Exposure: Bloodlust Series Book 1

by L. L. Ash

  Mason snorted and waved me off.

  “Run along little puppy. Back to your mother’s tit with you.”

  I sucked in a breath and my hands fisted up, ready for a battle, but Clarence took that moment to intercede and pull me out of the cabin.

  “Don’t agitate him, Addie,” he laughed in amusement. “He’s had 400 years to learn how to cut people to the quick. You’ll never win a battle of wits with him.”

  “On the contrary. He’s used everything in his arsenal before. I’m just beginning.”

  Clarence stood there, holding both my upper arms in his hands and the smile on his face was goofy and genuine.

  “I love you Madeleine Harper.”

  “Don’t ever call me Madeleine or I’ll stake you in your sleep.”

  A roaring laugh escaped his belly before he dipped his head and pressed his lips on mine once in a gentle kiss.

  “And, I love you too,” I breathed after the enchanting touch.

  “May I carry you home, Addie?” he asked in a low voice.

  “Please. I’m exhausted from all this excitement.”

  Chapter Eight

  Clarence released my arms then quickly dipped down and had me up and nestled in his arms within one second. It was incredibly impressive.

  “Ok, that’s super hot,” I blurted as his hand around my back gripped around my waist.

  “A beau aims to please his filly,” ÀàClarence chuckled and in just a moment he was jumping again, wind whooshing past us and the treetops.

  A few more jumps and we were a few feet from where the forest met the road, yards from my driveway.

  “I’ve still got so much to ask you,” I told him, holding onto his hand as he let me drop back to my feet. “Will you come in for a while?”

  “My time is yours Addie.”

  I grinned and pulled him by the hand up the driveway. After instructing him to meet me by the window, I went into the house, grabbed a sandwich because I was starving from having missed breakfast, then ran upstairs as fast as I could.

  Closing the door behind me, I went to the window to unlock it and let Clarence in.

  “Sorry,” I told him, finishing a bite of my PB&J. “I was really hungry and I needed to eat something before I passed out.”

  “I understand,” he smiled at me and stood inside the frame, watching.

  “You can come sit down,” I motioned to the bed next to me and to the only chair in the room, shoved into the desk.

  “Does your father mind if I’m here?”

  “Not nearly as much as he’d mind if he knew you weren’t human.”

  “Yeah, I expect not,” Clarence sighed and took the chair by the desk. “What other questions did you have for me?”

  I thoughtfully chewed on my next bite before saying, “I want to know everything about you, Clarence. I want to know where you were born, and where you’ve spent the last 300 years. The history you must know just… It boggles my mind.”

  “That is fair,” he answered with a nod, leaning his arms against his thighs as he got comfortable in the chair. “I was born in 1698, during the great Northern War in Poland. My mother was a seamstress and my father a banker. We didn’t see him often as he was always working, but Mama raised me and my little sister with my papa’s income. I stayed there, in Poland where I was born, for the first 20 years of my life.”

  “Until you were turned?” I asked, feeling like this was going to be an epic story.

  “Right, until I met a woman. She was what changed my entire life.”

  “Who was she?” I asked, enthralled.

  Clarence started to shift uncomfortably.

  “She was a wealthy woman,” he said slowly. “She took a liking to me soon after my 20th birthday. Being the son of a banker who had lost his credibility and cash, and when a beautiful, rich widow offers you money that you need for your...attentions… You don’t turn her down.”

  Clarence shifted again on the chair before continuing.

  “I was recently 20, relatively unskilled as the wealthy tend to be. I knew some things, was schooled and learned in how to run an estate and a bank, but my father, right before his death, lost our money in a venture gone wrong. He left us destitute with debt up to our necks. I tried to work menial jobs just to put food on the table but it was never enough. That was when she found me. She propositioned me and eventually I had to accept. I had in abundance what she asked for, and it cost me nothing but my pride. She kept me, fed me and payed me so I could care for my mother and younger sister.

  “But eventually about a year later someone set the estate on fire. Peasants most likely, as a rumor spread about her being a witch, of all things. Anyway, I had helped the servants get out before the fire had spread too much, but she was nowhere to be found. Being the man I was, I couldn’t leave her to be consumed by flames, vampire or not. I found her, but she was fine. I hurried with her out of the house, my skin somewhat burned down my side though it wasn’t too bad, and followed her shortly into the woods. She looked at me and told me that the villagers would kill me as her apprentice. I knew too much about her and her kind, and she didn’t think I’d survive, I guess. So instead of killing me, since she had a soft spot for me, she sliced open my arm with a knife, then did the same with hers, dripping her blood into my veins. As my body became infected with the virus, my wounds healed and she left me off in the woods as she fled.”

  Clarence took a deep breath, still staring at his hands, fussing with them.

  “How long was it before Mason found you?”

  “Days, weeks, months… I’m not entirely sure. I was so lost in the bloodlust, the entire time is a haze in my memory. I remember moments, snippets of things I did, but most is forgotten.”

  Clarence finally looked up at me.

  “I hope you don’t think less of me, for what I did in desperation in my youth.”

  What, being a man-whore?

  “Of course not,” I told him, scooting over on the bed so that I could touch his hands. “I wouldn’t even know what I would do to keep food on the table. And to have a younger sibling depending on me too… I couldn’t imagine.”

  “Since Papa had passed, my family relied on my income almost exclusively since my Mama got bad hands. Arthritis I believe, is what it’s called today.”

  “Do you know what happened to them? Your Mom and sister?” Clarence shook his head in a jerky motion.

  “Once I got the bloodlust under control it had been almost a year since the fire. I went back to the village where I was born but my mama and sister were nowhere to be found. Someone told me that they couldn’t pay the rent and were put out of their home. I looked for years afterwards in neighboring towns but I never heard from them again. I only prayed they found some source of income, or that at least Ana found a successful marriage. But they are only dreams I make up to ease the guilt.”

  “There’s nothing you could have done,” I assured him, feeling my eyes burning with tears for the mother and daughter, helpless in what was a man’s world back then.

  “Well,” Clarence cleared his throat and gave me a pitiful half smile. “At the very least, being half dead keeps me from embarrassing myself and weeping in front of you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We create no tears,” he shrugged.

  “And your heart doesn’t beat… but I’ve seen you breathe, though you say you don’t need to. Why do you breathe if you don’t need to?”

  “Why does a blind man blink?” was his response. “It’s a habit. A muscular memory that most vampires continue. It’s strange telling one’s body to stop doing something that your brain says it needs to do to survive. Some vampires have stopped their breath, but it’s absolutely necessary in order to blend in with the humans.”

  “I imagine a dude standing there and not breathing would catch a lot of attention.”

  “Exactly,” he grinned and took my hand, holding it.

  “So, in 300 years you haven’t had any relationships? V
ampires don’t get together and like, hook up or anything?”

  Clarence smiled for a moment before answering.

  “Vampires tend to be solitary creatures, and generally prefer the company of humans over their own familiars.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Simple. Blood.”

  I paused a moment before asking the obvious.

  “Do you want my blood, Clarence?”

  He shook his head.

  “One taste of your blood and I will crave you. I don’t want to take that from you, nor do I want to have to fight the bloodlust every time I catch your scent.”

  “My scent? What do I smell like?”

  He grinned now.

  “Everything that is beautiful in the world.”

  “C’mon! What do I smell like! Seriously!”

  “Like jasmine, and salt and blood, and occasionally… when I kiss you... musk.”

  My cheeks burned.

  “You can smell that?”

  “It’s the most enchanting scent,” he assured, his thumb circling on the back of my hand.

  I felt butterflies take flight in my stomach as I anticipated what was to come for us. If our kisses were so explosive…

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked me, an amused smile playing on his lips.

  “Nothing,” I blushed again, feeling like a middle schooler talking to her first crush.

  “You’re a terrible liar, Addie,” he chuckled, leaning forward toward me. “You’re blooming all over again.”

  “Blooming?” I asked, cocking my head to the side as I stared at him, trying to understand what he was referring to.

  His lips curled at the ends and the look of mischief in his eyes told me what he meant.

  “Oh my God. Do I not have privacy anymore?”

  He laughed.

  “If it bothers you, I’ll hold my tongue in the future.”

  “So you’ll just sit and smell me like a dog while I sit here not knowing you’re checking out my...musk?”

  Clarence leaned back and belly laughed. When he settled down enough, he met my eyes and his were glistening with mirth.

  “If it makes you feel any better, my darling,” he said, lifting from the chair just slightly so he could press his lips to mine for a moment, “You always smell of musk around me so at least you’ll know without my having to tell you that I’m enjoying the scent of your arousal.”

  My entire face and chest burned with a fierce blush.

  “I can’t believe you just said that,” I choked out, slapping at him.

  He grinned and put his hand out in pitiful defense as he enjoyed watching me squirm.

  “Besides, who even says arousal anymore?” I sputtered.

  “I apologize. It’s been a long time, but they ingrained the words of a gentleman in me a long time ago.”

  “Gentleman? I thought you grew up as a banker’s son?”

  “In the late 1700’s an English earl took us in. He sheltered, educated and civilized vampires for many hundreds of years. It was there Mason and I learned to read and write in English, and how to circle in society. And it was where we took our new names.”

  “New names?”

  “Yes,” he rubbed his hands together. “My birth name is Cyryl Kozlow. Mason’s was Misha Ivanov. We took names similar to our original ones to dispel confusion for the first years. It was also when we took the same last name and named each other brothers.”

  “Misha… It sounds...Russian maybe?”

  “Good guess,” he smiled. “Mason is from Russia, born during the Tsardom. For years after he turned, he was a street urchin and learned to be tough or be abused. It’s why he tends to be...”

  “An asshole?”

  “Yeah,” he chuckled.

  “Poland’s Great Northern War, the Russian Tsardom… I need to do some history research. I don’t know anything about those places or time periods.”

  “It’s nothing of great importance,” he shrugged. “It’s simply one chapter of our pasts. I know Mason shows like an untrained beast of temperament, but you’ll never meet one more loyal or someone more willing to give of themselves for the ones they love. Give him time, and he will learn to love you, too.”

  “As long as he doesn’t kill me or drive me nuts first.”

  “I’ll keep you to myself for a time, until his temper cools and his level head returns.”

  “All to yourself?” I flirted.

  “If you allow me,” he touched my hands again.

  I gave them to him and he looked at them as he fingered each knuckle and each black painted nail.

  “A gentleman, huh? So I guess that means you have to marry a girl before biblically ‘knowing’ a woman.”

  His eyes widened in horror.

  “I was taught to be a gentleman, not a saint.”

  It was my turn to laugh out loud.

  “But I think you enjoy teasing and tempting me,” Clarence said, not looking up from his finger’s exploration of my hands.

  “It’s just so much fun,” I grinned.

  “Besides, after the story of my...humble beginnings, you truly imagine me to be a prude?”

  “I couldn’t begin to imagine. 300 years could change a guy a little, I’d bet. ”

  “Much,” he agreed, taking one of my hands and pressing it to his mouth before dropping both and standing.

  “I should leave you. You’ve had a trying day and I imagine you need time to rest and think over all you’ve learned.”

  “You’re leaving me?”

  I didn’t understand the deep distress assaulting my insides.

  “Just for today. I’ll see your beautiful face again tomorrow at midday.”

  He went for the window and I blurted the only thing I could think of to keep him for just a moment longer.

  “Why does Mason call you Clee?”

  Clarence grinned.

  “He says my entire name is too much work so he gave me the nickname shortly after our name change.”

  “Can I call you that too? Or is that special for Mason?”

  “I would love for you to call me what you will. It’s not exclusive for Mason, and it’ll probably rattle him a little to hear you say it.”

  Clarence grinned at the thought.

  “Ok, Clee it is,” I grinned back and we stood, stupidly staring at each other until he swung his legs out and whooshed off the roof.

  I went to the window and saw him at the edge of the yard where the trees enveloped the driveway. I blew him a kiss and he smiled, then he was gone.

  Flopping back on my bed, I suddenly remembered I had forgotten a very important question. I stumbled off the bed and went back to the window before shouting his name.

  Two shakes later he was back, his face an inch from mine at the window.

  “I forgot to ask you something,” I told him breathlessly as his scent of woods and freshness drifted up to my nose.

  “What is it?” he asked with a smile of amusement.

  “If I need you, how do I call you?”

  “Place something in the window. I’ll see it and know you need me. If it’s urgent, just scream my name. I’ll hear you.”

  “Ok,” I breathed and threw my face forward until we were kissing again.

  I couldn’t get enough of his lips’ caresses. He didn’t look too perturbed by the invasion as his fingers dug into my hair and his tongue brushed against mine.

  “I really need to go,” he breathed against my lips. “My will is faltering.”

  “Then stay,” I whispered, my tongue flashed out and flicked against his bottom lip.

  “Not until you know me better,” he told me, hands braced against each side of my face before he placed a gentle kiss to my forehead and was gone again.

  I sat back, catching my breath and feeling the flesh between my thighs throbbing with its need for him.

  I’d known him less than a month, and already I was ready to give him my V card. Hell, I’d known he was a freaking vampire less t
han 24 hours and I wanted him to devour me.

  He was right. I needed time to cool off and we needed some time apart. Everything was happening so quickly and my brain was trying to make rash decisions without the help of logic. For being all-knowing, the heart sure was a bad decision maker.

  I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening thinking about him and researching where he’d come from.

  Chapter Nine

  “So? How did the festival go?” Genie asked with excitement, “Did you guys make out? Did you ‘do it’?”

  I giggled.

  “It was awesome. I got to know him really well. He’s a little different, like you said… But honestly I couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect.”

  “Did you make out?” she asked more forcefully.

  “We kissed,” I admitted with a blush, looking around to see if Clarence was anywhere nearby.

  “And? How was is? Stop making me beg, girl!”

  “It was the most amazing kiss ever,” I sighed like an idiot.

  A lovesick, bumbling idiot.

  I wouldn’t change a thing. Except maybe the vampire thing… That I could do without.

  “Did he use tongue? I mean, c’mon. That’s the most boring description of a kiss ever!”

  “It was amazing,” I said again. “I’m not saying anything else.”

  Genie rolled her eyes and growled in irritation.

  “When you guys do it you better have a lot more for me then that. If you come to the table and say ‘we did it and it was great!’ I’m going to kill you.”

  I laughed.

  “How was your night?”

  “I totally hooked up with Bobby Flitcher. He’s not the hottest guy, but when you’re in the dark, lying in bushes, looks don’t matter so much as what they can do with their appendages, if you know what I mean.”

  I blushed, but didn’t say anything. Nobody needed to know that no, I didn’t know what she meant.

  “So you guys are together now?” I asked, sipping my water bottle.

  “Oh no. It was just one of those things.” She shrugged.

  “You and Clarence?”