by Marta Szemik
“I’m scared,” I answered, feeling the vocal cords in my throat vibrating.
“Why?”
“What if I can’t control it?”
“I’ll be here to help you. Don’t worry, you won’t run into any walls,” he said, smiling confidently. He held out his hand. “Come on. You can do it. Just like in the park—”
“Except without the serum, and through my own will,” I finished. “Okay.”
My next step was quick, and I stood at William’s side. I simply thought about it, and my feet took me to where I’d wanted. Everything would have been perfect except for that stray stone lying at the top of the porch steps. It turned my foot; I lost my balance and fell. Strong arms caught me before I touched the wooden porch.
William lifted me and held me close, his arms tightening around my waist. The heat between us woke feelings that should have been awakened a long time ago. He looked into my eyes, his warm lips inches away, his breathing heavy but measured. I could feel our hearts underneath our shirts, pounding so hard. Mine started to hurt. William pulled his body away but held my shoulders, steadying me until I found my footing.
“Sarah, we can’t.” He drew a long, steady breath to slow his pulse. “We can’t get close.”
“I don’t understand.” I took his hand in mine. A small jolt of electricity shot between our palms.
“Me neither. But my parents warned me that we cannot be together —no matter how much we want to be.” He gently moved my hand back to my side.
“That’s not fair,” I whined, not caring if I sounded like a little brat. “How are you going to teach me what I need to learn without us getting close? I know what I’m feeling; I can hear in your chest what you’re feeling. Our hearts are ready to burst.” I tried not to blink. If I did, the tears collecting in my eyes would roll down my cheeks.
“That’s exactly it. Should our hearts be trying to escape our bodies to the point that it hurts? I’m sure you felt the pain.”
“Maybe they’re just trying to be together,” I suggested, looking at him from beneath my lashes, hoping to convince him. It didn’t work.
“I’ve always been told we cannot be together until we have the right serum to control it.” He pressed his fist against the middle of his chest. “No one ever explained why. Then my parents disappeared, and I had no choice but to look for you.” William looked away and pushed the suitcase closer to the door with his foot.
“You were left alone.” I pulled his hand away from his chest and squeezed it.
“Yes, but that doesn’t matter. When I first came to Pinedale, it took me a while to figure out how to approach you. When you reduced your dose, I sensed you’d be in trouble; even then I couldn’t tell you. I wasn’t sure whether you’d believe me, because I’d been warned against getting close to you.” William waited for that information to sink in.
A few clouds passed overhead, stealing the streaks of light for a moment. When they shone again, I asked, “What’s the correct serum? What’s stopping us from making the mixture?”
“I don’t think it has anything to do with the serum.” He dropped my backpack off his shoulder. “It’s something else—there must be another reason why this is happening.”
I sighed, letting my shoulders droop. “And here I thought I could be happy and normal with you.”
“At least we have half the puzzle solved.” His smile was weak.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“We know you’re normal. Now what can I do to make you happy?” His smile widened, and he charmed me with his eyes. It made it that much more difficult to stay away. It made control almost impossible, and William irresistible.
“William!”
“I love it when you say my name,” he hushed.
How exactly was he expecting me to stay away when he said stuff like that?
“I promise I’ll do everything I can to figure this out. I’ve already been thinking about it on the way here,” he added.
“You have?” I widened my eyes. We were so close to each other I could feel his breath on my face.
William cupped my cheeks in his hands. “Of course; you are my equal, my match, my other half.” His voice was soft, but it carried a hint of sadness.
Closing my eyes, I waited for his kiss, but William’s lips found my forehead, not my lips. I exhaled. It didn’t matter. The man I’d been dreaming about was here, standing in front of me—professing his love for me in the only way he could without hurting me. William didn’t need to get to know me; he already knew me. He didn’t need time to fall in love; he was already in love. We both knew we were meant to be. We belonged together and could not live without each other. Our two hearts had been sealed together, and wherever we went or what we did, no one could tear that apart. Our hearts would continue their unique synchronized beat as one.
Chapter 12
“Come in, I’m curious to see if you like it.” William pushed the front door open and stood aside so I could step into the main room first. I stopped five feet in, where the wooden floor changed to marble tiles, and peered down a short hallway into a large room—the laboratory William had mentioned.
One table held neatly stacked piles of papers and cup holders with sorted pens, markers, and coloured pencils. Books were arranged on a shelf to the right, from tallest to shortest. In the glass-fronted cupboard beside it, empty flasks reflected the fluorescent light, aligned according to size. The neatness was mildly intimidating, and I looked away.
Equipped with machines and gadgets, this room would be better than heaven to a molecular biologist or genetic engineer. A wide glass-topped table stretched the entire length of one wall, hinged to open every four feet. I moved closer to peek inside and saw hundreds of petri dishes and agar plates with culturing cells precisely positioned in three by five sequences. On the wall above the table, a magnetic whiteboard held photos of various orchid species, pinned with small magnets, labelled with dates and notes. Another area contained microscopes, two computers, and a wall filled with graphs, diagrams, and aerial pictures of the Amazon. My small laboratory at the flower shop seemed like a child’s playroom in comparison.
“Where’s the staircase?” I asked, remembering that William had mentioned a passage that led to the lower level when we were on the airplane.
“It’s hidden for safety reasons. Only a few people have ever known about the apartments.” He pointed to a pair of doors on the right. “There are two bedrooms on this floor that can be used as guestrooms.”
“Let’s go see.” I examined the floor tiles, hoping to find a way to reveal the staircase.
“Hold on.” He laughed. “We’ll do that later. Let’s freshen up first.” William pulled me toward one of the bedroom doors. He opened the door and gestured for me to go me inside. “You take this one.”
Simple in decor, the room felt warm and inviting and it smelled homey. White sheets on the queen-sized bed glowed in the soft light from a Tiffany lamp on the side table. The large window had the same ivory sheers as the front one and filtered in the jungle from the outside. Framed black and white photographs of the jungle decorated the walls. Even in two shades, the beauty of the Amazon shone through the glass.
I opened the closet to find my clothes tidily hung inside. “You’ve been getting ready,” I said toward the other bedroom. My cream shirt! I pulled it off a hanger.
“I had to just in case our exit from Pinedale was sudden—which it was,” he answered.
He could have been whispering and I still would have heard his voice. I also heard what I was too shy to hear: fingers unbuttoning his shirt, the soft metallic clank as he unbuckled his belt. Then William turned the knob on the shower and I imagined him standing without clothes, water cascading from the showerhead, to run over his body . . . I saw the outline of his masculinity behind the steam, knew where the drops fell on his arms and torso, the route they followed down his figure before splashing onto the floor.
The quiet rumbling in my stomach bro
ught me back, and I rushed to get ready. It took less than five minutes, though I wanted to take longer. I wanted my shower to last forever, to see him there in the other room, linked through the water, but I also wanted more than anything to be back at William’s side. I wondered if his thoughts were as sensual as mine.
We walked out of our rooms at the same time. William’s hair was tussled and damp. He’d splashed a fresh layer of his woodsy, musky cologne on his chin. “Come on,” he said, taking my hand and drawing me toward the rear of the cabin. “Let’s get you acquainted with our new home.”
“Home,” I repeated, still mesmerized. It did feel oddly familiar. I liked the sound of it being our home.
At the back of the laboratory the room blended with the forest behind it. The glass walls curved overhead into a ceiling, mixing with the sea of green that stretched beyond them. Potted orchids surrounded two wicker lounge chairs, a loveseat, and a coffee table, the furniture arranged in the center of the room. It was the perfect sun room.
“I think I remember this room.” I touched the top of the nearest chair with my fingertip. “It was my favourite.”
“Look up.”
I tilted my head to follow his finger. Thirty paces away from the house, almost touching the sky, a small wooden platform rested between the branches at the top of an old tree. If William had not shown it to me, it would have remained invisible, even at the brightest hours of daylight. Vines and epiphytes had grown over the bottom of the platform, leaving only inches of the wood exposed.
“What’s that?” I squinted, trying to see more.
“A tree house.” William grinned.
“Of course,” I replied sarcastically.
“Well, it’s a bit more than a tree house,” he admitted. “It’s our natural serum haven. You’ll understand once we’re there.” William caught my hand and pulled me toward the kitchen. “There’s some food ready in the fridge. Let’s eat before we go up.”
“Up there?” I pointed a finger at the sky.
He laughed. “Yeah.”
I sat patiently as William prepared the food at vampire speed. The garden salad, fried chicken, and rice deliciously crammed into my mouth. The sun had set by the time we finished our meal; the remnants of its rays streaked upward. The chorus of crickets and other vocal night insects was getting steadily louder. Thinking of all those insects made goose-bumps rise on my arms. Shivers flew through me as I twitched and shuffled my feet.
“You okay?” William asked.
“Yeah, just a bit nervous,” I fibbed, casually covering my head with a bandana I’d originally tied around my neck.
“You sure? You’re fidgeting.”
I nodded.
“Are you ready to go exploring?”
I sensed a double meaning but took his hand and felt no pain. William led me outside into air so laden with moisture it was difficult to breathe. The temperature had dropped a few degrees but provided little relief from the humidity.
We hiked toward the ceiba tree that propped the tree house in its crown. Massive buttress roots sprang from the ground around its base, supporting the enormous tree whose central trunk measured at least ten feet in diameter. Other roots dug into the loam of the jungle floor and intertwined with the roots from neighbouring trees to create a complex web of looped nests that made it easy to start our climb. Scaling the nearly 180 foot giant proved not as difficult as I thought it would be. I hugged the trunk, feeling the life energy that emanated from its center and used this energy, connecting to it. All I had to do was think that I could climb, and I did. My steps were slow at first but as my confidence grew, I moved quicker until I was joyfully scampering.
I went up into the canopy, passing enormous flowers that almost engulfed the branches and created a colourful community of pink, purple, and yellow orchids. Most I had seen before, and the sheer size of their blossoms surprised me. Even more dizzying, the palette of colours stretched for miles. We reached the top of the canopy where the pink petals of the ceiba were in full bloom, showing off their striking yellow centers.The scent was intoxicating. A thin layer of pollen from the flowers covered the trunk, and the feelings I had when I met William in the park returned; I tried to control them.
“How do you feel?” William asked.
“Like I just reached heaven.” I rested my elbow on a branch, nostrils flaring, eyes closed, absorbing the splendour around me.
He was smiling when I opened my eyes. I focused on the center of the tree’s crown. Below the point where the top of the forest touched the sky, I saw a hidden entrance to the tree house, obscured by a cluster of blooming flowers and foliage.
William watched me with fervor, wordlessly taking in my full transformation. I felt the corners of my mouth stretch upward, aware of the solitude painted on my face. My glee must had shone through my eyes and showed in my every movement. At last, my hunger was satisfied.
I pushed aside the branches over the door and entered the green aerie. The momentum of my heart picked up.
“Lie down,” he whispered.
I obeyed, stretching on the wooden floor as first stars sparkled in a velvet-black sky through an opening in the canopy. Speechless, I stared. I could never have imagined a place this picturesque and couldn’t have dreamt of anything more beautiful. The stars glittered in bliss, dancing in front of our eyes.
“Take a deep breath,” William instructed.
I did, and a potent, sweet fragrance filled my lungs, touching each nerve. My exhale felt as if I’d lost strength.
William lay down beside me. “Another one, deep,” he said again, almost whispering.
I submitted into the oasis and the dense air worked its way through my blood vessels straight into the veins, feeding each organ and each cell. I let my breath out with reluctance. “What was that? I can feel it working its way down to the smallest cell.”
“You’re getting all the serums at once, without chemicals.” He clasped his hands under his head.
My brows pinched in a mild frown. “Isn’t that dangerous?”
He shook his head. “Your body adjusts and learns to know which pollen to react to. You must have felt this before, working with the orchids.”
I remembered the camping trip eight years ago and how the smell of jasmine, rose, and lilac nearly carried me to the pond’s edge. “I think I did. The first time was when I found my blue orchid.”
“How do you feel?” William propped himself on his elbow.
“I can feel the pollen inside me, like it’s trying to work with each muscle and organ. It’s heightening my senses.” I curled my knees up.
“These orchids are pollinated by moths, so their smell is stronger at night.”
“Did you plant them here?” My head lolled to the side. William’s eyes reflected the full moon.
“Yes, with my parent’s help.” I heard a hint of sadness in his voice. “This is our oasis. The demons could never find it. To them it’s as if we were invisible. It’s our little paradise.”
“But I thought the cabin was invisible to them. Isn’t it?” I asked.
“It is, but if they knew about it, they could find it. This place is special. The flowers protect us and shield us, the same way the serum shields our living cells.”
I let out a long, slow exhalation. Amazing.
William rolled onto his back, took my hand, and held it tightly, twining his fingers with mine. My thoughts flew toward my lustful dreams of him.
It was a long time before we stopped to catch our breath, breathing through slightly parted, engorged lips. William squeezed my hips tighter with his hands. “I could kiss you all night,” he murmured.
“You just may have to,” I replied.
His hands travelled up my bare back to untie the black bow of my dress. I took his hand before he pulled the knot apart. “Come with me.” We walked toward the loveseat against the far wall of the club.
He smirked. “You know you’re not leaving tonight without taking that dress off.”
<
br /> With his face so close to mine, I kissed the tip of his nose in acknowledgment. Our bodies never parted as we made our way to the sofa.
“You’re lost in thought,” William noted.
I turned my head toward him and tried to sound casual. “Do you think there is a difference in the way vampires and humans kiss?”
“I wouldn’t know.” He turned on his side, propping his head on his elbow.
I closed my eyes. “This place is absolutely sinful.”
“You’re reading my mind, Sarah.” He wasn’t referring to the forest. His voice fell to a whisper. “Sarah.”
I turned to face him, and his eyes locked mine. Sparks of passion flew between us, and the lust I knew too well exploded inside me like fireworks.
“I don’t know how long I can control myself around you.”
“Then don’t.” I ached with a longing as deep as his.
“But . . . I’ve never . . . what if—”
“It’s okay, William. I’ve never either. We’re safe. We’re protected here. You said it yourself. No one can—”
His lips pressed hard against mine, silencing me. All I heard was the synchronous thumping of our hearts.
Pum.
The warmth of his mouth invited me to open mine, letting him find me.
Pum-pum.
We explored each other, giving in to intuition. My body, firmly pressed against his, seemed to melt under his heat, like butter on fresh toast.
Pum-pum, pum—
At first his fingers tiptoed against my body and just as the pulse surged through my veins, his palms slid flat and he held me tighter, guiding my hips against his.
Pum-pum, pum-pum.
With a gasp, we pulled away from the long kiss to look at each other, our heartbeats building to thunder in our chests.
I won’t be able to stop, I read on his face.
I won’t try to stop you, I answered with my eyes.
William’s enlarged irises, the sparks in his eyes, showed no doubt of his full desire and passion. Before I could take a breath I was in his arms, and this time, I did not want him to let go.
