A Guardian's Passion

by Stein Willard

  †

  Gabriella shivered slightly the moment they stepped into the fitting room. Her breath caught when she heard Trinity pull the door closed with a soft click. Looking in the full-length mirror, her eyes caught Trinity's reflection. The redhead stared back at her with unbridled hunger in her dark green eyes.

  The nights since Trinity had been in her bed were extremely challenging for Gabriella. She'd tossed and turned into the wee hours of the morning, reliving and craving the vampire's touch. Trinity had wanted her to stay home until she could find a way to protect her during the day, but Gabriella knew she would go mad if she were to stay cooped up in her apartment. It was as if Trinity’s scent was everywhere. No amount of air freshener seemed to be able to douse the unique fragrance of the vampire.

  Gabriella decided to go into the office and distract herself with work. It only made it worse. She cursed her choice of career. Talking about sex and listening to her patients’ fantasies proved too much for her at times, resulting in her fleeing her office a couple of times, relentlessly pursued by haunting green eyes. A long brisk walk around the block was all that restored her equilibrium enough for her to take on her next clients. But now, with the reason for her sleepless nights standing here in the small fitting room with her, all she could think about was how much she wanted Trinity.

  “We have a few minutes before Inger becomes suspicious,” she whispered boldly and smiled when she saw the startled look in Trinity's eyes. “I want you and I thought you might like to know.”

  “I am glad you told me,” Trinity murmured, her eyes glowing dangerously. “Now I do not feel like I am the only depraved person in here anymore.”

  Gabriella gasped, when in a swift movement, Trinity pulled her against her tall frame. Their gazes locked in the mirror, their hunger overwhelming. Anticipation pounded through her body as Gabriella felt one of Trinity's hands curl around her hip. The other moved up the tight dress and pushed her lace panties to the side.

  “You are already wet for me,” Trinity whispered in Gabriella’s ear, her fingers gently parting the slick lips to touch the swollen pulsing nub. “I have dreamt of doing this to you for the past three nights.”

  Throwing her head back against Trinity’s shoulder, Gabriella moaned softly as Trinity’s fingers glided over the nub. Gabriella's heartbeat accelerated as she searched out her own reflection and found her eyes had turned a deep smoldering brown. Trinity alternated between slow and fast strokes until Gabriella, quivering with desire, twisted her head to look into her eyes.

  “Kiss me, Trinity, please kiss me.” She whispered between gasps.

  †

  Trinity was all too happy to comply. She took Gabriella's mouth in a hard kiss, pushing her tongue into her mouth, emulating the stroking motion of her fingers. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but the effect it had on Gabriella was explosive. She opened her legs wider allowing Trinity better access to her pulsing sex. Trinity curled two fingers over each other and pushed them into her lover. Anchoring Gabriella’s pumping buttocks against her crotch, Trinity pushed into the rounded cheeks as her fingers plunged deep. The rhythm was fast and pounding, causing them both to moan gutturally as they strove for fulfillment.

  A few minutes later and Trinity sensed Gabriella was about to come from the way her sheath clenched and unclenched around her fingers. She deepened her strokes, using the pumping action of her hips. A muffled shriek escaped Gabriella's lips and Trinity quickly brought her other hand up and clamped it over Gabriella's mouth. She continued rubbing Gabriella as waves and waves of ecstasy washed over the brunette.

  Trinity gasped when Gabriella bit down hard on her hand. Thrilled by the wanton act, she increased the pumping of her hips, desperate to come. She buried her face in Gabriella’s hair to muffle her own shout of release when she felt the first sparks of her orgasm shooting through her body. She clutched Gabriella closer as violent tremors shook her body. When she recovered from her earth-shattering climax, it was to find Gabriella’s teeth still imbedded in her hand. With her other hand still lodged tightly between Gabriella’s shaking legs, Trinity waited for her lover to recover and her own breathing to even out before she slowly removed her hand from Gabriella’s mouth. She held up her hand to survey the damage just as Gabriella opened her eyes. In the reflection of the mirror, Trinity saw the languid, satisfied gleam in Gabriella’s eyes immediately turn to dismay at the sight of tiny drops of blood where her teeth had broken the skin. Gabriella turned slowly and searched Trinity’s eyes.

  “I'm so sorry,” she said and taking Trinity’s hand brushed her lips over the injured area.

  Trinity chuckled softly, her green eyes burning into Gabriella’s distressed ones.

  “I found it extremely arousing—you biting me. It should have actually been the other way around…”

  Gabriella blinked and Trinity held her breath. Maybe she shouldn’t have said that. Gabriella was obviously not aware that Trinity had bitten her the last time they’d made love. With bated breath she waited for the horror to register in the wide eyes. Instead, a slow, sexy smile formed on Gabriella lips and she playfully pumped Trinity in the ribs.

  “You really are depraved. Help me out of this dress before Inger storms in here.”

  Feeling like she’d just dodged the wooden stake to the heart, Trinity helped her out of the dress, which was ridiculously easy to remove. She rushed out of the fitting room, away from temptation, when Gabriella's full breasts swung free.

  She found Inger standing at the bar, but she wasn't alone. Paloma stood next to her, her arm curled around her lover's shoulders. They looked up and smiled at her when she joined them. Schooling her face into a mask of indifference, she accepted the glass Inger held out to her and gave Paloma a curt nod.

  “That blasted dress was even more difficult to remove than I initially thought,” Inger said with sparkling blue eyes. “Paloma insists I should buy it.” She giggled when Paloma planted a soft kiss on her cheek. “That's if the two of you haven't ruined it. All that heavy breathing and shrieking worried me.”

  Trinity smiled faintly at Inger and took a long sip from her wine. She was not going to fall for Inger's bait.

  “Do we have any news on Tristan's whereabouts yet? He is too quiet and knowing him, he is definitely up to something.”

  Paloma’s eyes hardened. “The little I have heard of Tristan shows that he is quite intelligent and patient, which is a deadly combination. If he does not want to be found, we have no other option but to wait for him to make the first move.”

  The door to the fitting room opened and Gabriella stepped out. This time she was dressed in a short black cocktail dress, which hugged her curvaceous figure and caused tiny sparks of arousal to stab between Trinity’s legs. Gabriella faltered as her eyes moved to where Paloma stood. An unexpected sensation surfaced from deep inside Trinity at the strange look that came into Gabriella’s eyes as she looked at the Assassin. She averted her eyes not wanting Gabriella to see the jealousy she hoped to keep hidden.

  “What do you think?” Gabriella said in a soft, hesitant tone.

  Trinity's head jerked up and found the amber eyes focused on her. Her insecurities disappeared like mist before the sun as she realized that by asking for her opinion, Gabriella was mainly concerned about Trinity’s approval—neither Inger’s nor Paloma’s.

  She walked over to Gabriella and taking her hand, spun her around.

  “You look amazing.”

  Trinity basked in the warm pleasure she saw in the amber eyes, before they turned to look at Paloma. For a split moment her insecurity returned, but she realized that Gabriella was still holding onto her hand. She gently squeezed the smaller hand.

  “Nice to see you again, Paloma.”

  “Likewise, Dr. Talos,” Paloma replied. “We have mixed a drink for you.” She walked over and handed the drink to Gabriella.

  †

  Taking a sip from her seltzer Gabriella nodded her appreciation. “Just the way I like it
. Thank you.” She allowed Trinity to lead her to the sofa and once seated she turned to Inger. “I'm curious about how you and Trinity met,” she said casually, noting immediately the silence that fell in the room. The other three women stared at her, their facial expressions blank. “Or does everyone in New York have vampire friends and I didn't know.”

  That cheeky statement brought a relieved smile to Inger's lips and she picked up her glass.

  “We met through Paloma.”

  The amber eyes went to Paloma and Gabriella was once again aware of the subtle danger lurking in the silver eyes.

  “What do you want to know? If you tell me exactly what you need to know, I will answer all your questions truthfully,” Paloma said calmly.

  Gabriella stared at Paloma, as the tall woman leaned against the bar, a glass of red wine dangling from her hand. This was her chance and probably her only chance to get some insight into this strange assortment of people and what link they shared. Well, she wouldn’t know unless she came out and asked, now would she? Ignoring the dangerous aura that surrounded Paloma, Gabriella grasped at the first question that popped into her mind.

  “I can’t seem to figure out the link between Trinity and you.”

  Paloma looked at Trinity and then at Inger and back at Gabriella.

  “I am a vampire too.”

  Gabriella was in the process of taking a sip from her drink, when Paloma spoke. The glass abruptly stopped before it had reached her lips. For a few moments she sat there, stunned, not sure if she'd heard correctly. If Paloma was a vampire, then perhaps Inger…She turned to look at Inger.

  “But I thought you…you…” she stammered, slightly accusatively.

  Inger laughed and stepped closer. Gabriella couldn't help the panic flash that crossed her features. Inger saw it too and her smile widened.

  “I'm human, Gabriella. Paloma and Trinity are the only night crawlers here.” She took Gabriella's hand in hers; the blue eyes were intense as they searched hers. “If I may ask, why are you with Trinity if you’re scared of vampires?”

  Trinity kept her distance just looking at her. Gabriella could see that she too was eager to know the answer.

  “I've known her since I was seven and she never gave me reason to fear her.”

  “And others did?” Inger pushed further.

  Gabriella reached out to Trinity, needing her comforting strength. Trinity took her hand. “My parents were killed by vampires and if Trinity hadn't shown up they would've killed me too.”

  “Understandable.” Inger murmured. “But you should know that there are two vampire races. One is the Royal Clan, to which Paloma and Trinity belong and the other is the Renegades. The ones who killed your parents were definitely renegades. The punishment for killing a human in the Royal Clan is death. Only a selected few have the power to break that statute.”

  At hearing that Gabriella couldn’t help stealing a glance at the tall dangerous blonde. Calm silver eyes met hers and Gabriella suppressed a shiver. Trinity quickly squeezed her hand in mute support.

  As if reading her mind, Inger continued. “Yes, Paloma is one of them.”

  Gabriella decided to change the morbid topic to one that had fascinated her from the beginning. “How did the two of you meet?”

  Inger slapped her hands on her thighs as she got to her feet and walked over to where Paloma stood. Standing on tiptoe she planted a kiss on Paloma's lips and turned back to face Gabriella.

  “That's a long story, but I can give you the short version. Paloma saved my life when I was about 15 months old after renegades killed my mother. About eighteen years ago we met again and I fell in love with her almost immediately.”

  Gabriella looked at Trinity. “It sounds familiar, doesn't it?”

  Trinity came to sit on the sofa next to her.

  “I am planning on asking my family if you could stay with us until we find Tristan. Do you think you will be able to live in a house with other vampires?” Trinity saw the alarm flash in the golden eyes and shook her head. “If you are not comfortable with that, then we can explore other options?”

  Paloma finished her drink and rolled the empty glass between her fingers.

  “There is always Marsden Mansion. James and Rafina would welcome the company. You could use the underground sleeping quarters, Trinity, and keep an eye on all of them.”

  “What a wonderful idea, sweetie,” Inger exclaimed and Gabriella wasn’t sure if she’d imagined it, but it seemed as if Paloma’s chest puff out just a tiny bit. “We can stop by your place and pick up some of your things and then you can move in tonight. My grandfather would love to have you there.” Inger added.

  Gabriella looked at Trinity.

  “Will you be close by?”

  “I will move in with you tonight,” Trinity said and patted Gabriella’s hand.

  “Then we can go to my place and get my stuff.”

  †

  When the door closed behind her, Gabriella carefully studied the room before slowly beginning to explore it. The room was large with a big four-poster bed taking up the center of the room. A double glass door led to a balcony overlooking the huge gardens and another door lead into a passageway. Leading out of the passage were two doors and when she opened one, the motion sensors picked up her movement and the lights flickered on.

  She stepped into the walk-in-closet, her eyes wide as she studied the inside of the space. There was a large sofa in the room and a big mirror on one wall. She caught sight of her reflection and cringed. Her hair was messy and there were dark rings around her eyes.

  “I look like a street urchin,” she mumbled, trying to tame her wild hair as she stepped closer to the mirror.

  “A very erroneous observation,” Trinity's voice sounded behind her and Gabriella spun around, her eyes big in her pale face. “You look like a sexy street urchin. One I cannot wait to ravish again.”

  Gabriella opened her arms and smiling, Trinity walked into them. With a sigh of contentment, Gabriella cradled Trinity against her chest. Who would’ve thought that being with Trinity like this could be so rewarding? If she could feel like this with Trinity after only a few days and so shortly after her break up with Jessica, what did it say about her? Had she been fooling herself for six years staying with Jessica? She squeezed Trinity tighter. It was disturbing to think she might’ve been using Jessica. But how to describe this overpowering sense of belonging she felt in Trinity’s arms. It was as if she was born to be in Trinity’s arms. But did she deserve her?

  “What is troubling you, my love?” Trinity asked suddenly.

  “Am I?”

  Trinity pulled away so she could look into Gabriella’s eyes. Gabriella let her eyes roam over the beautiful face looking down at her. Trinity hadn’t changed much over the years. Except for the shadows in her eyes that had darkened over the years and the sometimes hard glint that slipped into the verdant eyes, she was still as beautiful as the day they’d first met. She lifted a finger and traced the strong chin, dipping her nail in the cleft.

  “You seem troubled,” Trinity said and took Gabriella’s hand to brush a soft kiss over it.

  “Why are you doing this, Trinity? I have…” Gabriella swallowed at the knot in her throat. “I have hurt and humiliated you but yet you are still here. Why?”

  Trinity’s face went blank, but not before she saw a flash of panic in the green eyes. “I promised I would take care of you,” Trinity answered, her eyes avoiding contact with Gabriella's.

  “Is that the only reason?” she probed.

  The green eyes were dark with confusion. “Why are we having this conversation now, Gaby? Did I do something to upset you?”

  Gabriella rested her head against Trinity’s chest and felt the strong arms close her in. “On the contrary, Trinity. You’ve done everything right. I don’t know about me.”

  Trinity placed a kiss on her crown. “Tell me what you want me to say to you and I will.” This time Gabriella could hear the frustration in the vampire’
s voice. “I do not like to have you doubt yourself this way.”

  Taking a deep breath, Gabriella inhaled Trinity’s scent. It was a mixture of freshly doused earth and sunlight. A strange mixture for a vampire who never walks in the day.

  “I love the way you smell,” she said aloud and nestled deeper into Trinity’s embrace. “I think…I love you.”

  Silence.

  “Trinity?” Gabriella asked. She kept her face hidden in Trinity’s neck.

  “You sound surprised by the discovery,” Trinity said matter-of-factly.

  Gabriella looked up and straight into Trinity’s eyes. “What a strange thing to say.”

  Trinity shrugged. “It is the truth. You seem to only have realized that now. I, on the other, hand have loved you since the first day I held you in my arms and I have not stopped since.”

  A slow tear trickled down Gabriella’s cheek as she looked at Trinity. “Even when I told you to leave?”

  “At that exact moment I realized that I loved you more than anything or anyone else on the earth.”

  Wiping at the tear, she sniffed as she lifted wet eyes to look into tender green ones. “I wish I knew what I’ve done to deserve you so I could keep on doing it.”

  Trinity smiled. “No need for that. You already have me for as long as you want me.”

  At this Gabriella burst out in tears. She felt strong arms lifting her and her arms crept around Trinity’s neck. Trinity sank down on the couch with Gabriella in her arms. Long after the tears subsided, Gabriella sat in Trinity’s lap, face pressed into the vampire’s neck.

  “I love you,” she said between a sniff and a dry sob.

  “I love you too.” Gabriella reveled at the quiet conviction she heard in Trinity’s deep voice. Trinity’s hand rubbed small circles on her back. “Do you feel better now?”

  “Yes…thank you,” she mumbled against Trinity’s skin. She felt a tiny shiver run through Trinity’s body and leaned back so she could look at her lover. Trinity’s eyes were closed.