by Martha Woods
“Nowhere to go. This place is the only home I’ve never known. My entire family has lived here for ages. I just—where would I go?” Her eyes were wide and panicked, and Vaughn realized this was not all. She must have been afraid to leave her husband, afraid of what he might do. But why had she chosen tonight to flee?
“I understand, Mia. How about, for a change of pace, we watch an old film and drink, hm? We can drown our sorrows till you retire for the night. I will not allow you to return home to that monster, Mia, so please, may I have the honor of your company?” She gave a faint laugh in response, her cheeks prettily flushed from the whiskey. He was pleased to see that she seemed more relaxed, less afraid. She slowly nodded to his question, her eyes lingering on him.
“I’d love to.” She stared thoughtfully at the glass in her hands. “I lied, you know, when I said I didn’t know what I wanted as a favor.” Her deep blue eyes met his again, sparkling.
Vaughn smiled against the rim of the cup, watching her. “I had my suspicions.” Mia could pretend all she wanted that she had a poker face, but he could read her easily. Whenever he inquired about her desires, hunger lingered behind her eyes, yet she never spoke her thoughts. Vaughn never pushed her to answer. Mia would tell him her desires when the time came—he had simply hoped that time would come before he had to take his leave from this little town.
“You know what I want. It’s obvious. I want to leave this town. I hate it here, and I always have. I want to run away, I want to start a new life, somewhere beautiful and fun, like your stories!” She laughed as she spoke.
Vaughn simply nodded, setting his cup side, and squeezed her hand. That wasn't quite the response he had secretly wished for, but it was close enough. “Then we shall make it so.” He acknowledged her giggle with a smile.
She would see.
Mia continued to drink, a little faster than Vaughn, who drank with the same slow deliberation he did everything else. At one point, he did take the cup from her hand with a soft chuckle, setting it aside.
“I believe you have reached your limit, my dear.” Mia laughed in response, providing no resistance as he pulled the cup away. While she was not drunk enough to be a fool, she was loosened up. Her worries had subsided into gentle giggles, a more girlish side overtaking her behavior.
“You’re so charming, Vaughn. Where did you learn to act like that? None of the boys around here are like you. They’re all so gruff, with their heads up their rear ends like they’ll find the answers to life. They don’t talk like you—they don’t treat people like you do. What makes you so unique?”
Vaughn seemed to consider this, tilting his head. “I’ve had time to mature. I was once young, foolish and bullheaded. I had my own arrogance, stupidity, and mistakes. I’ve learned from them, picked myself up more than once after learning my place. The important thing is to stand up and keep moving forward. Too many people become content and settle; they refuse to look around them, to learn and advance. I’ve always had quite a curious mind and adored learning. I was always terribly fascinated with travel and, after doing so, came to learn I take much for granted and should live a better life—a more thankful one.”
She listened to him for a few moments, her eyes focused on him and her mouth slightly agape in awe. She had rarely heard him speak so much. Vaughn simply chuckled at her expression, slowly shaking his head. “You are going to make me feel bashful if you continue staring. Do you enjoy gazing at me so much?”
Mia giggled now and tossed her hair, shifting as she watched him. “Maybe I do! Is that so wrong? You can’t be humble enough to think you aren’t beautiful. I’ve never seen a man like you, Vaughn. You’re so...” Her words trailed off, but Vaughn spoke up, filling in the gap with a grin.
“Otherworldly? Mystical? Impossible? I have heard these words in the past. But I promise you, I am none of these, Mia. I am just a man, simple as that.” His eyes danced in his handsome face, his refined features still as death.
“A man who’s more charming and handsome than any others I have met.” She smiled. He was no ordinary man. Maybe his surreal, pale beauty was the product of his vampirism, but she was willing to bet he had been eye-catching even before being turned.
“Mia.” He spoke her name gently, and as she looked up at him, he cupped her cheek, leaning in dangerously close. His breath fell against her lips, and Mia felt her skin start to burn, inhaling sharply. “May I kiss you?” The request was so innocent, yet so dangerous at the same time. Mia would be lying to herself if she said the thought had never crossed her mind. Many times. The idea thought of leaning in and stealing affection from those lips spoke to her in a way no other had. The liquor in her system didn’t help, though she wasn’t at a point where her choices would be impaired; she simply had more confidence than usual.
“Yes.”
The response was a whisper, a defining one. Mia was eager to kiss him, to be near him. While she had never physically cheated on her husband, it could be stated she had done so emotionally. She had tried to convince herself it wasn't true, that Vaughn was just a friend, but now she couldn't deny it. There were emotions beneath the surface, ones that she had not felt for Dixon in years. She should be ashamed of herself.
Vaughn pulled Mia close with ease, and she thrilled at his cool touch, at the intensity when their eyes met.
"May I just say," he began throatily, his accent more pronounced than ever, "you are so much more beautiful than you could know." He brushed a hand over the hair curling around her face, running a thumb gently, almost reverently across her cheek. She felt her heart racing as she gazed up at his angular face, into his earnest eyes. And when his lips pressed against her own, so soft, so tender, she felt a shudder run through her entire body.
Trailing her fingers up along his arms, she squeezed Vaughn’s biceps and pressed close against him. Mia wanted those arms around her, holding her against his chest and embracing her, cradling her. Her heart felt like it was going to burst.
She wanted him.
Chapter 5
Vaughn pulled away a moment later and smiled. The kiss had been more breathtaking than he could have ever imagined. Mia hesitated, her gaze meeting Vaughn’s before she laughed weakly, blinking in apparent surprise.
“Wow.” He raised a brow when she whispered and merely kissed her once more. It was firmer this time, one hand cupping her face and the other drawing her body closer. Mia felt so slight in his arms.
Pulling her onto his lap, Vaughn trailed his affections from her lips onto her jaw, then down her neck. Tilting her head to expose more skin, Mia moaned softly and arched her back. Without hesitation, she shifted to straddle him and lace her fingers through his hair, gripping onto his locks. With a weak tug, she returned the kiss with more ferocity than Vaughn thought the small woman had within her. It was startling, to say the least, but he soon found himself grinning against the kiss.
His hands, which had been resting on her hips, now trailed eagerly up along her curves and grasped her shirt, pushing up the fabric to expose her stomach. Perhaps he was moving a bit fast, but Vaughn felt an excitement that had been lost for years. While he certainly had a healthy appetite, no encounter had been like this. None of this caused him to laugh, to feel an almost boyish giddiness. Mia was special; he had seen it the moment they met. This was about more than sex for Vaughn. This was about emotional connection.
Vaughn pulled her shirt free and carelessly allowed it to fall to the side, his thumb stroking the soft skin beneath her bra. His fingers spread out against her side, squeezing her as he kissed her collarbone and the exposed top of her breast.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said wonderingly, running his eyes over Mia's body. His lips found hers once more, gently pulling at her lower lip before deepening the kiss. He slid his hands back down to her hips, pulling them to meet his own, his tongue pushing through her lips. He sighed her name, and Mia shuddered in response, curling her fingers against his sleeves.
Glancing toward the bedroom,
Vaughn gave her a soft peck before standing from the couch. He kept a firm grip on Mia's legs as she tucked them around his hips, and carried her toward the bedroom. She giggled brightly, fingers twisting in his hair once more as she nuzzled his neck, her breath warm against his skin.
“I always forget how strong you are,” she whispered.
Moving into the other room, Vaughn wasted little time laying Mia down against the sheets, his lips quickly finding her skin again, kissing down her stomach and causing the woman to squirm beneath him, gasping his name.
The way she moved and the sound of her voice was thrilling; it stirred him, and he soon felt his teeth change, out of his control. Gasping at the sharp prick against her skin, Mia looked up at Vaughn, momentarily confused. He laughed lowly, shifting up to softly kiss her.
“Sorry, love.” She realized what had startled her as he spoke: even in the dim light, those sharp, elongated teeth were clearly visible. Despite his honesty and the events of their first night, Mia didn’t often see his teeth. She didn’t often come face-to-face with this side of him—when his eyes seemed more attentive, his fangs were drawn, and even his nails felt sharper. But Mia wasn’t complaining. There was something so raw about him right now, so wild and irresistible.
Kissing him eagerly, she dared to brush her tongue against one of his canines, grinning as she felt him shudder above her. Good. She liked drawing out a reaction from the too-collected man. It was nice to see the other side of him, to see that she could make him lose control. Something about it made Mia feel safe, confident and powerful. A feeling Mia had rarely experienced these past few years.
As she licked the length of his canine, her breath hot and sweet, Vaughn had to struggle to contain himself, to keep himself in check. Brushing his hand against her face, he cupped her cheek and lingered for a moment. He ran his fingers through her hair and pressed them against her forehead.
“Mia, are you sure?” Did she truly want this? Did she know what this would mean to him? The last thing he wanted was for Mia to feel as if she were pushed into this choice—he wanted her to be just as excited as he was. In truth, he had craved Mia for quite a while now. He found her beautiful, tempting. And now that she was lying before him like this, he could barely believe it was happening. Could barely stop himself from taking her with the speed and ferocity natural for his kind.
“Vaughn.” Smiling, she kissed him gently, tracing her fingers along his jaw. “Trust me, I want you. God, I want you.” Her words came out in a throaty murmur, and she arched her back, writhing maddeningly up against him.
At her insistence, Vaughn couldn't hesitate a moment longer. Pressing his lips to hers once more, he finally slid his hands down to her pants and fumbled a moment before pushing them away with an impatient grunt. He trailed his fingers along her bare thighs, savoring her milky skin, and kissed along her shoulder as he hooked his fingers through her panties, sliding them smoothly away. Shifting beneath him, Mia lifted her hips, her own wandering hands pulling away his shirt and kissing along his broad, bare chest. Her lips felt like fire against his stone-cold flesh, and he let out a groan.
Pulling away her bra, the last article, Vaughn pushed himself up and stared down at Mia, drinking in the sight of the bare and beautiful woman. Her cheeks flushed as he gazed, and she whined softly, and attempting to cover herself with her arms before he gently pinned her wrists.
“Don’t,” he whispered huskily, gently kissing one of her exposed breasts. He nipped at her erect nipple, careful not to pierce her skin, making her groan and lift her hips. She was a sensitive woman, it seemed. “You are more beautiful than anything I’ve ever seen.” She laughed, throwing her head back as he kissed up along her neck.
“You’re such a charmer, Vaughn.”
“But I am not a liar.” He cut her off with another heated kiss before she could argue, and she melted against him. After he released her wrists, Mia wrapped her arms around his shoulders and slowly parted her knees as Vaughn's fingers trailed down her stomach and between her thighs. She whined against his kiss as he rubbed his fingers against her, her small sounds turning to whimpers when he pressed two fingers inside. He slipped a third finger into her shortly after, the pads of his fingers massaging her slick skin as she gasped out his name. The sound was beautiful. Curling his fingers inside her, Vaughn continued to thrust them slowly, scraping his teeth lightly against her skin.
"Vaughn," she pleaded, and a shudder ran through his body.
“Mia.” He spoke her name softly, urging a silent question. There was a slight pause before she replied, shaking her head.
Sliding his fingers out of her, he placed the tip of his erection against her entrance, kissing her softly before pushing inside—just a few inches at first, waiting until she relaxed before pushing himself in the rest of the way. Her body accepted him eagerly, her legs wrapping around his hips as he thrust inside, trembling slightly.
Stroking his fingers up her arms, Vaughn gripped her hands once more, lacing his fingers through hers and squeezing softly. He bared his fangs, eliciting a gasp of anticipation from Mia, and pierced through the skin of her neck at the same time as he thrust deep inside her.
Mia cried out, her back arching, her muscles taut. As he sank his fangs deeper into her neck, mindless with hot desire, he pressed his tongue against the wound, eagerly lapping up every drop of her blood. He suckled gently at her neck, groaning in pleasure, and his hips picked up a rhythm, thrusting slowly but deeply inside the woman beneath him. Their hips met as he rocked their bodies together, squeezing her hands firmly with his own.
Mia melted beneath him, breathlessly crying out his name as her head fell back, hips fervently meeting his thrusts. He began to move faster, smoothly sliding his girth in and out of her.
Finally pulling his fangs from her, Vaughn panted softly, licking his blood-stained lips, then kissed his way across her breast once more. He looked down, admiring the beautiful red stain spreading against her skin, smeared across her perfect breasts. Moaning loudly, Mia squeezed his hands as he bent to nip playfully at her nipple, her hips bucking, and Vaughn chuckled.
He began thrusting faster, harder, pounding into her with inhuman speed. In time, Mia’s soft gasps and mewls turned into a sharp cry as his head brushed that neglected spot. He hesitated for a moment, startled, but soon realized what was happening. Groaning, Vaughn pressed his lips against her own and gripped her hips, thrusting firmly against her now—his head greeting that spot again and again, causing her to cry out wordlessly against his kiss.
Mia’s nails carved into his shoulders as she panted loudly, rocking their hips together and pleading with him before she finally gave in and came against his throbbing cock. Whimpering loudly, her legs tightened around the man, her eyes fluttering shut. Vaughn thrusted only a few more times, her muscles clenching around him, before moaning and quickly pulling from her slick entrance to finish against the sheets.
Taking a moment to catch his breath, Vaughn finally lay beside Mia and drew her body close. Softly kissing up her neck, he nipped her earlobe and simply squeezed the woman. Still trying to catch her breath, Mia tucked her face against his neck, her body relaxing against his.
Laying together, the pair slowly came down from their high and Mia smiled widely, seeming lost in her own thoughts. Clinging tightly to him, she nuzzled his jaw, and Vaughn chuckled, running his fingers slowly through her hair. Thinking she might be cold, Vaughn reluctantly pulled the sheets up to cover their bodies and kissed her forehead.
“You truly are too much.”
“Oh, really?” She giggled out the words, eyeing him a moment before their bodies shifted. Vaughn moved onto his back, arm wrapping around Mia’s body as she laid her head on his chest. They lay in silence for a time, until Mia finally spoke up.
“Vaughn?”
“Mm?”
“You never did tell me why you came to town.” Looking briefly up at him, her attention soon returned to his chest, tracing her fingers over his skin. He s
ighed in response, closing his eyes now. While it wasn’t a subject he truly wished to discuss, Mia was quite curious, and he knew she would only continue to press. Besides, with what they had just shared, he felt there should be no secrets between them. She deserved to know.
“I was attacked, though I suppose you figured that out on your own. Mia, you know what I am. The fact you accepted me, that you aided me… it was mind blowing. In truth, many people do not take kindly to people like me. They are cruel and fearful. They are hateful and wish to see my kind burn. Many see me—my people—as demons. Not men, but monsters. So, there are those who hunt us down. I had a run-in with one such hunter while I was traveling. I never intended to stop in your town; however, he caught me by surprise and I was hurt, badly. As I’m sure you remember.” He had been a bloody mess, and did not imagine the sight would have quickly left Mia's memory. He was sorry she had been forced to see him that way, had been perhaps traumatized by the sight of him. “If it had not been for you, for your kindness, I am more than sure I would be dead.”
Closing her eyes while she listened, Mia frowned and nuzzled her face against his chest with a sigh, hugging her body closer. Vaughn couldn't quite tell what she might be thinking, but she seemed more at ease than he had imagined she would be. Of course, working in a hospital, she must have seen much worse.
“I’m so sorry,” she breathed. "It must be awful to be hunted like an animal. I can't even imagine…" Vaughn blinked. He'd been more focused on how scared she must have been, and had forgotten that the concept of being hunted might be shocking. He was long accustomed to the idea, but compassionate, tender-hearted Mia was not.
