Awakened (Vampire Awakenings) (10 page)

“I didn’t do this,” she whispered. “I told you things I’d never told anyone. You son of a bitch.” She wiped angrily at her face. She hated herself for crying like this in front of him, but she couldn’t help it. Her heart was breaking into a million pieces.

Liam felt a fresh surge of anger as he was reminded of what that bastard had done to her. He had to clench his jaw against the sudden bloodlust that ripped through him. He swore that if he ever found Jacob, he would kill him. But now was not the time to let his anger get the best of him. Now he had to reach her, he desperately needed to reach her, and make her understand. Her tears, and soft sobs, tore at his heart.

“Please don’t cry Sera. I’m sorry; I never wanted to hurt you.”

She laughed angrily as she shoved back her chair and jumped to her feet. “Go away Liam, I don’t want to see you.”

“Listen to me, I made a mistake, but I didn’t lie to you.”

“Liam...”

He walked quickly across the room to her. “Stay away from me!” There was a wealth of vehemence in her voice, but he ignored it as he took hold of her hands. She quickly jerked them away. “Don’t touch me!”

“Sera, I love you.”

Her head snapped up and her eyes widened in surprise. “Don’t,” she whispered. “Don’t.”

“I’m sorry about what I did, I made a mistake, but I do love you.”

She took a hitching breath as she shook her head in denial. “How could you say something like that!? How could you!?”

He didn’t know what else to say. He stepped forward and took her gently into his arms. She sobbed as she pushed angrily at him in a desperate attempt to free herself. “Stop,” he whispered. “Stop.”

“Get away from me!” she yelled, but he refused to release her. He needed to get through to her. He couldn’t lose her, he just couldn’t. “How many times have you used that line?”

Anger snapped through him as he seized her face in his hands and forced it up. Tears slid down her face as she glared at him. “I have never said that to anyone before,” he said forcefully. “Never! You are the only person that I have ever loved.”

She stared at him for a moment as her eyes searched his face. “How can I believe you?” she whispered tremulously.

He closed his eyes against the agony that ripped through him. “You just have to,” he answered. “I’m telling you the truth.”

Tears caused the makeup of her flames to trail down her cheeks in red and orange streaks. He wiped them tenderly away with his thumb as she fell limply into his embrace. He held her against his chest as he gently smoothed her hair and kissed the top of her head. He was suddenly unable to stop himself from kissing and touching her. He wanted her so badly that he ached with it. He needed her so badly that it hurt.

“I love you,” he said again, kissing her neck and tasting her sweetness. She buried her face in his shoulder as sobs continued to wrack through her. “Come on,” he urged as he took hold of her hand.

He led her through the maze and back up the stairs to his room. He settled her in before walking down the hall to the bathroom. Music blared from upstairs as he washed the makeup off his face and tried to get his thoughts together. The water did nothing to ease the tense anxiety in him. He hung his head for a moment as self disgust rolled through him.

With a deep sigh, he shoved away from the sink, grabbed some paper towels and wet them before making his way back down the hall to his room. He opened his door, closed, and locked it behind him. Sera was standing by the window. She had taken her cape off, her exposed skin glistened liked pearls in the moonlight as it streamed over her.

He wanted to talk to her, to try to explain, but he didn’t know what to say. Instead, he moved across the room to stand behind her. Resting his hands upon her shoulders, he relished in the feel of her satiny smooth skin. She stiffened beneath his touch, but didn’t move away from him.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she whispered.

Liam closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as he tried to gather his thoughts. “I didn’t want to lose you,” he answered honestly.

She sighed softly as she turned to face him. His breath froze in his chest at the sight of the pain in her startling eyes. Gently he tilted her chin up and used the paper towels to wipe the makeup from her tear stained face. She kept her lashes lowered as he worked. When he was done he tossed the towels aside, and her gaze finally came up to his.

“You wouldn’t have lost me.”

There was so much warmth in her gaze that he knew he didn’t deserve her. She was too good, too innocent and pure for the likes of him. “In the beginning I would have.”

“I told you what happened to me on the second day I knew you. I trusted you then, and you said that I could, but I couldn’t. If you had told me about Michelle then, you wouldn’t have lost me, but now...”

Her voice trailed off as she rapidly blinked back tears. Liam sighed and bowed his head to press his forehead against hers. “I meant what I said. You can trust me. But at that moment, at that time, I didn’t think you needed me to tell you about it. The conversation we had that night had no place in it for what happened between Michelle and I. After that night, I should have told you, but I didn’t.”

“Why didn’t you?” she asked tremulously.

He sighed wearily as his hands clenched on her shoulders. “Because I didn’t want you to think less of me for it. I just wanted to pretend that it didn’t happen. Can you understand that?”

Tears slid down her cheeks as she nodded slowly. She could understand that. There were things that she wanted to forget, things that she was certain everybody wanted to forget, but she still felt betrayed, and hurt. Maybe he couldn’t have told her that night, and she could see why, but she wished that he had told her later. She wouldn’t have been upset with him, and maybe she could have tried to talk to Michelle, but she didn’t think Michelle would have spoken to her anyway.

“I can understand that,” Sera whispered, lifting her head so that she could look at him. “But I wish that I hadn’t found out this way.”

“So do I,” he said hoarsely. “So do I.”

“How could you use her so easily?”

Liam’s jaw clenched tightly, a muscle twitched in his cheek. “Sera, I didn’t use her, she was there, and I was there, and sometimes things just happen.”

“She obviously thought that it was more.”

“I don’t think she did. She’s just aggravated that I don’t chase her around, and follow after her like everyone else,” he said honestly. “We met, and we slept together, that is all that it ever was.”

She wanted to ask how many others that was all there was with, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She didn’t think she could handle the knowledge.

His hands clasped the sides of her face as he gently lifted it to him. She stared at him, her eyes dark and misty in the room. He couldn’t seem to get enough of looking at her, of touching her, of holding her. Her breath shuddered through her. “Liam.”

  The sound of her soft, whispery voice sent a shiver of desire through him that heated his loins, and caused him to instantly harden. He bent and kissed her slowly, his mouth sliding gently over hers. She shivered slightly and then her mouth parted. She was sweet and warm as her tongue met his with the same urgency. Her kisses became more passionate as her body pressed tightly against his.

He lightly stroked the exposed skin above her dress, relishing in the silkiness of it. She shivered again as the breath gasped out of her. He knew he should stop, he should pull away, but he couldn’t bring himself to release her. He was almost wild with his need for her. He would hurt her, or he would push her too fast, but he wanted more. He wanted so much more. Tonight, he wanted all of her.

His hands slipped across her shoulders and around to the back of her dress. His hands hesitated upon the zipper as he waited for her to tell him to stop. She moaned and pressed closer to him, her hands tightened upon his neck as he broke the kiss. Her passion clouded eyes met his in the moonlight. “Liam?” she asked questioningly.

He closed his eyes as he took a steadying breath. “I want you Sera, I want all of you,” he added so that she got the point.

Her eyes widened slightly and then she smiled softly, unaware of how seductive and enchanting she was. “And I want you,” she whispered.

His hands clenched upon her as a muscle twitched in his cheek. “You don’t have to do this.” The words nearly killed him to say, but he wanted to give her a chance to get away from him now, before he could no longer control himself.

“I want to.”

The words sent a firestorm of desire racing to his hardened shaft. He had to take a deep breath to steady himself before he ripped the dress off of her. Instead, he slid the zipper slowly down; the rasp of metal was loud in the quiet room. His hands lightly caressed the soft swell of her back and trailed down to her waist. She was so unbelievably soft and small in his arms. He could feel the rapid pounding of her heart through her delicate ribcage. 

Slowly she took a step back. Her smile was enticing as she allowed the dress to slide off her shoulders and pool at her feet on the ground. In the moonlight she was ethereal. Her skin shimmered; her eyes were dark and smoky as her hair spilled around her in silvery gold waves. Her body was amazingly perfect. He sucked in his breath as his gaze traveled slowly over her. Her full breasts were pushed tantalizingly high in her bra. The material was thin and lacy, revealing her dark, hardened nipples. Her stomach was flat, her waist tiny before it flared into small, round hips. The juncture between her thighs was shielded by lacy white underwear that would reveal a small triangle of golden curls. He could never get enough of looking at her.

Liam’s heart leapt in his chest as his prick jumped with enthusiasm. She was exquisite, perfect. He forced his gaze back to hers. She was staring at him uncertainly as a fierce blush crept through her cheeks. He opened his arms to her. She hesitated for a moment before stepping into his embrace.

He enfolded her. His head lowered so that he could whisper in her ear. “You’re exquisite.”

She shivered slightly as her arms wrapped around his broad back. Lifting her face to his she kissed him softly. His hand wound into her hair as he pulled her head back for better access. She gasped in pleasure as her body arched against his.

Liam wanted to slow down before he lost complete control and ravished her, but he couldn’t stop touching her, holding her. He couldn’t have slowed down if he wanted to. There was a firestorm raging through his body, searing his veins, and causing all of his blood to rush into his tight, hard groin. He pushed his pelvis against hers. She moaned softly as he rubbed provocatively against her. A shudder ripped through her body as her movements matched his.

Her hands slid down his shoulders. Moving slowly she began to unbutton his shirt. Liam released her mouth; his arms held her loosely as he watched her long, delicate fingers slowly work the buttons out. Her head was bent as she focused upon her task. Slipping the last button free she lifted her head to his. Her eyes were dazed with passion, her lips swollen from his kisses. Slowly, her gaze never leaving his, she slid the shirt from his shoulders and down his arms.

Her eyes widened slightly as she looked upon his broad, well muscled chest. Her fingers lightly stroked his smooth skin as she relished in the feel of his muscles and the small tufts of dark, wiry hair. He was a perfect carving of masculine strength and beauty. In the moonlight his eyes were fierce, and dark with desire. The hard angles of his face were sharp and intense. She should have been frightened by the hunger in his gaze, instead she found herself even more aroused by it.

His hands slid slowly along her back. She couldn’t suppress the shiver that raced through her, heated her blood, and caused her whole body to melt. He easily unclasped her bra and let it float to the floor. Inhaling sharply, his eyes darkened even more as he gazed upon her heaving breasts, and hardened nipples.

He clasped one gently. Sera moaned as her head fell back. Her eyes darkened, and her mouth parted with her soft inhalations as she arched against him. He ran his thumb teasingly along her hardened nipple, watching as her passion rose. She was more desirable and responsive than any woman he had ever known, and he had known many. None of them had responded to him with such open abandon. None of them had ever made him this hard and aching.

Slowly he bent his head to take her nipple into his mouth. She gasped, her fingers wound into his hair as he slowly stroked her with his tongue. He nipped her gently and she spasmed in his embrace. “Liam!” she gasped.

He pulled away from her, seized hold of her hips, and lifted her onto him. She blinked in surprise and then wrapped her legs around his waist. A soft cry of ecstasy escaped her as she settled against his hardened shaft. He groaned as he lifted her slowly and slid her back down. Her eyes slid closed as she tilted back in his embrace, her back arching to give him easier access to her heaving breasts.

Laying her down he stepped back to admire her exquisite body as he hastily unbuttoned his pants and kicked them aside. Sera’s eyes were dazed with passion as her eyes settled on his hardened penis. For a moment fear flashed through her gaze. Then, she met his eyes again and opened her arms to receive him.

He climbed onto the bed and wrapped her within his arms. He touched her everywhere, unable to stop his hands from roaming over her, from feeling every soft, perfect curve. Her breasts pressed firmly against his chest as she arched eagerly against him.