Clara smiled, still kissing him. The scents of love and desire surrounded her. This was much better than the awkwardness they had been trying to avoid. She knew he wanted to ask what happened, but he was too kind, always giving her space to talk when she was ready.
Even though he was confused, she knew that ultimately, he trusted her. Guilt coursed through her, remembering that she had gone to that party, spending time with those guys—not that they remembered any of it. But, as with all the other times, it wasn't as though she went to spend time with the guys. It was the blood she needed. Without it, she couldn't live.
If she ever grew a backbone, she would tell him, and he would probably let, no, want, her to drink his blood. Assuming that he would even have anything to do with her once he knew. She moved her fingers from his hair, down along his face, and to his arms. She loved running her hands along his muscles.
He flexed for her, and she squeezed, feeling every ripple. She pushed herself closer, wanting to bite and draw blood, even just a little. But she couldn't do that without exposing what she really was. Was she ready for that? Her body screamed yes. She could hear his blood pumping through his veins, and it smelled delicious. Her mouth watered, and she swallowed before sharing it with him.
Not wanting to give into herself, she moved her kisses from his mouth to his ear. Her fangs were fighting their way out. Why were they doing this? She had just fed—she should be fine for a couple days at least.
She pulled back, afraid she would give into her desires.
William looked at her, his eyes full of desire. He ran his fingers through the length of her hair. "Is everything okay?"
Breathing hard, she nodded. "You're perfect." She turned herself around, and leaned against him, resting her head against his.
He wrapped his arms around her, running his fingers along her arms, giving her the chills. She took several deep breaths. Her fangs were still fighting to get out, and she wasn't sure it was worth fighting them.
William moved her hair aside and kissed her ear. For the first time in his presence, she allowed her fangs out. Venom released and she swallowed it. Desire for his blood ran through her, and she fought turning around to bite into his neck. She threw her head back, giving him easier access to her ear. Hopefully, that would be enough of a distraction that he wouldn't notice what she was going through.
His scents danced around her, calling her. Tempting her. It took every bit of her self-control not to turn around and bite down into his neck. She shook.
"You like that?"
Clara nodded, trying to force her fangs back into place. They weren't meant to go back until she had feasted on human blood. More venom dripped into her mouth. She couldn't let him see her fangs. There was no way she was going to let that happen. She tried forcing them back in again, but they were fighting her with equal intensity.
It was all too much. The smells of his love and desire, the sound of his blood pumping through every inch of his body, him kissing her ear, and making his way to her neck. That wasn't even taking into account her own desire and love for him. It was as though she had never sat so close to him before.
Finally, without thinking, she turned herself around and looked at his neck. The soft skin, the blood pumping underneath. She kissed his neck, and then licked it with her venom-covered tongue, preparing his skin for the bite. She bit down, barely aware of his gasp of surprise.
His warm, sweet blood filled her mouth. It tasted even better than it smelled. She had always wondered how his blood tasted, and now she knew—and she would never forget. Never before had she tasted such sweet, succulent blood. She savored it before drinking each drop that flowed into her mouth.
When the flow slowed, her own dead heart sank. She didn't want to stop, but she had to. When in love, she never continued drinking past the slowing of the flow. Even when drinking from someone she didn't care about, she stopped at that point. Going past that point could cause irreparable damage.
The last thing she wanted was to hurt William. She drank what was in her mouth before sealing his wound with her tongue.
He turned to her, looking dazed. "What was that?"
"Sorry. I might have bit you."
He sighed. "Don't apologize. I don't know what you did, but that felt amazing. I've never felt anything like that before."
She was sure he hadn't. Clara leaned her head against his shoulder. The taste of his blood still lingered in her mouth. Her fangs had already receded. She relaxed in his arms. He played with a strand of her hair, sighing again.
At least he hadn't figured out that she had been drinking his blood. She'd had a strong buildup of venom, which would have made it feel even better for him. He would soon feel a new strength and renewed energy. Sometimes, humans would get addicted to vampire venom because of that.
Chapter 12
ABSENTMINDEDLY PLAYING WITH Clara's hair, William sat, enjoying the strange sensations running through him. He had never experienced anything like that, and he couldn't figure out what Clara had done. But whatever it was, it was the most wonderful thing he had ever felt. He wanted more, but he couldn't even bring himself to speak the words to ask her to do it again—whatever it was.
He tried to figure out what she had done, but he was at a loss. If someone would have asked him to explain what it felt like, he wouldn't have been able to. It was sensation after glorious sensation that he had never experienced before. There weren't words to describe it.
In a way, it hadn't even stopped. It was as though something was coursing its way through his system. But that was crazy. What would be running through his body?
Feeling energized, he sat up. Clara turned around and looked at him. "Are you okay?"
William grinned. "I'm better than okay. I could conquer the world."
She ran her hand over his hair. "Of course you could."
"I'm not sure what's going on, but I can't sit still. Do you want to walk around and explore?"
"That sounds wonderful. I'm glad you're feeling better. You didn't seem quite yourself before."
He tilted his head. "You know, actually I wasn't. I was anxious ever since you left my house last night. You looked upset and I couldn't get a hold of you. You weren't answering my calls." He looked into her eyes, but not in accusation.
She nodded, sighing. "I'm sorry. I was nervous. Well, not nervous, really. It's hard to explain."
"Don't worry about it. Obviously, we're good now. Let's go for a walk. If you want to tell me more, you can. If not, I'm sure you'll tell me when you're ready."
"Thanks, William." She got up, and then he stood.
"No. Thank you. I have no idea what you did to me, but I couldn't feel better."
"Good." She kissed him on the lips and then took his hand.
He found his keys in his pocket and beeped the car locked.
"You wouldn't want all the burglars out here breaking in."
William bumped into her, shoving her a little. "You can never be too sure."
"I think you were right to be worried about bears. But robbers? I don't think this is their scene."
"Robbery is often a crime of opportunity, you know. Someone who wouldn't ordinarily steal might take something if it's sitting out with no one in sight."
"I believe you, Mr. Lawyer."
He laughed, and then they headed for a nearby path. "It really is nice out here. I can't believe I've never been camping before."
"Your family isn't exactly the camping type."
"That's true. Our version of roughing it is going to a hotel without room service."
Clara grabbed his hand. "This will be fun. Trust me."
"I'm already enjoying myself. I couldn't ask for better company."
"Me neither. Did you seriously tell your dad to shove it?"
William smiled. "Not in those exact words, no. But I did tell him that I was going to see you, and that he would have to get over it."
"And he was okay with that?"
"More than I thought he w
ould be, yeah."
"I must have made quite an impression."
"You did. Everyone really liked you." He wanted to ask about why she took off, but couldn't think of a way to ask without feeling pushy.
"Good. I had a great time. Your family's wonderful."
"Then why did you run off like that?" he blurted out. Standing up for himself had gone well enough with his dad, so he just went with it again. What was Clara going to do? Leave him in the middle of the woods? Not likely.
She turned and looked at him, still holding his hand. She looked a little nervous…or was that thoughtful? His heart picked up speed, but he wasn't feeling as worried as he had expected. Why was he always worried about upsetting people, anyway? It felt good to say what he was thinking.
William squeezed her hand as they stood in silence, looking at each other.
"Sorry about that. It was pretty rude, wasn't it? Was everyone upset with me?"
"Confused is more like it. Especially me."
She leaned against him. "I'm sorry, William. It's hard to explain. I—"
"Did my dad overdo it with his album?"
"No. It was interesting."
He stood taller, and Clara stepped back, looking at him. He held her eye contact. "As soon as you saw that first page, you looked like you had seen a ghost."
"I sort of had. Have you ever noticed that guy, even though he was older, looked exactly like you?"
"Yeah. There's a strong family resemblance."
"It's more than that. You could be his twin."
"If you ever want to look at the album again, there's another one in there who looks like me. Strong genes, I suppose." He held her gaze, hoping she would say more.
"They're excellent genes. I could look at you all day."
He couldn't help smiling, but he still needed to find out why she took off like that. Had she seen her own twin? "Did you notice anything else about the picture?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"You wouldn't have run out just because a relative of mine looked like me."
Clara took a deep breath, but didn't say anything.
"You didn't see her?"
Her eyes widened, and at the same moment, her grip nearly crushed his hand.
"So you did." He pulled his hand away, rubbing it. She was really strong. "Is that why you ran off? Because your own doppelganger was in there too?"
"Wait. What?"
"Before you came over, for the first time, I noticed someone hiding in the background of the picture that looked exactly like you. I mean, obviously with the photo quality being what it was, it wasn't the clearest, but if I didn't know better, I would swear that was you. What did you think I meant?"
"You think I was in the picture? I…I mean, someone who looks like me?"
"I'll have to show it to you next time you come over. I've looked through that album thousands of times and never noticed it until now. My dad has never noticed, either, and he probably looks through it every day."
"Yeah. You definitely have to show it to me. I didn't see it."
"It's strange how someone who looks like you is in a picture with someone who looks so much like me. Maybe our family lines have met before."
"That could explain our connection. I've never loved anyone like I love you, William." She took both of his hands and kissed him, pushing him against a tree. "You make me feel things I've never felt before. Sometimes I think my feelings scare me. Seeing a picture of basically you with someone else unnerved me. I don't want you to be with anyone else."
He wrapped his arms around her. "I don't want anyone else, either. Clara, you're beautiful and funny—you're perfect. Sometimes I wonder what you see in me. I'd be crazy to choose someone else over you. As long as you'll have me, I'm yours."
She looked at him, tears in her eyes. "Really? You mean that?"
William kissed her forehead. "Of course. You could be with anyone, anyone at all. But you're with me."
She leaned her head against his, and he could feel the wetness of her tears running down between their two faces. "I never want to do anything to lose you. Ironically, that's why I took off last night." She looked at him again. "Truthfully, the whole time I slept, I tossed and turned, worried that somehow I would do something to lose you."
"That's why you left? You were worried about me not wanting to be with you? How could you even think that?"
"I'm far from perfect. For whatever reason you think I'm flawless, you're wrong. You should know that by now."
He kissed her cheeks where the tears were still falling. "As far as I'm concerned, you're perfection in human form."
She stared into his eyes. He tried to tell what she was thinking, but he couldn't even guess. "I've been burned before."
"Well, whoever hurt you was an idiot."
Clara smiled, though more tears fell.
William wiped a couple away. "He has no idea what he's missing."
"Thanks, William."
He cupped her chin in his hand and gave her a slow, sweet kiss. "His loss is my gain. I never plan to let you go. You'll be mine as long as you'll have me."
"I won't be the one to let go of us."
William kissed her again. "Enough of this kind of talk. I'm really sorry seeing that picture made you worry about losing me. I never would have guessed that was what upset you, but please don't worry about it. There's nothing more I want than you. If anyone should be worried, it should be me."
She grabbed his face and kissed him deeply. He held her tighter, leaning into the kiss. He would have held her tighter, but he didn't want to hurt her. He wanted her more than ever after that conversation. How could she ever worry about him choosing someone else? She was beautiful, smart, and funny. And best of all, she adored him as much as he did her.
He pulled her closer, so he could feel every curve of her body against his. He wanted her to be his, and he didn't want her to worry about him going anywhere else. He was already making bold moves all day, so he didn't give himself a chance to think. He pulled the ring from his pocket, got down on one knee, and looked into her eyes.
Clara gasped, staring at him. Wide-eyed, she looked back and forth between the ring and him.
"You make me whole, Clara. I don't ever want to be without you, and I certainly don't want you worrying about me. I know we haven't really talked about this much—I've only hinted here and there. I'm tired of always living life cautiously. Life has no guarantees, and this is the perfect moment to ask. Will you marry me?"
She continued staring at him.
His heart sunk a little, but he held the ring a little higher, closer to her hand. "This is where you say something. Even 'maybe' would be good."
Clara threw her arms around him. "Yes, William. Of course I'll marry you. I'm sorry. You really surprised me."
He kissed her. "I want to surprise you more. Waiting for the perfect moment for every little thing is too boring. You deserve better." He took her hand and slid the ring on. It was a perfect fit.
"You must have known the right size." She moved her hand around, watching the ring catch the light. "It's beautiful. Thank you, William." She wrapped her arms around him again, kissing him through more tears.
He wiped her tears away. "Should we finish that walk?"
"A walk with my future husband? Nothing would make me happier."
"Me neither." He took her right hand, and they continued the walk as though they hadn't stopped, except for the fact that she held up her hand, staring at the ring.
"It's gorgeous. Thank you."
"Only the best for you. When I went to the store, I told them to bring out their best ring, and it was perfect. It was the most beautiful one in the place, and it was exactly what I wanted you to have."
Chapter 13
CLARA ADJUSTED THE pillow, listening to William sleep. She held up the ring, thrilled and terrified at the same time. She had never been engaged before, and she needed it to last. She had to tell him about her being a vampire. Ideally, she w
ould have told him before he had the chance to propose.
That shouldn't have been too hard, except that out of the blue, he was acting spontaneously about everything. Normally, he liked to have everything planned out perfectly before doing anything, even ordering dinner. Sometimes, it frustrated her, but she also liked his predictability. Not that she was complaining about his new side.
She was next to him in the middle of the woods, wearing his engagement ring. If he was still following all the rules, they would both be in their own beds, nowhere near each other. She snuggled closer to him, listening to his pulse.
She had planned on warming him up to the idea over the course of the summer to feel him out. Now they were engaged. She sighed. The good news was that he hadn't freaked out when she drank his blood earlier. She would have preferred to have had his permission first, but with her fangs acting on their own, she really had been left with no other choice.
The last thing she wanted was to have turned around and had him see her with her fangs out and her eyes red. That would have been a deal breaker. Without a doubt, he would have run.
At least she had the night to think about everything. He was a heavy sleeper and she wouldn't need sleep for some time, having just slept the night before.
There was no easy way to tell him. Although, he did seem to have enjoyed himself when she drank his blood. Did she dare drink from him and then tell him while he was high on her venom? It was risky, because he could turn around and accuse her of trying to take advantage of him. And if he was one of those humans who became addicted to the venom, then he would be right.
She had no choice. She had to tell him, and soon. Really, she should have told him long ago, so that he knew exactly what he was doing when he asked her to marry him. But she hadn't, and regretting the past wasn't going to help her anyway.
That reminded her of the picture. Had she really been captured by the camera? She had followed Liam from a distance until he was buried. She would have taken Anna out in an instant if she mistreated him, but she never did. She was a jerk to Clara when they met, gloating over Liam's choice, but she always treated him well.
Paranormal After Dark: 20 Paranormal Tales of Demons, Shifters, Werewolves, Vampires, Fae, Witches, Magics, Ghosts and More Page 177