Bite Me, Baby

by Alice Brown, Lady V, Samantha Potter, Rayne O'Gara, Lei Carol, Hazel Gower

  He quickly licked her wounds shut and took his wrist away from her mouth. It surprised him that she lifted her head off the pillow while bringing her hands up to his wrist in an attempt to take more. And she was worried she wouldn’t like it.

  He rolled over onto his side, completely spent, but full of energy at the same time. He pulled her over on top of him, cradling her head on his chest.

  “Baby, I hope you meant it when you said I could bite you and you were tired of being alone. Because we just mated and now you are stuck with me for a long, long time.” He brushed her hair off her face and looked down when he received no reply. She was sound asleep on his chest.

  Chapter Five

  Bree woke up the next morning to her alarm clock and immediately realized she was alone. She frowned. She had really hoped Garrett would be different. That maybe, for once in her life, a man that she had slept with wouldn’t run out the door the first chance they got. And all that talk about mates. Ha! What a load of bull!

  'Darling, I didn’t leave you on purpose. I had to get back home. You should know after the night of lovemaking that we had, you mean a lot to me. But just in case you don’t, I’ll tell you. I love you, Bree. I know it’s probably too early for you to comprehend, but I have been looking for you for a long time. Now, go take a hot shower. I set the coffee pot to go off in about five minutes, so you will have fresh coffee when you get out.'

  OMG! Was she losing her ever-loving mind? She had heard Garrett’s voice in her head just as clear as if he were standing in front of her. But how? How could she hear someone that wasn’t even in her house?

  'Bree, baby, we are mates. Now we can communicate telepathically, although I do need to ask you to tone it down just a bit, baby. You’re giving your old vampire mate a headache because your thoughts are coming across as screaming.'

  'Oh, sorry... So, you can hear everything I think? That is so not fair! What about privacy?'

  'I have to concentrate in order to hear you, baby. So, for the most part, unless you are screaming your thoughts, they will be all yours. I just wanted to be here for you when you woke up since I couldn’t be there in person.'

  'Aww, that is really sweet of you. Okay, I have to go take a shower. Dial back out of my head so I can think straight and get ready to go to work.'

  His chuckle came back low and seductive. 'Don’t forget to pack a bag, babe. I want you to spend the night with me tonight, like we agreed upon last night. Is that okay with you?'

  She couldn’t help but smile. Was that a hint of insecurity she detected? 'Yes. I would love to, but I don’t know where you live or how to get there.' It felt weird holding a conversation with someone who wasn’t even there in front of her. She found that she still had to speak the words aloud in order for her to tone down things and not scream at him.

  ‘I’ll pick you up after work. I’ll meet you in the parking lot in the back, like last night,’ he assured her.

  ‘Oh, okay. Well, I’ll see you tonight then.’

  Suddenly, she knew he wasn’t with her anymore. Funny… She hadn’t noticed anything different when she woke up, but now that he was gone, she very much felt the loneliness. Deciding that it was going to be a good day, she hurried to the shower. She had a hot date tonight with a good-looking vampire. Things couldn’t get much better.

  *****

  Garrett was waiting for her as soon as she opened the back door to the shop that evening.

  “Hi, beautiful,” he greeted her, placing a warm kiss on her lips. He picked up one of her hands and narrowed his eyes. “Why is your skin so cold? Didn’t you run the heat inside today?” It had been quite chilly today with last night’s snow still covering the ground.

  “Um, no. I can’t. Mr. Crickett won’t allow it. He has a lock on the thermostat so no one can touch it except for him.”

  “What?!” Garrett could hardly believe his ears. “Babe, show me where the thermostat is, please.”

  Bree, thinking that he just couldn’t take her word for it, unlocked the backdoor and walked him over to the thermostat. Sure enough, a large, heavy plastic box encased the unit with a lock on it. Garrett reached up and snapped the lock off as if it were a child’s toy. He then took the plastic cover and ripped it off the wall, throwing it on the floor and stomping on it.

  “There, now you will have heat tomorrow,” he stated as he snatched up her hand, placing a gentle kiss on it, and continued to escort her back out the door.

  “You know, I’m going to get in trouble for that. Mr. Crickett will take the replacement price of the unit out of my pay,” she told Garrett as he waited for her to lock up.

  “Don’t worry about it, babe. I know a few people in this town that are about to get a wakeup call. I’m done turning my back and allowing three very well off men take advantage of this town. I can and I will wipe them from the face of this earth if they don’t stop acting like Scrooge himself and get their act together.”

  Bree wasn’t sure what to reply. She downright hated the three men for not helping the poor in any way. Even though his proposition didn’t sound too bad, between the three of them, they owned two-thirds of the town.

  “Just be careful, Garrett. Those three men, they own over two-thirds of the town, including the local law.”

  Garrett stood by the car door waiting for her to get in. “Don’t fret, baby. I’ve got everything under control.”

  As he walked around to the driver’s door, she admired the interior of his car. She didn’t know the model, but she knew it was a Mercedes. It was all black on the outside with tan leather seats in the interior. Garrett cranked the engine, and within a minute, her butt started getting warm.

  “Oh, you’ve got heated seats?” Good heavens, she had never been surrounded with this much luxury.

  Garrett shrugged his shoulders as if it were no big deal. “It was a feature already installed on the vehicle when I purchased it. Are you warming up, yet?” He reached over and grabbed her hand, bringing it up to his lips for a kiss as he drove down the road.

  “Yes, thank you.” As Bree sat there, it hit her hard how out of her comfort zone she was. All of a sudden, they were pulling into nothing short of a mansion and she felt her jaw drop.

  “Oh my God, Garrett. Is this your house?” she asked, wide-eyed as she attempted to take everything in.

  Garrett looked over at her for a moment, but she never paid him any attention. She was too busy looking at his house. Did she like it? He had hoped she would, but if not, he would gladly buy her a new one. As long as it was set up so that all of the light stayed out during the day, he didn’t care where they lived. The only thing he needed was her by his side.

  Cautiously, he replied, “Yes. Do you like it? If not, I’ll build the house of your dreams for you.”

  His words caused her to stop staring at the biggest house she had ever seen and look over his way. “No, I mean, yes…it’s beautiful. It’s just so big. Does anyone else live here with you?”

  “No, it’s just me. Although, I do have people in and out quite often. I have an assistant who works here with me, as well as a maid, and I just hired a cook today. The cook will be starting the day after tomorrow.”

  “Why would a vampire have need of a cook?” she asked, mystified.

  He reached across and ran the back of his fingers down her cheek as he chuckled. “For you, baby. I want you taken care of and having the best.” He got out of the car and walked around to her side to open her door.

  “Garrett, while I appreciate your generosity, there is no way I can accept that when I am well aware of the fact I have friends who don’t even know where their next meal is coming from.”

  As soon as she was out of the car, he picked her up, swinging her high up on his chest and pressing a kiss to her lips. “And that is what I love about you, babe. You are always thinking of others before yourself. But as your mate, it is my job to take care of you, provide for you, and to make you happy. Now, let’s go in before you freeze to death. I’ll show
you what I’ve been doing all day.”

  Bree gasped as he carried her into the elegant foyer. From there, they walked on into a large den with a huge stone fireplace that was crackling and providing more warmth than she had felt in a long time. She barely noticed the big, overstuffed sectional sofa and the plush chairs in the room as he sat her down on her feet. Her feet had a mind of their own and headed straight for the blazing fireplace.

  The sound of someone clearing their throat drew her attention away from the comforting warmth of the fire. “Mr. Mason, I’ve completed everything you asked for. Here is all the necessary information.” Bree turned around to watch a young man hand Garrett a stack of papers.

  “That will be all for today, Steven. You are free to go. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. And thank you for your willingness to help me with this.”

  Bree watched as the young man bowed before Garrett. “It was my honor, sir. I’ll see you first thing tomorrow morning.” The young man turned and walked out of the room just as silently as he had walked in.

  “Is he…” Bree inquired, pointing toward the now empty spot where the young man was just standing.

  Garrett walked over to her with the paperwork still in his hands. “Yes, he is a vampire. He is also one of the best assistants I have had in many years. I’ll introduce you to him tomorrow morning. He was very hungry and I didn’t want to detain him any longer than necessary.” He stopped for just as second, as if he were weighing his words.

  “Come over here to the couch and sit down with me. I have some things I’d like for you to see.” He led her over to the sectional sofa and sat down next to her.

  “Steven and I have been busy today. First of all, did you get the opportunity to come up with a list of families that need groceries?”

  “Yes, it was a slow day at work, so I was able to get it done.” She reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Here are the names and addresses of all the families,” she informed him.

  “Excellent. We came across one small glitch in my plans this afternoon, because the stubborn grocery store owner refused to deliver the goods, even after I offered to pay him an exorbitant amount! I almost cancelled the entire order to call the next town over for help, but Steven stepped up and offered to deliver the groceries to the families. So, he’ll have to work in the evenings. With the help of the maid, Mrs. Worthington, we came up with a list of things for each family.” He handed her a few pieces of paper that were on top of the stack he was holding. “Look over the list and let me know if we missed anything.”

  Bree looked over the extensive two-page list in front of her. These families wouldn’t want or need anything for quite some time. “You’re going to do this for all twenty-five families?” she confirmed.

  Garrett nodded. “Yes, I feel I owe a great many payments to this community. That list is just the start.” He took the papers out of her hands and replaced them with more. “What are these blue prints of?” she inquired.

  “A new apartment complex,” he started, pointing as he talked. “There will be one, two, and three bedroom units.” The design was of a U-shape with what looked to be a park and even a large garden in the middle. Garrett immediately spotted what she was looking at. “I thought we’d put a playground here for the young ones, and a large garden here, so people can grow their own fruits and vegetables if they would like. I also bought the property right behind where this is going to be built, so if they want a larger garden, they have the land to do it with.”

  Bree looked at the blue prints and wanted to cry. Finally, someone in this town was realizing that people needed help. Still, she didn’t see how many of the families that could use the help could afford something like this. He had the apartments decked out with all new appliances, including washers and dryers, along with complete furnishings. She shook her head as she looked at what was in front of her: dining room table and chairs, living room couch and rocking chair, bedroom dressers and beds. It was all too much.

  Cautiously, she brought up her fear. “Garrett, I love your idea. I’m just afraid that most of the people I try to help won’t be able to afford something like this.”

  “Ahh, that’s the beauty of it, my love. Yes, they will. Their rent will be based on the income they have coming in. So, if someone gets laid off work and has very little income coming in, all he or she has to do is notify the staff and their rent will decrease to nothing until they are back on their feet.” He handed her yet another typed up form that broke down rent vs. income. Most of the rent amounts were far less than what she knew they were paying now.

  “Wow… I don’t really know what to say. Are you sure you can afford to do all of this?” she inquired with no small amount of awe in her voice as she continued to study the blueprints. There would be a rec room, a library, and a meeting room all adjacent to the front office. On top of all that, it would be a gated community and have security at the gates twenty-four hours a day. He wanted the residents to feel safe and comfortable. He had kept that in mind when he sat down to lay out the plans that were in his head this afternoon.

  “So, when do you plan to start on this project?” Bree asked cautiously. Was Garrett just some big dreamer, or did he really plan on going through with this?

  “Yes, I can afford this project easily. As far as when, I have already put a large deposit down on land on the east side of town. They are trying to push it through quickly since I am paying cash. If all goes well, we will begin breaking ground the day after Christmas.”

  Bree’s eyes went round with wonder. “Really? That quickly? How long do you think the building will last?”

  “It may be between ten months and a year before everything is finalized, but the first set of apartments should be ready for occupancy within two months. I’m having two different teams come in to build, so it should speed things up. The first block of ten in two months, the second block of ten two months later, and so on. There are a total of sixty apartments, some of which I plan to offer to the hired help. What do you think? Do you think the residents of this town will like it?"

  “Like it? I think they are going to think they’ve died and gone to heaven!” she exclaimed. She threw her arms around his neck as she hoisted her body up until she was sitting on his lap. “I can’t thank you enough, Garrett.” She pressed her little body up against his as she ran her cheek across his. Then a thought hit her. She sat up with a frown on her face.

  “What’s wrong?” Garrett asked in concern.

  “Are you going to make these people put a security deposit down? Because if so…” she never got the chance to finish.

  “They will have two choices. Either put down one month’s rent as a security deposit, or be subject to a quarterly inspection. The inspection is just so they don’t go in and tear the place up, because unfortunately, some people take advantage of the generosity of others and do that.”

  She nodded her head. “Absolutely. I’m so glad you’re not going to demand an exorbitant amount for a deposit. Let’s face it, the families I know just don’t have it.”

  *****

  The remainder of the evening was spent going over Bree’s list of families in need of food. Garrett promised her that everything she had put down would be delivered by the end of the week, just a few days before Christmas.

  “Bree, now that this is all out of the way, can we talk about us? I know this is fast for you but, honey, I have waited over two centuries for you. I love you. I love your generosity and your beautiful spirit. I love that you put others before yourself. But, as your mate, it is my job to take care of you in any and all ways. Do you understand what I am saying?”

  In all honestly, she didn’t really understand at all, but she was going to try to bluff it. “I think so. Are you talking about wanting to have sex with me?”

  Garrett grinned. “Well, yes. I would love to make love to you, but that’s not what I am talking about. I want to take care of you in all ways that a husband should take car
e of his wife. I want to provide for you, cherish you, and of course, love on you!”

  When she gave him the deer-in-the-headlights look, he broke it down so she knew exactly what he was talking about. “I want you to move in with me. I want you to be my mate. I want to buy you a ring, a fancy white dress, and do a ceremony of sorts. I want to buy you beautiful clothes, a new car, and anything else your heart desires. I want to buy you rubies, emeralds, pearls, and diamonds. I don’t want another day to go by where you are not happy and completely taken care of.” At her look of shock, he continued, “And I want to do this for the rest of your life, Bree. I want to show you so much love, that one day, I hope you will return the feelings.”

  “Oh, Garrett,” she said as tears came to the forefront fast and Garrett held his breath, waiting for her rejection. “I know it’s soon, but I think I already love you… No, I know I already love you. I don’t understand how this could be happening so fast, but you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Thank you,” she breathed in awe. “Thank you for loving me. Thank you for standing behind me and supporting me in my endeavor.”

  Garrett reached over and picked her up, hooking one arm under her knees and the other around her waist. He stood with her in his arms. “If you don’t mind, we’ll save the grand tour for later. I’d rather take a tour of your body with my tongue right now.”

  “You’ll get no argument from me,” Bree replied cheekily as she reached up and nipped his chin, sending his desire through the roof.

  Chapter Six

  Christmas Eve was an overcast, cold day, but Bree had never been more happy or content. She had watched her lover and mate for a week now give everything he had to help the residents in their small town. Along with helping out the twenty-five families, he had also given a generous donation to the local food bank and soup kitchen. He had pushed for the paperwork on the land to go through, which was due to be completed at five that evening. He had teleported the two of them over to her old house for her to pack a suitcase and he had hired a moving company to pack and move everything else after Christmas.