by Megan Hawke
"Bull shit," I said. "You didn't kill anyone. We chose to help you. We all made the decisions that resulted in our deaths. Not you."
He was silent several minutes. Then, "Heidi was terrified of you, and despised you," he said. Dane shook his head. "I tried to tell her you were not a threat to her, but she wouldn't listen."
"She tried to kill me," I said. I know, it was terribly wrong to speak ill of the dead, especially the recently dead. "The last time right here in this house. The only reason I'm alive right now is because she couldn't handle all the blood that chopping off my head would produce."
"So she really used the talisman on you?"
"Yes. Then spent all that time you were gone humiliating me," I said. I glanced at the floor, mouth watering and that taste of floor wax returning. "I'd probably still be kneeling in that closet if she understood how to use the talisman."
"Humiliated you? How?"
"I'd rather not go into that," I said. "Heidi was insanely jealous of me. She thought I would steal you back. So, she did what she thought she had to do to eliminate the competition. The fact that I was a vampire meant she could kill me without legal ramifications."
Dane stared at me, aghast. I shrugged, kinda embarrassed. Trashing Heidi seemed so spiteful and petty. But I thought he needed to understand what she was doing, why she made certain decisions that resulted in her untimely death. Dane had to understand it wasn't his fault. It was mostly Heidi's fault, and some of my fault.
Yeah, I had regrets on how I handled Heidi. I never did anything to alleviate her fear of losing Dane back to me. I only stoked the fires of her fears and hate. Of course, I did want to win Dane back.
"I'm sorry. I knew that," he said. "I just didn't want to deal with it. I thought if I showed her enough love and support, she'd get over it."
"Well, me showing up around every corner, and every other day surely didn't help," I said. "She knew I wanted you back. Heidi was afraid you still had enough feelings for me to succumb to my wicked feminine wiles."
"If not for Heidi being there, I probably would've," he said.
That hit me like a brick between the eyes. I did manage to not grunt. He was still interested? To say that meant he'd given it some thought. Right?
My heart began to race and my throat tightened. To my horror, vampire pheromones soaked the air. I felt him slowly becoming aroused. Not what I wanted. I mean, I wanted him, but not because of the aphrodisiac my undead body emitted.
"Is that you?" he said, giving me a worried look.
"Yes. I'm sorry," I said, shamefaced. "I'm trying to suppress it."
"Trying?"
"It's not easy. You excited my libido by indicating you might still be interested in me," I said. "I want you so bad I reacted immediately. Maybe I should go."
I started to get up, but he put his hand on my right thigh. I froze, looking into his eyes. He looked worried.
"Don't go. I don't want to be alone tonight."
Oh, that hit hard. Warmth flooded my body and the pheromones started pumping. The thought he was seducing me crossed my mind. Well, whether intentional or not, he was seducing me. If I didn't leave right then, we'd end up in bed whether either of really wanted it or not.
"Are you sure this is what you want?"
"No," he said, giving my thigh a squeeze. He closed his eyes and shook his head. Then Dane took a deep, steadying breath. "Wow, that is heady stuff you're putting out. You really don't have any control over it?"
"Some, but not much," I said. "Once it gets this far I'm a goner, unless you do something that pisses me off. Please don't piss me off."
He released my thigh, and reached up to caress my cheek. I could smell and feel his arousal. He was just as stimulated as me, just as needy and eager. Any remaining thoughts of avoiding sex was immediately swept away.
"I've always loved you," I said, rolling to all fours on the couch. "I'll do anything for you."
"Anything in bed, you mean?"
"Anything in or out of bed," I said. "In bed will be more fun. I no longer have any sexual inhibitions. For me, nothing in bed is taboo."
"That's both exciting and sad," he said.
"I know, but now I'll do all of those really naughty things in bed I refused to do before," I said.
I couldn't help but wonder if Heidi did any or all of them. Bet she did. She was a very sexual person.
I leaned over him. The scent of his desire was heady. I breathed him in, then with lips slightly parted I moved up close to his face. Dane was panting, his mouth ready and hungry for my kiss. I could feel his breath on my face. I pushed in until our lips almost touched, then drew back half an inch. Dane almost groaned.
I smiled, loving the way he needed and wanted me. All was well with the world again. So I kissed him. Firm, deep, open-mouth, but no tongue. Not yet. I let it linger a long moment, both of us groaning.
Dane reached up and cupped my hanging boobs through the shirt. A thrill ran up my spine.
"Tell me you love me," I said.
"I love you."
"I love you more," I said, held his face between my hands and kissed him.
He rolled me over on the couch, and I found myself beneath him. When did he unbutton the shirt? I was completely exposed, while he was fully dressed. That wasn't right.
"Unless this is some bizarre safe sex ritual, you need to shed all of those pesky clothes," I said, and giggled.
"Not my job," he said, kissing and sucking on my left ear and neck. Both of his hands were on my breasts, doing a wonderful job. Better than I recall. Did Heidi teach him how to play with boobs? "You have to strip me."
"Okay," I said, eager to get started.
His left hand reached down between my legs and a finger slipped between my nether lips. My back bowed, I gasped wide-eyed, and clutched at his shoulders. Okay, Heidi did teach him a few tricks. Thank you, Heidi!
"In due time," Dane said, and began masturbating me.
His unshaven face was deliciously painful on the super soft skin of my breasts. I entwined my fingers in his hair as he went to town on my boobs with lips, teeth, and tongue. That newly talented finger on my clitoris was quickly turning my insides to mush.
I writhed, moaned, and groaned beneath him. In no time he had me panting, body jerking and sitting on the precipice of orgasm. Dane must've sensed I was close, because he quickly kissed his way down my belly and pulled my sex open with his thumbs.
"Oh Jesus, yes!" I cried, as he buried his face between my legs. A second later he found my clit and pushed me over the top. "Yes! Uuuuggghhhhhhh! Oh God, yes."
My lover didn't stop. I thought he would stop after climaxing me and strip. He didn't. Dane kept right on eating me out. And it didn't take long to have another orgasm, and another and another. After five climaxes, he stood up with a very pleased with himself look and stripped.
"Kinda proud of yourself, aren't you?" I said, grinning.
"Yeah," he said. "Now my turn."
"You want me to give you oral pleasure, big boy? Kinda return the favor?"
"Later," he said. "I want it face-to-face, heart-to-heart the first time."
Warmth flooded my body.
I shifted so I was lengthways on the couch, legs wide. Dane slipped between them. Reaching down, I guided him straight in. It felt good and right when he penetrated, going deep inside of me.
"Oh, Jesus, this is good." I gasped and squirmed. Then I smiled mischievously up at him. "How come you didn't let me strip you. I was going to do it right."
"I figured that," he said with a strained voice as he pumping in and out. I could feel his pleasure, and the fact he was so aroused he wouldn't stay in the saddle long. Shame, that. "I couldn't wait that long. Maybe you'll...oh, lord...yes, maybe you'll be inspired to strip me another time."
"I'll be inspired to strip you every damned day, baby," I said.
Dane climaxed then. His pleasure washed over me, giving me another orgasm to enjoy as well. It was glorious. My joy was bursting out, and all felt right with
the world again.
Chapter 24
After spending most of the night with Dane, I went back to Kale's house. Kale had to go to work, but Desiree spent the day with me. Trapped in Kale's windowless master bedroom, we made a little love and did a lot of business. I can stay up all day if my mind is kept constantly occupied. Any lull in the action, and Momma goes right to sleep. Good luck getting me up and coherent after that.
First order of business: where would Desiree and I live. Kale left no doubt he wanted us there. Brandon Wesley wanted us to move in, too. Desiree wanted to move in with Brandon, while I favored Kale. Truth was, I preferred my own house but I was homeless and penniless.
"No, I can't move in with Brandon," I said.
"Why not?" Desiree said. She caressed a thirty thousand dollar diamond necklace around her neck. "He's very generous. He'd be even more generous to you."
"Exactly why," I said. "I'd be prostituting myself."
"What's wrong with that?"
Bad choice of words. Desiree loved her job. She had no problem having sex for fun and profit. One might says she had a passion for it. Desiree loved sex almost as much as a vampire. She'd make a much better vampire than me.
"You know what I mean. If I move in with him, he'll have power over me. He'll be my sugar daddy," I said. "That scares me."
"But you're exactly the kind of vampire Brandon loves! He doesn't want any vampire that wants him too much," she said. "He wants someone who wants him for something other than his money."
"He should be more careful about the vampires he sees," I said. "That kind of money is too tempting. Imagine if Antoinette sank her fangs into him. She'd suck his fortune dry in short order."
"Naa, he's a trust fund baby. He has no control over his own fortune," Desiree said. "His parents didn't trust him not to lose it."
"They knew he is a minion?"
"No. Gambling problem," she said. "But he has a very generous allowance."
All that talk of money soured my mood. I'd spoken to Boney just before dawn. Antoinette did have the Giorgi sisters within her absolute power. I wasn't getting my money back. Antoinette already drained their accounts dry, taking my fortune as well. She wasn't pleased with me. No favors for Sable.
Though, she did offer me a job as a call girl.
So I was officially poor and going to remain so for the foreseeable future. But I learned my lessons well, including how to steal another vampire's money. I did it to Yuri. The Giorgi Girls did it to me. In fact, I and many vampire slayers "confiscated" the money and bank cards of the vampires we staked.
"Do you know of any rich vampires that have gone rogue? Or otherwise deserve to be staked?" I said, only half joking.
"Sure," Desiree said. She was serious, despite not liking the idea of me staking vampires. "Antoinette LaRue. Want me to help you?"
"Um, can you think of anyone a little less scary?"
"Not really."
"I'll pass. For now," I said. I suspected that I'd have to stake her someday or she'd kill me. At least I hoped that was her only option. The Giorgi sisters' fate scared me. Antoinette could force me into whoredom just as easily, it not easier. Yeah, she scared me more than any other vampire. "So that would be a big no. I'll have to find another way to get money."
"Then we're staying with Kale for a while," Desiree said, nodding. She liked Kale. A lot. Maybe too much. "Though, I still might buy a more reasonable house than the one in Highland Park. I like the idea of a little three bedroom, two bath, two car garage brick in the burbs."
"Where? Plano? Richardson?"
"Yeah. That would be sweet, don't you think?"
I did. That was more in line with what I grew up with. I liked big, being a Texan, but smaller homes were cozier. Besides, if she did buy a house then I'd have yet another house to choose from each night.
Dane let me know in no uncertain terms I was welcome to stay with him in Mesquite. It was tempting, but if I moved in with him he would quickly come to expect monogamy. I was no longer wired for that virtue. Vampires were in truth serial one-night-standers. And really, more like three to five a night. Yeah, I know, kinda icky, but that's undeath.
If Desiree moved out into her own house, I would go with her. Naturally. She was the most reliable, most fanatical about my safety of them all. I had to be with her, but I could divide my days up between her, Dane, Gabe, and Kale. Heck, I wasn't adverse to visiting Brandon for some unholy loving and biting.
I fell asleep around two, but was back up when Kale got home at six. We piled into Desiree's Charger after sundown and headed for Taco Bell. After a dinner of Mexican pizza and burritos, we went clothes shopping for me. I needed a couple more pairs of pants and lots of shirts.
Desiree had made arrangements with Boney to have a couple boys available to unpack and repack her storage unit. We were going over the next night and go through everything, get what we absolutely needed like makeup and clothes, and pack the rest back up until she got another house. My storage was next to it, as well, so I could go through it if needed, too.
We closed Valley View Mall down, then hit Sonic on the way home. Sonic burgers were my favorite. With fries and a peach slush. Mmmm-mmm, good stuff. As for my need for blood, Kale already had a new fridge delivered and set up in his garage, and stocked with blood.
Finally, Desiree dressed up as a sexy French maid, with fishnets and six inch stiletto platforms, and I pulled on my brand spanking new pair of fire engine red patent thigh boots. Nothing else. Kale got naked. And we all plopped down on the couch and watched a movie on VEN, and ate our Sonic burgers.
Okay, Desiree and I took turns doing naughty things to Kale, but mostly we watched TV and ate. Someone knocked on the door just before the movie ended.
Feeling naughty, I got up to answer. Just as I was. Kinda hoped I shocked them. Yeah, I was eager to do some shocking.
I flung the door open, struck a bold as can be, look at me, pose, and said, "Hello! How can – Jesus Christ!"
"Hello, Sable," Heidi said, and punched me in the face.
Heidi hit me so hard my feet came off the floor and I flipped completely over. I landed on the floor face down. She pulled me up by my hair, and kneed me in the belly, then in the groin. Finally, she threw me across the room.
"Wahoo! Heidi's home!" Desiree cried, clapping her hands.
"What?" I said, dragging myself to my feet.
Heidi stepped to the middle of the living room, looking me up and down contemptuously. Then she stopped, tensed, and pointed at my feet.
"Are those my boots? Did you steal my clothes?"
"How can you be here? You're dead," I said. "I felt you die."
"Yeah, I died. Thanks, bitch," Heidi said, blue eyes narrowing. I really looked at her. She was still in her Krav Maga workout sweats, but they were ruined with a frightening about of dried blood. Her neck was caked with dried blood, as was her blonde hair on that side I ripped out her throat. "It's payback time."
That scene where I killed her flashed through my mind. The blow to my mouth, the taste of my own blood. Then I ripped out her throat, with my bloody fangs and lips. My blood, vampire blood, entered her body. I Changed Heidi.
"You knew!" I said, turning to Desiree. "You knew I Changed her, but didn't say anything."
Desiree was soaking in Heidi, a new made vampire. Her mouth was watering and she was highly aroused. Such a minion, in the most extreme definition.
"Yes, you made me undead," Heidi said. "Proud of yourself? Now Dane won't want me any more than he wants you."
I frowned, feeling a twinge of guilt. I guess she noticed, and understood what it meant.
"You've been with Dane since killing me? You bitch!"
Heidi flung herself at me. She was a supernaturally strong and fast vampire now. Just like me. I was only a few weeks older than her in undeath. So we were pretty equal in vampiric powers, though I had practice using them.
I blocked her wild punch at my face, bringing a knee up into her side and a fist
across her jaw at the same time. Krav Maga training was great. You learn to block and attack at the same time. Every part of my body was a potential weapon.
Heidi hit the floor and rolled right to her feet. She smiled with an almost insane glint in her eyes. That was kinda scary.
"I'm just as strong and fast and indestructible as you, Sable," she said. "And I am not going to stop coming, until I kill you all the way to Hell."
I locked eyes with Heidi, and mesmerized her. She actually squeaked. Strangely, I found it kinda cute and it made me feel a bit guilty at the same time.
"Heidi, I'm the vampire that Changed you," I said, trying to sound reasonable and solicitous at the same time. I stepped up to her, and looked her over. What a bloody mess. Dried blood after three days, but still a terrible mess. "I'm very sorry. If I had known, I would've removed your heart so you wouldn't be accursed and godforsaken. But Desiree has her own agenda." I cut an irritated look at Desiree, who had the courtesy to look abashed. "Anyway, that is neither here nor there. You are a vampire, and my responsibility for a short time anyway."
"What do you mean?" Heidi said.
"Someone has to teach you how to be a vampire," I said. "It's not as easy, or cut and dry as you might think."
I released her from my control. Heidi squeaked again, and swooned. Grabbing her shoulders, I steadied her. She gawked at me. I smiled reassuringly. And she punched me in the face again.
The girl really was fast.
Heidi twisted my right arm up behind my back, and sank her fangs deep into my throat. She pushed her vampiric powers deep into me. I was paralyzed for a long moment, feeling panic flare.
"No!" Kale cried, startling her.
Released from her power, I twisted violently and broke free. Heidi jumped back, dropping into a clumsy fighting stance. I whirled around and sent a roundhouse to her chin, kicking her over the couch.
"Idiot," I muttered.
She was instantly back on her feet, none the worse.
"Put a Compulsion on her," Desiree said with a warning voice. She was staring at Heidi wide-eyed and trembling. Perhaps she was having second thoughts on her decision to hide Heidi until she Changed. "Or she'll kill you. We both know it."