Eternal Ever After (28 page)

Then the wet tip of his cock was poised at my channel and I took in his length as he slowly pressed into me. I died with him inside me and cherished that death. When I met his lips with mine, he kissed me like he owned me, and god did I want to be owned by this man who could make me feel things that I’d never felt before.

I inhaled his masculine smell that was distinctly him, tinged with soap. I thought that vampires would smell like ‘something.’ All I could smell was the light, sweet, woody fragrance of his grooming products. The only difference was the coldness of his skin against the desire burning in mine. He smiled down at me. In these moments the darkness that hid behind the shadow of his heart almost disappeared. His pace did not quicken. He took the lead with slow, even strokes that drove me wild. Never had I felt so full. Never had I felt so good.

Tied as I was to the bedposts, I could do little more than let him do whatever he wanted. And I wanted every bit of it. The bed creaked under my shifting hips. He kissed me again and I relaxed into his mouth, letting him explore it with his tongue. I tilted my head to the side. His lips moved to my neck and up to my ear.

He met my swaying hips with steady thrusts and we were no longer two bodies melding together. We were one. My hips rocked, relishing the sensation of him filling me. He moved a little faster. I matched his pace, thrusting my hips up to meet his. My arms strained against the scarves restraining my wrists.

“Holly…”

The sound of my name never sounded so sweet. I moaned into his mouth as I kissed him. I bit his lower lip, tugging on it teasingly as I pulled away and he groaned. My clamped breasts pressed against his chest as he rode me to release. I could feel my pussy tighten around him, just as my ass tightened around the plug, and let go. Collapsing onto my chest, his skin against mine, was all he could do. The clamps pressed uncomfortably against his muscled chest. Rising, he pulled one of my arms from the loosened scarves and then untied the other hand.

“I’m going to remove the clamps. This may hurt.”

He wasn’t kidding. It was all I could do not to yell out as the blood returned to my nipples. Slowly, he pulled the flanged plug from my ass.

“Well, Holly, I didn’t know you had it in you. You’ve done beautifully.” Arie grinned.

I laughed. “I had a good teacher.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Was it okay for you? I’m a little new to S&M even though I’ve known about it.”

He planted a kiss on my forehead. “Well for someone new, you certainly catch on quick.”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t well-researched. I do read erotic romance. Of course, we’ll have to practice this some more just to be sure.”

“I think this is quite enough for the time being.”

Arie flopped onto the bed beside me, both of us spent. I kissed his cheek and lay my head back down on his chest. “Then turn me already so we don’t have to worry about time.”

“Forever is an awfully long time. And your visions will be more intense. Everything is more intense as a vampire.”

“Do you think I’ll have a mental breakdown? You keep expecting the worst to happen when really it already has, with your history with Katarina. You’re you. I’m me. And she has no place in this equation. Do the math,” I said with more bitterness than I intended. Sometimes it felt like he lived in the past more than the present. If I could draw the comparisons between me and Katarina, then I could imagine how the similarities affected Arie. And I hated it.

“Holly, I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You’re really going to have to get over that if this relationship has half a chance.”

Arie sighed. “You’ve never been with someone who’s been able to satisfy you. I can understand your attachment–”

“Look, I may not be as experienced but I’ve had my share of fun with frat boys. It could have been simple. I don’t want simple. I want you.”

“Because you want to die.”

“No, because I want to live. I want to live with you…forever. I’ve never felt so alive.”

Instead of arguing he stroked my hair. I felt like I’d been asleep and for the first time I was awake, wide awake. Even if he dazzled me I couldn’t go back to the way things were. I knew something was missing long before I’d met Arie. Curling myself around Arie like a pillow, I fell into a satiated sleep.

***

I woke suddenly, a hand on my arm and Arie’s impassive face next to mine. We were almost nose to nose. Embarrassed, I scootched so my face wasn’t within breathing distance of his. My mouth tasted stale and I was so thirsty that I didn’t want to think about why Arie was still lying next to me until I’d brushed my teeth and gulped down several handfuls of water.

“How long have you been watching me sleep?”

Arie smiled. “Do you know that you snore?”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“And drool.” Arie reached forward, brushing a hair off my cheek. “It’s very unladylike.”

I groaned and rolled onto my back. “It’s completely unfair that you look like you walked right off the pages of GQ when you wake up and I look like a hairball that Mystic coughed up.”

Arie laughed. “You look beautiful to me, especially when you wake up. What do you want me to make you for breakfast?”

“You’re really big on eating, aren’t you?”

“I have to remind myself you’re human. I can take it or leave it. You, on the other hand, should take better care of yourself.”

“I eat,” I said in defense.

“Bagels with gobs of cream cheese, cereal, marshmallow fluff, and ramen hardly count.”

“How do you know I eat marshmallow fluff?”

“The first day I saw you at the Coffee Grind. You were eating a marshmallow fluff sandwich and instant ramen out of a Styrofoam cup.”

I didn’t want to admit it but the revelation that he remembered the details of the first time he’d seen me made me giddy. Stretching my arms above my head, I yawned.

“Oh crap,” I said.

“What?”

“What time is it?”

“Eleven-thirty. You looked like you needed the rest so I let you sleep. Why?”

“I have to be at work.”

Arie laughed.

“I don’t know why you think that’s funny. Some of us have to work you know.”

“Don’t be silly. You know very well that you do not.”

“How else am I supposed to pay the bills? And how else am I supposed to feel useful?”

“You could do anything you wanted, plenty of things far more useful than mopping a floor or making coffee.”

I sighed. “And what would you have me do?”

“What do you want to do, Holly?”

The last time I had someone ask me that question I’d been chewing gum, more focused on the ticking clock behind their head, then on any plans for what the future might hold. It’s not that I didn’t have dreams. Actually, my dreams and visions kept me from accomplishing the goals that had motivated me when I was going to college. I remember sitting in a lecture hall and picking up a pen someone had dropped. When I handed it back to them I’d blanked out into a vision and missed most of the lecture. I had no clue what was going on. I liked the Coffee Grind because it was off the beaten path and it was easy. Not being able to control what I saw when people touched me made college too difficult and I’d simply given up. With the attention span of a gnat, classes weren’t much better whether I had visions or not.

Maybe someday.

“I have to take a shower.” I swung my legs over the side of the bed and padded across the cold floor to the bathroom.

“Come down and have breakfast with me before you go.”

I didn’t bother to throw a reply over my shoulder as I closed the door behind me. It’s not like he was making a request, which was an irritating way to start the day. I really believed, without any doubts or reservations, that forever is a really long time if it’s spent with a blood-thirsty control freak. Forever would need to come with ground rules and limits, but I couldn’t begin to fathom what they were.

CHAPTER 21

Today was a new day. Becoming a victim poisoned by the soul-crushing boredom of the Coffee Grind happened so slowly, so naturally, that I never noticed when I had become immune to it. Marshall’s grating voice interrupting the glorious monotony seemed irrelevant when I had an undead boyfriend and a second job working for a dominatrix who also employed faeries. In fact, his voice reminded me of Charlie Brown’s teacher, with her incomprehensible tones muttering “whaa-whaa-whaa.”

“I’m sorry. What were you saying?” I asked.

“I said take the trash out back. The dumpster gets emptied tomorrow.”

“Yup.” I continued to clear off the crusty muffins from the glass pedestal, tossing them in the trash. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him hovering.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

What does it look like I’m doing?
“These are stale. You can’t sell these to customers.”

He staggered over, swiping the last muffin from the other side of the counter just to prove a point. The muffins were as hard as rocks. I knew where he was going with this, but didn’t bother fighting with him over it. If he didn’t give a damn anymore, why should I? Marshall took a large bite and grimaced.

“These were still good. I’m going to have to take this out of your pay.” He tossed the remainder of the muffin into the trash. “Now take the garbage out.”

“Whatever you say.”

“Don’t sass me, girly. When you’re done go pick up all the cigarette butts out front.”

This was going to be a long day. Arie was right. I should just quit. The constant abuse wasn’t worth it. Trina had the patience of a saint but that wasn’t me. Losing someone you love doesn’t give you the right to be so abrasive. I was sick and tired of being his personal punching bag.

Connie had been incredible to work for. She was a baker and made homemade cookies, muffins, and fresh bread. It really drew the customers. This place was her baby. She did the inventory herself, really kept the place nice, and loved being here. I thought I’d stay on after she died. Connie was easy-going and I felt sorry for her husband. Except he never called me Holly—it was always princess, girly, or a series of inexcusable grunts. I had really wasted a lot of time on soulless pursuits instead of doing something I loved so much that I wouldn’t be able to breathe without it. I’d always wanted to travel and wanted to pursue something that would take me to far-off places. But I’d dropped out of college before I’d ever figured out what that something was.

Lugging the trash out back, I heaved the bag into the dumpster. The rank smell emanating from it made me gag. Its lid slammed shut with a bang. Light had begun to fade from the sky. I never viewed myself as one of those vapid girls from horror movies that were always running upstairs screaming instead of looking for a weapon and getting out of the house. But I would be glad when this business with Katarina was finally over.

I went back inside and started wiping down the counters, going about the tedious routine of closing up for the day.

Marshall shuffled out of his office. “Make sure you lock up.”

“Okay.”
Don’t I always?

Relief washed over me when I heard the back door swing shut, marking his departure. I walked down the hallway, following the sound, and locked the door behind him. It wasn’t really necessary but I always liked having this one locked when I was the only one here. Another hour and I’d be out of here. There were only two customers sitting in a booth chatting it up. I wished they’d go already so I could wipe the table down and go.

Wind blew the door to the Coffee Grind open. The bell above the door chimed and I ran to close the door when I heard an ominous threat:
-Holly, leave.-

-Leave here… Leave here or die.-

The customers in the booth seemed completely undisturbed. I must have been the only one the telepathic threat was directed toward. I locked the door and looked through the glass. A slender figure with a pale face and dark hair stood in front of the apartment building across the street. Regardless of her modern apparel I recognized the figure from the oil painting Victoria and I had donated. The same smug smile curved her lips now. She wore skin-tight black jeans with a leather jacket over a burgundy sweater. Even though the clothes were different, she didn’t look a day older than when the painting had been done.

-Get out before I make you get out.-

I never saw her move, but suddenly Katarina stood directly in front of the glass. I took several steps backward, terrified that she might break the glass and that it would go flying into my face. She placed a pale hand on the glass, forming her fingers into claws. I watched in terror as her nails screeched down the surface, leaving five long scratches. The dark-haired woman flashed a fang-filled smile that emanated pure evil. It gave me chills.

“Hey…what the fuck?” One of the customers pointed to her through the glass, his voice a mixture to disbelief, fear, and anger. He must have seen the fangs.

Abruptly, she turned her head like she’d heard something and disappeared in a fast-moving blur. I fell to my knees, clutching my apron. Then I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing.

“Hey, are you okay?” The customer asked, but I barely heard him.

Three loud bangs on the glass made me jump. When I opened my eyes, Arie stood on the other side of the glass door. And I had never been happier to see him.

Racing to the door I unlocked it and pulled him inside. I closed the door to the Coffee Grind. Locking it again, I peered out the glass looking nervously in both directions. I turned to Arie. My heart beat so fast, I felt lightheaded. He put both hands on my shoulders to steady me.

-
Easy now, just breath… I’m here now
,- he soothed telepathically.

Without meaning to I leaned into him, placing my forehead on his chest. I could feel him stroke my hair as if he were comforting a small child.

“Hey, what the hell is going on?” We both turned toward the customer. His friend had joined him and both were standing only a few feet away.

Arie regarded them both, his eyes flashing silver. “The coffee was terrible. You didn’t see anything. And you’re never coming back here. Do you understand?”