by Ivy Carter
“MMMM. You taste good!” I give him a naughty smirk. Which causes him to laugh. I like the sound of his laughter. He is so stoic. So strong and silent most of the time when he is around other people. When I hear him laugh it is like he is allowing me to see a part of himself that he keeps hidden from other people.
I slam my mouth to his. Forcing my tongue into his mouth and twining it with his. Pulling myself tighter against him. Enjoying the afterglow of his feeding. I run my fingers through his hair. Enjoying the freedom of being able to do so.
I realize that I don’t want to lose this. I don’t want to lose him. I want to see where what we have started is going to flow. We need to talk. Discuss what this all means. To both him and myself.
I just hope that we are on the same page. That he wants me as much as I am starting to want him.
Suddenly he stiffens as if he has been zapped by a live wire.
“I have to go” He grunts out as he disentangles himself from me.
“Is everything okay?” I ask in confusion.
“Yes, angel. There is a soul that I need to collect. I will be back as soon as I can.” He pauses after he sits me on my feet and grabs my chin making me look him in the eyes.
“I am coming back, angel. You can count on that.” He tells me in a gruff voice. He must see the hurt in my eyes. The confusion. He leans in and brushes his lips gently across mine.
Then shadows engulf him, and he is gone before I take my next breath.
Chapter 15.
Waking up to someone nibbling on my neck makes me smile. Until I open my eyes and see blonde hair covering my line of sight. I push Jessa off me with all of my strength which sends her flying across the room. Before she can crash into the wall she summersaults backwards and lands in a crouch.
“What do you think you are doing?!?” I yell at her while whipping the sleep from my eyes.
“Seeing if you would snuggle up to me if you woke up in bed with me instead of Tristan.” She smirks like she just won the lottery.
“Jessa, seriously I am not in the mood for games this morning. Why are you in my room?”
“One, I am hungry. I am always hungry and I never gain a pound no matter how much I drink. How fab is that?” She giggles. But stops cold when she sees my expression. “I came to steal you away for some girl time. Before Sebastian steals you first. He was going on and on about training and shit like that. I want some girl time. Besides I need some new clothes. And I stole this to pay for it all.” She winks at me while waving a black credit card in the air.
“Whose is that?” I ask in astonishment.
“Sebastian’s. But he told me that what is his is now mine. So, I am just borrowing. He has scads of money…” She struts around the room in a pair of leopard print six inch heels.
“So why are you sleeping in your robe anyways?” She wiggles her brows at me. And I realize that the sheet has slipped down to my waist baring my cleavage through my robe for her to gawk at. I quickly pull up the sheet and hug it to my chest.
“OOOOOOO! I get it! You were waiting for Tristan. You naughty girl!” She giggles again and winks at me. It is seriously too early in the AM for a dose of Jessa. I love her. She is basically my sister. But her perkiness can get annoying.
I start to pout because Tristan didn’t come back to me last night like he said he was going to do.
“Oh, stop pouting. Tristan is here….” When I raise my head and widen my eyes fixing to blast questions at her. She holds up a well-manicured hand to stop me. “Before you start to spew. Gavin and Sebastian have him closeted in the Library asking what his intentions are toward you. They are playing big brother. Well Sebastian is since Gavin really is your big brother.” Jessa continues to ramble. But I just burst out laughing at the thought of Tristan getting grilled like a teenaged boy on his first date.
“How are ass hat and the baby maker doing?” I ask Jess because I know she has been keeping tabs on Jaxx and his mate.
“Oh, you know. They are all cozy playing house in your room. How morbid is that?” She and I both shudder at the thought.
“I am just glad they are leaving me alone. I don’t think I can take much of their lovey dopey bullshit.” I snark.
“You know… You have a right to be pissed. Even if you are making Whoopee with tall, dark, and dangerous.”
“I am not making whoopee! And of course, I am pissed!! But not for the reasons you are thinking…” I flop back onto my pillow putting my hands over my face.
“I loved him Jessa. Or I thought that I did. But he was my first boyfriend. He was my first kiss, and he was going to be my first for everything. Would it have worked if he hadn’t been spying for some nasty bastard. I have no idea…” I just shake all the depressing thoughts out of my head. No more downers today. Its girl’s day! I am starting to get excited about going shopping and doing something as utterly normal and mundane as buying new shoes. Even though I can use my gift and clothe myself in anything that I want. Well, Sebastian owes me for letting Jaxx and his brood mare follow him back to my home.
That reminds me…
“Is Gavin still pissed at me?” I ask Jessa since she has the skinny on everything that goes on around here.
“Well that depends... Is he male, hot, and walking around with a totally fantabulous ass?”
When I don’t answer she just smirks...
“Yes, Hun. But he will get over it. You are his only family. He has too.” She pauses to yank the sheet hiding my naked body from view completely off of me. “Now get your sexy ass out of bed and do your light thingy to put something amazing on. And I don’t mean drab. I mean something sexy with HUGE heels attached to it.” She orders me in her best drill sergeant voice.
I get out of bed and head toward the bathroom. Ignoring Jessa cat calls echoing behind me.
I start to brush my teeth then realize I missed one important question. The one question that I should be asking.
“What’s the REAL reason we are going shopping?” I ask Jessa with a mouth full of tooth paste. Quirking a brow at her in the mirror above the sink.
“To get some totally wicked outfits for the Wandering. Why else? I mean you are totally like royalty now. You have to look the part. I am thinking rocker/biker wench chic.” She smiles wide baring fang at me.
“Only you could come up with that concept.” I laugh at her terminology of what we will be shopping for today.
She bows in a totally melodramatic way that is pure Jessa.
“SO tell me. Are you all healed and shit from your mummifying?” She asks as she lifts herself up to plop on top of the bathroom cabinet.
“Not a scratch on me.” I smirk at her reflection. Still brushing my teeth. I rinse, gargle, and rinse again then reach for my brush.
“Can I just tell you that you are fucking awesome with all these powers?” She actually has awe in her voice.
“You aren’t exactly powerless either, wench.” I snark at her. She giggles in response.
“I know right? But seriously let’s skip this long drawn out primping session. Imagine yourself wearing a black bandage dress with some killer spiked heeled Mary-Janes. OOOOOH and add buckles to the shoes. Lots and lots of buckles.” She is pretty much squirming in her seat at the idea of getting to dress me.
I close my eyes and imagine a halter top bandage dress in black that reaches the top of my knees. I immediately feel the cloth of the dress slither of my skin. Then I picture the shoes and feel them encase my feet. I open my eyes and strike a pose for her with my hand landing on my hip.
“Nope, make it shorter. You know you can’t go out in grandma length dresses. Have I taught you nothing?” I shake my head and do as I am told. Jessa has always been my fashionista. Telling me what to wear and to what. She has never stirred me wrong. So I never argue with the mini-Barbie wanna be. I shorten the dress until it barely encases my ass. I did it to be a smart ass but Jess is soon clapping her hands telling me how perfect it is.
“Now for your face. I
am thinking a smokey eye. But we have to do as a day look. Hold on I have just the thing.” She reaches into her back pocket and pulls up a picture that I am pretty sure she sniped from Pinterest. The makeup is gorgeous so I don’t bitch. I just close my eyes and copy the hair and make-up from the photo so she doesn’t get a chance to get her hands on my hair.
My hair ends up in a high chic pony-tail. Jess runs to her room for accessories. She doctors me up with lots of silver bangles and a gorgeous chunky jade ring. Her last addition to my make-over is a black wrap around studded belt.
“That dress is epic. But kind of plain. See we NEED this belt.” She insists when I start to whine about all the preparation going into this shopping trip. That’s when I realize something is up. She is right I can just will an outfit into existence with the snap of my fingers. I don’t need to shop. She is scheming…And if I wasn’t so distracted about what is going on between me and Tristan I would have caught on much earlier.
I stop fidgeting with my belt and glare at Jessa. Her smile melts and she know she has been caught out.
“Tell me now.” I demand of her. Placing my hands on my hips so she knows that I mean business. I even stand up taller using my height to its full advantage.
That doesn’t exactly work out like it is supposed to though. Jessa is looking at my legs with naked envy. Not intimidated by me in the least.
“It is so not fair that you got all the legs and I got stuck with these little stumps.” She pouts at me. Completely ignoring my threats and questions about what is really going on. She continues to pout as she stares at my legs in the killer heels she wanted me to wear.
I clap my hands at her as if I would a child to get her attention. When she finally moves out of her poor me mentality. I ask her again.
“You had better tell me. What in the hell is going on? And why am I wearing hooker heals?” I demand hotly getting tired of her scattered mentality.
“Fine.” She pouts. Even going as far to shove out her bottom lip, then nibble on it with her dainty fang.
“Fine?” I ask again. Sometimes you have to ask A LOT of times to get an answer from Jessa. She is naturally hyper so her brain moves in ways that have always been a mystery to me.
“Tristan wants to take you to Paris for dinner.” She shouts at me. “There are you happy? You ruined a perfect surprise!!’ She accuses me while she still pouts.
“Wow!” Is the only response that I have…
“He really cares about you Ells. Don’t hurt him. He acts like he is made of stone. But he is all squishy in the middle.” She smirks once more. Probably thinking that somehow that sounded dirty.
“I care about him too, Jess. I just don’t know how to let someone else in. I want to take it slow.” When she quirks a brow at me most likely alluding to the fact that Tristan and I have already slept in the same bed twice. She most likely thinks we have done more than that…“I mean emotionally.” I correct her assumptions.
“Then go slow. Just tell him what is going on in that head of yours. Trust me. With these young look old men…Honesty always works.” I laugh at her terminology describing Tristan and Sebastian. Because she isn’t lying. They are both OLD but look extremely young. The curse or gift of immortality. I guess it depends on how you look at it.
“Just try to act surprised when he whisks you away to the home of the Eifel Tower. PLEASE!!! For me???” When I just smile at her she starts to whine.
“I don’t want to hear it from Sebby that I can’t keep a secret.” I bust out laughing.
“Sebby?” I quirk a brow at her.
“What?? It’s cute!” She poses with her hip stuck out hands in her hair. “How do I look?”
“Vogue worthy.” I answer because she does as always look model perfect.
“Good now get your hot ass downstairs and make the man blow a wad in his jeans.” She tells me as she is pushing me out of my own room. Me laughing as I go.
Jessa. Always a Riot…
Once I reach the bottom of the stairs, I see Tristan waiting impatiently by the front door. He is pacing back and forth like a caged panther. He looks the like he just stepped out of the pages of GQ Magazine. The epitome of money. While I look like someone he paid a quick hundred for on some street corner for a cheap thrill. I am about to turn around and march back up the stairs to change my clothes. Right before I can make my escape he sees me and his mouth literally drops open.
“I know I look like someone’s cheap thrill…I’ll just go and change.” I breathe out. Mortified that I actually listened to Jessa this time and let her dress me.
“No.” He commands in the delicious low grumbly voice of his. I have my hand already on the stair railing with one foot resting on the bottom step. Desperate to make my escape.
“You look perfect.” He growls out.
I turn around and raise an eyebrow at him in question. He has got to be kidding. I look like a free ride.
“The only problem I have with what you are wearing is that I would be ripping the heads off of any men that I catch looking at those amazing legs.” This makes me blush. “You look exquisite, angel.” He comes forward and grabs me by my upper arms and pulls me to him. Then before I can breathe my next breath his mouth is on mine. Not his usual devouring kiss. Just his lips moving over mine in a sweet embrace. When he pulls back, I am left breathless. Not only but the kiss but the feeling that he put into it. Maybe I am not wrong, and he cares about me for more than I thought.
I lean in, lifting up onto my toes so that I can reach his ear. Even in heels he towers over me.
“I want you. Not as a replacement. I just want you, Tristan. I can see myself falling for you. But I want you to always be there to catch me.” I pull back and look into his eyes. I can feel that this time mine are the ones that are wide and vulnerable.
Tristan just stares at me. He doesn’t say a word, but his eyes are searching for something as they roam over my face.
“You truly mean that? No games?” He asks me gruffly.
“No games. No lies. No secrets. Those are my conditions if we are going to start something serious. Something that could last beyond what we have now.” I breathe out in nervousness. I wasn’t expecting to have this conversation before the big date that has planned.
“Agreed.” A one-word answer that’s all I get. After my big speech and long drawn out words. ONE WORD?
“You are going to have to give me more than that big man.” I tell him and slap him on the chest with a smirk. Hiding my insecurities behind my forced bravado.
“No masks.” Tristan quirks an eyebrow at me. “You are good at hiding behind the facial expressions that you have perfected. They are masks that hide the true beauty that lies within you. You may hide it. But even when you do, I can see it. Shining through the cracks of the masks you put into place to protect yourself.”
I just stare at him. Most likely looking like a gaping fish. He leans into me. Wrapping his arms around me. I lean into him closing my eyes. Enjoying the way his hard body feels next to my softer one.
“I can feel that you have more questions that need to be answered. I know that you are afraid to open up to anything new. You have that right.” He growls the last of the statement. Angry on my behalf. “But I will prove to you that I am not him. I won’t pull you up just to let you crash and splinter.” He breathes out a sigh. I feel his breath stirring the errant stands of my hair. “I will show you that I am worthy of you.” He whispers the last. So low that I barely catch it before I feel Tristan’s ever present shadows start to engulf us.
“Let’s go before any more of your assorted family decide to grill me again on what you mean to me.” I chuckle at his disgruntled tone. Then I close my eyes and lean further into him. I am used to the feeling of weightlessness. The cool brush of the shadows entwining around my body before he transports us to our destination. Some might find the feelings that this invokes frightening. But for some reason knowing that they are a part of who he is. I find the cool embrace of Deat
h’s Reaper comforting.
Chapter 16.
When the shadows unwrap from around me, I am standing on the top of a deserted Eiffel Tower. PARIS! I haven’t ever even been out the states and Tristan has decided that our first date should be in Paris! I rush to the railing. The wind is whipping my pony tail every which way. I grab ahold of the cool metal and look out over the City of Lights. It’s nighttime here. I don’t know what time it is. Since I am not up on the time zones in Europe. But the tower is obviously closed judging by the lack of tourists.
I turn my head to see Tristan just staring at me with a satisfied look on his face. I leave the most amazing view in the world and run and jump into his embrace. He catches me under my thighs as I wrap them around his waist. He starts to chuckle as I sprinkle tiny kisses all over his face and everywhere I can reach.
“Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU!” More sprinkled kisses. “This is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever done for me.”
I pull back to see his face as he starts to laugh. I love his laugh. It transforms his face into a more boyish look. Totally cute. Of course, I wouldn’t tell him that. Men like Tristan would be annoyed and very offended if he thought any part of him was cute. Pfft men. Cute is so a good thing.
“You like it?” He chuckles again as a brightly wide REAL smile lights up my face.
“You better believe it! This is so freaking awesome!!” I wiggle in his embrace so that he lets me down very slowly. My body rubs against every inch of his on the slide down. My very short dress had ridden up and his hands end up landing on my ass.
The look on Tristan’s face is priceless. He is literally gobbsmacked. His rough hands gently squeeze the smooth, bare globes of my ass. Inciting a small mew from me. I giggle and wink at him. Then finish wiggling out of his embrace pulling my dress back into place as I do.
Tristan just smiles watching me in my excitement. It’s PARIS! I run back to the railing across the abandoned deck. My heels are making clicking sounds every time that I move. But I ignore everything but the view. And the feeling of Tristan’s eyes burning holes into the bottom part of the back of my dress that currently covering my bum.
