Forever Kiss (6 page)

Beth turned her head and caught Candy looking away and moving towards the far end of the bar. She started to turn back when Candy's hand slid along the bar and she saw her thumb flip up for a quick second. Beth fought back the smile and turned back to Penny. "Bed sounds good, I'm wiped out."

"Come then, I'll take you up," Penny offered her hand.

"I can head up there, as long as the security guards lets me in."

Penny took her hand and gently pulled her off the chair. "I have a private elevator," she told her.

"Oh!" Beth said, too surprised to groan when her legs had to support her. Penny spun around her and pressed her hand against the small of her back again to support her, he skirt flaring out as she moved.

"I've got you," Penny breathed.

Beth turned her head and looked at her. She closed her lips and offered a smile. Penny did have her, and it looked like she didn't have a choice about except whether she liked it or not. The jury was still out on the verdict, but she couldn't help feeling drawn to the older— much older— woman. "Thank you," Beth admitted. "My legs are kind of shaky."

"I noticed," Penny said with a smile. "Come on, behind the bar and back through the office."

Beth walked with her and then stepped away after a few steps when she felt she could manage on her own. They made it to the office before Beth paused to lean against the wall and catch her breath. "Penny? You called me your partner out there."

Penny turned from the door at the back of the office and studied her. "I chose my words carefully," she said.

"But we're not, um, partners."

"Technically, you're right," Penny admitted.

Beth snorted. "Technically? Um, realistically too."

"After you die we will be. I've already drawn up the paperwork."

Beth stared at her. "You've done what?"

"Everything I have is owned by a living trust," she explained. "It's much easier than arranging inheritance every forty years or so. I just assign new people to the trust to manage it. Elizabeth Stenger is presumed dead as of last night's fire. Elizabeth Adams, on the other hand, is alive and well in the system. She has a degree in business administration from U of M and has accepted a position to manage certain aspects of the trust, including Paradise Lost."

"I— you— oh my god!"

"Don't worry, as you learn more and adapt I'll show you additional holdings I have and make sure you have access to those as well," Penny continued.

"Penny— stop!" Beth gasped. She shook her head and felt the room spinning around her. "I'm dead?"

"Presumed dead," Penny said. She shrugged. "Burned up in the fire. Your old life is gone, Beth. No matter what happens to you, you can never go back. That's why I had to stop you earlier."

"Oh my god," Beth repeated. Her stomach twisted and she took a staggering step forward. Penny caught her and held her up. "I don't feel good," Beth mumbled.

Penny swept her up in her arms as though she was lifting a pillow. She carried her through the back door and down a short hallway to a door at the end of the hall. Beth tried to pick up her head but the walls and ceiling were spinning in opposite directions of her stomach. She turned and pressed her face against Penny's chest, closing her eyes to try and help her focus.

The door slid open a moment later and Penny stepped in. "Hang in there, Pet," Penny whispered.

Beth groaned as the elevator surged upward. Her stomach dropped and she had to struggle to breathe. She fought the nausea and won as the elevator slowed to a halt so fast that she felt weightless in Penny's arms. The door slid open and Penny stepped out into the hallway that Beth had nearly blinded herself in.

"Bed? Or are you feeling ill again?"

"I don't know," Beth whimpered. The pinches in her stomach helped her decide. "Bathroom," she moaned.

Penny moved down the hallway, her heels striking the wood floor  with each step. Beth dared to look around the large bedroom that Penny moved through, glimpsing an enormous four poster bed and antique decorations that seemed luxurious. The walls were smooth, any windows having long been removed.

They moved into a side room with a master bath complete with a large tile shower stall and a Jacuzzi tub that looked more like a small swimming pool. Beth felt an urge to go for a swim until a fresh twist inside her brought her mind back to her troubles.

Penny balanced her with one arm and one thigh while she slipped Beth's heels off and set them on the counter. She lowered her to the floor but never took her hands off of the weakened woman. "The toilet is behind you," Penny advised.

Beth trembled and looked at her. She winced as a fresh burning sensation knifed through her belly. When she caught her breath she asked, "Are you going to watch?"

Penny frowned. "Are you okay? I don't want you to fall."

"No," Beth hissed through another cramp. "But I'll be fine."

Penny hesitated and then nodded. "I'll be outside. Call if you need me."

Beth nodded and waited until Penny turned away before reaching down and pushing her skirt and underwear over her hips. She glanced up at the door and saw it was still wide open. She wanted privacy, but the pressure built in her belly and demanded release. She dropped, nearly falling back in her rush to land on the stool.

The emotional relief of making it to the bathroom was gone an instant later.

Chapter 8

Beth's lungs were on fire. She wheezed and rolled over in bed, curling up and covering her chest with her hands. She blinked her eyes open and saw blurry dark hair and pale skin inches from her. She gasped in a breath, lighting a new fire in her chest, and scrambled back until she fell off the edge of the bed and hit the floor on her shoulder and back.

Beth grunted and lay panting. After forcing herself to take shorter and shallower breaths to ease the pain she started working on tugging her legs out of the blankets. They were still up on the bed and wound up in the sheets.

With Penelope.

"Oh my god," Beth wheezed. She reached up and tugged on the sheets until she could work her feet free. She collapsed on the rug under the bed. She was spent. Fresh out of bed and she was too exhausted to even stand up.

Beth's belly twisted, sending tendrils of ice and fire up into her back and shoulders. "Not again," she hissed. Her stomach had different intentions.

Beth rolled onto her hands and knees, summoning strength she didn't think she had. She crawled into the on suite bathroom and made it to the toilet before pulling herself up onto it. She clutched her arms across her stomach and leaned forward, air whistling through her clenched teeth as she felt her muscles quiver and force her to endure her latest living nightmare.

Beth stared down at her belly. It wasn't just diarrhea this time, she felt like was having her period. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "This can't be happening," she sobbed. She buried her face in her hands and shuddered while her body voided the parts it no longer needed.

By the time the hot flashes and cold chills passed she felt empty and miserable. She was done. For now, if not forever. She looked at the tile floor and wondered how comfortable it would be. Maybe, if she fell forward, she could hit her head and knock herself out. Or crack her skull open and end it all.

She took in a deeper breath. At some point while her stomach was ripping itself apart her chest stopped hurting. Beth shook her head. She wanted to die right now, but soon she'd be different. Better. Unstoppable. The woman that had held her and comforted her while she shivered herself to sleep. She was strong, beautiful, rich, and powerful. Candy was right, she was a catch. And she wanted Beth, but Beth wasn't sure if she wanted Penny.

Beth shook her head. She felt like she was on a reality TV show. Too much drama and stupidity and it was all in her head. She groaned and turned to look at the massive shower. Travertine tile, dual showerheads, and a rain head in the middle of the ceiling promised a healing experience. But first she had to get off the stool.

Beth cleaned herself as best she could and rose on trembling legs. She looked into the bowl and reached out to hold herself steady. The water was murky and red, but she could make out a few irregular shapes inside of it. She felt her stomach twinge, not like she had to go to the bathroom again, but like she might throw up.

She flushed it down and turned away, blinking her eyes and breathing to fight the urge to puke. It wouldn't do any good, she hadn't eaten in a couple of days. All she had to look forward to would be dry heaving and a lot more agony.

Beth turned to the shower. Maybe salvation wasn't waiting for her but cleanliness would be the next best thing. The water was set to cold but when she reached in it felt the same as it always did, room temperature. She sighed and left it before stepping under the rain head and letting the water work its way through her hair and over her body.

Without the luxury of feeling the heat from the water seeping into her muscles, or in this case the cold at least chilling her, Beth hurried through the cleansing ritual. She stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel. Drying herself took almost as long as the shower did, she was running out of steam.

Beth shuffled out of the bathroom and back into the master bedroom she'd shared with Penny. Her benefactor was resting on the bed, the sheets pulled askew and revealing her arm and one breast. Beth remembered Penny taking her clothes off to get into bed with her the night before— morning, really— but at the time she didn't care. She'd been exhausted and sick.

Did she care now? She was just as exhausted. The thought of sleeping with a woman, even a naked one, didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. There was something about it, a memory she couldn't quite place. She'd done it before, or something like it. Not with Penny, but with someone else. Was that what Penny meant when she told her that she'd experimented before?

Beth sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. She needed to catch her breath and gather her strength. The towel pulled against her but she ignored it. She was too exhausted to fight it. She leaned forward, her elbows going to her thighs, and cupped her face in her hands.

"Elizabeth? Sweetie?"

Beth jerked her head up and looked around. It felt later. She turned and saw Penny sitting behind her with the sheets lying rumpled around her hip.. She could feel Penny's hand pressing against her towel on her lower back.

"Oh my god," Beth mumbled. "I must have fallen asleep."

"Sitting on the edge of the bed?" Penny asked.

"I guess."

"It's almost time then," Penny said. "How do you feel?"

"Like a door mat that's been stomped on a few thousand times," she admitted. "I had another one of my, um, episodes earlier. In the bathroom?"

Penny offered an apologetic smile. "It will be over soon."

"I believe it," Beth said. "I'm surprised I made it through a shower."

"Lie down again," Penny offered. "I'll stay with you tonight."

Beth started to nod and stopped herself. She couldn't. Not tonight. She had a date with John. "I can't," she mumbled. "Shit! What time is it?"

Penny frowned. "You can't escape what's coming. You know that, don't you?"

"What?" Beth pushed herself to her feet and had to reach down to steady herself when the room spun. "Yes, I know. I just— look, Penny, you've been great to me. You really have. I like you, there's just this one thing I need to do."

"Your friends think you're gone. Your family too," Penny said.

Beth nodded. "It's not them, it's, um, something else."

"Something else?"

"Someone else," Beth admitted. She sighed. "The cop that took me back to school. He asked me out tonight."

Penny frowned and shook her head. "Beth—"

"No, it's okay!" she protested. "I told him I had a very rare disease and that I was dying. Soon. He felt sorry for me, I think. He wanted to help me out. Treat me nice. You know? He was nice. I've never really met a guy like him."

"You can't change what's happening to you," Penny stated again. "You will die."

Beth nodded. "I know. I'll die and then I'll be like you. And with you, for as long as we have."

Penny lifted her head and set her dark blue eyes on Beth's. "Are you toying with me?"

Bath shook her head. She swallowed against the dryness in her mouth but it didn't help. "I'm here because of choices I made. You've saved me and helped me. God, you've given me the chance to be something amazing. How could I not be thankful?"

"Thankful is nice," Penny conceded. "But I want you to be with me because you want to be. Not because you're indebted."

Beth smiled. "How can I not be indebted?"

"You will exist far longer than you can imagine. You can't go on living for someone else rather than yourself."

"I won't, I promise," Beth said. "But I ask that you let me have this one last thing. Your secret— our secret— will remain with me."

Penny stared at her for a long moment and then nodded. She pulled the blankets away and rolled gracefully out of bed. Beth couldn't help but admire her long and lean form as she came to stand beside her. Her skin was white and pristine. Flawless and unmarred by blemish or hair. "Sit on the bed."

"But—"

"You can't even stand on your own," Penny cut her off. "I will give you the strength you need."

"Oh!" Beth stared at her and then turned and sat down on the edge of the bed. Her towel untwisted and fell around her hips. She ignored it and stared up at Penny.

"This will set a fire inside of you," Penny warned. "But this will be the fourth time and it will bind you to me. I don't tell my other pets about this, I just let them become my minions."

"Minions?" Beth repeated. She stifled the urge to giggle as the image of a yellow pill shapes person popped in her head.

"Most of the people that work for me," Penny explained. "They will do as I tell them. You would do the same, if I asked such a thing."

"Oh! Um, but, I thought— Wait, you said a fourth time? You mean I'm going to drink you, uh, your blood? Again?"

Penny nodded. "I will be careful not to ask anything. When you die and rise again you will regain control of yourself. You will be reborn into my world."

"Oh, okay," Beth said. She bit her lip and nodded. "So what then? I'll be like you, a vam— sorry."

"It's okay, we're alone," Penny said with a smile.

"I'll never need your blood again?" Beth asked. "Just, um, others?"

Penny nodded. "We'll talk about that later. After. As for drinking from me or me from you, that's something rarely done."

"Why?"

"To drink is to kill," Penny said.

Beth's eyes widened. She reached up to her throat where she felt the barely swollen wounds on her neck. "You didn't kill me."

"I did, it's just taking a while," Penny said. "All I will say is that drinking from another bonds you to them. They have power over you."

"And if you drink from me—"

Penny nodded. "Yes."

"This is deep."

"It can be," the vampire agreed.

Beth took a deep breath and let it out. "Okay, I need to get ready and get going. Let's do this."

"Are you sure?"

Beth stared at the statuesque woman standing in front of her and smiled. "I trust you."

Penny lifted her arm to her mouth and twisted it. Beth watched her lips part and her mouth open, but her gaze was focused on the woman's canine teeth. They extended and sharpened to points that look the equal to any needle or knife. Penny plunged them into her wrist without hesitating.

"Drink," Penny hissed as she lowered her wrist and offered it to Beth.

Beth stared at the two dark holes in the woman's wrist. She jerked her head, meaning to turn away, when she smelled the coppery scent that called to her. It pulled her back, reminding her of the spicy drink. Beth took Penny's arm in her hands and looked up at her.

Penny nodded. "Drink, Pet."

Beth's lips were already parted. She didn't stop to wonder how she could drink, there was no blood flowing from the holes. She pressed her lips to Penny's skin and started sucking. The wind, rain, and snow didn't faze her and the shower wouldn't get hot enough to warm her. The thick wine that filled her mouth burned with a heat that made her breath burst out of her nose.

Beth's eyes squeezed shut and she pulled harder, sucking as though she could never get enough. The hot fluid burst into her mouth and down her throat, warming her and sending tingling waves through her body. She wanted more. She needed more. She licked and bit at Penny's wrist, desperate to open the wounds wider and get more the salty-sweet red wine.

Penny pulled her arm away, dragging Beth off the bed and onto her knees on the floor. The flow stopped but still Beth suckled, licking and sucking at her skin. Her body was vibrating and her heart was hammering in her ears.

"Elizabeth! Enough!" Penny shouted.

Beth's eyes jerked open and she fell back. She scooted back until the bed was at her back. She stayed there and stared at the woman towering over her. Penny held her hand and stared at it. Beth could see the holes fading before her eyes. In the blink of an eye her skin was as flawless as it had been before.

"You're beautiful," Beth blurted out as she stared up at her dark queen. She'd glimpsed her beauty when she saw her in the club, but she'd been so caught up on her stupid and petty worries to notice it ever since. Now she knew better. Penny was a goddess. Her goddess.

"You have a date to go on," Penny reminded her.

Beth shook her head. "No, it's not important. I want to be with you! Please let me stay, I'll do anything."

Penny sighed. "You drank too much."

"I'm sorry," Beth said. She wanted to cry to prove she meant it. "I didn't mean to. I'll make it up to you."

Penny shook her head. "It's fine. It will help you, but first I want you to be yourself tonight. Be my darling Elizabeth you were before you drank from me tonight."

"But, I don't—" Beth blinked and shook her head. She didn't what? "Oh my god!" she whispered.

Penny smiled. "Better?"

Beth shook her head and looked around before setting her eyes back on Penny. The vampire still took her breath away, but she knew enough to control herself. "You said you wouldn't make me do anything? Oh my god, I was willing to… wow."

"To what?" Penny asked.