by A. C. James
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey.”
“I thought I’d lost you,” he whispered.
Clara smiled. “But you didn’t.”
“Don’t scare me like that.”
“I’m not going anywhere. You know…I’m a lot tougher than I look.”
He laughed, and Lacy appeared in the doorway followed by their mom and dad. They came to the bedside and Clara was surrounded by concerned faces hovering over her. Her mom grabbed her hand.
“I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“It’s just a scrape and a concussion. I’m fine, Mom.”
“You don’t look fine,” her dad said.
“Really, it’s okay. They’re just keeping me overnight for observation.”
“She fractured her skull,” Lacy muttered. “Good thing she’s so hardheaded or I might not have a sister.”
Clara laughed and then winced. Their voices seemed too loud and the light over her bed was too bright. It made her feel like she was going to be sick. She pushed herself up in bed and touched her stomach gently.
“What’s wrong?” Luca asked.
“Too much light. Too loud.”
Her mom looked worried again.
Her dad wrapped his arm around her mom’s shoulders. “Maybe we should come back tomorrow morning and let Clara get some rest.”
Clara nodded. “I just need to close my eyes, but Lacy…”
“What?”
“I’m taking you up on that roommate offer.”
Lacy bent down and squeezed her a little too hard. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Lacy, don’t you have to ask Greg how he feels about that?” her mom asked.
Lacy shifted. “Mom…we split up. I wasn’t going to tell you until after Christmas.”
“Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry.” And then her mom pulled a very surprised Lacy into a hug.
Dad cleared his throat. “Come on, girls. Let’s let Clara get some sleep. She looks like she needs it.”
Her family left, but Luca never left her side except to grab a bite to eat for dinner when the nurse brought her a tray. Clara dozed on and off. It was hard to get comfortable in the stiff hospital bed.
When she woke again the clock on the wall read 12:01 am. It was Christmas and Luca was dozing in a chair across from her bed. She pulled the covers up to her chin. When the blankets shifted, she felt a weight on her legs and looked down. The green leather book was on her lap and it was open to the first page, where she’d written her wish list. In fact, it was the only thing that Clara had written in the book.
The page was blank.
Clara didn’t know what to make of it. The past few days had been a whirlwind, and if someone had told her three days ago that she would decide to move back to Nebraska, move in with her sister, and quit her job, she would have laughed.
It should have scared her. She kept waiting for panic to creep in and to start second-guessing herself, but Clara felt calm. Nothing had felt more right and when she looked at Luca with his six-foot frame sprawled awkwardly in the chair, it felt like coming home. She’d never been superstitious and she certainly didn’t believe in elves. However, most people don’t get second chances, and Clara knew one thing for sure.
This Christmas all of her wishes had come true.
~ The End. ~
Turn the page for something naughty…
Winter Promises
An Ever After Christmas Erotica Story
Warning: This is a short paranormal erotica story that takes place directly after Eternal Ever After. It is stand-alone but contains spoilers for those who have not read Eternal Ever After.
The last thing I expected to see when I woke up was a massive Christmas tree looming over my head. I remembered everything more clearly than I wanted to, but at least the nausea and disorientation had passed. I was a vampire. Things couldn’t be clearer. It wasn’t the path I had expected, but I couldn’t imagine anywhere I’d rather be than with Arie.
Where is Arie?
“You’re awake.”
I sat up slowly, turning my head toward the voice. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
Victoria stood in the kitchen beside the fridge, closing its door before she walked across the airy expanse of the loft and sat next to me, on the arm of the leather sofa. “I called, but I wanted to stop by even though Arie told me not to. He wanted you to rest. You were out cold while he was putting the tree up. I helped decorate. Then he asked me to keep an eye on you in case you woke up and were still out of it,” Victoria said. “You sleep like the dead.”
“Aren’t I?” I asked sarcastically.
Victoria laughed and took a sip from the bottled water she had grabbed from the fridge.
I rubbed at my temples and winced. My head still hurt, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as before. “Where is he, anyway?”
A sly smile curved the corners of her mouth. “He said he had to pick something up. You know it’s Christmas Eve, right?”
“Christmas had kind of slipped my mind with everything going on.”
In fact, the holiday didn’t really mean that much to me. It never had. Frankly, I thought it was a bunch of commercialized bullshit. My adopted parents weren’t overly religious. And before they took me in I had been bounced around so many places—some I’d rather not remember—that this time of year always made me feel envious of others who had a family to spend it with. I made a mental note to call my godmother, now that I knew I actually had family I could call.
I looked again at the Christmas tree and thought it seemed odd and incongruous considering what we were. Night Walkers, blood drinkers. The earthy smell of pine filled Arie’s loft, reminding me of a winter forest. Moonlight streamed through the glass wall that opened onto a balcony overlooking the Chicago River. The one thing I liked most about Christmas was the lights—red lights lit the tree, making the pine needles glow, and they shimmered off the silver bulbs that dangled from its limbs. It made me smile despite the empty memories that the holiday held for me.
“Well, I guarantee that this Christmas will be one to remember,” Victoria said.
I bit my lower lip. Something about the way she said it, and the look in her hyacinth-colored eyes, made me wonder what she knew that I didn’t.
“I’m not sure if I like the sound of that.”
Victoria smiled. “Holly, I promise that tonight will be full of surprises.”
“What if I don’t like surprises?” I asked with a sigh.
“You’re going to love this one, I promise.” Victoria glanced at her watch. “But it’s almost time, and I have to get going.”
“Time for what?”
“For me to give you this.” Victoria rose from her perch on the edge of the sofa and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a plain white envelope and set it on the coffee table in front of me. “Don’t open it until after I leave. I’m glad you’re okay. You should both stop by the club once you’re feeling up to it.”
I was still getting used to things. My senses were on overdrive, and the sound of the city drifting up from the streets below was almost too much to take in. I hadn’t tried to leave the loft yet, and I wasn’t sure if I was up to the hustle and bustle of so many people—so many voices. I had planned on going to the club once I could block out the stimuli that my hypersensitive vampire senses sharpened like a tack. They drowned out my thoughts, making it impossible to focus. Even though I hated to admit it, I was still a complete wreck.
“We will. Thanks for stopping by, and Merry Christmas.”
Victoria squeezed my shoulder before bending time. In the blink of an eye she was gone, the door to the loft banging shut behind her. It was as close to a hug as I could expect from her. She didn’t strike me as the hugging type. Sometimes it seemed like Victoria held the people around her at a safe distance. It reminded me of the one set of foster parents that I had been placed with who dragged me to their church every Sunday. People murmured, “Peace be with you,” a ho
llow acknowledgment, with a distant nod rather than reaching out to touch you. When you were with Victoria you knew that you could count on her to be on your side, but it was a reserved kind of friendship. It wasn’t that she was unfriendly, but her cool aloofness felt like it was rooted in something so much deeper. Still, she was unbelievably loyal to the people who mattered most to her.
“He’ll be good to you, no matter how you may judge him. I consider him family, and by extension you’re included.”
The memory of her words made me smile. After not having a family for so long, I suddenly found myself surrounded by a family that was linked by blood, just not in the way you’d expect. I eyed the envelope on the table with both nervous apprehension and excitement. What do you have planned? That someone had taken the time to plan a surprise for me was something completely foreign. It was both new and exhilarating. It aroused my mind and sent a familiar twinge straight to my pussy.
I slid the envelope across the table and tore into it like a wide-eyed child on Christmas morning. It contained elegant stationary with perfectly scripted handwriting that I recognized instantly.
Go to the fridge and open it. —A
Smiling to myself, I made my way to fridge, doing exactly what he said. When I opened it, there was an envelope on the top shelf. He’d placed it in front of a wine glass filled with burgundy liquid. I didn’t need to open it to know what he wanted me to do, but I still broke the seal and pulled the stationary out.
Now drink it. You’re going to need it. Then go upstairs to the bathroom. Don’t open the bag. I’ll know.
“Oh, Arie—sending me on a scavenger hunt.” I giggled like a silly schoolgirl, glad that there was no one around to hear me.
I grabbed the wine glass but couldn’t seem to get it down, even though I was hungry. Arie was so thoughtful, knowing intuitively what I wanted, what I would need to be able to follow his lead. My mind raced with the possibilities that could be waiting for me upstairs as I made my way to the polished white marble bathroom.
The fragrant smell of roses and lavender drifted through the air as soon as I opened the door. The tub was filled with steaming water. Bubbles and rose petals floated on its surface. Candles surrounded the bathtub, and another envelope sat on top of a fluffy towel which he’d laid next to the tub. Next to them was a gold gift bag stuffed with white tissue paper, with gold sparkles that were spilling out of the top. It was complete torture not to open the bag. I wondered how he would possibly know if I cheated. But I did what he told me to anyway, opening the envelope for his next set of instructions.
After your bath, open the bag. You’ll know what I want you to do. Once you’ve completed the task, go to the bed and look under your pillow. Don’t pleasure yourself while you’re in the tub.
What was waiting for me under my pillow? I couldn’t imagine, but my breasts tingled in response to the erotic images that filled my head. My vivid imagination combined with anticipation stoked my desire unlike anything I’d ever felt before. He wasn’t here and hadn’t even touched me, yet my body already felt like it was on fire. I pulled my sweatshirt over my head and let my sweat pants drop to the floor. Before sliding into the warm water I piled my chestnut hair on top of my head, using a hair tie to hold the unruly mass in place.
The water felt good and soothed away the tension from everything we’d been through in the past few weeks. I tilted my head back and rested it on the back of the tub, letting the water lap at my breasts. Don’t pleasure yourself while you’re in the tub. Damn it if I didn’t want to reach through the suds and find my clit. I could feel the pressure build as it inexplicably throbbed without any external stimulation. Perhaps I wanted to touch myself even more because he’d told me not to. A bar of lavender soap rested on a wash cloth on the edge of the tub. I groaned, frustrated that he wouldn’t allow me to do anything to ease the desire that had built between my legs from nothing more than my own tempting thoughts, put there by Arie’s demands.
I washed my face, breathing in the lavender. The rough friction of the washcloth felt sensual as I ran it across my overheated skin. I eased out of the water slightly and the cool air pricked me. I slid the cloth down my neck, down my arms, and when I reached my nipples they were hardened by the brisk air and rough texture of the washcloth. Rubbing soap over my breasts and across my stomach, I continued south. Hesitant to reach between my legs and be tempted to do exactly what Arie had told me not to, I washed my legs first. I’d saved my pussy for last; finding its folds, I savored the feel of the cloth cleansing me and let out a moan as it brushed across my clit. Still, I did as I was told and didn’t linger, no matter how much I wanted to insert a finger or two. As I washed my ass, it puckered from the cloth brushing its entrance. I leaned back into the warmth, letting the water wash away the soap, and took a few deep breaths to calm me before I got out of the tub.
Towel drying and then wrapping the white folds of the towel around me, I opened the bag Arie had left. I’d been dying to see what was inside and eagerly pulled out the tissues, tossing them on the floor.
I gulped.
Inside the bag were three things. A bottle of lube, a dildo, and nipple clamps. You’ll know what I want you to do. Oh, yes. I knew exactly what Arie wanted me to do. My mouth felt like a desert. The calm from the warm depths of the bath was gone as I felt my pussy clench at the sight of his erotic gifts.
I dropped the towel and ripped into the packaging of the dildo. I squirted a generous amount of lube into my palm and used it to make the dildo slick, then massaged the rest into my folds. Slowly, I slid the dildo into my pussy. I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to fit the whole thing, but as I eased it in, my body took its entire length. Now I wasn’t sure how I’d be able to walk to the bed without it falling out. I’d worry about that after I completed Arie’s next task. Nipple clamps. I bit my lower lip as I attached one and then the other.
As I clenched my thighs together so the dildo wouldn’t fall out, I could feel its width stretching me, and I let out a moan. I was completely turned on by Arie’s preparations for whatever he had in store for me. Somehow I managed to waddle to the bed without the dildo slipping out. As I sat on the edge of the bed the angle and the pressure from sitting made my muscles contract around the toy. I moved the pillow to discover one of the red silk scarves that Arie had once used to tie me to the bed, along with another envelope.
Use this as a blindfold. Lay on top of the bed. No covers. Keep your legs closed and cross your ankles. Put your hands behind your head. Then I want you to stay that way until I tell you otherwise. Do not get up or change positions. Do not pleasure yourself. I’ll be watching. —A
I looked around the loft as if I expected Arie to suddenly materialize, but I was alone with my nipples clamped and my pussy filled by the dildo, unable to slake my lust by using it like I wanted to. Then I looked at the wall of glass adjacent to the bed, which matched the view in the living room below. I wondered if Arie was perched somewhere outside—just waiting, watching, listening for me to mess up. After all, he was a vampire, and I could see him doing something like that to make sure I followed his instructions to a tee. How long would he make me stay like this? And how would he punish me if I gave in to the lust pulsing through my pussy? I could feel my ass tingle as I imagined him spanking me if I disobeyed. Sometimes not being obedient had its benefits.
Apprehensively, I took the scarf and tied it around my eyes and settled onto the bed. I crossed my ankles and put my hands behind my head, which made my breasts jut out. The blindfold blocked out all light, and with my sense of sight gone, every sensation was heightened. It was agony to lay there and not be able to do anything to ease the throbbing of my clit. I bit back a moan. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been lying there. Was it ten minutes? Twenty? Maybe thirty? I didn’t know. All I knew was that I could feel the rush of blood coursing through my undead veins. I could hear a pin drop in the quiet solitude of the loft, that’s how still it was. Wetness soaked my thighs as they clamped around
the dildo. Pain pinched at my nipples.
-You’ve done well.-
Arie’s surge of telepathy hit me. I heard a footfall toward the right and I knew he was in the room with me. My pussy clenched at the thought of him standing there looking down at me, naked on the bed, blindfolded, with my hands behind my head and my nipples clamped at his command. -You can relax your arms. Touch yourself. But don’t come. I want to watch. If you feel like you’re going to come, say ‘close.’- Something about him directing me telepathically, without ever saying a word, was hotter than if he’d spoken out loud.
With one hand I rubbed my nub and used the other to slowly slide the dildo in and out. I moaned. My movements quickened and it was hard to hold back. I had anticipated my orgasm for so long that it made it even harder to control. But I knew if I waited, if I held back just a little longer, that it would intensify my release. And it gave me immense pleasure to give Arie what he wanted. Performing for him, pleasuring myself in front of him, and picturing the satisfaction on his face as he watched me, was such a turn-on. In and out, I stroked myself with the dildo while I rubbed in a circular motion on my clit. I was getting close. Too close…
“Close,” I yelled.
-Don’t stop. But don’t come.-
I groaned. It was agonizing, and I was on the brink, but just when I thought that I would come, I screamed out in pain as blood flowed back into a nipple when Arie unexpectedly released one of the clamps. -I said don’t stop.- Arie tweaked the nipple he’d just released, before releasing the other clamp. I felt tears sting my eyes. It had happened so fast—and unexpectedly, since the red silk blinded my vision—that I had forgotten to masturbate as Arie had directed. I continued to play with my clit and stroke my pussy with the dildo. Arie grabbed the hand that was holding the dildo, replacing it with his own. He slowed the pace, gliding it in and out so leisurely that it was excruciating. Still I continued to stroke my clit.