I understood his thoughts completely. I felt the exact way.
He moved his hands from my waist, up the curve of my back to tenderly cradle my face. I took in a deep breath, taking in his scent at the same time that my tongue darted out to taste his lips. When his mouth covered mine, energy jolted between us, the desire we felt for each other coming alive, vital and raw.
It was suddenly as if his hands had a mind of their own. They slipped away from my face to push my legs apart and I could why he’d been so insistent about my wardrobe choice for the day. My short skirt gave him easy access to the part of me he wanted most, and he made short work of stripping me of my panties.
His hands were a blur, almost ripping the button and zipper away from his pants in his haste to take me. I released a strangled gasp when I felt his fingers slip through my moist folds, testing my readiness. He withdrew his fingers, a sexy smirk spreading over his face that made my stomach clench in anticipation.
Stefan gripped my ass, roughly pulling me against him. He slid smoothly inside in a single hard thrust. He bared his teeth, the sharp, elongated fangs gleaming. His lips were quick to press against mine, fangs and all, as a moan threatened to escape from my mouth.
“Fuck! I want every person on this airplane to hear me bringing you pleasure.” Even his mind voice sounded ragged and out of control. “Yet we have to be quiet.”
My legs locked around him, gripping him firmly as his hips pounded into me. I could only wrap my arms around his neck and hold on as he stroked a fast, steady rhythm, the primal sound of our bodies colliding filling the small room.
“Too tight… too fucking perfect.” His voice was a whisper as his lips moved against mine, his heavily accented words making me buck my hips to meet his punishing speed. One of his fangs nicked my lower lip and he greedily sucked on it, pulling it into his mouth.
“Stefan. More…” I was beyond talking. It was hard for me to even put a thought together.
He obliged, the muscles in his arms and shoulders flexing with his effort. Throwing my head back against the wall, I let myself go, clenching and constricting around him. My powerful release brought on his own and he quaked against me, his fingers digging into the cheeks of my ass with so much force that I knew I’d have bruises tomorrow.
He let out a shaky laugh as he pulled me to him in a tight embrace, his lips against my temple.
“Wow,” I blurted out. Who knew a bathroom quickie could be that pleasurable?
Stefan pulled away long enough to zip and button the jeans that had slipped around his ankles. He leaned over to smell me, his eyes darkening again. “Vackra, you smell like sex and me.”
As I carefully slipped off the sink, I let out an unladylike snort. The last thing I wanted to do was spend another 10 hours on an airplane smelling like sex. The sensible side of me knew I should be embarrassed and ashamed of myself, but the new, more uninhibited side just couldn’t find it in me to care.
“I will go out first. I love you, Josephine.” He kissed me again lightly and turned to unlock the door. He looked back over his shoulder and winked on his way out.
That sneaky bastard! He had this planned all along. From the clothing, the heated build-up on the plane to the quick romp in the bathroom. I was wondering if I’d be presented with my welcome packet and official mile-high club card next.
Trying to make myself presentable, I glanced in the mirror and ran my fingers through my reddish-blond wavy hair. I didn’t look like the same woman from six months ago. My light tan had faded and my skin was much paler and felt more supple and firm. My hair was glossier and my eyes had deepened to a deep, mossy green. It still boggled my mind that this same face, frozen forever at 28, would be staring back at me for the rest of my existence.
Ripping my eyes away from my mirror, I washed my hands and dried them, opening the door and heading towards my seat. Stefan watched my approach with covetous eyes and a satisfied smile that stretched from one side of his handsome face to the other. He raised a single blond eyebrow, inhaling deeply as I sat down.
“Just as I thought. You smell like sex. And me.” He placed a finger under my chin and raised my face to stare in my eyes, the look on his face was piercing and all-consuming. “I want to eat you alive.”
Pulling away from him, I grabbed his laptop and stuck the ear buds back in my ears.
“The kitchen is closed, Romeo.” I grinned and opened the lid. “What is the Swedish translation for ‘I’ve been cock blocked?’”
Chapter 7 - You Can’t Judge a Book by the Cover
Twenty plus hours in the air and one layover later, we finally landed at Denpasar International Airport in Bali. Stefan and I made our way through the airport, heading over to baggage claim to collect our suitcases.
“Wait here and I will get our things,” Stefan said, motioning to a bank of chairs. He swept across the room, turning heads as he stood with the group waiting for their belongings, his long arms crossed over his broad chest.
As he waited patiently for the luggage to make its way around to him, I just stood back and admired the view. He easily stood eight inches above the other men around him and his blond good looks set him apart in any crowd. To me, he would always be the most stunning creature I’d ever seen. My dream man.
When he found our luggage, he casually tossed the long strap over his broad shoulder, grinning widely as he swaggered towards me.
“I always seem to catch you staring. Are you eye fucking me, Josephine?” he mused and leaned to nip at my lips with his blunt teeth. “I love it.”
He reached for my hand and we walked together, dodging people as they darted through the airport. It wasn’t until I heard an excited, loud shriek that I realized how we were getting home.
“Josie!” Georgia squealed. She ran towards me, almost tackling me in her haste to hug me. She twirled me around and hugged me tightly. She released me from her freakishly strong grip and gave Stefan a slow once over flippantly, her nose crinkling as if she’d smelled something bad.
I could see they still had miles to go before they’d be friends. It was silly of me to hope that in their case, absence would make the heart grow fonder. Wrong. In the back of my mind, I suppose it didn’t really matter if they were friends. We were moving back to the US and I was leaving my so-called human life behind me, learning to live as an immortal hybrid. If I were to be completely honest, the thought of disappearing from Anna and Georgia’s lives broke my heart. There was just no other way around it. It would be a matter of time until they noticed Stefan and I were different. I thought back to Nikolaus words. We were unchanging anomalies.
“Georgia.” Stefan inclined his head and managed a forced smile. At least I could say he was trying to be civil.
Georgia chose to ignore him, instead focusing her attention back on me. A smile broke over her face, her blue eyes glowing, bouncing around with energy that could rival Lukas. “Anna was supposed to pick you up but she ended up getting stuck with a client. So she called me and here I am, at your service!”
“Lucky me. Remind me to pay Anna next time to take the day off of work if we need a ride from the airport.” Stefan was unusually sarcastic today. Even his mind voice was in a mood.
Nudging him in the side with my elbow, we continued walking. “Thanks, Georgia. It saved us from getting a taxi.”
She waved me off, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder. She flashed me a bright smile for a moment. Her smile slowly faded and she pulled on my arm, stopping us in the middle of the airport. Her hand dropped and she stared at me critically, as if she was trying to figure out the differences in my appearance. Her dark blue eyes flew over my hair and face, her eyes narrowing as she took in the minute differences.
“There’s something different about you, Josie. Don’t get me wrong, you look great. You just look… different.” She tapped her finger on her upper lip and her eyes moved to sweep over Stefan. I lowered my shields, focusing on her future to see where her mind was headed. She was going to
compare the more prominent changes and similarities in my appearance to Stefan: the cooler, firmer skin that almost seemed to glow, the glossy hair, and the sparkling eyes. She was going to become her very curious as to why we appeared so similar. Georgia may be a pain in the ass but she was observant.
“She has noticed you are different. You need to divert her thoughts.” Stefan’s mind voice had a warning edge to it.
Stefan and I exchanged a look and I nervously laughed, pulling Georgia along. “It must be something in the water and all the good food in New York.” I stretched out a fake yawn, hoping that my acting skills were good enough to convince Georgia. “I’ll be so glad to get home. I’m exhausted.”
Stefan chuckled under his breath as we walked along. “Do not give up your day job, vackra.”
“I’m trying to let her know I’m tired before she dreams up going out or hanging out all night. So you better hope she buys my acting skills.” I raised an eyebrow sharply and shot him a look out of the corner of my eye as we headed out into the early evening light. The muggy, humid temperatures of Bali were a shock after the much cooler weather of New York.
“Damn it! I was hoping you’d feel up to going out and having a girl’s night out,” she responded with a small pout on her lips, her voice becoming a whine. “C’mon, just come over to my house for an hour, Josie. I can call Anna and we can stay in.”
“It’ll be fun. I can tell you all about the guy I met a few days ago,” Georgia was still chattering away as she led us to her sedan, unlocking the doors and popping the trunk so Stefan could stow our bag away. As I watched him place the luggage in the car with tense shoulders, it was obvious all of Georgia’s plans specifically excluded Stefan from the equation. He slid into the back seat of Georgia’s car without a word and left Georgia and me to stare at each other over the roof of her car. I was doing my best to ignore her pleading, puppy dog eyes.
“We’ll see. I’m really tired, Georgia.”
With a loud huff, Georgia opened her car door and got in, slamming it behind her. Realizing that this was going to be a stressful ride home, I got in and buckled up, silently willing the car ride to go quickly.
We drove for miles in silence, an awkward pause settling over us. Georgia was transmitting irritation and frustration so vividly that it was making my head hurt, even with my shields in place. I could hear Stefan’s fingers tapping away on his phone from the back seat. He’d chosen to ignore the tension and had preoccupied himself with reading e-mails.
“So how long are you staying?” Georgia asked anxiously. She was gripping the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles almost white.
“A few days. However long it takes me to get my things sorted and accounts closed out.”
An uneasy quiet filled the car again. I was armed with the knowledge that Georgia was just waiting for the right time to unleash on me. She was biding her time and playing nice for the moment.
“I thought you didn’t like big crowds. New York City is kinda known for that,” Georgia remarked, glancing away from the road and giving me a pointed look.
“You’re right, I don’t like big crowds. I think this is a good move for me,” I commented, rubbing my hands together nervously. Stefan cleared his throat from the back seat, reminding me he was still present. “I mean it’s a good move for us. Stefan has business there, my book publisher is there. It’s kind of a win/win for both of us.”
She let out a loud, overly dramatic sigh. “Yeah, it’s a win/win for you,” Georgia mumbled under her breath, figuring neither of us could hear her. Unbeknownst to her, Stefan could hear a pin drop a mile away, and thanks to my much improved hearing, her words were as clear as if she’d yelled them.
“What kind of business does Stefan do, Josie?” Georgia sneered. She was going to continue her charade of pretending that Stefan wasn’t in the car, choosing to let her immature, obnoxious side take over. I was relieved to see my villa approaching as we climbed over a small hill in the road. She slowed and turned into my driveway, the gravel crunching under her tires.
“I own some properties in the New York area. I can work from anywhere, however it is helpful to be close by to manage the day to day operations,” Stefan answered her, ignoring the fact that Georgia had directed the question to me.
Internally rolling my eyes at Stefan’s obvious understatement of his wealth, I sighed as she parked in front of my villa. She finally acknowledged Stefan as she peered at him in the rearview mirror, her blue eyes flashing as she turned off her car.
“Well, goodie for you, Stefan. So you just figured you’d just be your normal over-bearing self and drag Josie along with you. ‘Cause I’m sure you figure she doesn’t have anything better to do besides follow your ass all over the world.”
… And she was off.
Moving quickly, I unfastened my seat belt and leaped out of the car. I was going to attempt to head off Stefan and get between them before she could say anything else. I was too late. He was already out of the car, his six-foot-four frame barreling around the front of the car to Georgia’s door. Managing to cut him off, I placed my hands against his chest and looked up at him with imploring eyes. I understood his frustration. I was also trying to figure out her real problem with Stefan. She antagonized Stefan at every turn and was testing his patience.
“Stefan, please. Don’t let her do this. She’s trying to get you angry,” I silently pleaded with him.
His chest pushed against my hands for a moment. He closed his eyes for a second and drew in a deep, unnecessary breath. When his blue eyes reopened, he looked down at me wearily. “I am only tolerating this because she is your friend and I love you. Know and remember this.”
My shoulders sagged in relief as I sent him my mental thoughts. “Thank you, Stefan. I love you.”
“Georgia, open the trunk please,” I called out. The trunk lid popped open and I placed my keys in his hand, my fingers lingering against his longer than necessary.
“Let me handle this. Take our bags inside and let me talk to her, ok?” I thought to him, trying to force a tiny smile.
He nodded imperceptibly and turned to head to the back of the car, pulling our luggage out. He headed towards the front porch with the bag in one hand, impatiently jingling the keys in the other. I waited until he had opened the door and stepped inside before I faced Georgia.
She looked smug and self-satisfied with her little performance as she leaned against the side of her car, her arms crossed under her chest. Seeing her like this made me even angrier, even though I was trying my best to not take sides.
“Are you happy with yourself?” I asked, walking to stand in front of her, mirroring her stance.
“Huh?” Georgia blinked. She pulled her arms tighter around herself, her head rising sharply as she met my gaze.
“I’m trying to not take sides and you’re making it really difficult not to do it,” I confessed, glancing away to stare at the gravel before meeting her blue eyes. “I get that you maybe don’t like him, or you think he’s wrong for me or hell, maybe you’re just pissed off that I’m running off with him.”
“Dickmatized was more along the lines of what I was thinking actually,” Georgia interrupted, her eyes burning holes through me.
A dry laugh escaped before I could stop it. “Whatever. You can think what you want because no matter what I say, I’ll never change your mind. You’re my friend, and you’ll continue to be my friend if I live in New York or New Zealand. You have to stop with the whole ‘I’m going to annoy Stefan’ thing you’ve got going on. It’s not helping things with him. Or with me.”
She glanced over my shoulder, off into the distance. Her face was set in a mask of defiance. “Fine.”
I’d had enough, enough of her pettiness and enough of her bullshit. Grabbing her by the shoulders, I gave her a gentle shake. “Stop acting like a petulant five year old that lost her lollipop, Georgia! For fuck’s sake, I love him. Does that even matter to you?”
She pushed a strand of dark ha
ir back from her face and looked at me, her blue eyes glittering with tears. “Of course it matters to me. He’s going to break your heart. He’s too smooth, too pretty and he’s gonna be like Jon and leave you once you’re not so young and pretty anymore.”
A proverbial light bulb went off in my head with her honest statement. Georgia’s problem with Stefan had nothing to do with him, it had everything to do with her ex-husband who’d left her six years ago. There was no way to tell Georgia that I’d never have to worry about pesky things like aging anymore. I’d always look 28. If Stefan chose to leave me, it wouldn’t have anything to do with me getting older.
“Georgia, Stefan isn’t Jon. First of all, Jon is a jerk,” I reminded her, moving to her side, leaning against the car. “Second, Stefan is it for me. When I saw him, my heart and soul knew it. He’s the one.”
I couldn’t help but lose myself in the memory of seeing him on the beach and in the bar the first night I met him, with his golden blond hair, high cheekbones and eyebrows that arched over his expressive sea blue eyes. My mind had taken a mental snapshot of him leaning across the polished wood of the bar, dressed in the black t-shirt that strained tightly against his broad chest and the low-slung jeans he wore that rode low on his narrow hips, clinging to his long, powerful legs. I didn’t ever stand a chance. Deep down I knew I fell in love with him at that moment. My heart knew it then; my mind was the hardest thing to convince.
“I just don’t want to lose you, Josie. You’re my best friend,” her voice pulled me out of my memories. My eyes refocused and I put my arm around her shoulders. “You’re gonna move and forget all about me.”
Careful to keep my shields in place, my own sadness wrapped around me and tugged at my heart. I knew how difficult it was for her to admit her feelings like this, which made the fact that I’d eventually have to let her go cut even deeper. Moving away was the first step, slowly cutting ties. In a few years, we’d have to disappear from their lives for our own safety.
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