by Tanja Neise
A single tear ran down my cheek, but instead of giving in to sadness, I wiped it away, furiously, with the back of my hand. Five years had passed since the last time, and I hadn’t changed. I swore to myself that I’d never kiss a man again and if I had to die a spinster, then that was just the way it was. I would not endure this disappointment and humiliation ever again.
Robert Tensington
This could not be! It was simply impossible. I really should’ve known something about this. And yet everything was now making sense. Finally, I understood my own irrational reaction. I desperately tore at my hair, while outside, the night-time Seattle lights raced past the car.
Her scent had hit my nervous system like a bomb. Why hadn’t I noticed it before? Had my senses been so diminished, humanised? Would I soon start to age? And die someday? Until now, I would have welcomed this fate, but now there was Liv.
Liv, who had brought more puzzles into my life than ever before. Liv, who had enchanted me from the very first moment. Liv, who belonged to me – had to belong to me. I wanted her so much that I could hardly control myself not to give the chauffeur the order to turn back. Should I do it? Should I accept this gift? Was she even a gift, or rather a curse?
Since she had come into my life, nothing of any relevance existed in my brain. Only three letters had taken up residence there, leaving room for nothing else: LIV! I had principles that I wanted to adhere to in the future. But the magnet was strong, very strong.
“Turn around,” I growled at the chauffeur, and my instructions were followed immediately. With screeching tyres, the car made a turn. The rubber let off smoke, but these were minor issues that didn't interest me.
Only when we came ever closer to the dump of a house, did I notice the knot in my stomach, which had painfully tied itself up. That was probably the moment I realised what she was, or who she was.
On the first floor, lights were burning and a window was tilted open to let in the cool night air. I wouldn't take the front door, as she needed to slowly understand that I wasn't a normal man. Just as she, too, wasn’t normal, but she probably didn't even know that. It was a miracle that neither of us had been noticed by anyone except Dark.
A few seconds later I was sitting on the windowsill and knocking. Behind the half-opened window I could see a shimmer of light glowing from one of the other rooms, and the next moment, I saw Liv's figure. As I had expected, she entered the room with eyes wide open.
When she saw me, she gasped in shock and stopped abruptly. “What are you doing here? How did you get up here?” She was afraid, and the words left her lips only as a whisper.
She looked so enchanting in the short, white nightdress. And I thought I’d enjoy this sight very often from now on. She belonged to me, even though she was not yet aware of it. Sooner or later she would be aware of it. We were meant for each other. How that came to be, I didn't know myself yet, but I would find out.
“You're playing a risky game with me Olivia Morgan,” I said, dangerously quietly, and looked down at her body once, provocatively.
“Me?” She squealed, and involuntarily took a step backwards, unconsciously igniting my hunting instinct.
“Yes, you.” With a fluid motion, I jumped into the room, her living room. An old worn-out couch and a cupboard that was about to collapse couldn't look much homelier, even with the loving decoration Liv gave them.
“Listen Robert, I'm sorry that I bit you. This has unfortunately happened to me twice before. I don't know why I flip out like that. At least you didn't bleed. Please forgive me.” She tried to be cool, but her voice trembled. Meanwhile, my sense of smell had got to work again and I could detect her fear. I could detect everything that was now plainly in front of me, which before, I had either repressed, or had simply not been able to spot.
I came a step closer, not letting my prey out of my sight for a moment. “And the others bled?” Actually, the question was superfluous, but I wanted to distract her, not wanting her to notice how I was drawing nearer to her. And I had to keep my own emotions in check, because the thought that Liv had kissed another man drove jealousy like hot lava through my veins.
A sarcastic snort escaped from her nose and mouth. She seemed dejected in the face of the failed kisses. I was happy again, because she was mine. But I wondered whether she’d loved someone and had been hurt? “Oh yes, I bit one guy so hard that he had to be stitched up.” Embarrassed, she shrugged her shoulders. “Both men, or rather boys, have never spoken to me again.”
The extent of the jealousy that was quickly becoming apparent was enough to confuse me. Annoyed, I shook my head to shake off the negative thoughts, which she completely misunderstood.
“Yes, unfortunately. I’m not quite right in my head! I’m not able to have a relationship, not able to love.” With such words, many women I’ve met during my long life started to cry. Not Liv! She glared at me angrily instead.
“And you haven't kissed a man since?” Perhaps I was being masochistic, but my curiosity drove me to ask her this question.
“No.” With her arm stretched out, she pointed to the window. “I don't know how you managed to sit on my windowsill, but now, get out of here and find another one.”
Olivia turned on her heels and disappeared into the back of the shabby apartment. With her flowing red hair she looked like a witch princess, clearly showing that she didn't belong here. A temple would need to be built to do justice to her beauty and grace. She would not spend another night in this hole. I couldn't let that happen and I wouldn't just disappear, even if she wanted me to. And there was no way I would find another one. She was the one I wanted. I gave her a minute and then followed her calmly, although I was anything but calm.
The water was already boiling, but instead of pouring her tea into the cup that stood next to the stone-aged kettle, she only stared at the steam that was floating away. Olivia seemed vulnerable, and the sadness she felt was washing over me in waves. Since when was I so sensitive to human feelings?
“Pack your things, we’re going,” I ordered, quietly, yet my voice showed no tolerance for back-talk. My patience was exhausted.
With a frown on her forehead she turned to me. “Stop this nonsense! Why are you still here? I told you to go, didn't I?”
“And I said, pack your things.” With burgeoning impatience, I pushed myself away from the door frame and stepped into the kitchen. Why was she reacting in the wrong way? After all, I wanted to help her.
“What, are you crazy? Are you going to kidnap me, or what is this going to be now?” Green flashes of lightning shot out of her narrowed eyes. Preferably, I would’ve thrown her over my shoulder and carried her out of here.
Oh man, if she didn't finally put her things together and put on something decent, I couldn't guarantee anything anymore. This minx already had me under her control and somehow I even liked it, I realised, amused.
Anne Rumsfield
I restlessly rolled around in the hotel bed, which was far too big. There was sweat on my forehead when my upper body suddenly shot upright. Awoken by a nightmare, I opened my eyes and looked around, agitated. In my hand I was holding the weapon that I’d routinely put under the pillow before falling asleep.
I’d been talking quietly in my sleep and had awoken from it. I hoped that nobody had been able to understand what I’d been babbling on about. The walls of the rooms in this hotel were not exactly thick.
My panting penetrated through the hazy light of the night as I tried to calm myself down. A look at the clock told me that I’d slept just for a few minutes. I looked at the wall opposite me in disbelief, on which some cheap imitation of a Picasso painting was hanging.
Now I understood! How could I have been so blind? What had unfolded before my eyes had been something completely different to what I’d suspected. And it was the nightmare that had struck me right on the head. That guy in the hall of the Centrodynamics building hadn't been trying to strangle the older woman. He’d been drinking from her! He was a damn
vampire and I, Anne Rumsfield, hadn’t realised! I was such an idiot! I’d been searching for these bloodsuckers for years, and when one was standing right in front of me I didn’t spot him. How stupid could someone be?
I hastily swung out of bed, in order to put the part of the plan I had scheduled for tomorrow into action today. My inner being was quivering. Anticipation was manifesting itself, and I had to smile as I put on my dark clothes.
Olivia Morgan
I was beginning to doubt the common sense of this man. What was he doing here at my place? How had he landed on my windowsill? And what was he talking about, saying that I should pack? And why did he look so damn good in everything he did?
“What, are you crazy? Do you want to kidnap me, or what is this going to be now?” I looked at him from narrowed eyes, as I hoped, angrily.
“If you don't do what I tell you soon, I’ll do exactly that. Get dressed! Pack! Come on!” With folded arms, he was leaning against the worktop in my miniature kitchen. He radiated dominance, but there was also care and warmth in his gaze. I thought of what it must be like to have such a rock behind you. Would my own demons disappear? As soon as I was near him, I felt safe. My inner alarm system remained silent and I simply just felt good.
A clearing of the throat brought me back to reality.
Apparently he wasn't joking, yet I didn't see how I could give in to him. So I copied him and also folded my arms in front of my chest. Then, I looked at him impatiently, exactly as he was looking at me.
A picture of two deer, just before the final battle, manifested itself in my brain. Taxing, waiting, radiating superiority. A grin spread across my face at the thought of this comparison. His mouth turned to a loving smile, and in his eyes I could see that warm glow again. That look made my heart beat faster and I was almost ready to do anything for him. Why was it I didn't want to go with him again?
“Okay Liv. Let's start all over again. Please, pack your things and come with me.” Gently, his hand brushed over my upper arm, which immediately began to tingle. “I'd like to have you near me.”
“I hardly know you at all,” I replied, breathlessly, when I realised that I would’ve preferred to agree. What was going on in my head? I didn't recognise myself anymore. Basically, he was a total stranger to me and I was attracted to him, which was not really surprising in view of his alluring appearance. Nevertheless, the fact that I was actually willing to follow him didn’t necessarily say much for my sanity.
His fingers wandered further up, tenderly caressing my susceptible skin, until they finally slid into my hair and bent my head back a bit. Shocked by the feelings that were raging inside me, I looked him in the eye and watched every movement, partly suspicious and partly full of anticipation. My heart was beating wildly in my chest, and everything in me was longing to touch him in the way he was touching me, but I held myself back with iron discipline. I didn't know whether to be proud or disappointed at the strength I had.
“Give me the chance to show you who I am, who I really am.” That warm voice was like a magnet, attracting me, drawing me deeper and deeper into Robert's spell. But it wasn’t possible. This was all totally crazy. I couldn’t just go with him so easily.
Sadly, I shook my head, and withdrew from his grip before turning away and turning on the kettle again, as the water had become too cold to pour the tea. “I don't know what you're hoping for, Robert, but you won't get it from me.”
“Everything! That's what I want!” His voice was much too close, his breath lightly stroking the naked skin of my shoulder and causing a tingling sensation in my stomach.
I paused in irritation, turned around carefully, but before I could look into his eyes, he had taken my lips and kissed me.
A whirlwind full of passion tore through me and shook my life upside down. There was a hoarse moan as my teeth bore into his lower lip. Alarmed, I tried to retreat, but the kitchen cupboard behind me and the strong arms holding me made escape impossible. His mouth did not let me escape, and Robert kissed me so devotedly that my body gave in. Soft and secure, I remained in his embrace and enjoyed the attention. Never in my life had I felt such a deep connection to a human being. Pure lust ran through my veins, coupled with the feeling of having found something important.
Robert moaned. “Where have you been all my life? Had I known you were waiting for me, it would’ve been easier for me to survive the torment.”
I raised my head and saw a deep tenderness in his gaze, which sent a tremor through my body. It was like another aphrodisiac. Knowing that this wonderful man desired me caused a throbbing in quite indecent places. My face flushed with a pulsating redness, which elicited a wicked laugh from him.
Tenderly, he smoothed his fingers along my neck, drove them over my upper arm so that they lightly touched the curvature of my chest. I moaned and clung to him, looking for reassurance. Immediately he pulled me into a stormy embrace as our tongues duelled. Finally I had found someone who was physically suited to me and could handle my reactions. No, he hadn’t fled, he’d even welcomed it, and I felt like I was in seventh heaven. I would give him everything, tonight. I would finally experience what it meant to give one's own body to a man. Full of anticipation, a tremor ran through me and I could feel Robert smiling on my lips. I slowly pushed his top up and drove my hand underneath it. His skin felt silky and warm. Instantly, I felt the need to stand here naked with him skin to skin – to feel him everywhere and to become one with him. The pull of passion was so strong that I forgot everything around me.
Strong arms lifted me up and Robert carried me into the bedroom, where he carefully lowered me down. My heart was beating at a gallop as I pulled him down towards me. That was what he’d been waiting for – an invitation, an agreement on my part. And, as if he’d heard my thoughts before, he removed his shirt. My fingers explored every inch of his exposed skin and then I became daring, pressing my lips to his nipples. I nibbled on them, tasted them and then caressed them with my tongue. A throaty sound came from Robert’s mouth – a moan that gave me goose pimples and spurred me on. But he held me back, kissed me, and we slowly let ourselves fall back. The mattress gave way under the weight of both our bodies. Robert held my hands with one hand while he gently stroked my upper body with the other. His fingers found the way to my skin and went on exploring until they finally found my breasts. He circled the curvature again and again. A finger wandered under the fabric of my bra and almost drove me crazy. Impatiently, I writhed beneath him.
“Oh Liv, you’re so beautiful and so demanding. Slowly, enjoy it.” Beautiful? No, he was beautiful. He looked down on me like a Greek god and I wanted nothing else but to be there for him. The best thing was that he wouldn’t stop touching me.
I was enjoying it. Every second with him was the greatest pleasure. He kept stroking my skin, kissing me, and without me having really noticed I was suddenly lying in front of him in my underwear. His gaze glided over my body, and in his eyes I could see that he liked what he saw. I felt beautiful, desirable.
Robert Tensington
I'd never seen anything more desirable in my life than Olivia Morgan. She was lying in front of me, half naked. Only the white cotton underwear covered her breasts and her femininity. I had to hold myself back, so as not to rip them off her body instantly.
When her narrow fingers got tired of the belt on my trousers, I couldn't help but snarl. But she wasn't frightened; instead, she looked satisfied, like a cat who had finally got her hands on an eagerly awaited treat. Her red hair lay on the pillow, and once again I admired it. My fingers found their way to it by themselves and grabbed a tuft. I pulled her up with it, to give her another passionate kiss. This woman was pure fire in my veins, just as her hair promised.
As soon as she’d freed herself from my lips, she started to work on my trousers again. Did she not notice how much she was depriving me of my self-control?
“Liv, I can't hold back at this pace for long,” I confessed to her.
“You don't have to.
” One look and I was a goner. I decisively pulled my clothes off my legs. She smiled as I lay down again, naked against her, though I could see fear in her eyes for a fraction of a second.
So I asked “Everything okay?” And looked at her vividly.
“Mmh, yeah.”
I could tell from her carotid artery that her heart was beating fast. Because I didn't believe her, I broached the subject again. “We can stop if this is going too fast for you.” I said this as delicately as possible, although stopping would go against the grain. But I’d still be able to do it. I dared to doubt whether I’d still be able to do it later.
She took a deep breath and confessed: “I’ve never gone this far with a man.”
What did she say? Surprised, I raised an eyebrow, having to digest what she’d just told me. Meanwhile she had put her arms around her upper body and was looking at me with big eyes. But this couldn’t be true! I’d finally met a woman who excited me, who I wanted. A beautiful woman, and then she was untouched? Then I remembered again what she’d told me about the kisses. She’d never gone beyond a kiss because she’d simply not been able to.
She was made for me. Everything about her was, for me, the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I devoutly laid my hand on her cheek and said: “Are you sure you want to give me your very first time?”
She nodded, and when she gave me a timid smile, I bent down to her again, and kissed her as if there was no tomorrow and the world would turn only for us.
My hands wandered over her velvety skin and conquered it centimetre by centimetre. It felt so good. My body was more than ready, but given that it was her first time, I would take my time until her body was as ready as mine. She should never regret giving me this gift. She should always remember it. And me – only me.
