He tilted his head and furrowed his brow. “What are you doing?”
I grinned as I continued the friction on his hand. “An experiment. You tend to warm up the more you touch me, so I thought maybe I could warm you up before you touch Ben and Tracey.”
He rolled his eyes and shook his head, then gave me a lopsided grin. “I could think of warmer places to shove my hand,” he huskily told me.
I stopped rubbing his hand and debated whether I should smack him or kiss him. Deciding we didn’t have time for the latter, I smacked him on the arm. He laughed while I brought his hand to my cheek. I sighed at the slightly warmer feel of it and he smiled watching me. “There, nearly human.”
He shook his head, adoration in his eyes. “That’s my motto,” he murmured. He leaned down to kiss me and I let myself get lost in it for a moment. But then we started getting too lost in it and I had to push him back when he started to move over the top off me. Pulling away from his mouth, I muttered, “We have a show time to make.” It came out a little breathlessly.
Pressing against me he muttered, “We have time.”
I bit my lip, but laughed and pushed him away from me. He gave me a disappointed face and I laughed harder, pushing him all the way off me. “You really are so incredibly easy,” I giggled as he helped me stand.
He made an affronted noise and grabbed his wallet from his nightstand. “I’ll have you know,” he pointed down to his jeans, “these are actually very difficult to get into.” He gave me a lopsided grin. “In fact, only one girl can.”
I laughed and walked over to him, slinging my arms around his neck. “Good,” I said, giving him a soft kiss.
He pulled back, his pale eyes sparkling, just a bit too mischievously. “Yeah, I promise I won’t tell her about you.”
I gasped and brought my arm back to smack him soundly in the chest, but he blurred out of the room. “Chicken,” I yelled out the open door. I heard laughter answer me, but he was probably already downstairs. “Smartass,” I muttered, knowing full well he heard me.
We pulled into the theater lot a moment later and holding hands, strolled into the lobby. We spotted Tracey and Hot Ben instantly, as they had their mouths all over each other, and grinning, we walked over to say hi.
Tracey waved hello to us when she noticed our approach and I clenched Teren’s hand tighter. We approached the eerily, equally attractive couple, his sculpted face and highlighted hair a compliment to her curves and blonde flowing mane. The two of them were almost more pleasing to look at when they stood together. Tracey’s big blue eyes brightened when she took in Teren; she hadn’t seen him in awhile. Ben either, for that matter, and, as he and Teren were sort of friends, he was the first to greet him.
“Hey, man, glad you’re back.” He clapped Teren on the shoulder, one arm still around Tracey. I exhaled and relaxed a smidge.
Tracey giggled and leaned over to give Teren a quick one-armed hug. “Oh,” she squeaked, “cold outside, isn’t it?” She brought her hand to Hot Ben’s chest and rested her head against his shoulder. “I’m glad your dad’s okay, Teren,” she said, and Ben nodded beside her.
“Yeah, if he ever needs help again,” he smiled dazzlingly, “I’d love to try working on a ranch.”
Teren grinned and shot me a look. “Thank you, but I think that, uh…problem, won’t come up again.” I started to laugh, and switched it to a cough into my hand. Teren squeezed my waist and I relaxed into his side, happy that everyone was oblivious to what that really meant, and happy that the horrid moment he’d just joked about, was a moment that we finally could joke about. A moment that was gratefully over. “Shall we?” Teren indicated the ticket line and laughing at being together again, we bought our tickets.
After the movie, we headed to a bar, where we all sat in a noisy corner and Teren faked sipping his dark bottled beer. As you couldn’t see through the glass at how much was left, no one suspected that he wasn’t actually drinking it. Relaxing even more, as our deception started getting easier, and honestly, Tracey and Ben started getting drunker, I decided it was time to up that joyous feeling.
To interrupt the conversations around me, I noisily clinked a spoon from a nearby table against my Shirley Temple glass. Tracey and Hot Ben stopped giggling into each other’s sides and turned their heads to look at me. Teren grinned and chuckled as he knew what I was about to do.
“Um…guys.” They both grinned and blinked at me and I thought we may have to give them a ride home. “Teren and I have some news.” We looked at each other and he smiled softly and grabbed my hand. Not looking back at Tracey and Hot Ben, I said to Teren, “We’re getting married.”
I heard the incredibly loud shriek from Tracey and watched Teren wince and close his eyes; that probably had been exceedingly loud to him. Twisting my head, I watched a half-drunk Tracey try and maul me over the table. Laughing, I stood up so she could hug me. She jumped up and down, squealing, and every head in the bar turned at the commotion. Trying to shush her, I added, “We’d like you guys to stand up with us.”
At that point, she collapsed into my arms and started sobbing; I took that as a yes. Ben more calmly stood up to hug me around his girlfriend, and then clasped Teren’s hand, who was now standing by my side, watching Tracey sob in my arms with an amused grin on his face. Ben congratulated us both and said he’d be honored. Tracey finally pulled back at that and slurringly said that she’d be honored too. Then she looked behind me at Teren and started sobbing all over again as she let go of me and reached out for him. I tensed, but honestly, she was so tipsy, he could have had icicles dripping from his nose and she wouldn’t have noticed. She clung to him, sobbing on his shoulder and murmuring congratulations, until Ben finally pulled her back to her seat.
Sniffing and wiping her nose, she hiccupped and asked, “When are you guys going to do it? Spring? Summer?”
I grinned in my excitement and said, “The nineteenth.”
She looked at me blankly. “Of which month?”
I frowned and furrowed my brow. “Of this month.”
He face dropped as her mouth fell open. “This month? Jesus, Emma, that’s only a couple of weeks away. How about a longer heads up.” She shook her head and took a sip of her drink. Pausing, she muttered, “Why so fast? You pregnant or something?”
I flushed and attempted to shake my head, but she saw the color in my cheeks and sputtered on her drink. “Holy shit, you are!”
I sighed that I was a complete failure at keeping my secret off my face. I guess I was just too thrilled about it. Giving up, I shrugged and grinned as idiotically as I wanted to. “Yes, I am.”
Her earlier exclamation was near silent in comparison to her new one. I thought we might get kicked out with the angry glares we were getting, and Teren actually brought his hands up to rub his temples. I suspected his hearing may be slightly less supernatural after tonight.
She didn’t even give me the chance to let me stand again before she stumbled over to my side and sat on my seat with me, flinging her arms around me and crying again. “I knew it was weird that you were drinking a Shirley Temple.”
I laughed and hugged her back, glad that most of our secrets were out. Ben stood up to give Teren a brief hug, not commenting on his chilliness, and then we spent the rest of the night going over the upcoming nuptials.
As our foursome was walking back to Teren’s car later, after he’d agreed that we should take the sloppily drunk Tracey, and the slightly less drunk Ben, home, Teren suddenly stopped walking and looked down an alley. Furrowing his brow and cocking his head, he ignored the sounds of the two giggling people in our group and focused on something down the alley. My heart started beating harder as I whispered, “What is it?”
“I don’t…” His blue eyes narrowed and he took a step towards the dark crack between the two buildings.
Panicked, I grabbed his elbow. He twisted to look at me and I roughly shook my head at him. “Don’t you dare, Teren. You stay here…with me.” I searched his eyes until he fi
nally nodded.
Looking back to the alley, he shook his head. “I don’t hear it anymore anyway.”
As Tracey and Hot Ben laughed and bumped into the back of us, I asked him, “What did you hear?”
He grabbed my hand and shook his head, starting to walk down the street to his car. “I’m not sure, it was really faint.” I swallowed - really faint to Teren was really faint. He noticed my reaction and grinned nonchalantly, bringing me closer to his side. “It was probably nothing.” His other hand went to his head. ”I’m practically deaf now anyway.” He made a motion like he was trying to clean out his ear and I laughed, my fears momentarily tempered by his humor.
I drove Teren’s Prius with Tracey beside me while Teren followed us in Hot Ben’s SUV. Tracey chatted the entire time we drove them to Ben’s house. She briefly talked about my pregnancy, a little belligerently angry that I didn’t tell her immediately, and then she switched to the wedding. She had seen a bridesmaid dress last week that would be perfect, and she wanted to go buy it tomorrow. I told her that was fine; I didn’t care what her and my sister wore, I didn’t even care what colors they wore. She giggled and described it in detail. I laughed a little when she told me it was blood red. How perfect. I told her I’d call Ashley and we’d all go and find one for her too.
After dropping them off at Hot Ben’s apartment, and making sure the drunken couple would be okay for the rest of the night (which, as they started getting handsy in the entryway, I thought the rest of their night would be just fine), Teren and I made our way home. We got a little handsy in the entryway as well, and actually ended up stumbling half-dressed into his obligatory piano room, having a bit of an intimate moment on the bench in front of his baby grand.
We fell asleep down there, with our feet up on the bench and a blanket from a nearby chair draped across our bare bodies. After the intensity died down, Spike had found us and nestled in-between us, and I sighed happily in my sleep at our odd little family.
The next morning, I awoke to a steaming cup of cocoa placed on the floor by my head. An amused Teren was squatting behind it when I cracked my eyes open. He indicated where I was sprawled out on the floor, half of me underneath the piano bench and Spike nestled close into my side. “You move all this way…to have a slumber party on my floor?”
I grinned and chuckled as I stretched out the kinks in my body, Spike stirring beside me and licking my shoulder. “I didn’t hear you complaining last night,” I muttered between yawns.
He smirked and leaned down to kiss me. “I had nothing to complain about.” He sighed as he pulled away. “I have to go…I’ll see you tonight.”
He kissed me again and I playfully pulled him into me. He grunted as he lost his balance and the top half of him fell on the top half of me. He started laughing as Spike yelped and darted out of the room, but my appetite had sprung back up and I wasn’t in a laughing mood. I wasn’t letting up with the affectionate kisses either. His laughter died as well, as his humor switched to something else. He eagerly returned my ardent touches, his hands moving under the blanket to caress my bare skin. That hand went straight down to between my thighs and slid against me. I was ready for him again, already, and I moaned in his mouth as he worked his hand over me. Dropping his head to my shoulder he muttered, “Emma…I don’t have time for this…”
My response was a nonverbal one as I groaned and arched against his hand, feeling the heat his icy touch created, rising in me already. His body leaning against mine shifted so he could press his hips against my leg. His mouth came back to mine, nearly attacking me, and as his hand continued stoking my fire, he brought his thumb into the equation, circling it around my sensitive core as his fingers worked inside of me. I gasped and pulled at the top half of him leaning over me. My hands were everywhere - in his hair, pulling on his clothes, trying to pull him on top of me, even though that stupid bench was in the way.
He murmured something about really needing to go and as I was nearly exploding, I breathlessly begged, “Please, don’t…stop.”
He groaned and slipped another finger in and I cried out as the pleasure ripped through me. His breath fast in my ear, he panted, “This is killing me. I need…something, Emma.”
Without thinking about it, I brought my wrist to his mouth. He didn’t hesitate at what I offered him. His free hand held my arm and he bit down, easily puncturing the skin. That was all I needed too. My release instantly burst through me, and I cried out with the force of it. He made several short moaning noises as he drank while I came. As his fingers and mouth slowed, I felt drained and satisfied, on multiple levels. Eventually he licked the wounds closed on my wrist and removed his fingers from inside my body; he licked those too. Still breathing slightly heavy, he pulled back to gaze at me with unfocused eyes.
My own breath heavy, I ran a hand down his face, wiping a speck of blood off his lip. “Holy hell, Teren. Can we wake up like that every day?”
He grinned and laughed, leaning in for a quick peck as his teeth retracted. “Now, I really do have to go. I love you.”
I held onto his arm as he stood. “I love you too.” He grinned as he looked down on me, lightly shaking his head as he turned to leave the room. He called out another goodbye and then I heard the door shutting. I sighed as I reached over for my miraculously not toppled over hot chocolate, thinking I really, really loved living here.
Later at work, I broke the news of my upcoming wedding to Clarice and the rest of my coworkers. I broke the news because a still bubbly (even with a hangover) Tracey wouldn’t shut up about it. Clarice overheard us talking about dress shopping later and I cheerily confessed my plans. She gave me a three second smile before flatly saying, “You don’t have any more vacation time, so I hope you weren’t planning on a honeymoon.”
Mentally I rolled my eyes, but I happily replied with, “No, we sort of already had our honeymoon.” I smiled at the memory of all the weeks we’d spent at the ranch and Clarice walked away, muttering something about that being a good thing. I did not mention to her that I’d be taking maternity leave before the year was up, and I made Tracey promise to do the same. I sort of had the feeling that that would drive Clarice over the edge.
After work, Tracey and I carpooled in my cute bug and we picked up my sister before heading to the dress shop. It was a quaint little wedding boutique and I bit my lip as we walked past the pure white beauties in the window. Tracey and Ashley both laughed at my reaction and Ash muttered that it was sort of hypocritical for me to wear white, when I was already pregnant. I smacked her arm while Tracey laughed her agreeance.
Smiling, we all entered the shop together. Ash and Tracey quickly found the dress Trace had picked out, and both had squealed with delight when they found a similar one for Ashley to try on. I was a little nervous for my sister, but the floor length dress had long sleeves and a high neckline, and would cover most of her scarred body. I was a little surprised that Tracey had even liked the conservative style when I saw it on the rack, but then they both tried them on, and I understood. It was very form fitted, and clung to their bodies in such a way, that they both may as well have been naked. We had my sister’s altered, so it was just a tad looser on her, and then I started trying on dresses, just for fun.
It was the third one I tried and I knew it was the one. It lightly trailed on the floor with a short train behind it. The sleeves were an intricate, see-through lace design with pearls stitched along the seams. The front was almost corset looking, but the respectable kind, with crisscrossing strips of satin emphasizing all of the assets that Teren adored, especially now that those assets had started to swell out a little. The back had a cutout shape of a heart between my shoulder blades and a row of pears lining my spine. The whole thing was elegant and a touch sexy and cost more than all my pantsuits combined. But it was perfect, and already fit me with no real adjustments needed. It seemed like a no brainer to me, so I ended up leaving that wedding boutique with dresses for the girls and a dress for me.
I had Ash hide the dress for me at her place, which was my old place. After I’d moved out, Teren and I had eagerly helped her move in. My mom had objected at first, claiming the steep stairs were too challenging for her, as some of her joints were a little stiff, but Ash had rolled her eyes and told her that she was nearly twenty and wanted to try living on her own. Mom couldn’t really object to that, so she’d halfheartedly helped us change her over.
Ash loved it. She loved the independence and loved having friends from school over at any hour, not having to worry about waking Mom, and she’d confessed that she hoped to have a boy or two over. I smiled at that and hoped she did too. I hated the idea of her looks keeping her from the love she so deserved. That fear had led me to ask Teren to change her once, which he’d adamantly refused. But as I listened to her talk and heard the growing confidence in her voice, I suddenly heard a woman emerging from inside that scarred body, and I was positive that someday, some man would hear that woman too, and love her regardless.
I was smiling over that thought as I came back to my new modern looking two-story home, with a breathtaking view of the ocean, out the wall of windows in the living room. Sunsets here were truly spectacular and I couldn’t wait for the late days of summer, so Teren and I could sit out here every evening and enjoy them together. A thrill shot through me as I realized that Teren and I would be married by then, we’d be husband and wife. Then a frown hit me. I’d also be the size of a house by then. We’d have to check the weight limit on his deck.
Conversion Book Two: Bloodlines Page 8