“Sophie, for now I don’t think I can take a human’s blood yet. If Sebastian is willing, is it possible to live off him?” I ask.
“Yes, it is. He will have to feed more often of course.”
“I will do anything for Lily,” he says with such an intensity I blink and the burn is back in my eyes. Bast notices and kisses each one of them.
“My time of the month will be coming with the full moon. I will change into a were-vamp then and go through a feeding frenzy. I won’t be able to feed on Bast then,” I say, suddenly scared.
“Lily, we have a lot of work to do before we get there. Let’s not worry about it today. I think you should go home and talk to Sebastian about the other things that are going on between the two of you. We’ll start working on your issue with feeding at our next appointment,” she says with a warm smile.
“Thanks, Sophie.”
“Thank you, Sophie. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you taking care of Lily,” Sebastian whispers. Sophie takes his hand and squeezes.
“Take care of each other,” she tells us as we walk out of the office. Aurora is at her desk putting on some Goth makeup and looks like she is getting ready to go out for the night. I know there is a vampire nightclub a few blocks from here. It caters to a Goth-like crowd. A mix of humans and vampires. I make a few more appointments with Aurora and she smiles at Sebastian as he stands checking his schedule so he can make sure to take me to all of my appointments from now on in case something like this happens again.
We finalize our arrangements. Sebastian wraps his arm protectively around my waist and leads me down the stairs and to the car. The fresh clean ocean breeze lifts my spirits. I lean my head on Bast’s shoulder. He tightens his grip and kisses the top of my head before opening the passenger door and buckling me in. I could have done it, but I know he wants to do it and for once it doesn’t irritate me.
The Mercedes glides through traffic. The insulation and tight construction keep the noise out and the ride smooth. Bast takes my hand again. He rubs my palm with his thumb. It sends tingles through to my core. My body starts to heat up. If he only knew how much I want him right now. He inhales sharply.
“Lily!” he says hoarsely and narrowly swerves, missing the car in front of us.
“Yes, Bast. I know you smell it on me. It’s not just hormones. It’s my heart.”
“Mon Dieu, Lily. How can I concentrate? Thank goodness we only are a few blocks from home. Then we are going to talk about this before anything happens,” he says.
“Yes, I want that to, my love,” I say as we pull up to the manse. Sebastian is a blur to a vampire’s eye, and that is saying something, as he retrieves me. He lifts me out of the car and cradles me to his chest.
He kicks open the front door. A man on a mission, he glides up the stairs, ignoring Helena’s questions. I smile at her and she nods and smiles. Sebastian walks through my open bedroom door and puts me gently down in one of my overstuffed chairs under my stained glass windows. Our stained glass windows. The room was made for Sebastian and me. And I know it is time for both of us to live in it.
Sebastian sits next to me in the matching chair. Deep brown eyes capture mine and he inhales deeply again, scenting my arousal.
“Cherie,” his voice cracks as he takes my hand.
“Bast,” I get up and kneel between his legs. “Remember when I told you I wanted unending love?”
“Yes,” he whispers.
“I was wrong. What I have for you is all-consuming, unstoppable, undying and heart wrenching all at the same time. I feel incredibly vulnerable because I don’t want to be hurt again. I want you. It may be selfish because of all I’ve put you through. But I chose you. I will become yours and you will become mine. I’m overflowing right now. I feel like I will combust if you won’t allow it…” I can’t say anything else because Sebastian has put his hands on either side of my head, pulling me to his lips. His kiss is far from tender. It is hard and bruising. I meet him with just as much force. I can’t get enough of him. When our tongues clash my mouth explodes with his taste again. He is so delicious. Fresh and full of life. Our fangs clash and it is so erotic. Sebastian scoops me up and I think he is going to carry me to the bed.
Instead he puts me on the chaise longue. Sebastian moves his body between my legs stretching my body out. Our kisses turn tender yet still bruising. Like we can’t get enough of each other. Sebastian and I slowly reacquaint ourselves with each other’s bodies. My hands roam over his taut back and chest, the muscles ripple under my touch. I move my hands further south and pull his sweet, sweet derrière against me, reveling in the friction that it gives me. He is so hard. Sebastian half growls, half groans in my neck, sending shivers down my body to my core, hardening my nipples in the process.
Sebastian pulls my shirt up and I lift my arms up to help him. Then I go for his shirt and he takes it off and tosses it to the floor. He unclasps my bra and just stares at my body. I feel adored and cherished under his gaze.
“I love you, Lily. I long to be the other half of you.”
He lowers his mouth to my neck and gives me soft butterfly kisses down towards my collarbone, moving to the space between my breasts. Then he licks my hardened nipple causing me to arch my back and send it further into Sebastian’s mouth. I reach down and run my hands through his silky hair. He groans and moves to my other breast, kissing his way over, worshiping me. The heat is building in me like a furnace.
Just when I think I can take no more, Sebastian moves his hand down and takes off my jeans and panties in one pull. His hand then moves to my very wet folds. He growls when he feels me.
“Oh my sweet, sweet girl. So ready for me,” he says as his thumb comes in contact with my core.
I buck off the chair. It has been so long and I ache for a release. Sebastian takes pity on me and helps me find it quickly and masterfully. Then he licks his fingers and it is so hot. His smile is so wicked.
“Cherie, you taste sweeter than anything I have ever had. I would taste you more but I need to be inside of you now.”
“Y-yes,” I whisper, totally overcome with love and lust.
I help him strip out his jeans and he lowers himself between my legs again. I wrap my legs around his waist as he takes me slowly. Sinking into me until he is all the way in, both of us crying out at the feeling. We stay that way, connected. Breathing in each other’s scent. It’s intoxicating. I feel so close to him right now. My eyes burn with my inability to shed tears. Sebastian notices.
“Lily, what’s wrong,” he says, moving a strand of hair off my forehead and kissing where it was.
“I just love you so much,” I stammer. “Take me Sebastian, make love to me. I want this, forever.”
“Forever, mon amour.”
He pulls me up so I am sitting in his lap and starts to move slowly, making sweet love to me, capturing my mouth with his. We stay this way forever. Sebastian has perfect self-control. Although I hate the idea of all the women he has touched over the past three hundred years, I rejoice in his skills. He brings me to orgasm several times and each time Sebastian’s eye shine brighter. It’s like the light had been out in them and finally it’s coming back. Finally Sebastian can take no more. I feel his release coming and I hold him tighter. He comes with my name on his lips.
24 SEBASTIAN
I had Lily back. She lies in my arms now, sated, beautiful. My heart overflows once again. But it is different this feeling. It’s as if my heart remembers what it felt like to be broken and it is holding on to her more tightly this time. But my head knows that if I smother her like my nature desires I will lose her again. I will never let her ago again. She nuzzles my chest and my head spins with lust and love and pride and the fever to keep her safe. How do I do that without making her feel controlled.
“Ma cherie, don’t you have kick boxing tonight?” I ask. I regret having to remind her. She needs to leave me. But I love the new independent Lily. It’s one step in letting her be herself and I love that self. I want
her fledgling independence to grow. I want her to become the woman I know she can become.
“Yes,” she says. She stretches and sighs then snuggles against my body again. “What time is it?”
I look over her to see her bedside clock.
“It’s five-thirty, my gorgeous girl.”
“I have to leave by six-thirty. I have time for a shower. Want to join me?” she asks coyly.
“Like you have to ask me.” She jumps up and runs toward the en suite bathroom and I snarl, my inner vampire excited by the chase, as I leap up and try to catch her. I hunt her down before she reaches the shower and pull her into me, kissing her soundly and spanking her delectable ass once to let her know she is naughty. She moans in my mouth. Hmmm…
“Come on, dear heart,” she says. “This shower was built for two and it has been entirely too underused. It’s time we broke it in.” There is a wicked glint in her eye. I like it. It’s new. Her confidence is coming back. Goddess, I love her.
“I believe I can help with that, ma petite. In fact I am sure I can,” I say as I look down at my hard erection. She giggles and backs into the shower turning on all the jets, jumping a little as the cold water hits her and then she sighs when it turns warm. She reaches out to me.
“Come in, the water is wonderful,” she says in a husky voice that is so, so sexy.
I walk into the marble and glass wonder, a veritable temple for two. I know she already loves it. Helena really knew what she was doing when she remodeled the suite for us.
Lily already has shower gel in her hands, lathering it up. She runs her soapy hands all over me, cleaning me. Her eyes tell me she is savoring me as much as I savor her. It’s heady, this knowledge. I’ve had enough pampering. It’s my turn to wash her. I lather up my hands and wash her shoulders, under arms, her chest. I turn her around and knead her shoulders and wash her back, her sweet bottom, between her legs, lingering there.
Next I get the shampoo and move her so her hair under the jets. I pull her back and wash her hair gently, massaging her head. She sighs and relaxes in my hands.
“You like this?” I ask around my smile.
“Yes, very much.”
“I do too, I like taking care of you, Lily.”
“I like taking care of you, too, Sebastian.” My throat constricts. No longer alone. I need her now.
I walk her back into the spray and carefully rinse her hair out and then pick her up and then lower her onto me. She gasps and cries out my name. It is like a siren’s call to me. I just want more. I move my hips so she’ll say my name again and she does. Over and over. It’s soon my undoing. Now it’s my voice I hear calling her name as she tightens her legs around me as she holds me. So close and she is kissing me deeply and telling me she loves me, over and over again.
“You know you need to move your things in here now,” Lily says, as a matter of fact when we dress.
“I thought you’d never ask. I can’t stand being away from you a minute more,” I say. I take her hand in mine and kiss her. She’s dressed in her workout clothes now. I am beginning to appreciate the appeal of lycra.
“Why don’t you move in while I’m at class? I’m sure Andrew and Liam will help.”
“I’ll ask them. If not, I’ll manage.”
“Forever…” she says. A wistful expression caresses Lily’s face. I can’t resist kissing her again.
“You’re going to be late now, go cherie. You and Helena have fun kicking ass.”
“Oh, we will,” she says and winks at me over her shoulder as she grabs her bag and runs out the door.
I follow her to the stairs, seeing Helena waiting for her. Helena is smiling like a fool at me. I smile back after all the roof raising noise we had made in the past suddenly I am shy. I want to keep our cocoon to ourselves right now. I know it seems selfish, but we always share everything with the family and our love is so private at this moment. Vulnerable and new. I wonder if Lily feels the same.
25 LILITH
“Give me all the details, Lily Goodwill. We couldn’t hear you guys, but you disappeared and you both are sporting big smiles and you positively glow,” Helena demands the second we close the car doors. She’s not usually this nosey but I know Sebastian and my breakup has really stressed her.
“Let me see if Hannah will meet us for coffee after class and I will talk to you both at the same time,” I answer, side-stepping the question for now. I feel like protecting our budding relationship. Oh hell, it’s blooming not budding. Thorns and all. Sebastian has taken me in and I have inhaled his sweet fragrance.
I call Hannah on my cell while Helena drives. She agrees to meet us in the city if we can pick her up at the BART station. Her hell hound, Hades, has been using the bumper of her beetle as a chew toy so it’s in the shop. I tell her it is no problem and we hang up. We park in the parking garage near the school and gather our bags. As I am walking around the corner, Mark steps out of the shadows. He has his hands up in a sign of peace with a smile on his face.
“I just had to see that you were okay. I left things so fucked up and I couldn’t stand you thinking so poorly of me.” He runs his hand through his dark hair. “Lily, you have to understand everything that’s happened has been done by a man who is desperately in love with you,” he says. His eyes are serious and I see the hurt in them.
Helena is ahead of me, she turns back to see what is keeping me. A scowl gathers on her lovely face. I hold my hand up to signal her. No magick. Yet.
“It’s okay, Helena. Mark was just checking on me. Apologizing even.” I smile at him tightly. He still makes me nervous. “Mark, you can see I’m okay. I’m going to be late for class though. I have to go. I’m sorry, for everything.”
He nods, sighs and turns around to walk back to his motorcycle. His Indian. As I walk away, I wonder how he knew where I would be. He must have followed us. I shiver from at the implication, pushing Helena along as we hurry to class.
Class is uneventful. Just some good old clean kick boxing. It’s a relief not to have any drama. I feel the excess worry and stress fly away from me as I kick and punch at my sparring partner and then later at the bag. As we leave, I am relaxed and tired in a good way, bone deep.
I grab a cardigan when we get into the car and take off for BART. Hannah is waiting outside on the street at the Powell Street station. She hurries into the car. She’s wearing a tight fitting t-shirt that shows off her baby-bump nicely and a wave of regret goes through me. It’s bitter sweet.
“So what is so important that I had to drag my ass across the Bay?” Hannah asks as we pull away into traffic.
“Lily and Sebastian did the deed,” Helena giggles. I smack her arm, hard.
“Helena! How crass,” I say.
“I know, it’s true though, isn’t it?” she asks, arching an eyebrow. I’ve never been able to do that and therefore feel anyone that can is not to be trusted. Ugh! Okay maybe I lie but I am jealous.
“OMG! OMG! Oh. My. Goddess. It’s about freaking time,” Hannah squeals. Then she bursts into tears and Helena pulls into a parking spot at the café we are going to. We both turn with concern to look at Hannah.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that. It’s just so romantic. Star crossed lovers and all… Fucking hormones,” she mumbles.
I make a small snort, and quickly cover my mouth. Then Helena giggles again and I can’t keep it in. Seeing Hannah, the self-proclaimed Ganja Girl, righter of wrongs and kicker of asses, turn all emotional at the whim of her pregnancy hormones is adorable.
“Aww great. Laugh it up you two. I’m a giant freaking hormonal mess and my besties are making fun of me.” She sniffs but I see a curl at the corner of her mouth.
“We’re not making fun of you, Ganja Mamma. You are too adorable, though. Come on in. I’ll buy you a chamomile tea,” I tell her and give her my warmest smile.
She smiles back reaching for the door handle. The three of us entering the café makes quite an entrance. Most people can handle our otherworldliness
on a one on one basis. But you get three or more of us and we start to make a scene. Even with Helena and me dressed down, everyone stares at us like we’ve glamoured them, which is what we have done in a way. Helena is used to it but Hannah and I aren’t. Especially me, being the youngest.
We order our drinks and find a table at the back. When the order comes and we are situated, the other two stare at me.
“What?”
“Deets,” Hannah demands.
“It’s very private. I don’t want to give details. But I will tell you that we are unequivocally together. I love him so much more strongly, more seriously than I ever knew I could. Is that weird?” I ask taking a drink of my peppermint mocha.
“No, dearling, you’ve grown up. You’ve changed. So the way you love has changed too,” Helena says taking one of my hands and squeezing it.
“I still want the deets,” Hannah mumbles under her breath as she sips her tea. Then she gasps and rubs her belly. “Oh my gosh. The baby is kicking up a storm.”
“May I feel it, Hannah?” I ask tentatively.
“Of course. I think it was your voice that got the little demon going. It likes its auntie Lily.”
I gently place my hands on her belly and am rewarded with a kick. I’m the one gasping this time. It is such a miracle. I would be upset but I know that Hannah is in awe of it as much as I am and is going to be an amazing mother. It turns out she has wanted this for years and years.
Suddenly I feel very protective over her and don’t like the idea of her traveling back on BART this late at night by herself. I excuse myself from the table on the pretense of calling Sebastian and sneak out of the café to call Diel.
“Diel? Hi, it’s Lily.”
“Hi, Lily. Aren’t you supposed to be with Hannah? What’s wrong? Is she okay?” he sounds panicked.
“She’s fine big guy. I’m just worried about her riding BART back alone this late at night. She doesn’t know I’m calling you. Do you think you could sneak over here and pick her up?” I ask.
“Aidan’s here. I’ll ask him to zap me and the car over. Thanks, Lily. I didn’t know she snuck out on BART. I told her to drive. I would have been worried too. Let’s keep this between us, okay? I don’t want her to know we are conspiring against her, even if it’s for her own safety.”
Suckers Bite Back (San Francisco Vampires #5) (Vampires of San Francisco series) Page 13