by Mlyn Hurn
Pete and Iain were standing in the open kitchen, talking softly. AnnaBelle spoke, catching their attention. “Sorry I’m late. Something smells good.”
Pete turned and smiled at her. “Iain is something of a chef. Since I got here, he’s been throwing interesting things together.”
Iain looked over his shoulder at AnnaBelle. “I guess practice makes perfect. Any smart bachelor learns to cook, starves or spends a fortune on housekeepers or take out food. Can you get the plates and utensils, sweetheart?”
AnnaBelle nodded, but her mind was stuck on what he’d just said. She hadn't really considered it previously, but all of a sudden she wondered how old Iain was? God! She must be losing her mind…
* * * * *
AnnaBelle found herself alone a little over an hour later. Pete was following Iain back to his house. From there, the two men wanted to check a few things. Both had ignored all of her protests, but they had agreed they would meet back here in two hours. Frustrated at how they had ignored her protests, she finally decided to clean up the kitchen and do the dishes.
Since that didn’t take long, AnnaBelle went to her room and changed the sheets on the bed. Coming back out, she wondered where her uncle kept his washer and dryer hidden. Of course, she reasoned, that was assuming he had them. Eventually she ran out of things to clean or tidy and wandered back into the dark room. Turning on the light, she began systematically searching the room. Perhaps there was something here that would give her a clue as to the location of her uncle.
Chapter 11
Iain drove back to the loft in AnnaBelle’s SUV. He had just parked it when Lamenta called out to him.
“Yoo hoo! Young man!”
Iain turned, trying to hold back his smile. Today Lamenta was dressed in a fuchsia pink floor-length dress. As she got closer, it looked like her hair was pink today. She stopped in the middle of the street.
“Why don’t you two love birds come over for dinner with me tonight? I don’t think Fauster will be coming tonight after all. I have lots of food.”
“I will have to talk to AnnaBelle first. I’ve still got your phone number programmed into my cell phone, so I’ll give you a call soon.”
“Very good.” She turned and started back to her building. “Oh, and if that yummy cop comes back, bring him also. Since I’ll be alone tonight, I will work on convincing him to stay with me instead. Toodle ooh!” Lamenta wiggled her fingers at Iain and then she disappeared into her building.
Iain made his way upstairs, using the key he’d gotten from AnnaBelle. Coming out of the freight elevator, he called out to her. “AnnaBelle? Honey, I’m home!”
Iain noticed the loft looked much tidier, but he didn’t see AnnaBelle. He decided to try again. “Honey, I’m home.”
From the dark room he heard AnnaBelle call out to him. “I’m in here, Iain. I found some pictures and negatives. It took me forever to find a magnifying glass.”
Iain entered the dark room. “Let’s get out of here, AnnaBelle. The light is lousy in here.”
“I know.” She pushed a large cardboard box towards him. “Can you carry that one out?”
Iain grunted as he picked up the box, setting it down next to the coffee table. When he turned, it was obvious AnnaBelle had not followed him. Walking back over, he looked into the room again. “Is there another box?”
“This one here and then there is another behind you against the far wall. I’ve got just this one and I’ll bring it out with the glass.”
Several minutes later they were settled on the sofa. AnnaBelle was still sorting things into piles when Pete signaled his return. Iain went to let him in. Pete chuckled when he saw the paper mess AnnaBelle was making.
“Where did you find all this crap, AnnaBelle?”
“You’ll change your mind once you see what I have. Oh, would one of you get me something to drink? That darkroom is pretty dusty and dank. All right, sit down, take one of the photographs and look at it using each of these colored vellum sheets. Each acts rather like a professional tint.” She sat down and began chewing on her lower lip.
“I’m thinking that we need to look at the photos again, but use a different tint to see how that changes the glow.”
Iain went to the kitchen and brought back cans of soda and then sat down on the sofa beside Pete. AnnaBelle was already seated on the floor, opposite the sofa and on the other side of the coffee table. “What are you looking for AnnaBelle?”
“I think there might be more to this film that Uncle Fauster told me, but I needed better light to see than what is in the dark room.” She paused from moving the magnifying glass slowly over a photograph. “In the far left corner I found something that didn’t look quite right and when I kicked at it, it sounded hollow. I think there is even more stuff than what we have here. This might be where Uncle Fauster hid his research papers and files.”
Pete looked up from the photo in his hand. “Do you want me to go in there and look? I brought a more powerful flashlight this time.”
Iain stood and held his hand out. “Let me go while you look at the pictures and the negatives. Maybe you’ll recognize some known criminals hanging out in my class.” Iain took the light and started back across the room. He turned back when he reached the door. “I nearly forgot…Lamenta has invited us all to dinner.”
AnnaBelle was nodding her head, focusing on one of the photos of Iain she had taken the second night. The students gathered around him looked the same no matter what color of tint she used. After a minute, she realized she was staring only at Iain. Disgusted with herself, she started to move the picture to the right at the same time she moved the magnifier to the left. It was probably a fluke, but AnnaBelle was sure she had seen Simon’s face in the darkness of the night. Quietly, AnnaBelle set the picture on the floor instead of the table. She waited until Pete was looking at a picture, comparing between two tints. She shifted like she was adjusting her dress, and sat on the photo.
* * * * *
Iain had just walked out of the dark room when he saw AnnaBelle sit on a photo. What the hell was she up to now? He walked across the room and set down another box. When AnnaBelle glanced from the box to his face, she smiled at him and looked completely innocent.
“That board you kicked in there sounded hollow because there is a small hidden room. I pressed around on the wall until something moved and the panel swung inwards. I had to move the box to get to the floor in front of the door. Do you want to take a look in there, AnnaBelle?”
From the eager look on her face, Iain was sure she was going to say yes. Instead, AnnaBelle shook her head. “Why don’t you two check it out? Uhm, I’ll wait here for you and keep checking the tints and stuff.”
Pete nodded and stood. “Sure thing, AnnaBelle. Sit tight.” He took the flashlight from Iain, and headed for the dark room.
Iain continued to stare down at AnnaBelle. When she looked up at him and gave him an innocent smile, he definitely knew something was up. He had no doubt that she had seen something on one of the photos, and she hadn't wanted Pete, or himself to see it. He paused for a few seconds and then followed Pete into the dark room.
Inside the small hidden room there was one corner filled with even more boxes. Moving over to Pete, he saw there was a small table, on top of which were the classic vampire hunter’s tools. His gaze narrowed as he watched Pete look at the different objects.
“Sometimes Fauster scares the shit out of me with this hunting crap.”
“You don’t believe in vampires?” Iain asked the other man quietly.
Pete shook his head. “I’ve been a cop too long not to have seen lots of freaked out shit. Fauster has even introduced me to a few vampires he was recording for the society. I’ve warned him that ‘slaying’ is definitely frowned on by the new District Attorney.”
Iain chuckled. “I’ve met the new D.A. He strikes me as a man without a sense of humor regarding quite a few subjects.”
Pete laughed and turned away to keep looking around
. “I don’t think Fauster has ever thrown anything away. I wonder what all this stuff is.”
“Is it worth carting all these boxes out though?” Iain prompted.
Pete shrugged. “I serve at milady’s whim, but we can leave it and check out what we have.”
As they reentered the living room, Iain saw that AnnaBelle was now seated on the sofa. He was sure she had hidden the picture, the question now was where?
* * * * *
AnnaBelle hurried into the bedroom. Pete had just left to return to the police station. As soon as Iain had said he would walk him out, AnnaBelle rushed to check out the photograph. Kneeling down, she ran her hand over the floor until she found the photo again. She stared at the picture for a few minutes, moving it to the right and then to the left, but this time she couldn’t see anything.
“What are you looking for, AnnaBelle?”
Trying to appear nonchalant, AnnaBelle let the photograph slide from her lap to the floor. Luckily, she was on the far side of the room and hopefully Iain had not seen her actions. Coming to her knees, she turned and rested her forearms on the bed. Smiling at Iain, she tried to push the picture back under the bed with one knee. “I dropped an earring.”
“You’re wearing two. Have you been hiding a third ear? Did I miss a piercing?”
AnnaBelle came to her feet, shaking her head side to side. The golden circles at her ears glinted with the movement. “No. I had just finished putting it back in.” Lifting her hands she slowly undid the small buttons down the front of her dress. When she saw Iain’s eyes lower with her hands, she parted the dress revealing the soft inner curves of her breasts. One hand slipped inside the dress and she lightly rubbed her fingers back and forth over her nipple. Its response was immediate. She started to repeat the caress on her other breast when Iain spoke.
“I think you are trying to distract me.”
AnnaBelle smiled. “Is it working?” AnnaBelle lowered her gaze to Iain’s belt and then down. His growing erection was obvious. She shifted her shoulders and let the soft cotton dress begin a slow drop to the floor. If her dress caught and held on a curve, she waited a few seconds and then shrugged, or wiggled, and the garment would start its downward journey once again. She heard Iain’s surprised inward drawn breath as he probably realized for the first time that she had been naked beneath the dress all morning. When he took a step towards her, AnnaBelle shook her head. “Wait there, please.”
Iain stopped and watched as AnnaBelle came forward. When she was a foot away from him, her hands lifted and she started unbuttoning his shirt. Pushing it back off his shoulders, it fell towards the floor, but stopped at his wrists, held in place by the still buttoned cuffs. When he lifted his wrists, AnnaBelle pressed them back down to his sides.
Her hands moved to his belt buckle, releasing it with a tug on the leather. In the quiet, the sound of the zipper sliding down seemed loud to her ears. As the trousers gapped open, AnnaBelle went down on her knees in front of him. She lightly tapped on one of his feet. When he lifted it, AnnaBelle removed his shoe. After he was shoeless, AnnaBelle returned her attention to his trousers. Her fingers slipped beneath the elastic waistband of his briefs and then pressed her palms against his skin. Slowly she moved his clothes down, pausing to ease the elastic over his obviously ready cock. She left the trousers and underwear in a puddle at his feet.
Looking up at Iain, AnnaBelle slid her palms up his thighs slowly. As her hands reached his hips, her face moved forward and rubbed one soft cheek against the velvet soft skin of his cock. Pulling back a little, she slid her face towards the other side, letting her lips glide over the tip. His wetness clung to her lips but she didn’t pause. Instead she rubbed her other cheek forward and back.
A moment later, she surprised him by taking his cock into her hot mouth. The suction was instant and intense. AnnaBelle heard Iain’s groan above her but didn’t stop her lavish attention. She moved her hands back to Iain’s taut ass and curled her fingers, digging into his butt cheeks. The next moment she felt Iain’s hands on her hair and realized that he had somehow managed to undo the shirt cuffs.
The feel of his hands so tenderly caressing her face and head, stroking over her hair, was intoxicating to AnnaBelle. She’d always had a weakness for having her hair touched and played with, at any time. Combined with her sensual licks and kisses on his manhood was a heady experience of intimacy for her.
* * * * *
“AnnaBelle!”
Iain groaned and half-shouted her name. His hands were unraveling her braid and his fingers were winding between the silky strands of bright golden-red hair. Right then and there Iain admitted to himself his need for AnnaBelle. Sexually he wanted her, but he had been denying the deeper needs and desires he was coming to have for her. He had fought his entire life to control the hunger. With diligence and masterful self-control, he had been able to replace the blood lust with the psychic lust.
Unlike other psychic vampires, he didn’t have to drain one person for his sustenance. Iain had studied and worked hard and as the lonely years passed, his skill perfected. He could take a small amount of the energy from many people. Using his superior intellect, he had turned to teaching to be able to reach out to a number of people in a small place. Being a seventh generation dhampir, he was stronger than any other vampire, or dhampir, he’d encountered. But all of that faded in importance over the passage of time. His needs were more than just the age-old thirst. He must have more…
AnnaBelle’s mouth drew him back to the need at hand. Looking down he realized that her hands had joined with her mouth. The sight of her hands caressing his manhood, cupping and fondling his sac and finally her tongue sneaking out to lick and tease was too much. His climax rushed over him and he spurted his seed.
AnnaBelle’s surprise was obvious as she was doused on her cheek, her chin and finally several times on her upper chest and breasts. Her softly gasped “oh my” told him that even though she had not been a virgin, there were things that she had obviously not sampled yet. She reached for the blanket to wipe off her cheek, but before she could do more than wipe his cum from her cheek and chin, Iain pulled her to her feet.
He kissed her mouth before she could speak a word. She met his tongue eagerly. His hands moved down her naked back and cupped her ass, pulling her close to him. Pulling back a moment later, he moved his hands forward and began caressing and fondling her firm, full breasts.
“Have I told you how beautiful you are today, AnnaBelle?”
“No, uhm, yes…I don’t know,” she murmured in reply.
Taking a step backwards, Iain whispered softly as his mouth moved to her breasts. “Remind me to tell you at least once a day—“
He stopped talking as he took her left nipple into his mouth. He sucked gently, and then his tongue flickered over the taut nipple. Before moving to the right, he added, “No, I’ll remember because I’ll be doing it every day for the rest of our lives.”
While his mouth worshipped her breasts, he moved one hand between her thighs. Her legs shifted to allow him freer access and his finger found her clit a second later. As his tongue began a steady flickering across her left nipple again, he matched the rhythm and pace on her clit with his finger. AnnaBelle’s wetness made his fingers glide over her lips. When he slipped two fingers into her heated flesh, he straightened.
Iain watched her face, eyes closed, as she drifted on the sensual river of ecstasy his fingers were providing. With his other hand, he pulled her hair over to the left side of her neck. He was kissing her lips, and then her right earlobe and moving lower as her orgasm swamped her senses. Iain wanted her nearly lost in sexual upheaval. He lowered his face to the side of her neck and his bite was quick and sure. As he tasted her blood, warm and wet, in his mouth, Iain groaned as the hunger drove him.
AnnaBelle’s cry was loud, and then grew softer. Iain was careful to catch every drop of her hot, thirst-quenching and deliciously wonderful blood. He fought the driving, gut wrenching hunger to take
it all. The last time he had done this had been centuries past—
Chapter 12
AnnaBelle felt dryness in her mouth as she awoke. As she opened her eyes and realized that it was dark out, she was aware of many things at the same time. The bed was cool beside her as her palm stroked across the sheets. Her skin seemed cool where the night air touched it, but right below the surface seemed hot. Breathing in deeply, she thought she could smell several things at the same time: Iain, the scent of the lovemaking and the lemon-scented dish soap she’d used earlier.
She was hungry also, her stomach making growling noises in protest of its emptiness. Looking at the still open bedroom door, she could see that there were no lights on in the living room.
“Iain? Did you have dinner already?” AnnaBelle called out. She stopped though, surprised at the dry feeling in her mouth and throat. Even her lips felt dry and cracked all of a sudden. She called out again, but this time her voice sounded hoarse and broke over the words as she spoke. “Iain?”
Maybe he’d run out to grab something for dinner? Wondering what time it was, AnnaBelle abruptly turned her head towards the stand at the side of the bed.
“Oh, God!”
AnnaBelle cried out in pain. The side of her neck hurt like hell, she realized in surprise. Thinking she must have just slept on it wrong, she sat at the side of the bed. As her hair tumbled forward, she suddenly remembered the photo she had shoved under the bed. Turning on the lamp, she dropped to her knees at the side of the bed. Ignoring the pain, she twisted her head and then reached under the bed. But she couldn’t see or feel any paper or photo.
Standing, she saw that her cotton sundress was tossed across the chair near the bottom of the bed. Deciding that she needed water first, food next, she grabbed the dress as she left the room. Pulling the dress on over her head, she had it buttoned to just above her waist, which left the sides of the dress folded back. This revealed the full inner curves of her breasts. Another need redirected her steps to the bathroom. She peed in the dark, paused to wash her hands and walked back to the kitchen. It took two glasses of water before her mouth and throat felt almost normal again.
