Blood of a Werewolf (12 page)

She was stunned speechless.
 
She turned to Devon and hugged him. He closed the door behind them with one hand.
 
He returned her hug, but she didn’t release, and when he pulled her away, he saw that she was crying.
 
He panicked and pulled her back to him and held her.
 

“What’s wrong, Darby, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean t…” he said.

She interrupted him with, “Sorry? Oh my God, I’ve never seen anything so romantic. It’s like being in a fairytale – I...I... don’t deserve this – you, any of this.
 
You are so, so, so handsome and this day has been...this room...beyond words...I just...Oh my God.” She shook her head and blubbered.
 
“I just don’t deserve you, I mean, look at me, then look at you...I,” and it was then that she went into a full, hard sob.

He grabbed her gently and pulled her over to the window seat and made her sit there so he could sit next to her.
 
With his hands on her shoulders he said, “You couldn’t be more wrong if you tried.
 
You do deserve this and more and for as long as I breathe you will have this.
 
You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen - inside and out.
 
I will spend the rest of my life telling you that, if you’ll have me.”

“But you can have your pick of women, beautiful, gorgeous women. They are everywhere! Why would you want me?”

“Because, Darby, you are the one I love.
 
When I look around I don’t see any other women anymore; you have taken their place.
 
You are the only one I see.
 
The only one I want to see. You are a part of me now. I can’t go back, ever.
 
You’ve spoiled me.
 
No other woman can stand in your place. It’s you or nothing.”

She kissed him gently. The wetness from her tears she could now see on his face. It sparkled in the candlelight. She raised her hands to both his temples and slipped her fingers into his hair, like two combs sweeping back his hair behind his ears.
 
His hair was so soft and fine. The candlelight brought out highlights in it she hadn’t noticed before. In this light, up close, the highlights almost looked iridescent.
 
And then there were those eyes...She trembled looking into them, like it was the very first time.
 
They seemed to have no end - soulful and kind.
 
She leaned in and kissed each cheek. She pulled back just so she could see his eyes again and said in a whisper, “I love you too, Devon!” She leaned back in to kiss him again.
 
His lips, so soft and inviting, had raised her body temperature about 50 degrees. She pulled away and stood, shedding the hot cashmere sweater.
 
He too stood up and took off his sweater. Now in a better position, his hands on her shoulders moved to her waist and he pulled her to him. Her knees just about buckled and the kissing was becoming more urgent. In an attempt to breathe, she started kissing his neck.
 
He leaned his head back, enjoying the feel of her sensuous lips bombarding his neck.
 
She found her mouth at the small indentation at the base of his throat.
 
She kissed it and ran her tongue up to his Adam’s apple and kissed it.
 
That’s when she heard that almost inaudible groan again.
 
His hands pulled her harder to his body as if he couldn’t get close enough to her and she leaned her head up to meet his mouth again. Their kisses and the tension in their bodies were escalating.
 
She knew what his hands and lips were telling her.
 
She didn’t have to read his mind to know.
 
She also knew that you only get one first time, so she was going to do it right.

She pulled away from his grip at her waist.
 
He looked disappointed and confused, until he saw her unbuttoning his shirt – slowly and meticulously.
 
She didn’t look at his face as she did this.
 
She pulled his shirttails out of his pants and laid her hands on his stomach.
 
Ever so slowly, she slid them up to his chest and then out to his shoulders, removing his shirt and letting it drop to the floor.
 
With her hands on his chest she pushed him backward, leading him to the rose petal-covered bed.
 
He sat down utterly astonished by her.
 
She got on her knees and took off his shoes and socks.
 
Then she rose before him, now watching him watching her.
 
She took her shoes off by stepping on the heel of one with the other; then using her toes on the back of the other shoe, she pushed them under the bed so that she could stand between his legs.
 
His hands came to her waist and she pulled her shirt up over her head, staring at him every second she could, and letting him see her become more vulnerable with every piece of clothing that she dropped to the floor.
 

She leaned down and grabbed his waist and pulled him up so he was standing next to her.
 
They were seeing each other for the first time, in body, mind, and soul, offering themselves to each other.
 
They were not touching but she could feel his warm breath on her shoulder, as she was sure that he could feel her breath on his chest.
 
She reached down, unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, and did a little wiggle dance that all girls do to get out of their pants; they fell to her ankles and she stepped out of them.
 
She looked up in his eyes and she could see the love there that he had confessed to and she knew this was right and perfect. She reached down, grazing his lower abdomen with her fingertips, and unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans.
 
She didn’t need to see what she was doing; all she needed was to see his love there in his eyes.
 

She reached backwards and unhooked her bra and let the shoulder straps fall free, watching him watch her as she let it fall to the ground. With skin touching skin, every inch of her seemed to be hypersensitive.
 
The tiniest of touches made her tremble.
 
There wasn’t an inch of his body that wasn’t that of a god. He was beautiful and he loved her.
 
How can anything be any better than two souls becoming one?
 
She reached down and let her panties drop and stepped out of them, completely and utterly naked, standing there in front of him vulnerable, but knowing that the union from this vulnerability would be theirs and theirs alone for all of time.
 
His love was worth it!
 
Their love was worth it! At that moment, when he touched her, she knew there would be no other love for her, but his forever more. It was perfect.

Chapter 8

Darby opened her eyes, finding herself in the big, beautiful canopy bed, being held by the most beautiful sleeping man she would ever know.
 
Still asleep, his steady breathing on her shoulder, she felt so complete - so calm.
 
Her chest hurt from the love she was feeling for this man.
 
She never wanted to move from this spot.
 
There was no place in the world she had ever felt this kind of peace and contentment.
 
He couldn’t possibly feel the same way, could he?

She thought about what Devon had said about her being able to read his mind in time and how maybe she had just never tried, so she concentrated. She focused on his breathing, the sound of his heart beating when she laid her head on his chest, the brown, calming eyes with love just for her in them, and the oneness they had felt last night.
 
Then she felt a wave of warmth come over her and she saw her own face, smiling, wind blowing her hair and the sound of herself laughing.
 
Then she saw her face in the candlelight, smiling, seductive, her hair spilled out on the pillow under her. She moaned in pleasure –
Whoa, what the heck!
 

“Those are my thoughts you’re seeing.
 
The way I see you - picture you,” Devon said
 

“I don’t look like that.”

“You do to me – beautiful, sexy, funny, everything I could ever want and more.” He kissed her.

“Really?”

“Yes – really!”

“But that will change, in time. I’m not perfect, far from it.
 
I’m sure I’ll have habits or things about me that you will find annoying or gross and I won’t always look like this.”

“Annoying, maybe, but I can’t imagine anything you could do that I might consider gross. I am a vampire after all.
 
My mother told me something once, which may pertain to this, or at least the way I think about things.
 
She said that falling in love would be a wonderful experience, but it didn’t always end in true love.
 
Love has many phases and it takes a lot of nurturing and hard work.
 
Finding someone to take that path with you is just as hard as the path you’ll take and the phases you’ll face.

“The first phase is the Bonfire phase. This is when you fall in love and you just can’t get enough of that special someone. It’s fun, inspiring, passionate, and for some, an addiction, but nobody can live forever in the bonfire phase.
 
In this roaring flame you have a distorted view of your partner.
 
They can do no wrong – they’re perfect in every way.

“Then, the second phase kicks in, and this is where the flame dies down to campfire height. It’s still warm and wonderful, but the distortion has gone away.
 
You can see your partner as they really are. You notice habits and flaws that you might find annoying. You either find you love your partner enough to get past all that, or you don’t. Some relationships crash and burn here.
 

“The third phase is when the flame has died down to maybe the size of a stove burner. This is usually the time when couples have been together for a long while, probably married with children. The passion is there, but more often than not, it’s covered up by distractions of daily life. You can spend too much time comparing your lives to how it used to be, not how it could be. You can lose your way, or partner in the aftermath of this confusion. Sadly, many relationships crash and burn here.

“But the fourth phase is the most amazing of all - a sign of the truest of love.
 
The fire is now a candle.
 
The partners still love each other, despite the height of the flame, despite aging, despite flaws and habits, and despite disappointments. You choose to see all the good that you’ve earned and shared along the way.
 
You fondly remember the bonfire, the campfire, the stove burner, and even the candle too.
 
You cherish these different phases, because they were all part of the journey together. This love is forever enduring, forever forgiving, forever loving, and absolutely forever.

“With that being said, I don’t care what you may look like forty years from now, as long as I can accompany you on the journey.”

“I would like very much to accompany you on that journey too.”
 
She snuggled into him tightly. “I didn’t know any guys actually listened to their mother’s advice in matters of the heart.”

“Well, I guess you were wrong than, weren’t you?”

“Apparently.”

She kissed his chest then lifted her head and supported it with her hand so that she could look into that loving, adorable face and drink in all that had happened last night. She smiled, gazing at him, and he flashed that sparkling grin again and she giggled.
 
“Again?” she said with surprise.

“Again and again and again and again,” he said seductively while smothering her with kisses.

“Oh, all right – If I have to,” she said and giggled. “But then we go home, feed Harry, and start working on my powers, okay?”

“As you wish, my love!” he answered. Then he rolled her on top of him and kissed her until her toes curled with pleasure.

Chapter 9