by Louisa Bacio
“Mon amour,” Lawrence said, laying his calming hands on her shoulders. “I can hear your heart beating so fast, and I'm sure my young pup over there can literally smell the fear seeping off you.”
“Think of the precious bottles of Vuvue, dear,” Trev added, with a quirk to his eyebrow. “You wouldn't want to burst those bubbles, would you?”
Lily sucked in a deep, soothing breath and shut her eyes. When she opened them, everything seemed to return to normal speed. “Can I have a bit of breathing room, please?” she asked.
Without acknowledging her request audibly, both men looked at each other above her head, and took a step back. With her man-wich gone, she should have felt so much better. Instead, a coldness crept into her soul and she felt utterly alone. Forever alone.
Trev gently cradled her chin, and guided her sight up to meet his cool gray eyes. “Better?”
She pasted on a reassuring smile and nodded her head, afraid to say anything in case they heard the tremor she knew would appear in her voice. Lawrence stepped beside Trev, and slipped his arm around the other man. For the first time, Lily was able to fully check him out, and his costume for the night. While Trev had gone for the iconic representation of wolf, Lawrence looked like a sun god.
He wore a gold glitter mask painted across his face with the points of the sun streaming up his forehead into an elaborate crown. He shimmered with an ageless grace—a sparkling gold skin-tight and see-through shirt, and tapered black pants. He smiled, laughing, when he caught her expression of surprise.
“Edible body paints,” he teased, “and you should see what else is painted, too!”
Did she totally read him wrong? From jealous lover to flirting imp in a matter of minutes? Or was the long-living master of disguise now putting her on?
A person's choice of costume certainly gave a glimpse into the psyche. A vampire dressed as a sun god. Before she could comment further, Lawrence excused himself, with a quick peck to Trevor's cheek.
“If you'll excuse me, I see a new guest that I haven't greeted. Trevor, can you see Ms. Lily to the appetizer table. Maybe she needs some fortification to get her through the rest of the evening.”
And just like that, he was gone. With that insane golden outfit, though, she could easily pick him out as he waded through the dense crowd. But, she couldn't see this “special guest” who garnered his attention.
She turned a questioning glance toward Trevor.
“You shouldn't take him so seriously,” Trevor said. “Oh, he comes off all that at times, but really, he's kind of heart deep inside.”
“Way deep inside,” Lily muttered, mostly to herself but loud enough for Trev to hear.
“Come on, why don't you try the crawfish cakes,” Trev said. “I've been cooking for days, and I don't use half as much filler as most restaurants.”
* * * *
The night passed by in a blur of kisses and greetings, and new acquaintances. Lily lost track of names, and she'd never recognize anyone outside their costumes. Not fair when she met someone for the first time in a mask.
The lights flickered, the music muted and a spotlight illuminated on the other side of the store. An elegant Trevor and Lawrence took the center of the light, and the crowd erupted in applause. A sense of warmth and belonging filled Lily's heart.
Law held out his arms for the crowd to be quiet. “We thank you all for coming out, and joining us tonight,” Lawrence said. “In addition to celebrating one of our favorite seasons, Halloween, we'd also like to introduce a new friend, Lilianna, who happens to be turning thirty in a few days, on October 30th to be exact.”
“Lily –” Lawrence held out his hand, and from across the room, the connection to him, to them, pulled her. The partygoers parted for her, creating a path to the sun couple's virtual stage. She stood between them, heart swelling.
“And now if you'd all join us in wishing Lily a happy birthday,” Trevor said.
In unison, voices joined in. Tears sprang from her eyes, and she uselessly wiped them away. A waiter carried out a triple tiered cake and approached her.
She shut her eyes, made her wish and blew out the candles. All but two went out. She looked at the two strong men at her side, remembering the childhood superstition: “How many boyfriends do you have?”
Chapter Eighteen
Lawrence
The room smelled like lilac, a scent of classic mystery. Lawrence inhaled deeply, letting the fragrance take him to another time when fine ladies tucked sachets into their clothes drawers. It seemed as if Lily had picked up the tradition somewhere.
The lady in question lay sprawled across her bed, stomach down, her dainty rounded ass pert and up in the air. While he remained in his sun-god costume and make-up from the night's revelry, she had already changed for bed. Her warm-toned cream nightgown pulled up slightly, exposing her calves and just a hint of lower thigh and she nervously wiggled one leg. If he stood at the right angle, he might see straight to the target zone—the sweet honeypot between her thighs. Look at him, coming up on two hundred years old, and lusting after a young woman. He'd given up on the fairer sex more than fifty years ago. Experience had shown that women tended to be too emotional and had a more difficult time accepting his inherent nature. Plus, there had been a few who had proved to be untrustworthy.
Not that he totally trusted Ms. Anima either. The only reason why she'd originally come to them, and was there in their home, was because she needed something. She needed them. Once they helped her uncover her true nature, odds were she'd be out of their lives. He'd seen her type many times before, seemingly sweet and dedicated until she got what she wanted. Then gone, baby, gone.
“Lawrence,” she said, jumping a little. “I didn't hear you come in.”
He took a step into the room, holding himself back from approaching her. “I wanted to make sure that all was fine after tonight. I know that it was probably more of an ordeal than you were expecting.”
“I'm fine. Just reading through some of the information you gave me earlier,” she said, holding up a book on the history of witchcraft. “Do you really believe all of this is true?”
“It's hard to judge,” he replied, closing the gap between them. “Obviously, the historical accounts of witches in the world are true. There's documentation to that effect, and we know that many people were prosecuted. How many of those accused actually were practicing witches? I have no idea. But some of the powers that you are demonstrating seem to match up with those accounts.”
“But not all,” Lily replied quickly. “It's not like I purposely cast spells, or even consciously will for something to happen. It just does. I've never studied Wiccan. I don't understand what's happening to me.”
Her despair created a tangible feeling in the room. Lawrence drew ever closer. He sat on the edge of the bed, and could see the pulse of her blood flowing through the artery in her neck. He didn't want to desire her so much, but the ultimate outcome seemed inevitable. He might as well succumb to the temptation now and get the obsession over with. First, though, he had to clear things with Trevor, and perhaps, his were-lover would again be interested in joining in the fun.
“So, the information on witches, I can sort of see and understand,” Lily said, running her delicate fingers through her fiery red hair. “But demons … why these books?”
She shuffled through the stack next to her bed, holding up two on demonology and the possession of one's body. With her make-up off for the night, Lily looked extremely pale, as if the sleepless nights had finally caught up with her and were taking their toll. She looked sick, and Lawrence thought about tasting her blood. Sometimes, he could tell if something was wrong with a person through their life force. Once he started, though, he didn't know if he'd be able to stop there.
He weighed his words carefully, aware of the potential power they held. “As you said, while similar, not all of your powers seem to fall within the realm of witchcraft—from what's documented and written. Some are more demonic. Y
ou have great paranormal ability, but you're not quite able to control it. We know some triggers such as stress and fear, obviously, but not everything.”
“Are you saying that I'm an evil demon?” Lily asked, flipping over on her back to look at Lawrence directly in the face. “Will this get worse? Will I be unable to control these powers, and hurt others?”
As he'd worried, she immediately went to the dreariest outcome. “Not that we know. There's not a lot known about demons. You've found that in your research. While witches usually tend to have a normal lifespan—the same as a human—demons are immortal. You don't possess any self-healing powers like me, or Trevor. I would assume that you could be killed, although I'm not ready to test that theory out,” he said with a hint of a smile.
“Well, that's good to hear. Promise me if I go on a murderous rampage against innocents, you'll put me down?”
“No hesitation,” Lawrence said. “You know I wouldn't be able to allow that, and neither would Trevor. First, though, we'd do whatever possible to protect you.”
“Thank you,” Lily said, and before he could react, she stood up and threw her arms around him. Her soft breasts pressed up against his chest, and this close the smell of lilacs permeated her hair. Lawrence inhaled deeply. Trevor always smelled like such a man—full of nature with his own musky scent. He imagined sunshine flowing over flower fields. While Trev possessed mostly hard panes of muscle, Lily felt supple and inviting. She enveloped everything feminine.
He wrapped his arms around her, luxuriating in the sense of belonging. He wanted to nestle in her neck, feel the beating pulse beneath his tongue as he fed from her. He longed for her warmth flowing through his mouth while his cock plunged into her slick internal heat. His cock pulsed within his pants. She could probably feel his growing excitement, too.
She turned her face toward his, softly brushing her lips against his. A shiver of anticipation flowed through him, as if he was a naïve teenager about to experience his first kiss, and then her tongue probed his bottom lip, requesting entry. He opened his mouth, and they began a waltz of dancing tongues. He kissed her so deeply, it was as if he was breathing again and taking his needed air from her. They broke contact, and she pulled back, panting, and met his eyes, looking for some sort of acknowledgement that they were moving onto another level of their relationship.
She kissed the corner of his mouth again, slightly licking. She smacked her lips together. “Marshmallows?” she said.
“Yep. Good guess,” Lawrence said, pulling her close to his body.
“You taste delicious. What is this?” she asked, running a finger down the length of his arm, and then sucking the make-up off the tip of her finger.
“I told you earlier in the night, edible body paint,” Law said with a sharp intake of breath.
“Really? I saw flavored love paint for sale at Target. Are you going mainstream?” she teased.
“Sometimes, it's necessary to blend with the masses,” Lawrence said. She smelled so good. Being this close to Lily made him feel as if he'd tapped into some vital life force of the universe. She had absolutely no idea how much she literally zinged with energy. With every touch, he felt more alive than he had in a long time.
Somewhere downstairs, Trevor was locking up, cleaning up, and making sure that all was right before he joined them. All things considered, usually Lawrence was the one that set the bookstore in order but somehow tonight their roles had become reversed. After Lily's formal introduction to the inner community, they both sensed that she needed an escape route. While they didn't play Rock, Paper, Scissors, Law had won the pleasure of escorting their guest to bed.
Enough time had passed, and they needed to bed this witch, Law decided.
Both of them wanted her, and if her previous actions spoke true, then she felt the same way. Only society's rules of decorum kept them apart. Who said that a couple of two was the ideal mix? For the three of them, each played their own unique role in the ever-evolving wheel of their relationship.
Sure, Lily had only been with them a few weeks, and Lawrence—better than any of them—should know how short amount of time that was in life's continuum. Still, he recognized that something was happening between the three of them; and likewise, he also knew not to ignore those opportunities that life gave him. He'd spent far too long on this earth, regretting not taking chances, or taking his time too much and ignoring what he desired.
All within reason, of course.
* * * *
Lily heard the frantic pace of her heart beating within her chest. Kissing Lawrence, his strong mouth on hers, infused her with passion, and added kindle to her burning desire. Those who believed a vampire's soul was damned had certainly never kissed one.
Nervous, excited, and totally on edge, she guessed that Law could sense her growing internal panic. Really, what was there to be scared of? If she wanted to be alone, all she needed to do was ask. Lawrence, and Trevor for that matter, would both respect her wishes, no matter how much she didn't want them too.
Lazily, Lawrence trailed his finger up and down her bare arm, and she wondered, briefly, what he could possibly be thinking. For how long had she considered knowing the thoughts of others to be a curse, and now when she longed to know what Lawrence was thinking, more than anything, she had no idea.
Soon, Trevor would join them. So many times she thought about that evening in bed with the two of them. The musky smell of Trev's cock as she sucked him dry. The feel of power as Law pounded into Trev's ass, and when Trev turned his attentions on her, then her own fear making her run from them both.
At her age, it wasn't that she feared the act itself. More than anything, well, almost anything, she wanted to have the initial deed done, and then move on to the good stuff. The hesitation now came from the fucking baggage she carted around with her. What if it came to that point, and it didn't actually happen? What if, once again, her body rejected their amorous attentions and it left them all horny and unhappy. What if …
“You're thinking too much,” Law said out of the blue.
Shocked out of her thoughts, Lily said, “I thought you said you couldn't read my mind?”
“I can't,” Law said, “but when you stop kissing me and start some sort of internal dialogue with yourself, I have to think that you're reviewing something in your head, and if that process takes too long? Then something really big has to be happening.
“What if I'm no good?” Lily asked.
“What?” Law replied. “You've got to be kidding me? After all these years, I'm still amazed at the hang-ups humans have when it comes to sex. Some people can't get enough, and others don't know when to stop, and then there are those,” he said, placing his fingers gently on the edge of her chin and tipping back her head in order to kiss her, “That should just know better.”
After their brief tryst, the atmosphere reversed, and all three of them had walked around as if the tenuous threads of their relationships pulled at them constantly. The end result could go either way—together or apart.
* * * *
Mentally, Lawrence called for Trevor. He'd know what to do in this situation. While they hadn't had an outright conversation about bringing Lily further into their lives, romantically, he knew they both pretty much felt the same thing. Lawrence wasn't sure if he wanted anything to happen without Trevor around. After spending so many years alone, he'd grown more than accustomed to sharing his life with another, and if their twosome was going to become a threesome, then they needed the third involved.
Maybe, though, he could do what they called, “getting the party started.” He dipped in for another luscious kiss, his incisor nipping her bottom lip and drawing a sliver of blood. The salty-tang raced through his system like a hit of adrenaline. He kissed her deeply, letting his tongue convey his desire.
A howl of rage broke the connection. Lawrence looked up just in time to see a furious demon hovering over them both, and then he felt the power of the devil spawn's anger. Lawrence flew back, off t
he bed and hit the floor. Lily screamed, looking on in horror. Without thinking further, Lawrence jumped up and returned the attack. Throughout his lifetime, he'd been in plenty of fights and on both ends of the beating, but none of those experiences had prepared him for this battle.
He took a moment to measure his opponent. He was short and stocky; his oversized muscles made him look like a bulldog standing up on its hind legs. A red-purple tone highlighted his skin—not the traditional devil red but a black, bloody purple as if it's skin had been beaten repeatedly. His broad forehead matched his wide shoulders, and with a glance downward at the member straining against the demon's pants, Lawrence could only imagine the chubby size of the pecker on this Satan's spawn.
Lily cowered at the top of the bed, a brass table light in her grip. She struck at the demon's outstretched curled claws.
“You've always known that I'd come for you, Lily,” the demon said in a grave voice. “Your dreams led me to you.”
“I don't know what you're talking about,” she said, eyes wide with panic.
She dashed out of his reach to the opposite side of the bed, and the demon paced her. Clearly, Lawrence had either been completely forgotten about, or the demon did not find him a threat. He'd regret that action.
“You belong to me. You can feel it, the connection through your blood,” the demon said, taunting her further. “You knew it, and you didn't tell them.”
And with that admission, the demon twisted, punctuating his final word as he grabbed Lawrence and lifted him off the ground, as if he weighed nothing. Arms pinned to his side, Lawrence thrashed out with his feet, connecting with the beast's thighs.
Seeing her moment, Lily leaped off the bed onto the demon's back, bringing the lamp down on the monster's head, only to be flung back onto the bed.
“I'll deal with you later,” he said to Lily. “You won't ever be able to hide from me.”
