Beautiful Eternity (The Bloodmarked Trilogy Book 3)

by Alicia Deters

  I would never get tired of hearing those words, and I supposed I was being an idiot, but it always felt like he was giving and I was taking. What could I ever give him that he didn’t have?

  He smiled wider. “Love, Lucy. You give me love.”

  I crossed my arms and glared at him. “I hate it when you do that.”

  “Then, stop showing me all your feelings. You know how to do that now.”

  He was right. I closed my eyes and pictured that beach with the two of us relaxing in the sun. Everything else instantly faded. It was the same trick I used at the ball to hide my feelings, except I didn’t know I was doing it then.

  He scrunched his eyebrows in concentration before correcting his previous statement. “On second thought, don’t ever hide your feelings from me. I like them.”

  I dropped the image of us sipping fruity drinks in the Caribbean, and his perfect white teeth peeked out of a wide grin.

  Strong arms wrapped around me, and my hands slid up his sides. His breath tickled my neck. “Seriously, don’t worry about the key. You already give me plenty, gorgeous. You gave me my soul, remember? By my count, I still owe you.”

  “Oh, yeah. That,” I said lamely, but a smile broke out across my face. I reached behind me and snatched the key out of his hand, dashing out of his arms and into the bedroom.

  His laughter followed and he called after me. “Are you about to go do a girly, happy dance?”

  “Screw you,” I shouted as I came to a halt in the doorway.

  He came up behind me, wrapping his arms around me again. He whispered in my ear. “Not yet, but soon, love.”

  I was too distracted by the scene in front of me to respond to his naughty response. Anger flared hotter than a Carolina Reaper. Whipping around, I shoved his chest and he stumbled back into the wall across the hall. His hands went up in surrender.

  “Lucy, wait.”

  “You turned my bedroom into an office!” I screamed. “Am I that replaceable? Why bother even giving me a key if you don’t want me to actually stay here?”

  He shook his head with impatience and placed his hands at my hips. I was too worked up to care that I was being guided backward. I wasn’t finished with him yet.

  “How long did you wait after you shipped me off to Canada before you changed it? You abandoned me for over a month without a word—”

  My rant stopped on my lips when I was abruptly spun in place. “Gavin, what the hell!”

  I brushed the hair out of my face, and my words died in my mouth again. He had brought me to his room, but it wasn’t exactly his room.

  “Your bedroom is different.”

  “Our bedroom, Lucy.”

  “Right.” My one word response tumbled absentmindedly out of my mouth as my mind raced ahead of me.

  I hadn’t even considered this as an option, but now that I stopped to think about it, it made more sense. We were officially living together so why not sleep together? My cheeks flamed at the insinuation of having a permanent bedmate. Oh, the possibilities!

  My hands shook with nerves. Was I ready for this?

  “Lucy, relax. It doesn’t have to mean anything you don’t want it to. I just want to fall asleep at night with you in my arms, or whenever we manage to catch a few hours of rest. You said it yourself. I wouldn’t pressure you into anything you weren’t ready for.”

  I let out a breath I had been holding in. He was right. I was being ridiculous, but this relationship stuff was progressing faster than I imagined. It just needed time to sink in, but I loved him without any doubts. Everything was going to be just fine between us.

  My eyes roamed the room, finally seeing it, but it wasn’t Gavin’s bedroom they were observing.

  What I was looking at was nothing like his former bedroom. The only thing unchanged was the huge bed, but the once masculine four poster frame was now slender and stained in a darker espresso color. The rich, bolder colors fit for a king were now muted. Ivories and accents of red replaced them. It looked a lot like my bedroom in Wolf Creek Manor.

  He did all this for me. My heart swelled with even more love for this man. He was always putting me first.

  But how did he always find time for redecorating? He was in a coma for almost a week, and before that, we were kind of busy fighting an army of assassin vampires. He obviously did this when he sent me off to Canada, like I accused him of doing only seconds ago, but I thought I’d never see him again. The whole time, he knew we’d end up back here together.

  Sneaky, sneak, Mr. West.

  “Do you like it?” he asked.

  Not trusting my voice to come out evenly, I nodded enthusiastically. Then, I lunged for the divine plushness calling my name. He laughed behind me but stood still, watching me from the doorway. I landed in a cocoon of feathery softness and met his eyes across the distance.

  A charge passed through the room, electrifying the air between us and raising the hairs on my arms. My breathing grew labored as I beckoned him forward. He didn’t blink and his eyes never left mine as he ambled toward me in no rush.

  When his thighs hit the edge of the mattress, I slid my legs to rest on either side of him and fisted a handful of his thermal shirt. “Hmmm, how am I ever going to thank you properly, Mr. West?”

  His eyes narrowed, the leashed desire slipping as the two sides of him warred between lust and love, both equally potent. The white inside his irises pulsed in an effort to keep the darkness at bay, but the jet black pushed back, trying to snuff out the light. It was mesmerizing to watch, and I yanked him down to me.

  Our mouths met when his body weight fell onto me. My fingers burrowed underneath his shirt, and he lifted off of me long enough for me to rip it over his head. His hands found my shirt, and soon it joined his on the floor. His arm slid under my back, and he lifted me up, moving us toward the middle of the bed.

  When we settled back down, the skin to skin contact drove me insane. His mouth moved down my neck, and his hand moved to my jeans, his fingers deftly working the button open. I squirmed and my back bowed off the bed. The friction between us felt too good to ignore, and the call of our bodies to unite was becoming too intense to refuse.

  Yeah, those nerves were definitely a thing of the past.

  “Gavin,” I breathed. “Are you still with me?”

  He smiled against my chest. “Still with you, gorgeous,” he growled.

  “Just checking.”

  His hot breath and smooth lips made a trail down my chest and followed the edge of my bra, over the swell of one of my breasts. He drew the soft skin into his mouth with gentle tugs as he worked his way down. I gasped out loud. My hand found his short hair and gripped what it could, afraid he might stop. Not happening.

  He chuckled low against my stomach, sending tiny vibrations to my core. I moaned at the sensations he elicited from me.

  “Don’t worry, love. This is all mine, and I take excellent care of what’s mine.”

  One of his hands was by my hip, holding his weight off me as the other slid my zipper down. The combination of his lips sucking and his tongue licking and his teeth nipping at my stomach, all the way down to the elastic band hugging my hips, had me panting and groaning with impatience. My fingers tightened around the hair they could grab.

  He laughed again and said in a husky voice, “Lift yourself up, Lucy.”

  When I did, my hand fell from his hair and I used my elbows to push upward. He was up on his knees, both hands working my jeans over my hips. His eyes were going crazy now, flashing with bright white and black, but I still saw the control in them. They stayed locked on mine the whole time as I felt the rough fabric graze my thighs.

  “I love you, Lucy. Let me do this for you.”

  I pretended to know what exactly this was and nodded my head, agreeing to anything he wanted to do. I trusted him, and I was betting that if I let myself wonder too long, I’d find out I was more than ready for everything with him.

  He made it to my feet and realized my shoes were sti
ll on. I laughed as he ripped them off quickly and pulled the jeans behind them.

  When he looked down at me in only my bra and underwear, his eyes felt like they were burning holes everywhere they touched. “Lucy, you’re so fucking incredible.”

  I took a moment to drink in all of his bare chested goodness as well. Wow. Talk about incredible. “So are you.”

  He smiled and his hands came back to rest on the bed at my sides. His gaze remained on my eyes as he eased down to the lower half of my body. Once his head was poised above my belly button, he smiled wickedly and descended.

  Just as his lips brushed my skin, an irritating buzzing noise came from the living room. It lasted a second, but then it came again moments later and lasted one… two… three… four seconds. What the hell?

  Gavin growled in frustration. “I’m going to kill him. Hemorrhoids will be the least of his problems.”

  I was so keyed up and feeling sorry for myself when the moment was broken, a hysterical laugh bubbled out of me.

  Gavin flashed out of the bedroom, and I heard him grunt, “Yeah.”

  Gregory’s disembodied voice came from an intercom I never noticed before. “Sorry to bother you, sir, but the cast of Rent is here to see you.”

  He sounded way to cheery to be sorry, but he was going to be when I saw him again. What the hell was he talking about anyway?

  The cast of Rent?

  Then it hit me. “They’re here!”

  I heard Gavin tell Gregory we would be right down.

  I scrambled out of the bed and grabbed my clothes, yanking the shirt over my head. I stepped into the jeans, but in my hurry, I heard a loud tearing sound.

  “Damn it!” I yelled.

  I raced into the guest bedroom, now office, hoping I still had something from when I lived here. I practically ripped the door off the hinges, but it was pointless because the walk-in closet was completely bare.

  Gavin passed the guest bedroom. “Why don’t you try our closet, love?” Amusement colored his words.

  Oh, duh. This whole cohabitation thing was going to take some getting used to.

  I launched myself past him, nearly knocking him over in my haste. “Sorry, darling. Love you!” I called behind me.

  When I reached the walk-in closet in our bedroom, I had my third, or was it my fourth, shock? I lost count. Gavin came up behind me, and I felt his warmth radiating off of him.

  “This thing is the size of my old apartment.”

  It was filled with clothes. Half of them were women’s clothes. My clothes.

  “Holy shit!”

  He leaned down so his face was next to mine. “All the jeans a girl could want.”

  I smiled, feeling like my face might crack with its force. He knew me so well, and I spied several shelves filled with t-shirts, tank tops, and yoga pants. All the essentials for a vampire hunter on the go.

  He smacked my ass to get my attention. “Now, get dressed before I finish what we started.”

  I spun to face him and guilt hit me hard. His eyes were still swirling with unchecked lust. “Shit! Are you okay?”

  The corner of his mouth lifted. “I will be. After what I went through in Thunder Bay, this is nothing. It’s getting easier. I think.”

  I bit my lip, still feeling sorry for the both of us right now. My body still ached like something fierce for him, but we didn’t have time to go there just yet. “Soon. I promise you we will finish this soon,” I vowed.

  That devilish smirk returned. “You bet your sexy little ass we will. Now, seriously, get dressed.”

  “Same to you, Mr. West.” I grabbed the first shirt off the shelf I could reach and threw it in his face. He needed to cover all that gloriousness up so I could concentrate.

  He changed into a fitted pair of jeans and the plain black t-shirt I threw at him, and then he pulled a simple tan jacket off its hanger. He kissed my forehead as he left the bedroom to wait for me.

  I found the millions of jeans and picked a dark-washed pair. Looking down at myself, I saw three tiny holes dotting my shirt. Damn! I forgot about the bullet holes. I yanked the ruined top over my head and found a heather grey, long-sleeved V-neck t-shirt. I pulled a short, black leather jacket over it and found a utilitarian pair of black boots on the shoe rack.

  The wardrobe of a vampire hunter. Basic. Flexible. Durable.

  Sorry, Holly. I’ll choose fashion over function after I save the world.

  Speaking of fashion… The dress!

  Oh, no. The dress. I remembered hanging it in the small closet to keep it from wrinkling. Gavin packed our things. What if he forgot to check the closet since most of the things I bought were thrown around the room?

  Spotting the suitcase I bought in Thunder Bay on the floor off to the side of the walk-in, I let out a sigh of relief and dropped to my knees in front of it. I unzipped it and rifled through the perfectly folded clothes, finding the deep red dress in the pocket meant for nicer items.

  Thank God! He did get it, but I guess that meant it wasn’t going to be a surprise anymore.

  I sucked.

  Too late to worry about it now. I pulled it out and found a spare hanger, placing it among other fancy items on my side of the closet. Luckily, it stayed wrinkle free through its travels.

  I found my discarded jeans by the bed, blushing for maybe a second or two at the memory of shedding them, and transferred my belongings from their pockets to my new ones, including my additional item, the key to my home. I had a real home.

  Before getting all weepy, I joined Gavin in the living room. He eyed me up and down before nodding in approval.

  “Comfortable?” he asked, referring to the clothes.

  “Very. Thank you.”

  “You don’t have to thank me for any of this, Lucy. I told you. I owe you everything.”

  “So this is just your way of making it up to me?” I teased.

  “No, it’s just the excuse I tell you so I can spoil you relentlessly without hearing too much shit about it.”

  I laughed loudly at his blunt honestly. “Well, now I’m not sure I want any of it.”

  “Do you want me to take it all back?” he asked, calling my bluff.

  And give up those divine sheets?

  Never.

  I rolled my eyes. “Please, let’s not get dramatic.”

  He smiled and opened the door for me. “Let’s go see your friends, shall we?”

  “We shall,” I replied.

  †

  “Sophie!” I spotted my best friend among the group easily. She was the one trying to blend in with the wall, hiding in the back.

  She instantly perked up at my acknowledgment, like she realized I hadn’t completely forgotten about her. Her self esteem was something we were working on, and I was determined to make her see her true worth.

  She moved to the front of the group, and I tried my hardest to give her a gentle hug so I didn’t break her, but when I heard her gasping for breath I released her immediately.

  “Lucy, I’m so happy to see you again.” She pushed her thick, tortoise shell glasses back up after they slipped during the hug.

  “Same to you, Soph.” I glanced around at the others. They all looked just as happy to see me as I was to see them. Well, except for Allison, who stood to the side of the group. She and Gregory were talking hair and makeup. Figures that they’d become fast friends.

  I made my rounds, giving each of them hugs and slipping away from Nick when his hands roamed south. Gavin cleared his throat but let it go, allowing me to have this reunion with my friends. Just when I thought bonding time was over, Max scooped me up in another bear hug I wasn’t prepared for. I yelped when he spun me around, but just as quickly as I hit the ground, I was lifted back in the air. This time it was Brody going in for seconds.

  Their glee was infectious, so when I stopped in front of Allison, I wasn’t thinking straight. What followed was the most awkward and probably the fastest hug known to man. I pulled away when I realized who I was hugging
and met her shocked and appalled gaze.

  I cleared my throat. “Allison.”

  “Vampire,” she replied snidely, covering her mouth so Gregory couldn’t hear.

  “It’s good to see you haven’t accidently killed yourself with all those sharp weapons you tote.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s good to see you haven’t accidentally run into any of these sharp weapons I tote.” She smiled broadly, looking way too smug for it to even remotely be considered sincere. “Yet,” she added.

  “There it is. You didn’t disappoint.”

  “Ladies, I hate to break up the love fest,” Max began.

  “Then don’t,” Nick said. “This is hot. Maybe they’ll wrestle.”

  “Be very careful about what you say next, Elcott.” Gavin leveled his eyes on Nick.

  “Still not afraid of you, West.”

  Allison rolled her eyes, already bored with the conversation. Before it got out of hand, I chimed in. “It’s good to see you all. I’m glad you’re all okay.”

  “Same to you, Luce,” Brody replied.

  “Well, not all of us,” Max pointed out.

  A hush fell over the group as the dark cloud that brought us here loomed over our heads. After a shared moment of silence, Gavin announced he would show them to their suite.

  †

  “I remember when I first met Helen. She said ‘If you’re sick of reliving painful memories night after night, then change them. Join me.’” Nick said.

  We had been sitting around the large common room fireplace in a suite two floors below Gavin’s. I mean ours. He had a meeting to attend with his property manager, so he was absent from the reminiscing.

  Everyone had found their bedrooms and deposited their suitcases in them, and we huddled around the large, charcoal colored sectional couch, telling stories about our time with Helen. Mine was brief and uninspired, but her impressions on the others had been lasting and much more meaningful.

  They each lost loved ones to vampires when they were younger, and when they tried talking to adults about their experiences, no one wanted to listen, until Helen and her Keepers tracked them down. They were all fairly open about their encounters, except for Allison, who remained silent about the traumatic events that led her to them.