Some women were moved by jewelry or fancy clothes, but not Anna. Her husband was giving her a toilet. It was the most romantic gift she could have imagined. “Oh, Adam!” She threw her arms around him. She let her gratitude overflow into her kiss.
He kissed her back for a moment and then pulled her arms from his shoulders. “Ainsicht, do you remember how I said I was getting you a gift?” She nodded. “I want to show it to you. Shut your eyes.”
Anna smiled as her eyes closed. She heard the click of the latch. Adam took her hand and led her into the washroom. “Open your eyes, ainsicht.”
The room was unfinished with holes in the floor and walls where a sink, tub, and toilet would be installed. The expansive room had wood-planked flooring. A vanity of sorts that resembled a simple wooden desk with a wooden bench sat against the far plaster wall. Anna realized right away what Adam meant to surprise her with. It was the only decorative touch placed in the room.
Her throat constricted painfully as a wash of emotion spread from her heart and erupted upward. Her vision blurred so quickly, before she could swipe a finger under her eye or blink, her tears had already begun to fall. Adam squeezed her hand. “Is that the one?”
She pressed her lips together and gave a tight nod. She could not speak through the emotions swamping her. There on the wooden vanity sat the ugly blue vase in which her mother used to hide Easter eggs.
She slowly walked over to the vase and ran her fingers over the edge, not really touching it but admiring it and feeling the memories it represented all the same. The fact that he had gone to her storage unit and found this for her, that he had looked through items of her past she did not have the courage to see, and found this one piece of her mother she had always coveted, well, it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her.
She swallowed and swallowed again. After several attempts to find her voice, she finally gave a watery chuckle. There would be no classy way of thanking him now. She just looked at him and wiped her eyes with her wrists. “How did you get this?” she asked running her hand over the top of the vase, but not quite touching it.
“I had your keys and found the address to your storage unit in your paperwork. I went there this morning while you were sleeping.”
Shaking her head, she said, “You are the most amazing man I have ever met and you’re my husband. Thank you for this, Adam. In a million years I could not imagine anyone ever doing something for me that means as much.”
He hugged her tightly. “I had never expected to care so deeply for my mate so fast. I love you, Annalise. You are the blessing God has bestowed upon me, and I will spend all of eternity trying to be a male worthy of his gift, worthy of your heart.”
The embrace slowly turned into small kisses. Small kisses evolved into long kisses. Anna put her heart and soul into every caress and every touch. Mouths traveled over lips, cheeks, and eyes, as hands journeyed across slopes and curves. Adam had somehow led her out of the washroom and back into the main bedroom.
They stood facing one and other in the center of the room. Her emotions were so thick and turbulent in that moment she felt herself quaking with the effort it took to contain them. Adam stepped back and ran his large palms over her shoulders. “Do not be frightened, ainsicht. There will be no pain here tonight.”
“I’m not frightened, Adam. I just want to be with you. I want forever to start now.”
He carefully removed her bonnet and placed it on a small hope chest sitting at the foot of the bed. She turned slowly in his arms as his fingers carefully pulled the pins from her hair. Long twists of russet tresses pulled from their tightly woven bun as Adam gently unraveled her locks. He fanned her hair over her shoulders and said words of admiration for her hair’s beauty.
The ribbon ties at the back of her apron came undone, and the garment loosened over her front. He slid the wide, white straps down her arms. She turned, and he gathered the apron and placed it on the chest.
He kissed her temple and her eyes as he pulled one billowy sleeve down her arm and then the other. She raised her arms as he lifted her blue gown over her head. His fingers went to her bottoms and slowly undid the bow. The fluffy, white garments loosened and fell to the floor. She stepped out of them and stood before her husband completely unclothed.
He took her hand and placed it on his chest over the top button. She began to slowly unhook the snap and work her way down his body, revealing his beautifully formed chest and sculpted abdomen. Her fingers returned to his shoulders where she pulled the straps of his suspenders away.
Unbuttoning his pants, she gave them a careful tug and helped him step out of them. It was not long before he was equally as naked as she. They stood toe to toe, simply admiring one and other, as the moment built with an intensity neither of them had ever experienced.
Adam dragged the backs of his knuckles softly over her flat belly. The swirling motion left a trail of gooseflesh in its wake. His palm flattened over her lower tummy, and they shared a moment weighted in heavy meaning. Their future had already begun.
“Will the baby be okay?” she whispered.
“Yes. My blood will sustain you both.”
* * **
Adam swept the hair away from Anna’s shoulder and placed a kiss on the tender slide of her neck. Anna’s nipples pulled tight and her shoulders shivered. His mouth dragged lovingly to her ear. He trailed soft kisses over her jaw. He anointed every part of her, the crests of her cheeks, the soft tips of her lashes, the tip of her nose. When he finally found her lips, her body was quivering so hard she seemed barely able to hold herself up.
He sensed her building need and smiled through his kiss. His left hand coasted over her pointed hip, past her ribs, and tickled the underside of her breast. Her flesh was heated and sensitive to his every caress. He pinched the ruby tip of her breast, and her knees buckled.
Adam’s satisfied, male chuckle filled the air as he bent and scooped Anna into his arms. He carried her to the bed, spread her out onto the covers and admired her as if she were a collection of precious stones upon a velvet cloth. She was his greatest treasure. His fingers teased and tickled hidden corners and crevices of her body, each touch tuning her body tighter and tighter until it seemed that one more strum of his fingertips would have her bursting into pieces.
He moved more fully on top of her and found a home between her thighs. He was there, yet he was careful to support his own weight. He was barely touching her except for where his fingers purposely intended to make contact. Her hips pressed into the bedding, and her back arched. Her neck curved as she began to make small kitten cries for more. He sat back on his heels and watched her pride fall away as her body’s movements took over in a physical begging he could not resist.
His mouth found her breast and the contact was so needed, the stimulation so thirsted after, she screamed in ecstasy. Her intense reaction to the touch of his mouth only fueled him on. His hands coasted over her flesh, softly petting and pinching in all the right places.
* * * *
Anna’s knees drew up, causing Adam’s heat, length, and weight to press against her sex. He moved down the bed, and the weight was gone, but before she could complain, his mouth was there. Her legs fell wide, and at the first blazing trace of his tongue, her body opened like a flower, and a starburst of color exploded behind her eyes.
She cried out his name as he drove her up and up time after time, never letting her completely fall back down. Every lick, every suckle, every breath against her warm, dewy flesh took her to another place on some distant plane of rapture.
When Anna fell into a rhythm that she could no longer tell where sensation began and where it ended, she only existed as a steady thrum of feeling, Adam moved back up her body. He kissed her lips, and she made sounds that should have been words but were of no language either of them spoke.
“It is time, Annalise,” he whispered as he kissed her shoulder. Anna could not move a muscle. She lay supine beneath him as he carefully moved her bod
y and positioned her limbs where he needed them. She found herself resting her cheek on her forearm and her lower body resting on her knees.
Adam traced a finger down the line of her spine, and her body reflexively followed his touch. Her hips lifted, and her back elongated. He nudged her knees apart and positioned himself behind her. “Do you love me, Anna?”
He waited, and she knew he would not move until he knew she was sure. The act of speaking seemed as daunting as moving a cement wall, yet her tongue somehow formed the words he needed. “Yes, Adam, I love you. I will have no regrets.”
He pressed forward, and the penetration seemed to split her body in two. She lunged forward, and he took hold of her hips. Long, loving strokes reached right to her heart. Their bodies moved as one, and her strength slowly returned. Her arms stretched before her, and it wasn’t long before she was holding herself up again. His heat combined with hers in a union so beautiful and so right, emotion began to prickle at the back of her throat.
They made love for a long while, simply experiencing each other, savoring every pull, every thrust, every weighted pressure and punctuated twist. Her body began to rise, and she realized Adam was lifting her. His right arm banded over her ribs, his calloused hand cupping the soft flesh of her breast. He lifted her until her back pressed fully to his chest from the nape of her neck to the tail of her spine.
His mouth brushed over her shoulder, the hollow of her collarbone. His tongue singed a needy trail of wet kisses over her neck. He licked at her pulse and gently nudged her chin until her head rested on her left shoulder, causing her neck to lengthen and allow him full access.
He reached around her, and she heard the sound of him biting his own wrist. Finding her pulse, he licked again. “Eawichkeit, Annalise.”
“Eawichkeit, Adam.”
He raised her head off of her shoulder at the same moment his fangs pierced the soft flesh of her throat. Her blood pumped and flooded into him. He brought his arm to her mouth, and she latched on as naturally as a child does to their mother. Warm and spicy, with an essence that was somehow familiar to Adam’s kiss, the ruby liquid filled her mouth and she swallowed eagerly.
The shared sensation of Adam feeding from her and, at the same time, providing her with a life force equivalent to drinking from the fountain of youth brought a heady sense of euphoria to her. As they drank, every sensation grew more intense, more potent. Her hips began to press into him, and he moved still deeply imbedded within her. They began to moan and suck and thrust like wild, possessed animals yet somehow managed to not let go of one and other.
Heat built so tightly inside of her she feared she would catch fire. Adam’s thrusts increased in force. With every powerful stroke, he filled her so completely she was sure she would be bruised, yet she was being equally as demanding with him. She needed him, wanted him, and would never give him up.
She continued to drink, but he had pulled away from her neck. He kissed his mark, and his breath beat at her neck. “Ainsicht. Ainsicht. My only one. My ainsicht. Mine!”
At his words, her body pulled tight as a bow and suddenly released all the pressure. She screamed out her pleasure, and Adam tensed behind her. His body quaked over hers as warmth spread from within. Her muscles locked and shivered, and her body seemed to fall away in a million pieces. Somewhere in the midst of all of that, Adam had removed his wrist and was now holding her in his arms.
The world began to slowly come back together. Her hands were pressed against his chest and her hips parallel with his as the softness of their lower bodies pressed together. Her legs were there, twisted and woven with his much longer ones. Adam softly touched her face and gazed at her with unrefined love and affection. There was such peace. A feeling of letting go, releasing every worry, every sensation, as if even gravity could no longer hold her there. She was floating away. She sighed. “So tired, Adam.”
“It is beginning, Anna. Rest. It will all be over soon.”
Chapter 28
After tending to his horse and returning her to her stall, Eleazar meticulously replaced his crop and reins to their proper place along the barn wall. The night was cool, and he enjoyed the peacefulness of the slight walk to his isolated home. The glowing lamp in the window outlined the silhouette of the man awaiting his return. He slowly traveled up the steps of the safe house, his home, and greeted his watchman, David.
“Good evening to you, David. How is our guest?”
“Good evening, Bishop King. Cain is well. He has been praying. He went peacefully to his cell and has not voiced any complaints of his treatment.”
“Good, good.”
“How was the ceremony?”
“As expected. We will have a new member to The Order by dawn I suspect.”
“Very well. I will walk with you down to check on our guest once more before I take my leave, sir.”
They walked through the home and turned down a narrow corridor that sloped below ground. The air became musky and cool as they stepped deeper below the earth’s surface. An oil lamp burned low in the distance outside of the cell where their guest was staying. Eleazar could hear movement.
“Perhaps he has finished his prayers.”
They moved closer to the cell and when they saw the prisoner, he was not sitting quietly in prayer, but pacing the small space. His body seemed corded with tension, and his motions appeared highly agitated. At their approach the man turned. “You have to let me go to her!” he said, not bothering with a greeting.
Eleazar folded his arms over his chest and gave the man a doubtful look. “Cain, you know I cannot permit such a thing.”
He only grew more agitated. “You don’t understand! I can feel her. She’s changing!”
“Yes. That is because she is now a mated female. She is no longer your concern.”
Cain growled and flung himself at the bars containing him. “I know she belongs to Adam. I am not after her in that way, but she needs me.”
“She needs only her mate.”
“Listen to me you stubborn aesel! I am telling you his blood will not be enough! I can feel her blood calling to mine. If you don’t let me go, she will die and my breder will lose her and then die as well. You have to let me out!”
“Watch your tone, boy. I am your bishop.”
Cain’s knuckles squeezed over the bars, popping bones and turning an unnatural shade of white. He breathed deeply and attempted to calm himself. When his eyes met the bishop’s, there was pain there, hopelessness. “Please.”
“You may go now, David,” Eleazar said, dismissing the guard. Once the other man was gone, he looked back at Cain. “It is unfortunate that you must suffer so. I am a holy man, yet I have no explanation for such a fate as yours. Your God is calling for you and I will try to take you to him as peacefully as possible. What you are feeling now is the beast within. You are growing feeish and soon you will feel your mind no more.”
“I am not ferricked, not deranged, I swear to you I am thinking perfectly clear. Something is happening, and my brother needs me! Anna needs me!”
“It is your instincts lying to you that have you so convinced.”
“No, you bastard, it is my mate! My brother’s mate! She is going to die, and it will be your fault, you hesslich—”
Cain fell to his knees and gripped his temples as excruciating pain distorted his face. Eleazar held out his palm a moment longer until he was sure the prisoner got the message. He was not leaving this cell. Ever.
As the bishop lowered his hand, he watched as Cain’s body began to spasm and fall to the ground, shaking and twitching from the aftershock of such an assault. Eleazar unlocked the cell and stepped over the tormented man. His shoes scraped over the dusty floor as he stepped close to Cain’s face.
“You see, my boy, while I have compassion for your suffering, my tolerance is thin. You will respect me in all matters, or you will find yourself in a tomb rather than a cell.” He carefully stepped out of the cell and relocked the bars. “Your pain will be over
soon, son. Let’s not have to discuss this matter again.”
As Eleazar locked the corridor door and returned to his private quarters he let the stresses of the day wash away. He moved through his quiet house and frowned when he heard the prisoner’s voice bellowing from below. Perhaps the Lord would be merciful and carry the man through his path swiftly. It made absolutely no sense that Cain should be called to his brother’s mate.
He would be glad to see this day over, he thought as he undressed and pulled back his bedding. Hopefully he could find a full night’s rest this evening. Whatever had been disrupting his sleep was proving to be an irritant. He was not himself and knew the next few days would require a clear head and for him to be at his best.
* * * *
Vito pinched the amber tip of his cigarette and tossed the butt away from the door of the club. It was a quiet Tuesday night. Other than the regulars, there wasn’t much action. The girls were probably making shitty tips, but a slow week usually meant a busy weekend.
He waved to a patron with a terrible comb-over as he made his way out of the building and into the lot. Pathetic. As much as he loved the dancers, he could not imagine choosing their distant company over that of a wife’s. Most of the customers at Club Silhouettes were married, middle-aged, and upper-middle class. They were thirty minutes past the city limits, so they were close enough for the average suburban dads and husbands to sneak away for a night of voyeurism and be home before The Tonight Show.
The dancers were sweet, nothing quite like the girls who danced at the city clubs, but Vito liked being away from all the hustle and bustle. Here, just off Route Thirteen, stuck between the Borough of Bristol and the condensed suburbs of Levittown, was exactly where he wanted to be.
The crowd rolled thick on Fridays and Saturdays, but the rest of the week he was paid to basically stand by the door and smoke a pack of cigarettes. The only problems that usually took place on a weeknight were someone losing their keys or needing a jump for their battery. Vito was fine with that level of responsibility.
Called to Order [The Order of Vampyres 1] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 34
