by Kallysten
“Maybe in a few days,” Leo said. He rested a hand on Brett’s shoulder, and even through the hospital scrubs Brett had been given to replace his torn clothes, the touch felt intense enough that a small jolt of electricity flashed through him.
With a hint of a frown, Anando nodded. “In a few days,” he repeated. “But I’ll drop by the club before that. Check on how you’re doing.”
Again, Brett wanted to protest; again, Lisa and Leo’s quiet acceptance of Anando’s pronouncement stopped him from saying anything, along with giving him some sense of… relief? Why would he be relieved that Anando would check on him? This was all so strange.
He realized that all three of them were looking at him, expecting an answer from him. Had he missed something else again?
“All right,” Lisa said with a shake of her head and an amused smile. “We’d better get out of here before he zones out again.”
That was a fine idea as far as Brett was concerned; even more so when Lisa and Leo each took one of his hands. Things were much different from what he had expected when he had asked to be turned.
Anando had sired him, for one, and everything Brett had thought it would be like was both right and totally off the mark, more intense than he’d thought possible and yet still familiar. But one thing held true: Leo and Lisa were still at his side, and for that Brett was more grateful than words could express.
CHAPTER 25
Among Virginia’s most treasured memories, right next to when she had first seen Anando on the dance floor at On The Edge or the moment he had first told her he loved her, the place of honor went to returning home with Emma Joy in her arms and Anando at her side.
It wasn’t about the pink balloons and streamers gathered in clusters like bouquets, or the presents piled up on the breakfast bar, or the smell of the roses set two or three at a time in glasses on every flat surface in the foyer and living room. It was simply the feel of being home.
She rocked Emma Joy against her chest, approached the breakfast bar, and examined the names on the presents. There’d be time to open them later, but she wanted to see… Yes.
One of the packages was from her parents. She didn’t care what they had sent, only that they were ready to celebrate the birth of their grandchild. In a few days, she would call and see if they wanted to visit. The last tight knot inside her chest loosened a little. The moment couldn’t have been more perfect.
“Do you want to change clothes?” Anando offered. “I can take her if you want.”
She couldn’t help but chuckle as she looked at him. ‘If you want,’ he had said, but from the eager edge in his voice she had a feeling it was as much a matter of him wanting to hold their child as it was wanting to be helpful.
“You,” she said as she handed him the baby, “are totally smitten. You’re lucky I’m not a jealous woman.”
She truly was lucky, she told herself as she watched his face light up. She couldn’t help but lean over Emma Joy and press a kiss to his cheek. He raised his face and sought her mouth for a second quick kiss before she pulled back.
“Be right back.”
Anando had brought her clothes during her unexpected stay in the hospital, but for the most part she had remained in the hospital gown. She had dressed to leave earlier, but as they waited for night to fall so they could leave together, Emma Joy had spit up on Virginia’s dress.
She winced a little when she reached for the zipper in the back, but before she could even grab it, Anando was there, holding Emma Joy in the crook of one arm and helping Virginia undress with his free hand. She offered him a smile over her shoulder and let the dress slide off her shoulders. She caught it before it could fall and held it in front of her as she walked over to the closet.
“Are you hiding from me?” Anando asked.
She didn’t look back as she answered, keeping her eyes on the clothes hanging in the closet and holding her stained dress over her abdomen. “You’ll see my scar soon enough. There’s no rush.”
Her hand settled on a pajama ensemble she hadn’t worn since moving in with Anando. Before she could pull it out, his hand rested on top of hers, the side of his body pressed along her back.
“Virginia… I don’t care about scars. I care about you. I love you. Nothing’s changed.”
“Everything has changed,” she replied, her voice wavering a little. She didn’t know why she was feeling so emotional now, or why she hadn’t let herself think of this before. “We have a child now. We won’t be able to…”
Without thinking, she shifted her gaze to the chest against the back wall. It was shut, but they’d need to get a lock on it; make sure that curious little hands and eyes did not find toys to play with that were wholly inappropriate for children.
“Won’t be able to what?” Anando asked, and there was a teasing edge to his words. “Virginia dear… you do realize most parents don’t stop making love after they have a child, don’t you?”
She was struck by the sudden and childish urge to stick her tongue out at him in retaliation for the teasing. This was a serious discussion, however, and she didn’t want to trivialize it.
“We do a lot more than make love,” she pointed out as she faced him. She glanced down at Emma Joy; still asleep, and much too young to understand what they were talking about anyway, and yet Virginia felt a little guilty for talking about this in front of her. “We… play,” she continued, quieter still. “Our s… bedroom life isn’t… standard. Or it wasn’t, but with a child in the house…”
She trailed off when Anando raised both eyebrows.
“What?” she said, feeling a little defensive. It didn’t help that she was still half naked. Turning away from him again, she finally dropped the dress, pulled the pajamas from the closet and slipped them on—the pants first, making sure to draw the waistband as far above her healing scar as it would go, and then the top.
“We can’t have her knowing what we do,” she continued as she dressed. “So we’ll have to tone it down.”
Anando’s surprise had transformed into amusement by the time she turned back to him.
“What?” she said again, now getting a little annoyed. “What’s so funny?”
“She’s a newborn,” he said with a light smile. “I’ll admit I’m new at all this, but I’m pretty sure you can use the word ‘sex’ without traumatizing her. And I’m also pretty sure I could put her down on the bed and take you, right now, push you against the wall and make you shake and beg for more until all you could do was scream, and yeah, she’d wake up, but she still wouldn’t care one bit about what we’re up to, whether it’s vanilla sex or whether we use half the toys in the chest one after the other until we’re both too exhausted to move anymore.”
Sore, tired, and uncomfortable, the last thing Virginia wanted at that moment was sex, whether ‘vanilla’ or kinky. But God, hearing him talk about it in that low, sensual tone…
She had no trouble picturing what he was describing, and oh, what lovely images they were! He wouldn’t have to insist very hard for her to say yes, doctor’s orders or not. But still…
“But she won’t always be a baby,” she said, clinging to her point and wrapping a robe around her treacherous body. “She’ll grow up, and start understanding what we say, and run around and touch things and—”
“And we’ll have a lock on the door,” Anando cut in gently. “And another one on the chest. And she’ll go to school, leaving us alone in the house for hours. And if we want to go dancing, or if we want to do anything else just the two of us, we’ve got friends we can call on to babysit her.”
Virginia bit her bottom lip. It all sounded too easy. Could it be that easy? Nothing had been simple since she’d become pregnant. Why would it start now?
“Hey…” Anando wrapped his free arm around her and drew her close until Emma Joy was between the two of them. “We just brought her home. We don’t have to figure every little thing right now. Okay?”
She rested her head against his shoulder
and looked down at Emma Joy. Her eyes were blinking open, her tiny fist opening and closing next to her face. “You’re right. I guess I’m tired.”
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Bedtime?”
“Not yet. She’s gonna want to feed soon.”
She slipped a hand underneath his and cradled Emma Joy, taking her back into her arms.
“Are you up for company, then?” Anando asked, stroking Emma Joy’s cheek with a finger.
“Hmm? Company?”
But as she said it, Virginia realized who he meant.
“I don’t know. It’ll take them a while to get here.”
Something twinkled in his eyes. “Maybe it won’t take that long,” he said.
He brushed a kiss to her cheek before starting for the door. Virginia followed him, rocking the baby, wondering what he meant. Were Brett, Leo and Lisa waiting somewhere nearby for the call Anando was now giving them?
“We just got home,” he was saying. “She’s tired, but if you want to visit for a few minutes, you can come now.”
He hung up the phone, and Virginia watched, mystified, as he went to the wall by the French windows. A light switch there controlled the lights over the hot tub. But there was now a second switch next to the first, she realized, and when Anando flipped it, a light came up in the yard. Virginia approached the windows to look out.
When she had left for the hospital, the entire perimeter of the yard had been lined with tall evergreens that offered privacy, much needed on those nights when Anando and Virginia felt like skinny dipping.
Now, however, she could see that the new light Anando had turned on was atop an arched opening that had been cut straight into the hedge and was fitted with a wooden door. As she watched, the door opened and Brett walked through, followed by Lisa and Leo.
“What’s going on?” Virginia asked, confused.
Anando pushed the French windows open before wrapping an arm around her waist.
“Remember the house next door was on sale a few months back? I was afraid Mary would buy it, so I bought it first.”
“You did?” Virginia watched their friends come closer, then raised a curious look to Anando. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He shrugged. “So much was going on, it slipped my mind.”
Strangely enough, she could believe that. For him, buying a house would be no big deal.
“I was planning to rent it,” he continued. “And then…”
He didn’t finish. He didn’t need to. He had probably not imagined the three people now reaching the house would be his renters, but she could see it making sense, especially now that Brett was Anando’s Childe.
She still hadn’t asked him how he felt about that. She knew he hadn’t wanted to turn anyone. He seemed content enough, though, when he welcomed the three of them with handshakes.
Leo stepped to Virginia first. He leaned in close to press a kiss to her cheek.
“How are you?” he asked. “You look beautiful.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I’m in my pajamas, with no makeup, and my hair’s a mess, and you think I’m beautiful? Clearly I’ve been trying too hard.”
“What he means,” Lisa said, “is that you look happy. And glowing. And that makes you more beautiful than a pretty dress or a bit of make-up.”
Although she remained a step back, she was grinning. Virginia smiled back.
“Good thing I have you to interpret man speech for me.”
“Decades of intense study,” Lisa said. “And still learning.”
Her grave, almost mournful tone caused Virginia to snicker.
“I have this feeling I should be offended,” Anando protested.
“And it’s just the two of them,” Leo said. “Wait until this one grows up. Something tells me she’ll be bossing all of us around.”
The broad grin he gave Emma Joy belied his words. When he glanced up at Virginia, the question was clear in his eyes.
She held Emma Joy out toward him. “Make sure you support her head.”
She watched as he took the baby, nodding her approval when he held her correctly. Her arms felt empty without her child, but Anando stepped closer, sliding an arm around her.
“So, are you done moving in?” Anando asked.
“Still painting,” Lisa said. “Picking colors with these two is even harder than picking a name.”
But there was a hint of amusement in her voice that made it clear it wasn’t all that bad.
Brett hadn’t said a word so far. He was staring at Emma Joy but from two yards away. His hand was tight on Lisa’s, their fingers entwined. There was a ring on his finger, Virginia noticed. That was new, she thought. Had he been wearing it at the hospital? Even if he had, she might not have noticed. Not that it mattered to her.
“Something to drink?” Anando offered.
“We’ve had dinner,” Lisa said, but already Anando was walking toward the kitchen.
For a few silent seconds, the rest of them remained where they were standing, all three vampires focused on the baby in Leo’s arms. With a shake of her head, Virginia tried to summon some hostess’ grace.
“I forgot my manners,” she said, already gesturing to the living room. “Come in. Have a seat.”
They came with her, settling side by side on the sofa while she sat in the armchair.
“Speaking of manners…” Brett cleared his throat. “Sorry for intruding when you were ready for bed.”
He wasn’t quite looking at her, but Virginia was suddenly very aware that she was wearing pajamas and a robe. She had the time to feel a flash of embarrassment, but it faded away. All three of them had seen her naked; two of them had been inside her body. It seemed a little late to be shy.
“Not bedtime quite yet,” she said. “Emma Joy will want to feed soon.”
When all three turned the same questioning expression toward her, she realized they didn’t know yet.
“We decided she doesn’t need a middle name,” she said with a little shrug. “So, Emma Joy. No hyphen.”
Just as she finished, Anando returned with a tray of drinks, and they shared a quick kiss. They’d needed to fight to get Anando down as Emma Joy’s father on her birth certificate, with the clerk repeating over and over that vampires were not afforded legal custody rights over children. This wasn’t about custody, but about the simple fact that their daughter would know who her father was.
He set the tray down on the coffee table and handed Virginia a glass of juice. She accepted it with a nod of thanks. Picking up another glass, Anando poured from a pottery pitcher she had never seen him use before. A thick liquid flowed out: blood. He filled the glass almost to the top and held it out to Brett.
“I already…” Brett started, but when Anando raised an eyebrow at him, he took the glass with the flash of a smile and a murmur of thanks.
“Lisa? Blood or wine?”
She’d been observing Brett, seemingly as bemused by his interaction with Anando as Virginia herself felt. “Hmm? Oh, I’m fine. Why don’t you offer something to Leo so he’ll share the baby for a while?”
Leo looked up from Emma Joy’s face and huffed. “All you had to do was say you wanted a turn,” he mumbled, and Virginia hid her grin behind her glass. His disgruntled expression when he handed over the baby was priceless.
Watching Lisa rock Emma Joy, Virginia found herself surprised. It wasn’t only the possibility of losing Brett that had upset Lisa, was it? In front of this strong woman, smiling softly at the child she herself could never bear, Virginia felt a deeper connection to her.
Having served Leo and himself, Anando came to perch himself on the thick armrest next to Virginia, and she leaned against him, content.
For a little while, the five of them chatted about the renovations in the house next door and how Brett, to his lovers’ obvious satisfaction, was looking for someone to help him run the club now that he wasn’t on the premises 24/7.
All of their lives were changing, it seem
ed, in small and big ways. They all had a lot to figure out still, for themselves and in relation to each other, but Virginia felt confident that everything would be fine in the end.
She watched Brett hold Emma Joy, watched Anando observe him—his Childe—and wondered if she’d have to rely on Lisa to sire her after all, or if Anando might not agree to do it himself, now that he had already done it once. Whether he did it or Lisa did, Virginia knew that someday she’d be like him, and they’d have forever to share together.
There was no rush, though. She had Anando, and their child, and their friends, and for now that was more than enough—more than she ever believed she would have with him. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.
THE END
EXCERPT FROM
WARD OF THE VAMPIRE
Who in the world would have said no?
Certainly not me.
And don’t fool yourself; you wouldn’t have said no either.
If I’d known what was going to happen… No, even then I’m not sure I’d have refused to go. I couldn’t have. And I mean that quite literally. Couldn’t, as in not physically able to. Not without my body refusing to obey my commands, or losing the simple ability to breathe.
The biggest holiday bash in New York City, with reportedly a dozen different caterers booked for the event, five bands, everyone from New York’s ‘who’s who’ on the guest list, along with a few A-listers flown straight in by private jet from Hollywood, all that in a renovated mansion—a castle, really—right off Central Park… And of course, one of the most famous yet elusive men in town, a businessman, philanthropist and friend of the arts, just turning forty, and an eminently eligible bachelor…
Well, at least that was what newspapers, TV anchors and various blogs had been saying since October. I should know. I’d been reading every article and blog post, watching snippets of news where the party was mentioned almost obsessively.
Why, yes, I did make a scrapbook about it, but that’s part of my job, not a sign that I have OCD, not at all.