The Art of Seduction

by Annie Harland Creek

  The clap of thunder outside her window made her jump. A feeling of foreboding warned her. It was time to leave. Throwing her belongings into her bags, Meaghan failed to notice the blur of moment as David entered her bedroom. When she turned to grab her handbag, she found herself almost nose to nose with him, the shock sending her reeling.

  “What are you doing here?”

  David stared into her terrified eyes. “I would have thought ‘David, you’re alive’ would have been your first reaction.” He motioned to her bags. “It looks like you’re in a hurry to go somewhere.”

  “I am surprised, of course I am, it’s just that—”

  “Spare me the bullshit, Meaghan!”

  The storm outside intensified. Lightning flashed, illuminating the room seconds before the thunder boomed over their heads.

  “I don’t know how you did it, but you’re not going anywhere until you tell me.” His voice hummed with power, his upper lip curled baring glistening fangs.

  She gasped and took a step back, colliding with the edge of the bed. Her legs lost their strength, and she dropped down onto the mattress. He really is a vampire.

  “Before I tell you my story, I want to know how you’re still alive. Are you even human?”

  David’s expression softened. He looked away, as if her words had hit a cord. “No, I guess I’m not human, not anymore. I’m higher on the food chain than a human. I am what the movies describe as a creature of the night.”

  “If this is some kind of joke … I’m not laughing.” she edged along the bed, putting distance between them. “You believe that you are a vampire?” I think I believe you.

  In a heartbeat, he was on her, his fangs exposed as he grasped her shoulders, his mouth close to her face. “Does this convince you?”

  Meaghan nodded. Despite her mind arguing the existence of vampires, her heart knew it to be the truth. She wanted to scream but who would come to her aid? If David was a vampire, it was likely that his house was full of them. “So, wh-hat now? Are you going to kill me?”

  “It depends,” he answered, still holding her by the shoulders.

  She trembled at his touch. Terrified, anxious, aroused.

  “Should I?”

  “Don’t be so cryptic, David. Did you ask your other victims if they should die?”

  “I only kill people who deserve to die … killers, pedophiles, rapists and the like.” He dropped his hands from her shoulders. “I’m going to ask you a question and I want an honest answer,” he told her. “Did you kill those students?”

  “No! I thought you did.”

  “Then why do I find myself constantly bumping into you at the murder scenes?”

  “I could ask you the same question.”

  “Touché.” He sat beside her on the bed. They sat silently for a moment before David spoke. “Let’s say that I believe you. How were you able to move around the campus at night and more importantly, how were you able to come to me tonight without even knowing I was still alive?”

  Meaghan shrugged. “Since I was very little, I dreamed of leaving the orphanage and finding a real home. I would lie on my cot and picture myself leaving with an adopted child, going to their new home, playing with their new siblings. Then, one day, I realized that I was actually there, at one of the homes, not in the real sense obviously, just spiritually. One of the kids freaked out and my reputation of being a ghost girl was established. The kids still in the orphanage gave me a wide birth and even the staff avoided me. Needless to say, I never got adopted.”

  “Kids can be cruel.” David wriggled his fingers between hers, holding her hand as she continued her story.

  “Anyway, I practiced my skill until I could picture a place and go there. I concentrated on the photos provided to the orphans or places where I had previously visited on outings. Eventually I also learned how to be stealthier so I wouldn’t be seen. I haven’t been discovered … until you came along.” She scowled. “Which leads me to my question. Why were you at the murder scenes?”

  “In a minute,” he argued, lowering his chin to face her. “First, I want to know how you were able to come to my room. You said that it was necessary for you to picture a place to be able to astral travel there.”

  Meaghan nodded in agreement.

  “How did you know where my bedroom was and how did you know I was there, or even alive for that matter?”

  Meaghan stared at her shoes, struggling to find an answer that wouldn’t get her into more trouble. In truth, she didn’t have an explanation.

  “I don’t know how I did it.” She kept her eyes down as she continued. “I was … missing you. I was thinking about what little time we had together and the opportunities we missed because of my inexperience and inhibitions. Next thing I knew, I was watching myself acting out your fantasy and I had no control over what my incorporeal self was doing.”

  David raised one eyebrow. “Really, no control you say? For someone so ‘out of control’ you certainly had everything in hand … literally.”

  Meaghan felt the heat spread from her cheeks, down her throat and creep over her breasts and by David’s lustful, wide-eyed expression, he’d noticed it too. He reached forward and with his thumb and forefinger, unbuttoned the first few buttons of her blouse tracing his fingers over the flushed skin between her breasts.

  “I seem to remember that you promised to pose for me.”

  Meaghan allowed him to remove her blouse completely, exposing the lacy pink bra that seemed to be holding David’s attention, before reminding herself that she still had unanswered questions of her own.

  “Wait a minute buster. I’ve told you why I was there. Why were you there?”

  “Spoil sport.” Cheeky David reared his naughty head. “Okay, if we are going to play truth or dare, first. I, reluctantly choose truth.”

  Meaghan realized the significance of the word first, squirmed on the bed until his next words caught her attention and brought her mind back to reality.

  “As you know, Derrick and I are C.E.O s of a large company—”

  “No whitewashing. We’re past that. I want the whole story and don’t leave anything out.”

  “Okay, fine, we are the co-leaders of a coven of vampires. Anyway, Anna foretold a series of murders at the campus and, because of my background in art, I was elected to survey the area and detect the killer. Unfortunately, her visions have been blocked by some supernatural force—we suspect witches—and I’ve been too late on each occasion. It’s become increasingly frustrating and on the last occasion, rather painful.”

  “How did you survive the shooting? Or the staking for that matter?”

  “Bullets can slow us down but not for long. The stake, on the other hand, came disturbingly close to my heart. Close enough to stop me in my tracks. I couldn’t use mind control on everyone present as there were too many to influence and my injuries would have been fatal to a human. Besides, the paramedic would have been unable to detect a heartbeat. Dying seemed like the most logical thing to do. Now I’m off the suspect list and free to find the real killer.”

  “Who you suspected was me?”

  David nodded. “I didn’t want to believe it but you must admit that you kept turning up at the crime scenes and you had blood on your dress. Not to mention that after I broke your wrist, the killer changed hands. Tonight, when I saw you cut up your food with your left hand, it gave me cause for concern.”

  “You were watching me?”

  “Being dead is boring.” He shrugged. “And I wanted to be close to you.” He unbuttoned his own shirt, threw it on the floor and smiled when he noticed Meaghan’s eyes widen in response. She tried to keep her mind on the case but David was proving to be a big distraction, especially when he reached behind her and unhooked her bra. She forced herself to keep her arms by her sides although they itched to fly up and cover her breasts. Not this time, Meaghan. Don’t blow this second chance.

  “While you were watching me, did you notice anyone else outside?”
<
br />   David dropped the bra and edged forward but hesitated. “Come to think of it, I did feel something.” He wrinkled his nose. “I’m ashamed to admit that I suspected the dark vibe was an indication of your guilt.” He rose from the bed and began to unzip his pants.

  “Whoa. What are you doing?” Meaghan turned her head away when the pants slipped to the floor, revealing a spectacular erection and no sign of underwear. “I thought we were having a serious discussion about the murders?”

  “We are kitten.” He eased her back onto the bed, slid her jeans down her thighs, and threw them across the room, returning his concentration to the elastic of her panties. He hooked his fingers into the elastic and eased them off, smiling his pleasure when she bent her knees and lifted her bottom to facilitate him in his quest. When he maneuvered himself between her legs, she gasped and her voice quivered as she asked, “Don’t you even want to know why I have been tracking the killer?”

  David slid his hands over her thighs, tracing the contours of her hips, her waist and finally resting on her breasts. “Of course I do…” He told her. “Later.” The words had barely left his lips when his mouth settled over her left nipple, drawing the firm peak into his warm mouth while he squeezed her breasts with his hands.

  “If you’re a vampire, how can your skin be so warm…” she asked as her head fell back in a gasp.

  “I fed on the way over,” he mumbled, without lifting his mouth from her chest.

  ****

  David silenced her next question with a kiss. Her mouth melted into his and he could feel her body becoming pliant beneath him despite her previous inhibitions. Her knees parted to allow him access, and he kept his lips pressed firmly against hers while he subtly eased his right hand down her body to rest on her hip. She sighed her approval … her breath warming the inside of his mouth and giving him an indication of her arousal. Her moan permission to proceed. When he dipped his index finger into the junction between her legs he found her moist and wanting. His slipped a second finger and then a third while she arched her back and moaned in approval. The sensation of her body bucking in appreciation of his fingers drove him insane with arousal but he knew she wasn’t quite ready for him. He wanted her first time to be perfect. He continued stroking, his mouth followed the contours of her chin, kissed down her beautiful long neck and came to rest on her left breast. When he flicked his tongue over the tip of her nipple, she mewed her approval and surprised him with her verbal request.

  “Make love to me.”

  “Not yet, kitten,” he told her, although his cock throbbed in acknowledgement of her request. “Not yet.” He withdrew his fingers, stopping at the entrance to massage gentle circles over her slick swollen clit until she began to buck against his hands.

  “Oh god, David.” She groaned, her eyes closing, her jaw dropping. “Oh, David.”

  His body already throbbed with impatience to be inside her, and when she called his name, it was more than he could stand. He gave in to his own desire, catching a wave of her orgasm in a quick, gentle thrust. The tip of his erection eased into her moist entrance, a little deeper with each push, stretching her until he felt the slight resistance of her maidenhead. He forced himself to remain still, allowing her body the chance to adjust to his size. She surprised him when she thrust her hips up to meet him, forcing him deeper inside and she continued to pulse beneath him, taking him deeper and deeper into her tight core. For a moment she grimaced as he pushed past both her physical and mental barriers and then she relaxed, her body accepting all of him, scorching him, loving him.

  His fangs extended to full length, drawn to the pull of her blood as it pulsed just beneath the surface of her skin. Her flushed skin and warm body called to his blood lust and he imagined the taste of her blood on his tongue, in his mouth, in his cells. No. It was too soon. She had given him her trust. He could not, would not ask any more of her tonight. It was enough that she had trusted him with her body, he couldn’t risk frightening her by showing her his true nature. His needs could wait. Tonight he would concentrate on attending to her desires.

  She convulsed beneath him, her fingernails dug into the flesh of his back, her eyes hooded, heavy with desire and her mouth curled blissfully at the sides. Her moans came in soft mewing gasps, melting his heart. She was purring for him and he wanted to make this moment last forever. Whimpering, she threw back her head, exposing the soft, smooth skin of her throat, making his gums throb in reaction to the vivid blue of her veins. He needed a taste, just a tiny sip of her blood to keep a small part of her inside him. Leaning down, he kissed the skin on her throat above her carotid artery and allowed his fangs to extend, only enough to prick the skin, drawing a few drops of blood which he lapped up, his tongue instantly closing the wound. The taste was exhilarating. His body reacted to the nectar of her essence. He drove deeper inside her, again and again until he could feel himself coming. With a final thrust, he came in a tidal wave of emotions: lust, love, pure ecstasy.

  Her body reacted to the throbbing of his shaft with a shiver that shook her whole body. She gave a final moan, shuddered, and sank sleepily into the mattress.

  “If I had known that having sex was as good as this,” she confessed, “I might not have held out for so long.”

  “Making love.” David corrected her as he rolled over onto his back taking her with him so she lay across his chest, their bodies still intimately joined. “Having sex and making-love are very different.”

  Meaghan frowned. “Okay, explain the difference.”

  David’s mouth curled on the left side and his eyebrows knit together. “Promise you won’t stake me?”

  She answered his question with a nod but her frown remained.

  “Well, over the centuries I’ve had sex with many women.” He paused when he saw Meaghan’s annoyed expression. “Let me finish, kitten. As I said, I’ve had sex with these women … for fun. It was mutually pleasurable and usually one-night stands. I may be a vampire but I am first and foremost a man with male needs and I was beginning to doubt that I would ever meet you.”

  “Meet me? You were expecting me?”

  David could feel his desire build up anew and judging by Meaghan’s expression, she could feel his shaft swelling inside her.

  “Again?”

  “I have something I’d like to show you,” he told her before cupping her head in his large hand and drawing her mouth to his lips.

  Meaghan lifted her head. “I think I’ve seen it before,” she teased, the smile spreading across her face.

  Cupping her bottom, he drew her against his hips, thrusting into her as he held her for support. As she found her own rhythm; he released her buttocks, his hands reaching her breasts. Squeezing. Massaging. She rode him with the skill of an expert equestrian, her timing perfect as she leaned forward, allowing her right nipple to brush his mouth. He pounced on the stiff peak, sucking greedily at the nipple while kneading the breast, tweaking the left nipple in time to his mouth.

  She threw her head back and purred, “What was it you wanted to show me?”

  “Later,” he told her, “much, much later.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “I was wondering when you were coming home. It’s almost dawn,” Derrick called as David opened the front door to the mansion. “You should be careful, Meaghan might—”

  “See me coming in?” David finished the sentence and watched his brother’s mouth drop open in surprise as he entered the lounge room, holding Meaghan’s hand. He felt the familiar tug as his brother attempted to connect with him telepathically. “It’s all right, Derrick. Whatever you have to say to me, you can say it out loud. Meaghan knows what we are.”

  “Are you out of your bloody mind?” Derrick cursed. His shoulders drew back, extending his chest and his eyes glowed with anger.

  “Don’t hold back,” David answered but he also used their mental connection to warn his brother that he should choose his next words carefully if he wanted to avoid a fight.

  Derr
ick shook his head. “For all we know, she could be the killer.”

  “That’s the pot calling the kettle black isn’t it?” Meaghan reminded him. “I, for one, have never killed anyone. Can you honestly say the same?”

  “She got you there.” Anna walked into the room carrying a tray of wine glasses and a decanter. “Would you like a glass Meaghan?”

  Meaghan stared suspiciously at the decanter and then at David who fell back onto the sofa with a chuckle. When he regained composure he informed her, “Its wine, kitten. A crimson cabernet if I know Anna.”

  “Alcohol? I thought that vampires drank…” Her cheeks paled as she said, “…blood.”

  “We do, but that can become a bit boring and I do enjoy a glass of the other red. You two look very relaxed.” Anna noticed as she handed Meaghan a glass of cabernet. A sly, knowing grin spread her mouth. “What have you two been up too?”

  “We’ve been learning a lot about each other.” David answered her as he turned his head slightly to wink at Meaghan. “There is more to my little student than meets the eye. For example, I’ve discovered that Meaghan is able to astral travel.”

  “Wow, really? I would love to be able to do that,” Anna confessed as she grabbed Meaghan’s good hand and dragged her over to a seat on the couch. She began to question her about her abilities. “How do you do it? Could you teach me? Can you do anything else?”

  “You must excuse my wife…” Derrick interrupted. “She’s recently discovered that she is a witch and, being an impatient little firecracker, she’s trying to learn all she can in the shortest possible time.” He smiled at Anna who screwed up her face and poked out her tongue in response to his teasing. “What I would like to know is, if you’re not the killer, what is your interest in the murders? Why do you seem to turn up at the crime scenes?”

  Meaghan turned to David who nodded his head in agreement to her decision to share her story. It occurred to him that he hadn’t fully questioned her on her reasons for stalking him at the university. Later never came. But he did. Multiple times.