by Ever Coming
“I do.” I couldn’t take his closeness anymore. I needed to either get off of his lap and move away or closer. I voted for option number two. I reached up and put my hand on his cold cheek and let my lips find his. It was a slow, leisurely kiss, as if we had all night to just sit here and explore each other’s mouths. As I moved to deepen the kiss, he pulled back slightly. I wanted to pull him back to me, but he let out a groan that could only be described as needy and pulled me in so my body was pressed against his. My new favorite place in the world to be.
“So it’s settled.”
I nestled my cheek into the crux of his neck.
“We’ll find you a job more suited for your skills and my wishes.”
I mumbled my agreement without thinking. I was too spacey to begin to process what the implications were and if my compliance led back to kissing, I was all for it.
“Those wishes being I am your first and only.”
I froze. He was not only wanting now, which he was so getting, but he was asking for forever. Even if I were ready to jump onboard the change me train, it wouldn’t be now. I was only twenty three and had so much to do. Things only humans could do. Not to mention it was outright crazy to jump into forever with a man and give up your humanity all the same day you met them.
“First, yes,” I agreed because there was really not much I wanted more. “I want that to be true so very badly, but you have to know upfront we will never be always.”
“I find that an unacceptable starting point.” His voice was very controlled. Almost too controlled, and his body went stiff beneath me and not the good kind of stiff, either. “I need one good reason why.”
“I want more than a partner.” My voice dropped no more than a whisper. Today was too much, too soon, and yet in some ways it was just right…except this. This was non-negotiable. Not for me, anyways. “I want a family one day.”
He tilted my chin up until I was looking at him. “And you think that being with me and having a family are mutually exclusive.” He wasn’t angry or sad even. I couldn’t place exactly what he was.
“They sort of are.” He knew as well as I did that vampires couldn’t procreate, not in the same sense. I mean, sure they could turn someone, but you can only turn adults. That was a rule all sides agreed on, and who could blame them? You froze in time when you turned and a forever toddler or preteen was not fair to anyone, especially said child.
“Oh love, this is going to be our first night of many. Many more than you can even fathom and fear not, we can make all of your and my wishes come true.” I couldn’t help it and burst out laughing. Call it stress. Call it exhaustion. Call it whatever. “Why are you laughing, Angel?” I must have sounded like a crazy person laughing there on his lap because he sounded more worried than anything else. Maybe he thought I stepped off the crazy train. Not that I could blame him if he did.
“Because.” I tried to reign in my laughter with minimal success. “Earlier tonight I was touched by your over openness with your feelings and lack of spouting sonnets, and here you all spouting away.”
“You are right, of course.” His eyes stopped my laughter dead in its tracks. Something about the seriousness in his tone told me the next part of our conversation was going to take turn toward the important. Not that babies weren’t important, but yeah. Tides were going to change or whatever that saying was. “But please be assured of their sincerity.”
“I feel they are, I just laugh when I get nervous.” Talking about life altering decisions all in a row like this was too much, especially on no sleep. It had to be getting close to midnight.
“And you are nervous because?” He set me off of his lap and onto the couch, kneeling in front of me so we were face to face, yet not touching. I wanted to stay cozy where I was, but his actions told me more than his words. He wanted me to be able to think clearly, which was something I had no hope of doing while sitting on his lap, his hardness pressed against my belly and his hands on me. Nope, it was impossible under that situation.
“Would you like the list?” I fell back to humor. It so didn’t belong here, but it made things less tense for me. I only hoped he would see my feeble attempt at funny for what it was… a defense mechanism.
“I did ask.” No, he wasn’t seeing the humor. He wanted to know. The least I could do was be honest.
“I’m nervous because tomorrow I will tour what might become the first real chance my sister has had since that night all those years ago. I’m nervous because you are promising me things I dared not dream aloud before today. I’m nervous because you make me feel and want to do things I have never felt nor desired before today and what was that other thing…oh yeah, you plan to eat me for dessert. I mean…screw it, you know what I mean.” It all came out like one rambly babbly mess and at the speed of lightening. I knew he could keep up and getting it all off my chest felt like such a relief.
“I have every faith that tomorrow will go well.” He was slow and calm as he spoke. Nothing at all like my response. Of course, he had three hundred plus years under his belt for my twenty three. Oh goodness gracious, why did I have to think about his belt? Naughty Angel. “If not, I’ll help you find someplace that will work for her.”
“You don’t even know her.” I should be thanking him and instead my confusion popped out. I was the one who talked in circles, not him.
“Does that make her needs less important?”
“No.” It absolutely didn’t but he wasn’t getting my point. Probably because I wasn’t clear and calm, like he was. “But what if we wake up next week and hate each other?” He might be spouting sonnets, but it was true. He could easily get frustrated with my inexperienced ways. Not just in the naughty ways, either. I skipped college and this was my first time in a city. Hardly the ideal candidate for a sophisticated life partner. Or do vampires marry? Heck, why was I thinking the M word? My brain needed to stop.
“It won’t happen.” He seemed so sure of himself and of us. What I would do for a fraction of his confidence. “But for a hypothetical scenario’s sake, does that make her needs less important?”
“No. But it might make them less important to you.” The words tasted sour in my mouth and if his expression was any indication, he saw my discomfort, which was good because the last thing I wanted to do was to insult him.
“They were important to me before I even met you. From the moment I read the article, I knew she needed a guardian vampire.”
“Because that’s a thing.” It was funny how one little silly turn of a phrase had me back to feeling comfortable and like myself again.
“No, but it sounds cool.” His hands were no longer sitting at his side as he kneeled. He took off my shoes one by one, rubbing my arches as he did so. They were more torture devices than shoes and I planned to graciously return them and never get a pair even close to them again.
“It does.” I agreed as a moan of ecstasy escaped my lips as he massaged out the pain in my feet.
“Now back to your other worries, let’s start with the blood.” I absentmindedly nodded before it clicked what he said. “It’s the easiest hurdle for you to overcome, I believe.” How it was easiest, I had no idea, but his hands were still working their magic on my feet so I couldn’t care less.
“First, we need to decide on a place.” He stated matter-of-factly as if this was a normal every day conversation, which in fairness, to him it probably was.
“Where do people usually… you know… for the first time?”
“Let me bite, you mean?”
I nodded and closed my eyes. Something about this part of conversation seemed more personal than the rest, which was weird since we'd already talked about my virginity and soon to be lack thereof.
“Well, it depends. Many just offer their wrist.”
“Do you like that?” I didn’t like the sound of it and not because of the blood. It sounded like a place where you keep people literally at arm’s length and I wanted him closer, not far away.
“I
t can be a bit impersonal, so yes, on most occasions I find it works quite nicely.” Most occasions, I couldn’t tell if he meant me or not. The last thing I wanted to be was like the others.
“And on this occasion?”
“See, that depends.” His hands migrated from my feet to my cheek where they caressed a path, stopping at a place below my ear that had me turned on in a way it shouldn’t have for such a nonsexual spot and then they traveled to the spot just above my breasts. It didn’t go unnoticed that both spots were not covered by clothing. Was that his goal? Was he wanting people to see? Well, not people, because they wouldn’t see the mark after a short time, but vampires would. “For the first time, I was thinking here or here.” He touched the spots once again. If he were to ask me to choose in this very moment I would probably beg him to do both. Not that I wanted to be drained, but his touch, oh his touch.
And just when I thought I was going to either melt into a pile of goop or throw myself at him, his hands settled on my knees, slowly working their way up. I knew a good girl would close her knees slightly as he made his ascension, giving him the red-light, but I did the opposite and let them fall slack. I was looking intently at him, wondering what his next move would be. Was he going to touch me there, or did he have other delicious plans? His hands stopped just short of where I was now secretly willing them to go and I held in my whimper. Unlike him, this was my first time at this rodeo and I didn’t know what to do, so I just decided to let it happen and hope I didn’t completely suck at it. “Later on, however, I would like to give a go down here.” His fingers rubbed a spot on my upper thigh, indicating his intended spot. Yeah, that sounded good to me. So very, very good.
“Does that work for you?”
“Uh huh.” Words. Gone. Had. None.
“Words, love. I need words.”
“Yes,” I gasped out and he waited for the rest of my answer. He was giving me a way out. An out I didn’t even come close to wanting. “Yes, that works.”
“Now, since it is your first time, I want to make it special.” Special? It was with him, how could it not be? “Come.” He stood and held out his hand, which I greedily took as he lead me to a chaise lounge near a floor to ceiling book wall on the far side of the room. How had I missed that earlier? This man had me in knots. Delicious, yummy goodness knots, but knots nonetheless. “Love, sit with me.” We both sat on the oversized and very comfortable couch. My shoulders leaned into the back of the seat as he pulled my legs up. He sat with his back the opposite way, feet on the floor, our hips touching slightly.
“This collar is perfect.” He ran his fingers along the edge of the collar slowly before leaning into for a quick kiss. “Remind me to thank Arabella.” The kiss resumed and this time it had an edge of neediness to it. I couldn’t tell if it was mine or his, but had a feeling it was both. In the morning, I was probably going to hate myself for not thinking things through so much more than I had, but the desire within me was too great. Jameson’s body sung to mine and it was a call I couldn’t ignore.
“Tell me now if you want me to stop.” His lips were pressed against the top of my breasts and I wanted them to move. Kiss. Suck. Lick. Bite. I didn’t care what, but something. Anything.
“Please,” I called out, never thinking the day would come that I would beg a vampire to bite me, but here I was. It was all the encouragement he needed. It started with a small kiss and then a few kisses, and then his kisses included some suction and I knew it would leave a mark. I wanted it to. Him marking me felt huge and overtook any last glimmer of fear I felt about the bite. I was squirming, trying to get under him, my desperation overtaking all my thoughts and actions. He didn’t take much encouragement and settled between my legs, his weight deliciously on me as he took a small nip for the first time. There was no way it even came close to breaking the skin. It was a question. He was once again giving me a chance to say put on the breaks.
“Please. Don’t stop,” I pleaded as his teeth sunk into me. I assumed there would be some pain, if not a lot of pain. There was none. In its place was a sensory overload that had me soaring and quaking and begging and I have no idea what, but it was building and building inside of me, reaching for something. Something great. Something more. Something…. And that was when I reached it—complete, unadulterated, physical bliss. My body shook and my ears buzzed, yet there was nothing I wanted more than to continue riding this wave. As my quakes slowed and his head settled on my breasts, it hit me.
Holy. Fuck. That was an orgasm. Sign me up for fifty, please.
8
I must have fallen asleep because when I opened my eyes, I was no longer on the chaise lounge or even in that room. I was in a very comfy bed. From the dim light, the room looked nothing like what I expected Jameson to have. I wasn’t stupid enough to think he would actually sleep in a casket, but this room hardly let out a masculine vibe. It actually let out an unlived-in vibe. I sat up slowly, wondering if I would feel lightheaded or have a headache from the blood loss.
My hand immediately went to where he drank from me. Just the touch of my fingers gliding over the faint bumps in my skin made the entire thing come back to me. It had been nothing like what I had envisioned. I was thinking a bit of pain followed by a paycheck. With the paycheck out of the way, I figured only the pain was left. In its place, however, was the most mind-shattering body awakening even of my short years. It was a wonder courtesans didn’t work for free.
“Good morning.” Standing in the doorway, Jameson donning nothing but a towel and a tray with what appeared to be breakfast.
“I slept all night?”
“You did.” Jameson sat on the bed beside me, tray in hand. It smelled delicious. “Did you know you make the most adorable sounds in your sleep?”
“Usually I scream.” It wasn’t something I was proud of but it was something he should know. It was usually the reason I was asked to find a new sofa, or in one case, a new apartment.
“Well with me, you make adorable sounds.” He bopped my nose as if I were a child and settled the tray over my thighs. Before me was a teapot filled with what I was sure was coffee by the aroma and a plate heaped with food. Fruit, eggs, toast, potatoes, and even a steak. My tummy rumbled its approval.
“Then I vote I stay with you more often.”
He poured the coffee and I noticed his slight hesitation at my confession, but he carried on, probably trying to relieve me from any undue embarrassment.
“Sorry I fell asleep.” I didn’t even remember doing it. One minute I experiencing an earth shattering orgasm, my first at that, and the next I was waking up here in a cozy bed.
“Why would you be sorry about that?” He held up the cream and sugar and I declined, preferring my coffee black. “You had a long day. Longer and more stressful than anyone should endure.” He wasn’t wrong there. It was still hard to grasp that yesterday had been completely real. “Besides it also meant I did it right.” His chest puffed out as he said it. Darn man was proud. Which, quite frankly, he should’ve been.
“Did what…” I was starting a conversation I really didn’t want to have. Talking about orgasms was so far outside of my comfort zone it might as well be on a different planet, yet there I was, letting the words flow. “Is it you know, always like that?” If it was always like that, I couldn’t imagine people not clamoring for the job.
“You mean me coming like a teenager before we even get started?” He what? How did I miss that? “Hardly.” He reached over and tapped on the bottom of my chin encouraging me to close my open mouth. “Put your eyes back in your sockets, beautiful.”
I blinked a few times and feigned calm. In actuality, I was anything but. Now was the time I wish I had a girlfriend, someone to ask all the hard questions of instead of discussing them with Jameson. He was easy to talk to and didn’t make me self-conscious for my lack of knowledge, but some things needed a girlfriend.
“To answer your question, yes and no.”
I picked up my coffee and took a
sip, peering over the cup. I was attempting to create a shield to the awkwardness. It didn’t work. There was nothing unawkward about this conversation.
“No, it is not always like that for most people. In fact, it is never like that for most people. It never has been for me.”
That filled me with more joy that I cared to admit, even to myself. Goodness, if he had told me he felt like that with other women, I probably would have cried or died. Or cried until I died. Whichever which way, it would have been a mess. Thank goodness I didn’t need to have that added to the pile of stuff currently residing on my shoulders.
“Will it always be like that for us?” I tipped my cup not wanting him to see my face as he answered. It didn’t matter which answer he gave, I was going to be a blushing fool. Although if I had to pick, yes was my answer of choice.
“Probably not. That was us binding.”
What? It was the first I heard of this and it sounded, well, ginormous. I dared a small peek. He was sitting there smiling, his dimples calling to me. Whatever binding was, it made him ecstatic.
“It’ll probably be better from here on in.”
“Better?” I almost called bullshit, because let’s face it, things could not be better than that. “How’s that even possible? And what do you mean by binding?”
“One thing at a time, beautiful.” He pointed to my plate, which was still completely full. “Eat. You lost some blood last night and you need to build back up.”
I put my now mostly empty cup down and picked up my fork. His tone told me he was being serious and he was right about the blood thing from all I had read even if I was feeling fine. Scratch that, I was so much better than fine.
“Did you take a lot? My blood I mean.”
“Eat and I promise to explain all things as long as you do so.”
“Fine.” I huffed in false protest and took a heaping bite full of eggs. He kept looking at me expectantly so I took another, followed by another, sampling all of the offerings on the plate. I could see the moment he was satisfied I was taking his command seriously.