“I have a room so I can sleep there if I want to see clients during the day.” I look at her and saw the exhaustion in her eyes. “You’re tired. It’s been a long night. The sun will be up soon.” I brushed some hair away from her forehead and then kissed it.
She repositioned herself on her side while I wrapped my arms around her and then we drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Five
Nike
When I awoke the next morning, I replayed what seemed like the most vivid nightmare and extremely erotic dream all wrapped into one. It all seemed so real—the fire, the men who attacked and…Michel.
Michel.
I ran a finger across my bottom lip, reliving the hot moments I had just dreamed about. None of my fantasies in the past had ever been so vivid, yet so complex.
I stretched out my leg and became aware of a body next to me. When I opened my eyes, I saw the familiar bedroom where I dreamed I made love to Michel the night before. The windows were covered with heavy curtains keeping out the sunlight.
It wasn’t a dream; it was real. All of it.
I rolled over and saw Michel lying there next to me and almost involuntarily sucked in my breath. I always thought he was handsome when I admired him from afar, the blue eyes that contrasted so aesthetically against his olive skin. Here up close, with him lying inches away, I appreciated the fine details about him—the dark eyelashes, the highlights in his soft brown shoulder-length hair.
Fortunately, his eyes were closed, as I always felt a little giddy whenever I met his penetrating stare.
I admired the chiseled lips that so often curled up in a joker-like smile. Details about him that would never change. He would remain forever young. I resisted the urge to reach out and touch those lips as I didn’t want to wake him. I reveled in this moment where I could look at him, really get a good look at him. In the gym, I could only catch a glimpse here and there. Whenever he caught my eye, I’d turn away in fear he could see my most intimate thoughts.
And last night, many of those thoughts became reality. I wanted to jump out of bed and squeal like a little girl. Maybe call Maya and tell her about the fantastic turn of events.
Maya.
The fire. The destruction. All that came back to me as well. Was everyone all right? What about the people they had pulled out who were unconscious?
I had to call Maya and find out what happened.
I sat up to look around the bedroom for a phone.
“Not going somewhere, I hope.”
When I heard his deep voice, parts of my body reawakened, remembering his touch.
“I was just going to call Maya and see what happened.”
“Yes, good idea. I hope you’re not too long.” He traced a finger down the side of my torso, which sent shivers through me.
Reluctant to leave, I said, “I’ll be right back.”
I stepped out in the back courtyard. When Maya didn’t answer on the first five rings, my heart rate escalated.
“Hel-lo,” said a groggy voice.
“Maya! It’s me. Are you okay?”
“Nike? Yeah, I’m okay,” she said. “How are you?”
“Fine. What happened after I left?”
“A lot of cops, firefighters, EMTs, you know.”
“How are those people we pulled out?”
“They’re in the hospital for observation, but they’re going to be okay. Luckily, nobody was killed last night. What a freakin’ nightmare.”
“I know.”
“Hey, where are you, Nike? Last time I saw you, you ran off to find that hot guy you were having palpitations about. What was his name?”
“Michel. Um, yeah. Well, I found him.”
“And?”
“I’m with him now.”
“Holy shit, Nike! Get out!”
“Listen, it’s a long story. I’ll tell you later. But I just wanted to make sure everyone’s okay.”
“Don’t make me wait. Let’s grab some brunch later and you can give me all the nasty details, you ho!”
“Ha, ha. You wish. No, I can’t meet up with you today. It’s kind of complicated, but I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”
“What do you mean? Why aren’t you coming back?”
“Things are a little strange right now. I don’t really understand it myself. But if you need me, just call my cell. Okay?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but don’t do anything stupid. Be careful.”
“I will.”
After I hung up with Maya, I thought of other calls to make. Crap, I was on the schedule to work tomorrow. How should I explain my indefinite absence?
“Hey, it’s me, Nike,” I said to the firefighter who answered. “Is the chief in?”
“Not today. What’s up?”
“Can you let him know I won’t be in for the next few days?”
“You sick?”
“No. I have some urgent personal matters to attend to out of town. I had to leave right away.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, it will be. Just make sure you let him know and I’ll get in touch as soon as I can.”
“Will do,” he said. “He has your number, right, in case he has to reach you?”
Stifling a groan, I answered yes. The last person I wanted to field questions from right now was the chief.
“Hey, did you hear about the nightclub fire last night?”
One subject I didn’t want to talk about switched to another. I made some excuse saying I had to go.
“Everything okay?” Michel asked when I hung up the phone.
“Yes. Just a few people hospitalized for observation, but nobody was injured.”
“Yes, I checked at the club while you were making calls. A lot of damage, but it can be fixed. My priority right now is keeping us safe.”
His words reminded me of the danger we were in, being hunted by some creatures when I didn’t exactly know what they were or what they were capable of. “I’m going to take a quick shower and clean up.”
“And maybe come back to bed after?” he said with a naughty grin.
“We’ll see,” I said, turning my head over my shoulder with a flirty smile. How did he snap me from being worried about my safety to thinking about more primal desires?
Although there was nothing I’d rather do at the moment than hop back into bed with Michel for a torrid morning, I needed to clear my head. Too much had happened since last night and I still didn’t know if I’d processed any of it.
I turned the water up as hot as I could stand and just stood there under the water trying to make sense of it all.
First, I had spent the night with the man I’d wanted for months. It was even more spectacular than what I had ever imagined.
Second, he wasn’t human. How or when I could process that fact would probably be a while.
Three, two creatures tried to kill us last night and managed to hurt many people in the process. Since they chose last night—the night I finally had my moment with Michel—to attack, now they were after me as well.
That was a lot of shit to deal with. If Michel were any other guy, I’d probably run far away and try to put it all behind me. But, it was Michel. And my feelings for him were already far too strong just to walk away from.
I found some fruity shampoo and vanilla body wash to clean up the mess from last night. When the dirt washed off, I noticed a few nasty scrapes on my legs and arms. Attractive.
Great, so my first night with Michel I must have really looked like a dirty ho, literally covered in dirt. Luckily, it was dark.
After rinsing off, I wrapped myself in a white fluffy towel and walked back into the bedroom.
“You look ravishing,” he said.
“Like this?” I said. “Without makeup—ugh. I don’t even want to look.”
Michel climbed out of bed. “Even more beautiful than last night. And I thought you looked amazing then.”
He maneuvered my shoulders to point me toward the m
irror. “Look at yourself. Stunning.”
I looked in the mirror and saw me standing there clad only in a towel with wet hair hanging down to my shoulders. That, and the hottest guy I had ever seen standing behind me.
Wait, not a guy, really.
“I can see you,” I said.
He looked at me oddly. “I see you too.”
“No, in the mirror, I mean. You cast a reflection.”
When he laughed, I didn’t see any signs of the fangs I saw last night.
“And your fangs. Where are they?”
“Don’t worry about all that now. We have plenty of time to separate fact from myth, or understand my physiology.”
Michel ran one hand along my right side, light enough that I could barely feel his touch through the fabric.
“Right now, I want to understand your physiology.”
He bent down and kissed my neck. My body instantly responded; my neck tilted to the side to allow him greater access and I could feel a tingling between my legs.
“Beautiful,” he repeated.
As I watched him in the mirror, I grew more excited. Not only from watching him kiss me, but also seeing a lustful look appear on my face. I’d never seen myself like that before, never had sex in front of a mirror or on video. I had to admit, it was turning me on.
“Do you want a little help toweling off?” Michel asked between kisses.
“Yes,” I murmured.
Michel unwrapped the towel from my body and I stood there, vulnerable next to him in his black pants.
“I feel so naked,” I said, turning away.
“You have an incredible body,” he said. “Look at yourself.”
I took another look in the mirror, seeing myself in my full glory. Part of me wanted to cover myself up with the towel again. But as I watched Michel kiss my neck, toward my shoulder, a bigger part of me wanted to watch and wait. And have more of this.
He ran his hand over my stomach and up to a breast, fondling it gently. Then he lightly scraped his teeth over my shoulder and I closed my eyes, reveling in the sensation.
I felt his warm breath upon one of my breasts and my nipples immediately tightened into hardened points.
When I reopened my eyes, I watched him as he teased a nipple with his tongue. Lightly licking it and then gently sucking it. Then looking in the mirror, I watched from a different perspective.
He spent some time on my other breast, alternating between teasing and sucking. It was almost too much to take.
Then he kissed down my midriff, first down the center around my bellybutton, and then along each side. My flesh tingled under his lips, as I anticipated his next move and wanted more.
“Open your legs. Let me look at you.”
I felt self-conscious at first, but I obeyed, feeling more vulnerable than ever.
And then I felt his warm breath as he kneeled just inches from my pussy. My pulse quickened and I closed my eyes.
“Open your eyes. I want you to watch.”
I reopened my eyes just as he leaned forward and lightly kissed me there. He used his fingers to spread my folds and inserted one, pulling it in and out slowly. He began to lick, up and down on each side and then working his way to my sensitive spot. He worked me with his tongue and fingers, driving me insane. I watched us in the mirror, captivated.
As his pace quickened, I pulled his head toward me with a sense of urgency.
“Yes. That feels so good. Don’t stop.”
His pressure increased on my clit and I felt I could barely breathe.
“Oh yeah. Right there.”
And then I felt a buildup inside me so strong that my body stiffened, from my thighs all the way down to my toes. Watching us in the mirror heightened the experience to a new level. I came in such a powerful explosion I thought my legs might collapse.
Michel steadied me and then pulled himself up.
“That was incredible,” I said.
“We’re just getting started.”
He stepped behind me and cupped one of my breasts. He pulled off his pants and I watched him in the mirror as he grasped his cock. He bent down slightly as he moved it around my pussy, getting it slick and wet. Then he inserted the tip into my pussy, still wet and faintly throbbing from my orgasm.
He pushed it in an inch or so a couple of times, and then a little more, and then finally, he pushed his cock deep within me, making me moan.
He moved both hands down to my waist and I bent forward. I watched in the mirror as he pumped me from behind, grabbing my shoulders. My excitement grew as I felt and watched him fuck me.
“Oh my God. Michel. Oh God.”
I pressed my hands against the mirror as I braced myself for more. And then he drove me over the edge.
I didn’t leave the bedroom until the afternoon. Already my time clock felt screwy. Luckily, I was used to having weird sleeping shifts after years of long shifts as a firefighter. Michel went back to sleep since this was his normal sleeping hours, but I had too much on my mind.
I found a loose pair of knitted pants and a sweater that would do for now, but unfortunately had to put on the stiletto boots. Pulling the pants down over them so they wouldn’t be so conspicuous, I checked my appearance in a mirror to see if I looked presentable. I couldn’t help but grin, thinking of the last time I had looked in a mirror.
Then I left a note with my cell phone number and slipped out the cottage to drive around town and look for some shops. If we were going to be here for a few days, I needed clothes and toiletries. And food. Most definitely.
Did Michel eat food? He drank with me last night. Or maybe that was just a ploy to look human. Just in case, I better get enough for two.
I retraced the route we had come down last night until I reached a main drag. Then I grabbed my cell phone to pull up Google maps to see what was nearby.
Phone was dead. Figured. Now I needed a charger too.
Two hours later, I returned to the cottage with some staples.
When I entered the cottage, the drapes were still drawn shut. Michel was sitting on the sofa with a reading lamp on nearby.
“Tu vas bien?” he asked, standing up. “Are you all right? Where were you?”
“I’m fine,” I said, putting my bags down. “I didn’t want to disturb you and I needed to get a few things.”
“I tried calling and you didn’t answer.”
“My phone died. I got a charger. Sorry, I didn’t know what kind of charger you would need.”
“That’s okay, I used the house phone. I apologize if I sound like a jealous boyfriend. But I was worried, considering the circumstances last night…” His voice trailed off.
Seeing the concern on his face and realizing it was for my well-being almost stopped me in my tracks. Did he actually care for me? Me, just a human? Nothing really to his kind, except a food source.
A part of me almost laughed when I realized if any other guy questioned me about my whereabouts as he just had, I would have rolled my eyes. Then I’d tell them to back off and stop invading my privacy.
What did I do in this situation? About as opposite a reaction as I could think of. I walked over to him, looked up into those eyes and said, “Don’t worry. I’m fine. I’m here. With you.”
He pulled me into a hug and I buried my face into his broad chest. “With me,” he said.
While Michel checked in with his employees, I brewed a chai I blended with tea and spices I found in the kitchen cabinets. I took it out onto the deck to give him some privacy.
The sun was setting over the Atlantic and I thought the color of the sun reflected on the waves reminded me of the colors that danced in a campfire. I wanted to tell Michel to come out, but stopped myself. This was something Michel hadn’t experienced in over two hundred years; it was something he could never experience.
Once again I questioned what I had gotten myself into. No, who had I gotten myself involved with? He was centuries old. He wasn’t human. He’d killed people in the past. And he wa
s being hunted. And now I was also being hunted.
I sipped the chai as the sun sank lower on the horizon.
Should I have done something different last night? If I had never gone to him, I never would have ended up in this life-threatening situation. That would be the sensible thing to do.
But the idea of not being with Michel and missing out on all that had happened—the good and the bad—filled me with such a sense of loss I forced it from my mind.
My mind wandered from one memory to the next of the past day—first speaking with Michel, the explosion, the fire, the fighting, the drive up to Maine, his story, making love…
Just thinking about being with him made me miss his touch.
The last vestige of sun appeared to slip into the ocean.
Ugh, what was I doing? Wrapping myself around a guy like this? This was so not my style. Remembering I was a strong, independent woman, I put my chai on a table and walked down to the shore. I didn’t need to have all my thoughts consumed by one man like this.
I concentrated on the sensation of the cool October sand slipping through my toes. The Atlantic would be pretty cold by now at the final stretch of an Indian summer. Although I hated the cold water, I braved it and gasped when the frigid New England waters hit my toes.
It’ll pass in a minute. It’s only the initial shock, I told myself. Then I lost sense of time as I waded through the waters—until I heard a voice.
“Well, well, well. Michel’s little human came out to play in the waves.”
The rest of my body froze with a chill that had nothing to do with the ocean. I turned to look and they were there. Both of them.
“What do you want?”
“Michel. Dead. What I’ve wanted for centuries.”
“How can you still blame him for her death? You were attacked and he defended the village the best he could with you.”
“Silence,” he said as he approached. “Michel falling for you makes my vengeance all the sweeter.”
“You’re right, it’s been centuries. Time to get over it and move on.”
“You are only a human, nothing but food, so he shouldn’t have told you my affairs.” He took a step closer and I could see his eyes reflect the moon, almost glowing like a cat’s.
Smoldering Nights Page 5
