He rests his hand, palm up, on the couch beside me. He whispers, “Emma…please.”
I run my hand over my face, masking the wetness of my eyes. “Um, look. I don’t feel comfortable talking to you about it.” Quiet fills the room for several moments. I drop my hand and look at him. He’s staring at me, mouth slightly open. He actually looks hurt.
I try to explain. “You’re too close to the situation. It’s like, you know me, sort of. But you don’t know me that well. And I just feel that I can’t talk to you…without some type of judgment. Or you thinking differently about me.”
He purses his lips into a severely thin line. “If you think so little of me,” he begins, “as a friend. As a colleague. Then, Emma dear, I think your issues are much deeper than either one of us realized.”
He abruptly stomps toward the door. I jump up. “Rick, wait!” He stops, his back still turned toward me. Now I can’t stop the tears. I begin sobbing. “I don’t know what I’m saying. I’m not explaining it right. I just can’t. I can’t. It’s all I think about. It’s like, if I talk about it, it’s really real. And with you. You were there. You can confirm my nightmares. That I did it. That I’m…I’m a…child killer!”
I drop to the floor, sobbing hysterically. I feel strong arms wrapped around me. I bury my face into his chest and just let the tears run down my face. No more holding it in now that the dam has broken.
Rick continues to hold me. He whispers, “He wasn’t a child. He was a vampire.”
I look up into his face, tears streaming down my cheeks. I shake my head and groan, “If he’s not a child…then you’re not a man.”
Sadness sweeps over his eyes as he forces a heart sore smile. “I’m not a man, Emma. I’m a vampire.”
I shake my head more. “You’re a man to me. And if you’re a man…then I killed a child.” I look at his chest, staring at nothing in particular.
Rick’s chest heaves as he takes a deep, fake vampire breath. “I wish it were that simple. I was a man. Now I’m something different. I guess I’m still a man. And something more. Just like Henry was a child. And something more.” He leans back against the couch, pulling me against his torso so that I’m resting between his outstretched legs. He continues, “You can put any label you want on us. We’re both vampires. But there’s still one major difference. He was a murderer. I’m not. Behavior doesn’t necessarily determine identity, unless one chooses to become that which is done. And Henry did. He didn’t murder. He was murder. And rape. And torture. And it wasn’t like something he did once and then repented. He did it over and over again. Multiple times. For decades. And he enjoyed it. He was the child killer. Not you.”
I earnestly listen to him as the tears begin to slow. I look up into his face, daring to let a little hope into my heart.
He briefly smiles. “Like I’ve said before. The fact that you don’t enjoy it, that you question the rightness of it all. That’s what makes you one of the good guys. And just as important, it’s what distinguishes you from one of the bad guys.” He slowly leans forward and kisses my forehead.
I look at him, waiting for any more pearls of wisdom. He just continues to watch me, as if he’s wondering if I will stay or run. I rest my head against his chest, breathing deeply as I try to recount each word that he has said. I plan on using them as my personal mantra when I begin to second-guess myself.
I stretch out between his legs, still repeating his words in my mind. Rick continues to hold me, but not tightly like before - just enough for me to be comfortable and not slide away from him. Many moments pass and I slowly ebb into sweet, dreamless sleep.
~ ~ * ~ ~
I wake up with a start. It’s pitch black, but I can tell that I’m in my bed. At least, I think it’s my bed. I turn the bedside lamp on and breathe a sigh of relief as I recognize the furniture and thick window dressings of my own room. Thank God, I didn’t wake up in someone else’s bed. It’s a first for me saying that. Go figure.
I suddenly remember what happened and look around the bedroom floor to see if Rick had taken up residence again. I quickly grab all over my body to make sure that I’m fully clothed. I need to figure out why I’m always ending up unconscious and waking to horrible thoughts of Rick undressing me, either to clean vampire goo or get me ready for bed. Either way, not ready to give a peep show. Well, maybe not ready.
I kneel down on the floor to look under the bed. Yep, Rick is soundly sleeping. At least he didn’t scare the hell out of me this time.
I walk quietly toward the kitchen, intent on making a late afternoon breakfast. Before I know what’s happening, I’m pressed against the wall in the back corner of the bedroom. Rick has his arms wrapped tightly around me, his fingers kneading my lower back. His lips are on mine, his tongue forcing my lips apart. I’m stunned. It’s like all of it is just happening to me, with very little reaction.
Maybe it is the solace I have found in Rick or the excitement of flirting with David. Either way, finding more comfort in Rick seems like the best idea I’ve had in a long time.
Rick easily lifts me, his hands cupping my buttocks and carries me to the bed. He lays me down gently, pressing himself between my legs as he continues to kiss down my neck to the bare flesh at the top of my chest. “Um, Rick?”
He groans against my skin. “Uuuuhhhh-hhhhhmmmm?”
I tightly squeeze my eyes shut. “I don’t have any protection.”
His head jerks up as he looks at me. “I’m not capable of getting you pregnant.” He begins kissing my lips again.
I moan against him. “What about other…stuff?”
He raises one eyebrow. “What other stuff?”
Feeling more than slightly embarrassed, I mumble, “Like…viruses?”
He smiles broadly. “I love that you would take care of yourself like that.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “With vampire healing and immunity, I’m also not capable of passing any known viruses.”
“Oh, thank God!” I exclaim a little too excitedly.
He chuckles before lightly caressing my face with his fingertips. He brushes his thumb across my bottom lip as he kisses below my ear. He licks and lightly sucks his way back down to the bare area of my chest, his hand moving from my face to the hem of my shirt. He skims his hands over my abdomen as he lifts the cloth up and over my head. Tossing my shirt to the floor, he begins kissing the exposed areas of my breasts. He runs his tongue along the edge of my bra while one hand slowly massages me in all the right places.
I arch my back as he continues kissing down my stomach. He runs his tongue along the band of my slacks before quickly unfastening the buttons and sliding them over my hips and down my legs. He grins as he looks at me lying there, naked except for my bra and panties.
Taking one of my feet in his hands, he kisses my ankle before slowly running his tongue up the back of my calf. He pauses at the back of my knee, running his lips over my skin while his hand massages my other leg, fingers leisurely tracing around my thigh. His lips inch up to my hip, then he smoothly kisses across the lace-covered juncture of my legs. He stops and inhales deeply. He runs his tongue inside my waistband, torturing me with his teasing before he hooks his fangs into my panties and swiftly rips them from my body.
I squeal in astonishment and delight. He grins up at me before becoming a blur of motion. Before I know it, he’s completely naked and kneeling between my legs. He carefully positions himself between my legs as he crushes his mouth against mine, his fangs dangerously close to drawing blood. He grinds his hips into mine before snaking his arms around me and deftly unhooking my bra. He quickly removes it and tosses it to the floor with the rest of our clothes.
He lies down on top of me, the full weight of his body melding into mine. Both of his hands rest beside my head, playing with my hair as he stares down at me. He moves his hips ever so slowly against me. He kisses lightly all over my face while his hips swivel and rock. He continues this rhythm as his mouth suckles at my breasts. I begin panting, the pressure
building between my hips. Right as I feel like I’m going to explode, he quickly thrusts, causing me to scream out as I ride wave after wave of pleasure.
He slows down and grits his teeth, his fangs piercing his bottom lip, thin rivulets of crimson sliding down over his chin. He kisses all over my chest, leaving a trail of warm, red lip prints. He suckles my skin until I think he’s going to swallow me whole. He resumes his rocking in an achingly slow pace, taking his time as he lavishes my upper body with his mouth and tongue. His rhythm quickens until we’re both panting. He grips the sheets tightly before he looks deeply into my eyes as his body jerks with our fulfillment. Holding my gaze, his crimson-kissed lips slightly turn up before he relaxes and rests his head on my shoulder.
He drops to my side, pulling me into a spooning position. Without either of us saying a word, we bask in the warmth of our bodies, both of us teetering near the edge of more sleep. He kisses the back of my neck, grazing his fangs against my skin. He runs his tongue over the burning area. Did he just take a taste? I run my hand over the red stickiness of my chest. Taste or not, I’m not really caring right now. I snuggle more tightly against him as he rubs his face against my hair.
Damn. We should really be getting ready to go to the research facility. It will be hard to work without a knowing grin on my face. Think anyone will notice? Lying in the bed with all types of wicked thoughts running through my mind, I’m tempted to leave the blood on me, knowing full well that other vampires will be able to smell it. I close my eyes at the thought and wrap his arms tightly around me.
About The Author
J.B. Stilwell is a paranormal romance/thriller novelist who published her debut novel The Source in 2012 and is working on the sequel Mining the Dark to be released at the end of 2013. These books are the first “The Mountain State Vampire Series,” a collection of paranormal novels set in the mountains of West Virginia.
J.B. was born and raised in the foothills of Appalachia and currently resides in the Seattle metropolitan area with her husband and daughter. She has eclectic interests that show in her writing. J.B. has a degree in Sociology; her studies focused on crime/deviant behavior for undergrad and race/gender relations in post-grad. She loves to travel, particularly to India, and her varied experiences around the world are woven into her stories.
Aside from writing, she loves to read, listen to music, watch good TV/movies, crochet, and above all else, spend time with family and friends.
Book http://www.amazon.com/Source-Mountain-Vampire-Series-ebook/dp/B008XDNVXY
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jbstilwell.author
Blog http://jbstilwellauthor.com
Twitter @JBStilwell
VAMPIRING WITH THE TAYLOR TWINS
By
Janiera Eldridge
The Taylor twins, Ani and Dana, live in their own little mystical world that brews just under the surface of the real world in which you and I live. They’re unlike any twins you’ve ever met before. Their world is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. The land they live in is similar to the human world; they dwell within the human world, but they’re still living rather unusual lives. Ani and Dana are identical twins whose worlds revolve around each other, like most twins. There’s nothing special there. But the secrets about their origin are so dark, so twisted, that very few humans know the way the elegant twins came about. I’ll share their secret with you if you promise not to tell. Not everyone can handle their secret. Out of the few who know about this lurking underworld, some find it…different; others find it terrifying. They want to know how and why. Can I see them? Can I touch them? Can you turn me, please? If they ask too many questions, they might become citizens of the permanent, immobile dead. It’s not possible for them to know how it happened.
They can’t know how one twin is a vampire and the other a human.
Ani and Dana are like any other twin sisters. They’re both totally different, yet still so alike. Although Ani is a cold-to-the-touch vampire, her passion for life is unbeatable. She loves spending her nights dancing and partying with a delicious, hot-blooded, muscle-covered male. Sometimes, the night ends in hot passionate sex, like when she met six-foot-four Eddie Raul.
He had muscles bulging under his skin, from his chest to his calves. His stark green eyes were automatic panty droppers. His voice was so silky and his love was so good that there was no way Ani could end the life of such sexy man. No matter how much she wanted to feel his perfectly heated blood sliding over her tongue, and then trickle down her throat, his sweet love wouldn’t let her do it. He was also a good person to the core, so breaking the “good man’s code” with him wasn’t an option.
Other times, the night ended (for the victim anyway) in bloody terror. Ani and Dana had come to understand that the only chance they had at keeping their little secret hidden was agreeing only to kill those that deserved to be killed. Rapist, murderers, people who robbed the elderly; that sort of person. They’d come to refer to it as the “good man’s code.” Many nights, Ani looked forward feasting on the blood of men who had devious intentions after taking her home. She particularly loved the look on one young man’s face when he started to realise something about Ani just wasn’t right. She had clearly watched a blond, blue-eyed, wholesome, middle-America type slip a roofie in her mango wine cooler. Ani pretended to be drunk as they rode to his apartment during the bumpy cab ride. The look on his face was priceless as he slowly removed her bra when, all of a sudden, she reached up and snatched him in the throat. Forcefully, she yanked his head towards her mouth and whispered in his ear, “Your wicked ways will make you taste so good.” Then, she used her blade sharp fangs to slice into Roofie Boy’s soft neck. The aroma of his blood was just as deep and pungent as the taste. It was so good she had hungered for the same amazing quality for weeks.
Ani wasn’t all about blood and fear, even if it did take up an abundance of her time. She was always proud, even if she could never tell anyone, that she had attended the revolutionary Woodstock festival of 1969. Sure, she was over one hundred years old and forever looked as young as her twenty-five-year-old sister (who also remained twenty-five years old forever), but she still experienced her once-in-a-lifetime love affair in Spain with Diego. Diego was an ex-security guard for vampire royalty and was as full of as much fiery passion as Ani was. One of the biggest regrets of her life was completely abandoning her lover of many decades to focus fully on her sister Dana.
Although Dana, by all appearances, is an ordinary twenty-five-year-old human, she is immortal, just like her sister. Her mid-neck curly hair, bright brown eyes, flawless light brown skin and perfectly white teeth will remain the same forever, as long as her soul sister Ani stays alive. Dana is known to take more of a low-key approach to life. She works as a librarian during the day, has a close circle of friends, and reads an endless amount of books while sipping wine all night. She’d never really felt a need for being with anyone else after her husband was killed during a terrible horse carriage accident almost one hundred years ago. That terrible incident had drawn her closer to her soul sister Ani, but it never allowed for her to love another man again. Her many years of endless youth might not have been as exciting as her sister’s, but she’s loyal, dependable, and still likes to get sloshed during a night out with the girls every now and then. With a sister like Ani, her low-key lifestyle is perfect for bringing balance to their chaotic world.
Ani and Dana had gotten themselves into some trouble recently, from murders that broke the “good man’s code,” to a kidnapping of the modern vampire queen. The sister’s unique way of life is more in jeopardy than ever before!
Soul Sisters and Dark Expectations details two of the sisters’ roller-coaster adventures, which includes the start of reconciliation between the vampires and the werewolves, a fight for survival because vampire royalty want them dead, and the brutal kidnapping of Ani, which put the entire vampire world in jeopardy. These soul sisters’ stories will extend far beyond just two books. There are many more
adventures to come. The twins have no idea some of these adventures are coming. This vampire world is nothing like the common folklore that people have come to expect as vampire fact. Once I let you in on the real lives of vampires, you’ll never look at these blood-drinking gods and goddesses the same way again. You might even learn the origin of these sisters’ unusual beginnings.
Enjoy a taste of the soul sisters’ world, but be careful who you trust with this information. If their tales land in the wrong hands, it could start a bloody nightmare!
~ ~ * ~ ~
Soul Sisters-Chapter One
Rebecca Thomas dipped her brush into the small pot of lip-gloss and dabbed it softly on her lips. Today had been a long day at the Lola Department Store. The two rich old biddies that were usually bothering her at the makeup counter had been there earlier. Lord, they got under her skin! She checked her watch and noticed there was only forty-five minutes until the store closed for the night. Rebecca turned from the mirror and rolled her eyes when she noticed the door to the ladies’ room creak open and a beautiful cocoa-colored brunette briskly walk through it. All she wanted was a few minutes of silence, but another woman in the bathroom always spelled noise. Damn those pesky ladies’ room discussions.
The bathroom was painted a soft brown with gold trim around the counters and stalls. There was a small loveseat in the resting area. Rebecca never understood why there was a loveseat; no one ever used it. This powder room was, however, a place of peace where Rebecca could take a few minutes to exhale.
Rebecca couldn’t help but turn her head all the way around at such a natural beauty. She whipped her head back to the mirror when she noticed the young woman peering straight into her eyes with a raised eyebrow. She briskly swiped the lip-gloss across her lips once more.
“You shouldn’t try so hard to be perfect; it isn’t becoming of anyone,” the woman said, tousling her hair and looking into the mirror. She loosened the curls around her face by gently extending them with her finger. Rebecca looked into her deep, green eyes, the most alluring thing about her. She looked vaguely familiar. She felt the amount of rudeness the woman was showing to a stranger was pretty shocking. She was startled by the woman’s soft, but deep voice. It was dark like hot chocolate, but soothing nonetheless. She felt she had no choice but to listen.
Vampires Romance to Rippers an Anthology of Tasty Stories Page 15
