Love's Challenge (Pearl Vampire Chronicles #5) (3 page)

“So?”

“So?  What do you mean, so?  I can’t have both of them.”

“Why not?”

“Excuse me?”

“Why can’t you have both of them?  I’m sure Carlos would be fine sharing
you.  And Matt loves you enough to do anything for you,” she said.

“But it would hurt him.”

“Only for a little while.  He’d get over it, Sarah.  They’d both be
thrilled to have whatever you give them.”

“How do you know he’ll get over it?  What if he doesn’t?  What if he
can’t?  I can’t lose him, Cindy.”

She smiled.  “You’re not going to lose him, Sarah.  Matt’s not going
anywhere.  He can’t.  He loves you too much.  But he understands what’s going
on here.  He already knows.  The fact that you’re fighting it so strongly is
because you still cling to your human ways because you’re so young.  Older
vampires don’t.  They don’t have the same jealousies as humans.  They
understand.  How do I know he’ll get over it?  Because I just know… and because
I talked to him,” she said.

“You talked to him?  About this?  When?” I gasped.

“When he was here.  We were in the kitchen watching you, Carlos and Juan
playing in the backyard,” she said.

“But, why would you do that?  How could you bring it up?”

“I didn’t.  He did.”

“Oh God,” I groaned.  “What did he say?”

She began recounting the conversation to me.  “He was really quiet as we
watched you guys, then he said, ‘It’s going to happen, isn’t it Cindy?  Between
them.’  I told him I thought it eventually would.  Then he said the same thing
I just did.  He said he wished you two would just get it over with so you could
all get on with your lives.  But then he asked me, ‘Should I step aside,
Cindy?’  I answered with an unequivocal ‘Hell, no.’  I told him how much you
two belong together, but that you and Carlos can’t help this thing that draws
you two together.  But he knows, Sarah.  He feels what’s going on.  Right now
you’re all stuck because of this tension.  You’ve got tension because you’re
fighting this so damn hard.  Carlos is tense because he wants you so bad that
he can’t see straight.  And Matt’s tense because he feels your guys’ tension
and because he knows it’s going to happen but he just doesn’t know when,” she
said.

“But it’s not right,” I said.

“Says who?  Society?  A society full of humans with a life expectancy of seventy-five
years or so?  You’re not human Sarah.  There aren’t any rules for vampires. 
Write your own rules,” she said.

“You’re insane,” I said.

“No.  I’m realistic,” she said.  “And I’m exhausted.  I’m going to bed. 
You have a good flight.  I’ll see you soon.  I love you Sarah,” she said as she
hugged me.

“I love you too.  Thanks, Cindy, I think.”

“You can come back in here now, Carlos,” Cindy said softly, knowing that
he could hear her.  My breath caught.  I could feel the panic in me… and it got
worse when Carlos showed up in the doorway a few seconds later, leaning against
it and grinning his goofy Carlos grin.  As Cindy tried to walk past, he wrapped
her in his arms, hugging her tight.  Then he kissed her on her blushing cheek.  

“Thanks, Cindy.  You’re the best,” he said.

“Not quite the best,” she said then she looked towards me.  She gently
pushed Carlos into the room… and closed the door.

Chapter
Two

Carlos took one step towards me.

“Stop,” I said.

“Sarah,” he began, but I held my hand up.

“No, Carlos.  I’m not going to sleep with you because Cindy says I
should.  I’m not going to sleep with you because everyone says it’s inevitable.
 You got that?  If… IF… I sleep with you it will be because I can’t help it. 
It’ll be because I can’t stay away from you anymore.  It won’t be because
people think we should.  Understand?” I said.  My chest was heaving.  I wanted
him so much it hurt, but I couldn’t tell him that.  Why did this damn desire
for him have to come back now?  When I was alone here with him?  No.  I was
going to fight this until I had no more fight left in me.  I didn’t care that
even Matt thought it was inevitable, damn it.  Nothing was inevitable… not on
my watch.

“Okay, Sarah.  I get it.  But you have to understand that I’m not going
to pretend anymore.  We tried it your way, remember?  I left for a while, went
off on my own, and that didn’t work.  I fell in love with somebody, but that
didn’t work.  We’ve tried it your way and failed, so I’m not going to pretend
that I don’t want you so much that I can’t function when you’re around.  I just
can’t do that anymore.  Do you understand?” he said. 

I nodded and sank down on the bed. 

“Why Carlos?  Why did this happen to us?  Why couldn’t it just have
stayed the way it was?  The way it was before Malina kidnapped Matt.  I never
looked at you as anything other than a friend before then.  Those thoughts
never entered my mind before then.  Now they won’t leave,” I groaned and
dropped my head to my knees.  I felt the bed move as Carlos came and sat next
to me.  His hand began rubbing my back. 

“I don’t know why it happened, Sarah.  It freaks me out too.  I mean, I
never thought of you in that way either before.  I can’t say I didn’t notice
that amazing body you’re rockin’ … hello… it’s me we’re talking about here… grade
A pervert, remember?  And I did peek once, okay, maybe twice,” he said.

“You peeked?  When?”

“In Paris and New Orleans.  When Matt was in Peru.”

“What the hell, Carlos!  I was missing him and you peeked when I was
asleep?”

“I couldn’t help it, Sarah.  You thrash around in your sleep a lot.  Both
times, your shirt had worked its way up, and you rolled over and the sheet fell
off of you.  It’s not like I uncovered you.  You uncovered yourself.  I just
didn’t cover you back up right away,” he said then he grinned his goofy grin.

I turned my head and smiled at him, but kept it down on my knees.  I felt
safer down here.

Carlos continued, “So, yes, I noticed how hot you are, but I never
thought of you really in that way before either.  Something happened to both of
us when we were forced to be together.  When Matt was kidnapped and you were
alone and you needed me to take care of you.  Something changed in both of us. 
Something that neither of us expected.”

“Or wanted,” I said.

He smiled.  “Okay, or wanted.  But it’s here and I’m pretty sure that we
both know by now that it’s not going to go away, no matter how much we… you… want
it to,” he said.

His hand brushed through my hair and continued caressing my back.  God,
it felt so damn good.  Shit… I need something to distract me… but what?  I
picked my head up and looked at the clock.  “We need to get downstairs; the car
will be here any minute.  I want to be waiting outside so they don’t knock and
wake the kids.”  I jumped up a little too fast and went to grab my suitcase.  I
zipped it up and started walking towards the door, stopping when I realized
that Carlos hadn’t moved.  I stared at him for a second. “Are you coming?”

“No, but I could be,” he muttered under his breath.  I pretended that I
didn’t hear him.

“What?” I said.

He looked at me.  He knew I had heard.  Of course I had heard.  Finally
he shrugged his shoulders.  “Okay, Sarah.  You win, for now.  Yes, I’m coming,”
he said.

I waited in the hall while he grabbed his suitcase then I headed down the
stairs with him close behind me.  Neither of us said a word.  I held the front
door open for him, but didn’t miss the sad eyes and half smile that he gave me
as he stepped out onto the porch.  I pulled the door shut then used my key to
lock the deadbolt.  As I was tucking my keys into my purse, it happened. 
Carlos grabbed my hand and pulled me into his arms.  He began kissing me with
the fervor of years of pent-up passion.  And I didn’t stop him.  I didn’t have
any more stop in me.  I wanted this.  Oh boy, did I want this.  But here?  On
the front porch of my sister’s house?  Talk about wrong.  But apparently even
wrong wasn’t enough to stop me anymore.  I groaned and pulled him closer to
me.  My hands moved up his back and started to pull his shirt over his head. 
But then I had to stop when the headlights form the limo moved across us.  The
car quietly pulled up to the curb.  I pulled my head back and then rested my
forehead on his.  We were both trying to calm down and get our breathing under
control.

“I can’t walk yet,” he whispered.

“Neither can I,” I groaned… which then got us both quietly laughing.

I reluctantly released my arms, reached down and grabbed my suitcase. 
Carlos grabbed his, but then he grabbed my hand as he started walking toward
the car.  The driver was waiting for us by the trunk.  As he put our bags
inside he said, “Good evening folks.  Nice night for flying.”

“Yes, yes it is,” Carlos said as he held open the door for me.  I slid in
to the far side of the seat.  Carlos started to climb in next to me, but I
sadly looked at him and shook my head.  He nodded and sat next to the other
door, as far away from me as possible. 

The driver got in and said over the seat, “You folks just sit back and
relax.  It’s about a half hour drive to the airport.  As soon as we get under
way, I’ll call to make sure your flight is on time.”  Then he rolled up the
center partition.  Great, I thought.  I stared out the window and started
saying, “No, no, no,” over and over again in my head.  Apparently it got to the
point where I wasn’t just saying it in my head though. 

“Sarah, you can stop saying that.  I get it,” Carlos said. 

I squeezed my eyes shut.  “I’m not telling you no, Carlos.  I’m telling
myself no,” I whispered.  “I’m trying to stop myself from coming over there.”

“Ahhh, Sarah.  I’m so sorry,” he groaned.

“I am too, Carlos.  I’m a sorry-assed excuse for a wife,” I spat.

“Oh shut up, Sarah.  You are not and you know it.  Stop being such an
insensitive bitch.  He’s been my best friend a hell of a lot longer than he’s
been your husband.  You think I’m not hurting over this too?” he hissed.

I opened my mouth to yell at him, but stopped because the partition began
lowering.  “Sorry to interrupt folks.  But your flight’s delayed.  The plane’s
stuck in Denver, bad snowstorm.  Looks like about two hours right now.  You
want me to take you back to your house?  Or, the car’s available.  If you’d
like, I can just drive around for a bit,” he said.

I stared at him.  I wanted to bite his head off.  I was furious.  Fucking
marvelous.  I took a deep breath to try to calm myself.  “We can’t go back to
the house, it might wake everyone up.  Just drive, okay?”  I snapped.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said then he raised the partition.

I turned back to give Carlos a piece of my mind, but the instant I looked
at him, all my anger turned into passion.  I felt it yanking me towards him.  It
was a torrent, a flood of uncontrollable desire.  And I was about to drown in
it.  “Oh fuck,” I groaned as I flew into his arms.  My lips locked onto his. 
My tongue swirled around his.  My legs wrapped around his waist.  He groaned
and pulled me closer.  His hands moved my shirt up.  I raised my arms so he
could pull it off then I groaned as his mouth came down on my breasts.  “Oh
God,” I groaned as my fangs dropped.  My chest was heaving and my hands were
shaking as I quickly pulled his shirt over his head and threw it on the floor. 
The second my chest touched his I knew it was all over.  “Holy shit, Sarah.  Do
you feel that too?” he groaned.  I barely nodded my head… speaking was way
beyond my realm of capabilities at the moment.  He shifted on the seat and
threw me down on it.  He crushed his body down on mine and feverishly kissed me
again, while he worked at undoing my pants with his hands.  I lifted my butt
off the seat so he could slide my pants and underwear off.  Then his fingers
moved between my legs and that was it for me.  I threw my arms above my head,
pressed into the door of the limo, arched my back and unleashed a torrent of
pleasure that felt like it would have no end.  And it didn’t end… but it
subsided enough to where I could move again.  I quickly sat up and grabbed the
back of his neck and growled, “More,” as my lips crushed down on his.  

He groaned, “Oh my God,” into my mouth as my hands fumbled with his
pants.  I pushed his back up against the seat as he quickly pushed his pants
down to his ankles.  Then we both groaned as I straddled him and took him
inside me.  My mouth crushed onto his again and I began moving.  Quickly at
first, then I slowed down, because this was something that I really didn’t want
to end.  The climaxes began rolling through me almost instantly.  Wave after
wave after wave, they came.  I pressed my hands into the roof of the car and
threw my head back as another one rocked my body.  “Oh, dear God, Sarah.  I can
feel every one.  Oh, God,” he groaned, then he shifted on the seat a bit and
that’s when I felt it.  The big one was coming.  The one where I have no
possibility of stifling my scream. 

“Right there.  Oh yes, Carlos.  Right there,” I groaned.  I felt it
moving closer and closer.  And I could feel the scream building.  I could only
hope that Carlos had fed recently, because blood in my throat was the only
thing that could stifle me.  I started to feel a little panic.  Panic that the
driver might hear us… and panic that this one was going to be too big for me. 
I pulled my head up and locked eyes with him.  He could feel it coming too.  He
smiled and leaned his head to the side, giving me easy access to his neck.  I
pulled my hair to one side, giving him access to mine.