Dhampir Love (Dhampir Secrets)

by Shirlee Lewis

  “He’s right you know. Marriage isn’t something to be taken lightly. Did you give the ring back or do you still have it?”

  Abigail darted over to her dresser, opened the top drawer and took out a blue box. Opening it she said, “It’s not as pretty as yours.”

  The ring was a small diamond with a silver band.

  “It’s pretty, Abigail.”

  “Yours is prettier. Maybe Jason can get me one like it.”

  “I don’t think so. There’s just this one.”

  “Why?” Abigail asked.

  “I designed it myself and Tony had it made for me.”

  “Oh.”

  “Hey, maybe you could design your own ring.”

  “How do I even start?”

  “Think of something you really like. Draw it on paper and think of drawing it different ways until you come up with something nobody else has.”

  “I could do that when I’m having my alone time.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “I still have the clothes you left for me. Do you want them back?”

  “I want you to keep them.”

  The elevator bell rang. Abigail and I looked toward the hall.

  “Jess, you here,” Tony called from the living room.

  “I’m here,” I said. “Be there in a minute.”

  “You have to go?” Abigail asked.

  “Yes, but remember to be good and get your doll back.”

  “I will, just for you, Jess.”

  I smiled at Abigail and left her room. Tony was sitting in the chair when I entered the living room. “It’s late and we leave early in the morning,” Tony told me. He got up and walked to the elevator.

  “Hang on, let me say goodbye to Abigail?”

  I went back to Abigail’s room to find her sitting on her bed with a pen and paper. “Abigail, I came to say goodbye. I’ll see you when I get back.”

  She got up off the bed and in a split second she was hugging me. I hugged her back.

  “I’ll see you later,” she said. “Goodbye Jess and have fun.”

  “Goodbye Abigail.”

  Tony was in the elevator waiting for me.

  Hurrying, I joined him and we went to the third floor.

  “I’ve been in Abigail’s room all afternoon? It doesn’t seem like it.”

  “It doesn’t matter anyway. She needed to visit you instead of trying to break you,” Tony laughed.

  I brushed my hand on his arm. “Funny,” I said and went to take a shower.

  Bright and early in the morning, Jason had the limo waiting for us in front of the house to take us to a small airport Victor had purchased a few miles from the house. Jason pulled up beside the airport hanger, and loaded our bags into the compartment of the three-seater airplane. The pilot was in his seat checking the equipment as we took our seats. Starting the tiny engine he headed to the runway. Getting clearance from the tower, he revved the engine. It wasn’t long before the plane lifted off the tarmac. We were on our way to Italy.

  Chapter Ten

  Our plane landed in Bologna, Italy around six in the morning. Happy it was a two hour ride instead of thirteen. The stopover in London helped so I wasn’t as fatigued from Oregon to England. Tony rented a car to drive us to Modena, arriving before noon. Driving up a winding hill, I noticed thick foliage off to my right. Along the road were several rock farm houses, orchards, and farming ground. Several bicyclists were riding along the road and at times, I thought Tony was going to hit them with the car because the road was so narrow. If two cars needed to pass each other, one had to pull over for the vehicle to be able to continue on the road.

  The road forked with no sign indicating where the road would end up. Tony, without looking at a map, took the right fork and the hotel, about two miles from the fork, sat on top of a hill. The roads being so narrow, I noticed every twenty feet a cut in the shoulder which allowed a vehicle to pull over for another vehicle to pass one at a time. Thankfully not one vehicle from the turn-off to the hotel needed to use the road to get back to the highway.

  The hotel sat at the edge of the hill with parking in the back and was surrounded with trees. It felt it private and secluded, but very warm and friendly.

  Built from stone it resembled an ancient ruin you only see in movies. Here I was standing in front admiring the beauty of the structure. Entering the lobby, I couldn’t believe it was decorated in medieval décor. A knight in full armor stood in the corner. A shield and two flails on either side hung on the wall above the knight. Chairs in the middle of the room and a table were replicas of fifteenth century furniture. It reminded of Jennifer’s furniture, but she had the real stuff. Pictures on the walls of Modena as it were becoming a town. Several artifacts were strewn about the lobby.

  After checking into the hotel, we decided to stay in the room and relax. Our room wasn’t as fancy as the lobby just a double bed, table with two chairs, a dresser, a closet and several pictures of vineyards on the walls. A night stand beside the bed held the phone and a lamp. The television hung on the wall above the dresser.

  Tomorrow we would go to the beach and swim.

  Tony turned on the television and went through the channels to find a program to watch, while I stood at the window looking at the scenery.

  Modena stood at the base of the hill and the city centered on rolling hills and green valleys. Far off in the distance, several vineyards landscaped the horizon. A castle stood above the buildings. It was something I would have to see.

  Tony turned off the television.

  “What plans have you planned for us?” I asked.

  Tony got off the bed and came over to the window. “No plans. Let’s find some brochures and see what catches our interest.”

  “Sounds good to me,” I said. “Let’s see what the lobby has to offer.”

  Tony and I went to the lobby.

  The desk clerk watched as we gathered brochures from the small stand beside the front door.

  “May I offer you this handy travels/tour guide to Modena and surrounding cities?” The desk clerk asked reaching under the counter.

  We walked over to the front desk as the desk clerk laid a book on the counter. The guide book was a quarter inch thick full of information. Tony was thumbing through it when a page caught my eye.

  “You can have it,” the desk clerk stated.

  “Thank you,” I said. “This will be helpful.”

  Back in our room, we sat on the small sofa and started looking through the book. A castle was highlighted as a huge tourist attraction. Medieval relics, a stocked wine cellar, and a spectacular courtyard were advertised as a must to see.

  “I’d love to see the castle, Tony.”

  “A castle you shall then, but tomorrow is the beach. There is no rush to go back home.”

  “We can’t be gone forever. You have the blood bank to run?”

  “When you slept on the plane, father and I discussed the blood bank and our honeymoon. We can take as long as we like. He wants us to enjoy ourselves and not rush back.”

  “Wow, that’s so nice of Victor.”

  “He said, ‘you only have one honeymoon’ and I agree with him.”

  We spent the afternoon looking over the brochures and the travel/tourist book until it was time to eat. A train to Munich, Germany was offered along with information about several castles to visit that was sure to please tourists. We planned on going to Munich, but that was for next week.

  Tony insisted on me wearing my dress, the blue one, I made for wearing after the wedding. He packed it for me without me knowing and I was surprised. Tony wore a navy blue suit.

  Tony and I walked into the dining room. Soft music was playing and the lights were dim. In the center of the room, a table with a single candle was lit with yellow roses around the bottom of the candle holder. The waiter stood beside the table waiting for us. “Is that for us?” I asked Tony.

  “It sure is.”

  “How did he know?”

  “H
e didn’t. I made prior arrangements.” Tony smiled. “Shall we?”

  Tony and I walked to the table. The waiter pulled out my chair and I sat down.

  “Congratulations on your marriage Mr. and Mrs. Mureaux. My name is Ramón your personal server this evening. May I offer you our house wine?” Ramón asked.

  “Yes, please. Thank you,” Tony told Ramón.

  Ramón bowed and left. Tony and I held hands intertwining our fingers across the table.

  “You don’t have to go all out for me Tony.”

  “I know I don’t, but I want to. You’re the best thing in my life and I only want the best for you. Of all the things we’ve been through together you didn’t run and you married me. You stayed by my side through thick and thin. We are going to be together forever and no one or nothing will ever come between us. I love you with my whole heart.”

  “I love you,” I said with a smile on my face.

  I moved the candle and leaned over the table. Tony leaned toward me. We kissed, but the kiss was interrupted. Ramón was back at our table with a bottle of Franciacorta, the finest and rarest wine of Italy.

  Tony took a small sip and said, “Very good wine.”

  I sipped mine and was surprised it was good.

  Ramón returned with our Condigiun, Italian for salad. After our salads, Tony took my hand and led me to a small dance floor. The table and chairs had been moved to resemble one. The music stopped and a small band of musicians came into the room.

  “May I have this dance?” Tony asked holding out his hand.

  Taking his hand, the band softly played the song we had danced to at our wedding, Together Forever.

  Tony and I slow danced.

  “Together forever,” Tony whispered.

  “Together forever,” I agreed.

  Ramón sat the main course of Tortellini on the table as we finished up our dance. He waited at my chair to seat me. This was defiantly VIP treatment I could easily get used to. Before the last item was off our plates, Ramón served our dessert, well my dessert, Semifreddo, with a cup of coffee. Tony couldn’t have anything sweet because it made him deathly sick until the sugar was out of his system completely, which took about two days.

  Before we went back to our room, Tony wanted a last dance. The small band returned and played a song I wasn’t familiar with, but the dance that went along with the music was every sense as revealing as anyone could have imagined. I had no clue how to dance to it.

  “Tony, I don’t know how to dance to this.”

  “Follow my lead. You’ll pick it up fast, I promise.”

  Tony and I danced and I did pick it up quickly. On the dance floor Tony kissed my neck and it wasn’t long before we were back in our room.

  While we were enjoying our evening with food and dance, the hotel staff decorated our room.

  Tony opened the door, moved to the side and allowed me to go in first. My mouth hung to the floor as I scanned the room. Twelve dozen yellow roses sat on the table beside the television. A banner was strung on the wall above the bed reading, ‘Congratulations Tony and Jessica.’ On the bed was a stuffed yellow rose lying in the center with a package. Petals from yellow roses strung from the door to the bed and scattered around the room and the bed. Candles sat in yellow, rose, shaped vases along the dresser against the wall and one sat on the small table in front of the window. Every candle was lit.

  “Tony, you are doing too much.”

  Tony hugged me from behind and said, “There is nothing too much for you.”

  I turned to face him and went straight for his lips. Tony had to pull away to catch his breath. I could have kissed him longer.

  “Jess, aren’t you going to open your present?”

  I couldn’t imagine what Tony could have gotten me. Taking the package, I slowly opened it. Taking the lid off, I looked up at Tony and smiled. He waited patiently for me to get the lid off. Moving the paper to the side a blue garment with spaghetti straps and with white lace around the edge stared at me. Removing the garment from the box I couldn’t believe it was a teddy. The very small panties

  were lying under the teddy. This was something only Tony could ever see me in.

  “You like it?” Tony asked.

  “I love it.”

  “Why don’t you put it on for me?” he asked.

  I took the teddy into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror after it was on; I couldn’t believe how revealing it was. I saw my cheeks turn red and thought, you are not shy. You are Tony’s wife, be brave. It was the first time in my life I owned anything so….revealing and sexy.

  Opening the bathroom door, I peeked around the corner. Tony was lying on the bed with his hands behind his head.

  “Are you ready?” I asked.

  “I can’t wait,” he said, and smiled his crooked smile.

  Stepping out of the bathroom, I could feel my cheeks blushing again.

  “Oh Jess!” Tony sat up immediately. His eyebrows raised and his smile covered his face. “Turn around for me.”

  I turned around and when I faced him he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Without hesitating, I went to him. He took me in his arms. I leaned down and passionately kissed him. When the kiss was over, he went straight for my neck kissing it lightly.

  “Tony, you aren’t going to keep showering me with gifts while we’re here, are you?”

  “Why not?”

  “I have the best gift any girl could have.”

  He stopped kissing my neck and looked at me.

  “And that gift would be?”

  “You,” I said poking his chest.

  Tony half-smiled and went back to my neck slowly pulling us back onto the bed. I started nibbling on his ear when a thought popped into my head. I whispered to Tony, “I do have a gift for you.”

  “What?” he moaned.

  “A gift only a wife can give her husband.”

  Tony stopped kissing my neck and I looked at him and winked.

  “Put your hands behind your head,” I whispered.

  Tony did what he was told without another word.

  I bit his neck then kissed every inch of his face, moving down his neck to his chest. I bit, nibbled and kissed every part of him and every muscle responded to my touch. His groans grew louder and deeper as he placed his hands on my shoulders with the groans turning to a blood curdling roar. Before I had time to look at his expression, he slipped his hands under my armpits and lifted me off him spinning me around on the bed ripping my teddy while kissing every inch of my body with a passion I had never known. He looked at me and I couldn’t help but wickedly smile back and wink. His eyes were on fire with a hunger I had never seen before. He cheekily smiled back and whispered “Jessss, what have you done?” before kissing me. I surprised myself by responding to his every move and need.

  Eventually Tony had been completely satisfied and I had truly been loved from head to toe. We lay on the bed looking at the ceiling catching our breath. We kissed and both fell sound asleep.

  Around noon, I woke up. Tony was on the phone ordering my breakfast. Sitting up, I couldn’t believe I had slept the morning away. I put on one of the robes that the hotel had graciously given us. A courtesy for newlyweds according to the card attached to one. After ordering my breakfast, Tony kissed me then went to shower. Looking around the room, the candles were tiny stubs. The rose’s fragrance still filled the room and I breathed in their sweet scent.

  Room service arrived with a rolling cart. The bell hop wheeled the cart in the room and I saw him glance at the floor. Naturally, I glanced at the floor and there was my teddy stretched out as if I was still in it. I saw the bell hop grin and felt my cheeks turning red.

  “I’ve got it from here,” I told him taking my foot and pushing the teddy under the bed.

  When he left, I grabbed the teddy from under the bed and tucked it under my pillow. Taking the cart to the table, I found the panties of the teddy lying at the foot of the chair. I picked them up and tucked them under my pillow. />
  Taking the cover off the plate, I looked up to see Tony coming out of the bathroom. He grabbed a flask from the small icebox and sat in the chair on the other side of the table.

  “Are you too tired to see the beach today?” he asked.

  “Not one little bit. We’ll go as soon as I eat.”

  I ate as quickly as I could, showered and then packed a small bag for the beach. Two towels, my camera and the ice bucket were all I put in the bag. Tony managed to put two flasks in the bucket before he zipped the bag shut. Under my tank top and shorts, I had on my swim suit. I was ready for the beach.

  Tony pulled the car around to the side door of the building where I waited for him. The ride to the beach took us thirty minutes. The beach was full of people enjoying the sun and playing volleyball.

  Getting out of the car, I looked out across the water. The sun glistening and bouncing off the water brought out the green color. I had never seen water so green.

  “That’s the Mediterranean Sea,” Tony told me.

  “Can we swim in it?”

  “We sure can,” Tony said grabbing my bag from the back seat.

  I put my sandals in the bag and went barefoot. The sun beating down on the sand was hot and I hurried to the water’s edge. Tony laid out our blankets and sat the bag down then joined me.

  We swam out just enough for the water to cover our shoulders. The water was cool and refreshing. I could stay here forever. Large boats in the distance resembled tiny tug boats. Mountains made a horseshoe from one end to the other, forming a cove for the swim area. After swimming, I soaked up the sun. Tony walked up the beach to discover a cantina.

  “Jess, there’s a cantina about a hundred yards up the beach. Let’s get a cool drink and dinner?”

  “Sounds good,” I said getting up. After the towels were in the bag, I grabbed my camera.

  Tony took the bag. “I’ll put this in the car. Be right back.”

  “Okay.”

  I watched Tony walk to the car and back.

  Hand in hand we walked along the beach at the edge of the water to the cantina. A horn sounded in the distance causing me to look. An ocean liner was sitting at the mouth of the cove with black smoke rolling out of the stacks. Small boats took off from the ocean liner heading to the shore. The tourists had spent the day shopping, sightseeing and were now going to their next destination.