked the air from my lungs and I pulled away, meeting her gaze.
“I really have to study,” I mumbled, trying to convince myself more than her.
She giggled, and the sound made my muscles tingle.
“You’ve said that three times already,” Naomi whispered and licked her lips. That simple act may have been done in innocence, but it erased all thought from my brain, reducing me to the base animalistic tendencies so pronounced in my blood.
I think I growled, but I can’t be sure. All I knew is the night was coming and I could feel the pulse of it in my mouth and my cock, both begging for satiation. Cloth tore and I blinked, staring down at her wide eyes, my body poised over her now naked form laid out on the hard floor, ready to take her without consideration.
My muscles tensed and I exhaled. “I’m sorry,” I whispered and went to pull away.
Naomi grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked my head back. When her teeth closed on my throat I moaned her name, but she didn’t break the skin, instead her tongue danced over my carotid, the flutter as pronounced as my pulse. It took every ounce of self-restraint not to bury myself inside her.
For every swipe of her tongue, a little piece of my control chipped away and the burning need to have her stripped my skin of hesitation.
“Ah, fuck, Naomi, you have got to stop that,” I said.
“Why?” she asked against my neck just before her teeth punctured my skin.
Her gentle sucking crashed through me and I dipped my mouth to the line of her throat, piercing her skin at the same moment I thrust my hips. Her sharp gasp slapped my mind back in place and my teeth retracted, breaking contact with her skin. The feel of her tight around my throbbing member nearly sent me over the edge and I closed my eyes, relishing the all-consuming heat.
“Damian,” her voice cut through my stupor, the moment bringing with it a sharp clarity at what I had done.
I raised my head, meeting her gaze and then looked down at our coupled bodies. I’m sure my eyes were just as wide as hers, but I made no move to pull out, instead, I circled my hips slowly and my eyes rolled at the sheer bliss. I leaned down and licked the blood from her neck before bringing my lips to hers.
“I’m sorry, baby,” I whispered and punctuated it with another swirl of my hips, bringing a gasp from her, but this time there was an underlying hint of pleasure and her body responded, moving with me.
Her fingers dug into the back of my head, pressing my mouth to hers, our tongues mingling, drenching my senses with blood and summer mist, our bodies sinuous and languid in our rhythm. Not one encounter in my entire existence prepared me for this moment, even the memories of my time with Athena paled in comparison to this exquisite creature.
We rolled and I let her take over the pace, whispering her name accented with my ancient Greek, forming long-forgotten words of affection. Her features transitioned, saturating with ecstasy and her throaty breath with my name on it led me right into oblivion.
I opened my eyes to the ceiling, blinking before lowering my gaze to her body draped over me. Her knees still tightly hugged my sides and both her arms curled around my shoulders. Her chest heaved with exertion and her dark hair tickled my neck.
My first coherent thought sent a shock wave spinning through my body. What the fuck have I done?
I licked my lips, afraid to speak. I knew I’d have to eventually, so I bit the bullet. “Naomi?”
She lifted her head a fraction, but didn’t look at me, instead, she used her luxurious mane to hide her features and when I went to move her h
air from her face, she stopped me with one word.
“Don’t.”
“I…” I started, but she whipped her hair away from her face and the glare that pierced me shut off any further attempt at an apology.
She lay her head back down on my chest and fear channeled into my cells. My fingers found her hair and I combed them slowly through her locks. My mind shifted to the feel of the silky strands and the warmth of her stretched out on me. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get the chance to feel her this way again, so I took the time to burn it to memory.
When she finally lifted her head and propped her chin on her fist, I met her gaze.
“This doesn’t mean you own me,” she said, her voice still carrying a hint of anger.
“I know. It means you own me.” I traced her lips and met her gaze.
Naomi’s features softened and she sighed, allowing a small smile to form. “I guess Lucifer can’t shatter my innocence anymore,” she said and offered an eye roll.
I smiled, unwilling to speak, unwilling to tell her that Lucifer could now shatter my world. And if he ever got his hands on her, that’s exactly what would happen. Making love to Naomi had sealed my fate. My life was now devoted to keeping her safe. Michael would have to enlist someone else to keep tabs on the rest of his bloodline, because this beauty in my arms was my future.
“I could stay like this forever,” I whispered.
Chapter Twenty-five - Naomi
A storm of emotions swept through me and my gaze remained locked on his bright blue eyes. I found myself grinning at the irony. It took two days with a vampire for me to open my legs and welcome him inside me, an action that Mark had been unable to get me to do in over two years.
I had heard horror stories of the first time from my girlfriends and now I wondered if it was just an elaborate lie. One that I bought into enough to cling to my virginity into my twenties and I’m sure it probably saved me the same un-enchanted fate as my friends.
While I had felt that initial stab of pain everyone described, Damian had bit me at the same time, consuming all other sensations. The shock of it was as overwhelming as the flow of his blood had been, and every movement after had been sweet bliss.