She smiled at him, crooking her finger in a come-here gesture. Ellie let her legs fall open so he could slide between them. Vincent sank to his knees once more, rubbing the side of his smooth face over the inside of her thigh. More paint smeared across her skin. Ellie lay her head against the pillow. She closed her eyes, reveling in his touch. A soft moan of pleasure escaped her when she felt the warm wetness of his tongue on her. Vincent laid an open-mouthed kiss between her legs. His tongue explored her, dancing back and forth over that wet, silken skin. She cried out. Her breath fell out of her. Ellie ran her hands through her hair. The delicate trace of his tongue was divine.
Ellie rolled her head to the side and stared at the drawings that were pinned everywhere. Her portrait stared right back at her. It was jarring. Ellie bit her lip, crying out again. His strong fingers slid over her, into her. Bringing her attention right back to him. The tops of his shoulders brushed against the flesh of the bottom of her thighs. Vincent was so warm. The brush of his skin was soft and smooth. Pleasure built toward a crescendo.
She brought her hips up, her back bowing with the sublime rush of her orgasm. Ellie cried out fighting to catch her breath. Vincent’s hand slid surely over the line of her body. Fireworks erupted inside her. Vincent moved his body against her with cat-like grace. Sometimes she swore his spine was really a slinky.
Vincent pressed himself against her. And that alone made her cry out. Ellie rolled her hips against him. Her arms slid over his warm back. She looked up into his face and gave him a smile. “Now that's how you say thank you.” She laughed. Ellie took in a deep breath. “God, I want you so much,” she breathed into his ear. He gave her exactly what she asked for. Vincent slid inside of her.
Her body tightened with the bliss that washed over her. She cried out his name. Vincent loved the way it sounded falling from her lips. He slid his strong hands beneath her body pulling her closer to him, wedding their bodies together. Vincent moved his hips in a slow rhythm that had her screaming with the indulgence. Every move of his hips made her cry out against his shoulder. She opened her eyes to stare up at him. Ellie studied his handsome face.
There was no fear in his eyes, no hesitation, just peace. Ellie loved that look. Vincent’s hand balled his fist into her hair. She trailed her hand over his ass, his velvety skin. He thrust himself inside her as deep as he could go. Ellie threw her head back, her eyes rolling back into her head. She laid her mouth against the side of his face. Ellie rubbed her cheek against him.
“Vincent!”
Ellie screaming his name made him tighten inside her. Another wave of sweet satisfaction washed over her. Her body danced with it. She wrapped her arms around him, held him against her. Ellie bit her bottom lip, letting it slide through her teeth. She took in a sharp breath and cried out his name again. That was enough to send him spilling over that ledge. She felt him spasm inside of her. Muscles contracting, Vincent cried out. Then his body went slack with his release. Vincent pulled back by inches blinking down at her. His eyes had bled completely black. Vincent trembled. His mouth open, he stared at her in wonder and amazement. One hand sliding into his short hair, Ellie touched her thumb to his bottom lip, his chin. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Ellie pulled him into a slow, wet kiss. Her hands cupped the sides of his face. Vincent bit her bottom lip gently and smiled. A look she had never seen before crossed his face. Ellie touched her forehead to his. “You are so beautiful,” Ellie breathed. Vincent bent his head. Laying an open-mouthed kiss on the pulse in her throat, his teeth grazed it with all his otherworldly gentleness. He kissed it again, a chaste brush of lips. Vincent looked down at her. Ellie smiled. “I love you,” she whispered. Her fingertips touched the side of his cheek.
“Love you,” his voice was deep and raspy, guttural. A sound no human throat could make. Ellie stared at him in astonishment as the realization washed over her. It was his Monster. His Beast said those words to her. Ellie ran her fingers through his hair. She smiled up at him. He laid his forehead against her chest. Ellie arched her head back, blinking surprised tears from her eyes.
When Vincent looked up at her again his eyes were the colors of storm clouds. Flecks of blue shined down at her like the sky shining through the storm of his eyes. Vincent stared at her in wonderment. She laid a kiss on his brow. Vincent smiled down at her, his face beaming like the mid-day sun. Ellie hugged him tight. Vincent laid his head on her breast basking in that moment. That victory washed him away.
Chapter 17
“Here, let-let me help you,” Edward said reaching for the shirt.
He had been staring at Anna wrestle with the buttons for the past few minutes. She was on her third attempt at lining them up and was still getting it wrong. Edward laid his fingers on the soft fabric pushing gently at her hands.
“I said, I have it,” she growled.
Anna was annoyed at the world in general. She was pissed off at herself. She was an award-winning journalist and now she couldn't even button her own damn shirt. Anna puffed out a breath when Edward weaved a button through the hole despite her words. She gave her dead eyes a roll and reached up with both hands tearing the shirt open. Buttons flew. She dragged it back over her shoulders and threw the thing down on the floor.
Edward took a step back working to swallow his rising irritation. He glared down at her. Why did she have to be such a bitch? He was simply trying to help her. His lips tensed into a sneer with his derisive snort. His hands balled into fists at his sides. Anna turned, both hands out feeling for furniture. She counted under her breath. Her hands touched the top of the dresser in the bedroom they had been sharing lately.
She knocked something over. Unsure what it was. Hell, Anna wasn't sure she cared at the moment. Her hands skimmed over the outside of the dresser counting the drawers. She pulled the second one open feeling inside. Making sure the shirt she chose didn't have any buttons. It was one of Edwards t-shirts. She couldn't put hers back on because he'd ripped it. Anna exhaled an angry breath and slid her arms through the holes carefully.
Her blindness bothered her today. It had gotten worse the past couple of weeks because Edward kept treating her like a child. He wanted to do everything for her. That drove her insane. She was trying. Oh, she was trying so hard to be more dependent, more open. But today she'd had enough. All Anna wanted now was a glass of wine and a good book. And frankly, she couldn't have either.
“I was only trying to help,” Edward said through clenched teeth. His words enunciated, clipped. That anger in him threatened to spill over.
“I know!” Anna pulled her wild red hair out of the collar to let it spill in flames over her shoulders. She took in a deep breath. “I know,” she repeated much more softly. “I'm sorry. It's just so frustrating not being able to do anything for myself.”
Edward worked hard at breathing. He was incensed, all the more because he was working so hard to keep it caged. He did not want to yell at her. But she wasn't the only one who was frustrated. Edward had an urge so strong to slap her. He knew then that he needed some distance. Edward ran his tongue over his bottom lip, trying hard to force his rage back down, to lock the door on it.
“I need to go eat something.” His voice sounded neutral. At least, he hoped it did.
“I am sorry, Edward.”
He could tell by the tone of her voice that she wasn't. This wasn't the first time they had done this. In fact, each time it came up they got just a little closer to a real fight. His need to take care of her pissed Anna off. It pissed her off more. The more she needed his help. He took in a steadying breath and crossed the floor to where she stood. Edward went to reach out. His hands twitched and shook. He stared at them a moment wanting to be sure he was in complete control before he laid his fingertips on her. Edward touched her hair, wrapping her tightly in his arms. He took in a deep whiff of her.
“Are you going to be alright?” His voice lost some of the heat, but not all of it.
“Yeah, I'll be fine.”
Reese sat on the couch in the living room. He had the little silver laptop Ellie had claimed as hers flipped over to its tablet side gleefully playing the gem game. He loved the flashing colors and little clicking noises. Reese could hear their argument down the hall. He could feel Anna's frustrations. He could feel Edward's anger. It had been getting steadily worse.
Reese looked up when Edward came stomping into the kitchen. Watched him pull a few bills from the cookie jar where they kept most of the cash. Reese gave him a tight-lipped smile as Edward slipped into his shoes and headed out the door without a word to him. Reese frowned craning his head over his shoulders to watch him disappear beyond the tree line.
Reese hated his little brother for ripping him apart sixty some years ago. Good as things were going between them Reese was still angry decades later. Watching Edward move about the house turned those feelings inside out. Here he sat with a ringside seat as Edward slowly spun out of control. All Reese could feel was shame and disgust. The way Ellie revered her brother was the same Vince felt about him once upon a time. He wondered then if Vince had tried half as hard to ignore it as Ellie was.
Vince had blinders on. He didn’t even consider thinking hateful thoughts about Edward too loudly around Ellie. That pissed Reese off. How could neither of them see what Edward was doing? What he was becoming. Reese wasn’t standing on too high a horse. He’d indulged once or twice since they dragged him into this little threesome of theirs. They were predators. Monsters. The beast craved human flesh and blood. No amount of wishing was going to change that. The only thing up for grabs was control.
Edward was losing his. And Reese knew firsthand the only way to truly lose it was to willingly let go. Edward liked it. Whether it was the screams, or maybe the taste what he really liked was death. Reese knew because he’d been there. Angry as he was at what Vince did. Reese was slowly coming around to the fact that Vince was right to put him down. Reese was watching history repeat itself and didn’t know what the hell to do about it. He huffed out a breath and went back to his gems.
It wasn't too much longer before Anna came out of the hall counting steps under her breath. She walked up to the cupboard pulling it open, letting her fingers glide over the dishes. Finally, she pulled a glass down. Anna sat it down on the counter shakily and walked over to the fridge. She pulled it open feeling along the shapes of the bottles and containers inside it.
Charlie had arranged the refrigerator with Anna in mind. She kept all the drinks on the top shelf. Anna pulled out the jug of sweet tea that Charlie whipped up. Reese approved of it. It was almost as good as what his mother used to make. She had grown up in Georgia. Anna poured herself a glass if a little clumsily, using her fingertip to measure it. Putting the container back, she picked it up and came into the living room. Birdie lifted his head and looked at her.
“Trouble in paradise?”
“Reese?”
“That'd be me, Red.” He gave her the benefit of his smile, even if she couldn't see it.
“He treats me like I'm a toddler,” she grumbled. Feeling along the arm of the other couch, she sat down carefully and took a sip of her tea.
Once Edward decided they were going to give being a couple a try. He had been all over her. He helped her dress, picking her up in mid-stride and setting her places. Edward swooped in every time she even looked like she might be having a difficult time with something. Reese could feel how much it annoyed her.
“Do me a favor, sweetheart,” Reese said setting the laptop on the cushion next to him. “Us terrible beasties got what ya might call an easy temper. I ain’t saying don't tell him no. Just don't pick a fight with him. No matter how much he pisses ya off.” Edward had him worried.
“You think he would hurt me?”
Anna heard the stories of what the monsters were capable of. She loved Edward. She couldn't imagine him hurting her, no matter how afraid Vetler was. What fear of them Anna had was slowly dwindling. Something she had been happy about. Anna loved one of them. She considered the other two her friends. Anna didn't like the idea of going back to that dread.
Reese thought back to what happened to him. To the awful things, he’d done when he was newly infected. Most of them he didn't care much about. Now, traipsing back on them there were one or two that he looked on with shame. Beth came to mind. Reese cared about her. He knew now that he hadn't loved her. But he did care about her. And her screams were like sweet music to his ears the night he killed her.
“I think he'd hate himself for a real long time. But that may not be enough to stop him in the heat of the moment.”
Anna's delicate eyebrows drew together. Her forehead wrinkled. “Are you telling me I should be afraid of him?”
Again, Reese frowned. In essence, that was exactly what he was telling her. Edward was different. Reese didn't like him. He didn't like him because Reese saw himself in Edward. He reminded Reese of all the ugly things he’d done as he spiraled out of control. Not to mention Vince was right. The guy was a dick. And both of them hated that Ellie couldn't see through him.
“I'm telling ya to realize it's easier to make us angry. And when we get angry there ain't no coming back, Red. So if he starts getting pissy, ya call for either me or Vince. We'll take care of it.”
Anna took in a breath. “Take care of it how?”
“Much as Sunshine likes her guns, they wouldn't do a damn thing to stop him. We're fast and we're strong. And our emotions are powerful things, Red. I know ya love him. So does Ellie. But the only thing to keep him from ripping ya apart if he lost it is one of us.”
The look on her face made Reese melt. She had doubt plain on her pretty features. Anna blinked those doll-like eyes. Not knowing quite what to do with what he was telling her. Anna was as close to happy as she had been since she broke into that damned hospital. Even with Edward smothering her lately. She didn't want to be afraid of him.
“He loves ya, Red. I can feel it. He's got a control on the hunger. I just want ya to be careful is all.”
Anna nodded her head a little too quickly. Reese pressed his lips together and rolled them under. His eyes went wide, eyebrows raising high. Reese felt a little bad for dropping this on her. But he would feel worse if she pushed Edward too hard and he ripped into her. The look on her face had visions of Beth dancing in his head. It had him swimming in the guilt of it.
Beth was a sweet girl. She sure as hell didn't deserve what he did to her. Vince was right about that. Reese took in a breath that made his chest swell just to blow it right back out again. He blinked dazzling blue eyes at her, heaving a heavy sigh.
“I don't know, maybe I'm just projecting,” he admitted. Now that he laid it on her, Reese felt the need to comfort her.
“What do you mean, projecting?”
Reese took in another deep breath. His eyes glazed over with memories from decades past. “Before we got attacked, I had come to the conclusion I was going to marry my girl back home. Her name was Beth, Beth Voris. She was a lovely girl. Pretty as a picture and she smelled like apples,” Reese said with a bittersweet smile. “At the time I thought I loved her and truth be told had I not been infected, or killed. I probably would have spent the rest of my life with her. But I did get attacked. I became this. And in the beginning, Red, it's hard to control. Not that I wanted to,” Reese admitted. “I wanted my life back. So I called her. The moment I saw her I took her to bed,” he said with a wistful smile. “And then I got on my knees and I begged her to marry me. I promised her a life. Instead I...” Reese swallowed hard past all the emotions this dredged up.
Anna listened carefully. She could hear his voice breaking. Hear the sharp gasp he took trying to fight back tears. Anna closed her teeth over her bottom lip and listened. It was all she could do. Birdie lifted his head, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. His eyes slid from Reese to Anna and back again.
“Instead I killed her.” Reese’s bottom lip trembled with the memories of it. “We got into a fight, ya see. Some
thing stupid. Something that if I weren't what I am we'd have made up. We would have moved on and she would've had a life. But I lost my temper. And I...” Reese swallowed the lump in his throat. “I ripped her apart.” He sighed heavily. His voice sounded brittle. “My hands will never be clean of that.”
He pushed at the hair that had fallen into his face. Reese tried hard to banish the tears that stung his eyes. Anna fidgeted with her glass of tea. She didn't know what to say. It's not often that someone confessed murder to her. Though she had to admit that happened more here, than she ever would have expected.
“I just don't want nothing to happen to ya, darlin’.” His raspy voice was gaining its good ole boy, easy southern charm again. The sadness leaked out of it on the surface. But Anna could tell it was in there. “I like ya, Red.”
That made Anna smile. “I like you too. I don't want to be afraid anymore, Reese.”
“Don't be.” He gave her another smile that was completely lost on her. “Be cautious. It's different.”
“Be cautious,” she repeated. Yeah, that sounded better. Anna swallowed. Her burning curiosity was getting the better of her. “What's it like?”
“Say again, sweetheart?”
“Being what you are, what is it like?”
Reese opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again, frowning deeply. Vince hated it. Reese saw it as a gift. He wrapped himself inside it. It made him feel invigorated, powerful. It made him strong, and it made him fast, and nothing could truly keep him down. Running naked through the trees, the ground pounded beneath his bare feet was a singular sensation. But with all of that, he finally began to understand that he would never find forgiveness for the things he’d done. Best he could hope for was a little bit of peace.
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