by L.H. Cosway
There’s no doubt she’s referring to his daughter right now. Ethan has already given me a cryptic answer similar to this one. I want to ask her what the special something is, but I have a feeling it would be pointless and only cause suspicion. I have my invitation to accompany Ethan to Whitfield’s party, the only problem is that the party is being held to celebrate his victory. If I’m going to be successful in getting Rebecca back to her dad, I need to make sure that victory doesn’t come to pass. And therefore, I need to figure out a way to get into his house sooner.
I suddenly realise how much I can emote to Pamphrock’s situation, since I’m kind of in the same boat myself. He wants his little girl back and I want my dad back. At least he knows where exactly Rebecca is, I couldn’t be any more clueless as to my dad’s whereabouts. Only I’m ninety-nine per cent certain some warlock or witch has him. Especially after what the dying witch had said about a ‘ritual’.
I sit down on Delilah’s bed for a moment. “Tell me something, just how well does Ethan know Whitfield?” Because I need to know how much they trust one another, something deep down inside of me wishes I could convince Ethan to sever his ties with the man, get out while he still can. It’s probably futile, but I can’t help wishing.
She studies me closely. “Why do you ask that?”
“I just don’t like him, and I’m wondering if I should even be having anything to do with Ethan if he’s partners with a man like Whitfield.”
She seems to accept my answer, then says, “They go way back, I wasn’t even born when Ethan first met Whitfield. They were both fighting in the American Civil War, I think it was the year 1862. Some vampires like to fight in wars, as you might guess, there’s lots of blood to feast on, as well as the opportunity to wreak havoc without any repercussions.”
For a moment I picture Ethan in battle, and a shiver runs down my spine. I would not have liked to be fighting for the opposing side. I do the maths in my head, Ethan must have already been well over 100 then, and then I think further, realising he was born around 1733. God, he really is old.
“Well that’s not at all disturbing,” I say on a sigh.
“You need to stop thinking of vampires as human Tegan, their lives are so much longer, it means their priorities are less – moral. They don’t feel emotions as intensely as humans.” I could counter that there are a lot of very amoral humans in the world also, but I don’t bother.
“What about you, you’re hardly that much different from a vampire. And I think crying in your bedroom because your brother is being strict with you is a fairly intense emotional reaction.”
Delilah shrugs. “Yes, but I will only live half the lifespan of a vampire, and I’m relatively young by supernatural standards.”
My interest piques. Finn had mentioned Delilah is around eighty. “When were you born, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Delilah shoots me a sidelong glance, but I think she’s glad of the opportunity to think about something other than her current situation. “I was born in 1923, my mother was a Swedish woman who our father Alin had a short term affair with. All of our father’s affairs were short term. When she gave birth to me and he heard she’d had a girl, he came and took me from her. For some reason he’d only ever had boys up until that point, and it seemed to fascinate him that he should be capable of fathering a female.”
1923. That makes her eighty-nine years old. Finn was right, she really doesn’t look too bad for an old broad. “So your father’s dead then?”
“You are very inquisitive tonight, aren’t you Tegan,” says Delilah with a slight grin.
“I just want to get to know you all better, get things into perspective in my head. Forgive me if I’m fascinated by the fact that you are all so young but so old at the same time.”
Delilah laughs now. “I’ve never heard it put that way before. And yes, my father is dead, he died about twenty years ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
Delilah shrugs, but then her expression goes serious for a moment. “Ethan mentioned your father has gone missing.”
I slump my shoulders at the reminder. “Yeah, I had planned on leaving again soon, but I can’t go until I’ve found him and made sure he’s safe.”
Delilah comes and sits down beside me. “I’ll keep my ear to the ground in the club and let you know if I hear anything suspicious.”
“Thanks.”
“No, thank you,” she says, “talking to you has reminded me that I’m not the only person in this city who has something to fear from vampires. I used to take my freedom for granted, I guess once I get it back I’ll learn to appreciate it more.”
I grin. “You do that, I better go find Ethan.”
Delilah smirks. “Yeah, he’s probably in his room upstairs. I’ll just remind you that being a dhamphir I have very good hearing, so please keep that in mind when you go up there, because I don’t wish to hear my brother having intimate relations.”
I roll my eyes. “What, he never brings women back here?”
“To the house? God no, he has other places to go for that kind of thing. Then again, I don’t think he’s been near a female for a while, you managed to leave quite the mark on him.” She smiles at me knowingly. What she says makes me feel both nervous and unworthy. I’m certainly not worth going celibate for, that’s for sure. Unless I have some unusual talents I’m unaware of. Then I remember my blood. Yeah, how could I forget?
I’m about to leave but then I turn back around to her. “You know, you should think about getting in touch with Gabriel, he’s your half-brother and also a really good guy.”
Delilah looks at me cynically. “Gabriel despises me.”
“He despises Ethan, you I think he might just have some time for. After all, you’re both dhamphirs.”
“That’s like me telling you you’ll get along with George Bush because you’re both human.” Delilah replies snidely.
I get her point, but still I grin and respond. “You’re right, we would definitely get on. He’d make me feel all intelligent and shit.”
Delilah shakes her head, not swayed by my attempt at lightening the mood. “I’m not getting in touch with Gabriel, Tegan.”
If I ever convince Delilah to give her half-brother a chance I don’t think now is going to be the time, so I just nod and slip out the door. My bare feet sink into the plush brown carpet that lines the hallway. Making my way up to the next floor, my heart begins to beat frantically. The hall is just as long as the previous one down below, but I see a door cracked open slightly. When I peer inside I find Ethan sitting in a fancy velvet armchair with a hardback book held open in one hand. His eyes scan the words, but he seems to sense me standing there and they flick up to meet my gaze.
His hair is damp like mine, he must have showered too. He’s wearing dark pants and a grey button down shirt which is currently unbuttoned, revealing his olive toned chest that I’m doing my best not to gawk at.
Ethan snaps the book shut and places it on the table beside him. I take a look around his room, in an effort to keep from gazing at him in shameful lust. I never considered myself a danger junkie, but I must be, because I’m finding this killer very appealing right now. It’s like a sickness. I’m sick from wanting him so badly, and I can’t help liking it every time we’re alone together. It’s terrible to say it, but they are my favourite times.
His bed is large with simple dark green sheets, all of the furnishings are dark wood. There’s a massive bookcase lining one wall, full of hardback volumes. It’s not exactly a tidy room, more casually clean, like he only bothers to do housework when it suits him. Same as me. Or perhaps he has a maid. Or maybe Delilah does it, though I have a hard time picturing her doing anything even halfway menial.
Ethan doesn’t breathe a word as I survey his belongings. When I finally turn back to look at him he’s wearing a satisfied smirk on his face. Both arms splayed along the rests of the chair, his legs hanging slightly apart.
“What?” I ask, not knowing
what else to say.
“Nothing, I just never have women in my bedroom, it’s…different.” He answers, his eyes shining in amusement.
“So then you prefer to use hotels or something?”
Ethan shrugs and tilts his head a little to the side. “Sometimes, or else I just go to their place, or even use my office at the club. Bringing women to your home gives them unrealistic expectations.”
“Nice. I remember when you brought me to your office. But don’t worry about me being at your house, my expectations are very much realistic right now.” The lie comes easily. My skin prickles all over imagining Ethan putting those hands on other women. Which is ridiculous, because his list of bed mates is most likely record breaking, he’s had nearly 300 years to rack it up.
Ethan runs a finger over the velvety material of his armchair. “What if I said I wanted you to have unrealistic expectations of me?” he asks.
I ignore his comment. “What’s with the flirting Ethan? I thought you hated my guts for disobeying you last night?” I put as much snark into my words as possible. It’s the only defence I can grasp for, because I’m two seconds away from mounting him where he sits, he looks oh so appealing lounging lazily in that armchair.
“I caught a whiff of you leaving the shower, and for some reason it’s caused me to forget about your bad behaviour. Also, I can see that you aren’t wearing a bra underneath that cardigan.”
I instinctively cross my arms over my chest. “Obviously I’m not wearing one, I gave you all my clothes, remember?” Red creeps treacherously across my cheeks.
Ethan’s gaze drifts slowly down to my pale bare feet before rising up again, as though taking in every curve of my body. “Come here,” he whispers.
Oh wonderful. I feel myself stepping forward against my own better judgement. Several beats later I’m standing between his open legs. He reaches up and places a hand on my lower back, then lets it drift down over my bottom which he squeezes before resting on the back of my thigh.
He takes advantage of his hold and pulls my leg into him. I lean my knee on top of his, one leg still standing firmly on the ground. A final vestige of my self-control. He takes his other hand and trails it down my arm, moves to the elastic of the leggings I’m wearing and slips beneath the fabric, tracing his fingers over the skin of my abdomen.
“Will we help each other to forget, just for a little while?” he asks softly, his dark blue eyes making contact with mine. Electricity fizzles between us. No amount of will power could help me to succeed in dragging myself away from him. Some kind of force encourages me to lean my body towards him.
He gently takes hold of my wrist, pulling me down so that my ear is just above his lips. “I want to watch you die in my bed,” his smooth voice tells me, promising me heaven. I instantly realise he’s not talking about killing me. Although the kind of death he’s talking about could very well end me. I have never been more turned on in my entire life. Or more afraid.
“As tempting as that sounds,” I answer hoarsely, “your sister kindly reminded me that she has excellent hearing, and pardon me, but I’m not the kind of girl who enjoys an audience.”
A slow, seductive smile shapes itself on Ethan’s lips, he pulls me even closer to him now, our mouths almost touch, our breaths mingle. “She just left,” he replies, eyes wandering over my lips.
“You’re lying,” I say nervously, because if Delilah really has gone out then I’m at the mercy of Ethan with his darkly beautiful eyes and tousled hair.
He motions to the window. “Go and see for yourself.” He lets go of me then, and after a moment of hesitation I run to the window. I peer out just in time to see Delilah pulling away from the driveway in a sleek black saloon car.
A shiver of fear slithers down my spine, and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a pleasurable sort of fear. “Isn’t she supposed to stay indoors?” I call over to Ethan, and my heart thumps when I turn a fraction to find that he’s directly behind me.
I can feel his breath on the sensitive skin below my ear. “She’s gone back to the club to give Lucas a piece of her mind if I had to guess, she’ll be safe there.”
“You mentioned something earlier about taking me home,” I reply in a shaky voice. “Or I can even call a taxi, save you the hassle,” I add, thinking that I need to go to Finn’s.
His body presses flush against mine, enclosing me against the window ledge. One hand latches onto the top button of the cardigan I’m wearing and flicks it open.
“Relax, I can smell your anxiety. I have no intention of biting you Tegan. That is, of course, unless you want me to,” he laughs, low and intimate.
I breathe out heavily, and Ethan continues to slowly unbutton his way down my cardigan. “This is a bad idea,” I tell him, “I’m leaving in a week or so Ethan, and I don’t want to know what I’ll be missing after I leave.”
“Why not?” he asks, before pressing his lips to a particularly sensitive spot below my ear, it draws a sigh out of me that I hadn’t expected.
“Because…” I make an attempt to answer, he has the whole cardigan open now and is currently running his fingers from my neck all the way down to my stomach. I gather all of my strength. “Because if I sleep with you I’ll probably end up falling in love with you, and I don’t want my heart broken again.” I feel like a fickle bitch thinking of the fact that I really could fall for Ethan, even though I know that he kills. His beauty is just so overwhelming.
At this Ethan’s arm encircles my waist and tightens around my hips. “Wouldn’t that only be fair, since you broke mine,” he answers, his lips are on my hair and he seems to inhale sharply, taking in my scent.
“I don’t think you’re capable of having a broken heart Ethan,” I say, and instantly regret being so harsh.
He pulls me into him, not at all gently. “You need to understand that humans aren’t the only beings capable of love,” he tells me, and there’s no mistaking the hurt in his words.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
“You might choose not to believe it Tegan, but when you left, something in me changed. No longer did I want to sleep with women simply for the gratification of the act. Somehow every time I tried I would only think of what it felt like to touch you, and nothing else seemed to compare.”
I close my eyes, and a solitary tear leaks out. I hate myself for hurting him like that, but I didn’t exactly have much of a choice in the matter. At least I thought I didn’t, there was no way for me to foresee the war that would take place after Theodore had been banished.
Before I even realise what’s happening, Ethan flips me around so that I’m facing him, he notices my tear and kisses it away. Then he draws back and locks gazes with me. I almost forget every worry I ever had in this moment, too consumed by how it feels to have his full attention centred on me.
Then he speaks, “I do not think you will need to sleep with me to fall in love with me, fata frumoasa, I think you already do, you just can’t admit it to yourself.” It never fails to make me melt when he calls me a beautiful girl in Romanian.
I keep on staring at him, the locking of our eyes seems more sensual than even touching. Is this really love I feel for Ethan? There’s certainly a whole lot of lust going on inside of me right now.
I try to deflect from what he’s said with snark. “I see you haven’t lost that cockiness then.”
Ethan frowns. “Don’t avoid it Tegan, you love me, I can smell it when you look at me, your problem is accepting it.”
“I’m twenty-three, I really don’t know what I feel.” Perhaps reminding him how young I am will get him to back off. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work.
He lifts my hips up onto the window ledge and pulls my legs around his waist. “Age is of little consequence, you are a women and I am a man, and if I can’t convince you with words how right it is for us to be together then maybe I will simply demonstrate it with actions.”
He lifts me again, and this time carries me over to his bed,where he lays me d
own on the cool, soft sheets. He towers over me, eyes roaming over my bared skin where the cardigan pools open. He slides his hand over one of my shoulders and pushes the top of the cardigan away, tilts his head to the side, as though admiring my skin, and then does the same on the other shoulder before lifting me up and tugging the whole garment off me.
I reach up to pull his shirt down his arms and then throw it onto the floor. He leans down and begins to kiss me slow and attentively, the skin of our chests touching, pressing against one another. Our tongues mingle languorously and I sigh into his mouth. His hands run over my hips and then move past my stomach and ribs to rest feather light on my breasts, he’s barely touching me and yet it feels like so much more. This vampire really knows how to mess with my head. I open my eyes and I’m not surprised to find him grinning as he’s kissing me. “Something wrong, Tegan?” he asks against my mouth.
I try to scowl at him, but I like him too much right now to be angry. “I know what you’re doing,” I breathe.
“Forgive me,” he replies sincerely, “I don’t normally take things so slowly, but with you I can’t seem to help myself. I want to savour every moment of this.”
Brilliant. I haven’t slept with a man in more than two and a half years and he wants to take it slowly. I’m going to have a heart attack if he doesn’t touch me harder.
He seems to read what I’m thinking simply from the expression on my face, because he smiles and whispers, “Open your legs for me, fata frumoasa.”
I swallow down a massive gulp of saliva and my knees fall helplessly to the sides. He trails a hand up my inner thigh, slips it under the fabric of my pants and makes contact with my skin. When he reaches the place I’m yearning for him to be, I grab onto him as his fingers tease me.
He applies more pressure and suddenly he’s running his fangs over my neck and whispering, “Die for me,” in my ear.
At this very moment I don’t think I could stop him if he tried to bite me even if I wanted to. His fingers ease inside of me and moments later explosions of pleasure burst through my body. Ethan has removed the remainder of both of our clothing within milliseconds, and then there is no material separating us any longer. He grips both of my hands in his, our fingers intertwining, and lifts my arms up, pressing them down into the pillows above my head. His naked body is pressed flush against mine now.
