Kiss and Tell

by Sandy Lynn

  “I went through the trouble to find you to tell you that I wanted us to try and figure out what there is between us. I’m not here to promise to become your willing buffet—but I was here to ask for a chance. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I dream of you. Not because you are invading my dreams. I know you aren’t because it doesn’t feel quite as real when you hold me in these dreams. I dream of you because I care. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I did finally figure it out.

  “I am imperfect and full of flaws,” she admitted. “God, I’m standing here screaming at a vampire who right now is probably capable of killing me without any remorse. You’re so hungry you could probably drain me dry before you realized what you’d done, but here I am.

  “You want me to leave, fine. I’ll leave. I won’t bother you ever again. But I will not allow you sit there and blame me for what’s happening to you. I will not let you go on thinking ‘oh poor me, she’s only here because she thinks she has to be’. I’m here because at some point I fell in love with your sorry ass and for the life of me, now I cannot figure out why, because you’re nothing more than some…some jerk with an…” Willow hesitated. Who could she compare him to? An image of the broody vampire from one of her favorite television shows popped into her mind. “…Angel complex. Don’t even try to pretend you are perfect either, it’s not like you don’t have flaws Mr. ‘Keep-a-girl-around-for-a-handy-snack’.”

  Willow cleared her throat uncertainly. “The screaming portion of tonight is now over, and, I’ll admit it sounded better in my head. How can you expect me to ball you out when you’re sitting there looking pathetic? You know what, I’m leaving. It’s obvious you don’t want me here, and I won’t force myself on you. There was no way I was going to leave and let you have your nice little pity party without saying what I wanted to say. What I went through so much trouble to be able to say to you.”

  Willow turned and stormed back to the door. Before she could get there, Seth was in front of her.

  “Say it again,” he whispered.

  “Which part, the part where I called you a jerk or the part where I told you that you were acting like a baby? she asked irritably. “Do you have to do the super-speed thing?”

  His expression was so hopeful Willow felt her anger melting away. “Tell me the part where you said you cared, that you loved me.”

  “If you don’t believe me, look for yourself,” she offered, her tone much more gentle than before. “Look inside my mind. Tell me what you see.”

  She watched as Seth closed his eyes. As with the biting, now that she knew what he was doing she could almost feel the caress of his mind as he looked into her thoughts. She tried to hold nothing back, to let him see just what she felt, but wasn’t sure if what she did worked.

  She could see the shock all over his face, but it was intensified when he opened his eyes. He looked as though he were afraid to believe her.

  Tenderly he reached up and cupped her cheek.

  “Willow…” he began but stopped, his voice sounding hoarse.

  “I’m here because I want to be here. I want to be with you. I won’t lie, it took a little time to get used to the thought of you drinking my blood. But I came to realize that’s only a part of who you are. Seth, no man has ever made me feel anywhere near the way I feel when I’m with you. If you want me to leave, I will. But you can not force me to stop caring about you. No matter how mean you are, no matter how much you try to hurt me. Not even by doing something stupid like trying to sacrifice yourself from a future you don’t believe I want.”

  “Gods, Willow.” Seth shook his head and began to sway.

  “Let’s get you to the bed. And don’t argue with me,” she ordered.

  Placing his arm around her shoulders, Willow circled her arm around his waist. Slowly they inched toward the bed. She knew he wasn’t really leaning on her, but didn’t try to press the issue, as they made their progress.

  She watched him sway as he tried to keep his balance while she swept the clothes and other various items lying on top of it to the floor.

  “Lay down,” she ordered. Without a second thought, she climbed on the mattress and lay beside him. “You need to eat something.”

  Seth shook his head. “I won’t let you do this,” he protested.

  “Seth, honey, please, don’t make me force you. I have to admit it was nice, but quite honestly I’m not sure I’m up for it right now. But I will if I have to. Please,” she tilted her head and exposed the side of her neck closest to him. “I want to feel your lips on me,” she whispered. “I want to feel you inside of me.”

  She watched him lean down. Gently nibbling on her neck, it was as though he couldn’t refuse her. Closing her eyes, Willow braced herself, unsure of what exactly to expect. Whatever it was, she didn’t feel anything. Looking at him, she saw him tilt his head gently to the side.

  She couldn’t stop the sound she made when his lips descended on hers as he kissed her tenderly. He slid his tongue into her mouth, playing with hers as he shifted a hand to tease her breast. He kissed a path down her cheek to her neck, then to the sensitive spot near the base.

  “Are you sure?” he breathed across her flesh after his tongue swirled around the pulse.

  Nodding, Willow felt her heartbeat speed up. Excitement filled her as her feelings rose from deep within.

  She felt his teeth slide into her skin as soon as she gave her consent. She was taken by surprise when there was no pain. When he began to gently suckle on her neck, all thoughts ceased and she couldn’t do anything but feel.

  How can he say this isn’t sexual? she wondered as her entire body came to life from the simple gesture.

  “With you in my arms, Willow, breathing almost becomes a sensual pleasure for me,” he responded.

  It took a moment for her pleasure-fogged mind to realize he hadn’t spoken out loud, that his lips were still on her neck.

  “Seth,” she moaned.

  “Yes, Willow?”

  “You can call me sweetheart,” she responded breathlessly.

  “Only sweetheart?” His voice was teasing.

  “What else—what else did you have—have in mind,” she stammered as the fire in her blood became hotter, more consuming.

  “Mmmmmm,” he moaned in her head. “Sweetheart. My Love. Mate. Wife?”

  Willow was so caught up in the sensations completely surrounding her that she missed his question. Her body was close to a mind-shattering orgasm, she could almost feel him buried inside her. Her body was about to explode when he eased his teeth from her flesh and his tongue slid over the wound. She was amazed at how empty, how alone she felt now that he had withdrawn from her.

  “Are you sure you aren’t some form of drug?” Willow asked as she jerked at his shirt. “Because I think I’m addicted to you.”

  “No, sweetheart. But you are,” he said before kissing her.

  Seth pulled on her clothing. In no time, the items were lying in a pile, ripped beyond repair as his quickly followed in much the same condition.

  He lowered his head to tease her nipple but she yanked his head up to her mouth. “No. I need you now. You can play later. I’ll go insane if I don’t feel you inside me right now.”

  Seth stroked down her body, his hands rubbing every inch of her flesh until he reached her sex. He slid a finger deep inside her, causing her to whimper and raise her hips, trying to take him deeper. “Gods, you’re wet already,” he moaned. With one quick motion he was between her legs and buried deep inside her.

  Their loving was fast and hard, and after just a few strokes both were shouting with ecstasy as they came together.

  Without separating them, Seth rolled onto his back. Once there, he rubbed her body from neck to ass.

  Willow lay contentedly for a few moments, basking in the pleasure she’d just experienced. She gloried in smelling him beneath her, on her skin, feeling his arms wrapped tightly around her.

  Suddenly, what he’d whispered into
her mind as he drank from her clicked. Lifting her head she said, “Wait a second, back up there, Fangy, did you just ask me to marry you?”

  “I was wondering if you caught that.” He smiled.

  “Hey, it took a few minutes to process it. I was more than a little distracted you know,” she threw back. Her voice became more gentle. “Did you mean it?”

  “With all my heart.” He stared into her eyes.

  “See, now look what you did. Now I’m gonna cry…” Tears of happiness welled up in her eyes.

  “I’m sorry, we don’t have to get married if you don’t want to.” She knew he was trying his best to comfort her.

  “Listen here tall, dark and toothy, if you take that proposal back I’m going to break every window in this apartment, rip down all the curtains and bake your ass in the sunlight.”

  Seth chuckled. “Then I guess that means you want to marry me?”

  “Yes I do, vamp-boy.” She snuggled into his chest.

  “Vamp-boy, fangy, fang-boy, tall, dark and toothy, what’s next? Bloodsucker?” She knew from his tone that he was teasing her.

  “I’m just trying to find a nickname I like…” She purred as his hands ceased to be comforting and began arousing her.

  “I draw the line at Dracula. That cousin of mine caused more trouble…” Seth looked at her and chuckled. “Long story, one I promise I’ll tell you…another time. What about my lord or prince of pleasure or, oh, master of my heart? I like that one. It has a nice ring to it.”

  Willow laughed. “In your dreams. How about I just call you mine?”

  “That will definitely work for me,” Seth smiled.

  “Seth,” Willow began seriously, her tone stopping his hands. “Will you make me like you? Will you turn me into a vampire so we can always be together?” Her voice was just above a whisper.

  “If that is what you want.” He pulled her head back down to his chest, comforting her again.

  “And if I don’t want to be a vampire? I don’t want to die,” she confessed. “Even if I do come right back…”

  “I told you, sweetheart, we aren’t dead. There is another option,” he began. “But it’s a little more…complex. We don’t have to discuss this now…” His voice trailed off.

  “Will you tell me?”

  “I’ve heard of another way, but only in stories. I’ve never actually known anyone that used the process. Typically people simply become vampires… But that doesn’t mean they die,” he quickly added again. “Think of becoming a vampire as more of a blood transfusion. You would be given my blood in growing quantities every few days until you were changed,” he explained.

  “What about your need for my blood?”

  “That will always be there, whether you remain human or become a vampire. But if you change, we will both need to drink from others for our…nourishment.”

  “What’s the other way?”

  “You still have to drink my blood. Only once every month or so, and in smaller quantities, but you’d have to do it for the rest of your life.”

  “How long would that be?”

  “Barring a fatal wound, you would live as long as I do. You would never grow old. My blood has regenerative properties which will stop you from aging and prevent you from catching most diseases. It would also change your body. You’d become more light-sensitive and your senses would become more acute, but not noticeably so. It would change you just enough to increase the chances of us having a child, if you want one.”

  “Would I get fangs like yours?” She allowed one finger to stroke his lips, then slide down his mouth as if she were stroking his fang.

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Why isn’t it done more often? Why have you only heard about it being done in stories?” Willow raised her head and looked at him.

  “You ask a lot of questions, sweetheart,” he teased before answering her. “Honestly, I’m not sure. Maybe people weren’t told it was an option… Maybe they didn’t believe the stories. But if the Blood Mate story is true, I have no reason to doubt that another one would be equally true.”

  “Would you mind if we did that one? That choice?” She looked deep into his eyes.

  “Not at all, sweetheart.” He gave her a brief kiss. “We can do whatever you want, whenever you’re ready. We have all the time in the world.”

  “To your people, what would I be called? Wife? Mate? Donor?”

  “I have to call my mom to be sure, but, in the stories they were called Blood Mates.” He nuzzled her neck, then scraped his sharp teeth over her flesh.

  “Hungry again?” She chuckled.

  “For you, sweetheart, always.” He nibbled on her ear.

  “Wait, did you say mother?” She grew nervous.

  “Caught that, did you?” He was teasing her again.

  “Does this mean I have to meet your family? How big is your family? Do I just meet your mom, or do I have to meet all of them? Oh God, what if they don’t like me? What if we don’t get along? What if your family and my family don’t get along?”

  “They are going to love you. And don’t worry, I’m sure Roxy will grow on us all.”

  She smacked his arm. “But what if they don’t? I mean, I’m sure I’m not at all what they expected. Do you have brothers and sisters? How many? You’re not what Roxy expected either, you know. Will they all be able to read my mind? How many people are we talking about, Seth?”

  He sighed. “Well, I guess it depends. Are we counting aunts, uncles and cousins as well?”

  “Yes. No. Yes. Just tell me.”

  He kissed her gently on the lips. “Counting aunts, uncles and cousins, there were I believe three hundred at the last count. But you’ll probably never meet a couple of them.”

  If her questions were any indication, her thoughts were flying all over the place. Before Jason came into his life, he’d have never been able to keep up with her—or understand her. No one else in Jason’s family had ever prepared him for such a quirky woman. He would have to remember to thank his friend for getting him ready for his mate.

  “Three hundred! Wait, why won’t I get to meet them all?”

  “Well, a few of them are…grounded, for lack of a better word.”

  “Vampires can get grounded?”

  “They can when their mom finds out they’ve been boasting to humans again. Of course the real trouble happened when my aunt found out that one of the humans who heard my cousin’s exaggerated boasts decided to write the story down and sell it as a book.”

  Her eyes widened. “Who?”

  “My cousin, Vlad.”

  If possible, her eyes grew wider. “You mean, he…the Vlad is your cousin? That Vlad?”

  “Don’t believe everything you read in a book, love. Almost every word he said to that old hack was a lie. Pure fantasy. But a little thing like that didn’t stop people from hunting us.”

  “Okay, I was nervous before, but now… You’re family is famous. You—I…”

  “Willow,” Seth interrupted.

  “Yes, Seth?” She was clearly distracted by his revelations.

  “You’re thinking too much.”

  “Then help me to stop.” She lowered her head to his for a kiss.

  “That, love, will be my pleasure.” He still felt hungry, still had the desire to drink from her, but the aching pain had ceased. And now that he knew he had an eternity to be with her, to taste and love her, his hunger seemed to ease.

  Chapter Twelve

  Willow smiled as she watched Seth bring in the final boxes of her clothes.

  “I don’t think your sister likes me very much,” he grumbled, remembering the way Roxy had yelled at him.

  “Of course she doesn’t. She’s scared you’re going to break my heart. You should have heard what she had to say when she found out I was moving in with you. She’s not going to believe that you proposed until she sees us actually getting married. She warned me that I was making a mistake,” Willow said, clearly enjoying being able to tease
him. “And she couldn’t believe I wouldn’t take my job back. She wanted to know how you got my boss to admit he was lying.”

  “What did you tell her?”

  “I told her you showed him your teeth,” she teased again.

  “Willow…” He scolded her menacingly, giving a mock growl.

  “She thinks I was joking, calm down.” Putting the box in her arms down, she approached him. “I have a surprise for you.”