by Maya DeLeina
“It’s me that you dream about, you’re sure?” Steffan questioned, elation spreading like wildfire through his veins. His smile was unreserved in the pureness of his emotional reaction. Steffan knew a human would have vivid dreams of their mate after they met, but never recalled a case of dreams before the fated human and vampire met.
“Yes. I saw you. All of you. Well, except your face. But, I saw your tattoos. I heard your voice. I knew your accent. And I too, held your scent. The dreams are very sensual.” Anya reached for his hands and slid her hands into his. “And, now you’re here. How is this possible? I don’t know you. You don’t know me.”
Anya’s hands were smooth and inviting. Her fingers slowly traced his palm with a feather-like touch. Feeling her, even as gentle and reserved it was, overwhelmed him. It was like he was on a roller coaster that had just plunged from its highest peak.
“Anya, I was drawn to you. You were the only thing that consumed me this past month. I dreamt of touching you.” Steffan paused and leaned in closer to her. His breath was a little deeper, a little hotter. “I dreamt of making love to you.”
Steffan suddenly moved, slipping his thighs under Anya. He lifted her slowly. Anya responded to his movement and straddled his hips, wrapping her legs behind him. “And now, I find out you were drawn to me as well. You were dreaming of me in the same way. I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t want to ignore it. I will not ignore this.”
“Neither will I,” said Anya.
Steffan looked into Anya’s deep-brown, almond-shaped eyes. Her tears still fell, but he could see the need and desire settling in her gaze. At once, he satisfied the burning hunger and placed his lips against hers.
The kiss was gentle. They took their time. It was smooth, hot, wet—the first luscious exploration between lovers. She parted her lips as he slipped his tongue gently into her mouth. She responded with the same motion. Their tongues glided over each other, an assessment of each other’s touch, taste, and response. Rhythmically, they broke for air and continued their descent of discovery in each other.
The kiss grew intensely passionate. Anya whimpered in delight as Steffan released deep, masculine moans in her mouth. Deeper they fell into each other, losing all sense of reality.
The intensity of the kiss had Steffan’s body tingling with overwhelming sensations. His embrace grew more needful. He pulled her even closer into his body. One hand cupped the back of her head as the other held on to her, cupping her buttocks. Anya’s whimpers turned into a sexy moan as Steffan purposely pushed his crotch harder against her. She rocked her hips slowly against his swollen cock.
Anya ground herself into Steffan. He cupped her ass with both hands. His needful fingers dug into her flesh, urging her to rock harder and faster on top of him. He kissed her deeper than ever before. His heartbeat pounded like a drum. Then suddenly, he broke their hypnotic movements.
“Anya,” Steffan said with a ragged breath. “Anya, we need to stop.”
If there was ever a moment that he longed to be void of any sexual pull on a human female, it was now. If there was ever a time he needed to suppress his urge to take complete possession of a human female, it was, irrefutably, at this moment.
“No, Steffan, I want you so badly. I ache for you.” Anya swiveled her hips in a circular motion and leaned back as she perched her hands behind her on Steffan’s thighs.
His fingers dug back into her flesh, claiming each side of her hips. Round and round, Anya moved in a circular dance over his crotch. Steffan looked up at her and motioned her to her knees. With her knees firmly planted on each side of his hips, he guided her in an up-and-down movement. Anya reached behind and laced her fingers around each heel of her stilettos and arched her back. She threw her head back and hair cascaded down to the floor. His fingers dug even further, commanding her hips to dive deeper into his lap.
“Please, Steffan. Please. I want this.”
“Anya!” Steffan struggled for breath. “Anya!”
Steffan was wrapped in absolute rapture.
His gaze centered on Anya. He tore the shirt from his body. He cupped her ass and rose from the floor pillows with a sense of urgency.
Anya looked at Steffan as if captivated by his power. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He maneuvered his hand between their bodies in search of his release. He struggled to unzip his pants, undo his belt, and unbutton the trousers with one free hand, but his attempt proved to be successful and the trousers went sailing down his legs. He sat back onto the floor pillows, urging Anya to grind deeper against him.
All that separated their flesh was her moistened panties and his thin cotton briefs. Steffan felt his entire shaft gliding underneath her heat.
“Steffan, I want you. I want you to take me.” She took Steffan’s hand and cupped her breast. “It’s been too long,” she whispered.
“I waited all my life for you, Anya. You don’t know how much I want to claim you right here, right now.”
“Steffan, do to me as you’ve done in your dreams.”
Steffan shook with anticipation and longing to claim his mate. His ancient, black blood pulsed through his veins, rousing his most primal and raw instinct. Flesh tore from his gumline as his razor-sharp incisors ascended. Steffan ran his tongue along his teeth, slicing the fleshy tissue.
The metallic tang of his blood broke the ecstasy of the moment. Steffan’s eyes opened. He mustered everything in his power and conscience to stop. Out of fear, and not trusting his own self-control, he needed to stop. The desire to claim Anya at this very moment was intolerable.
Rhys had been right.
No amount of studying human-vampire mates in the bloodline reports could’ve prepared him for this.
“Anya, I want to. God, believe me, I want to. But I didn’t intend for this for on our first meeting. I don’t know how much longer I can hold on. You’re killing me. We need to stop, Anya!”
“No! Oh my god, Steffan, it’s too much. I can’t…I–I’m so close. I’m gonna…” Anya started to shake on top of him as she grabbed his face and stared intently into his eyes. “Steffan, I’m gonna come! Look at what you’re doing to me!”
“Oh god! Come for me! Let me see you. Let me hear you!” Steffan blurted out with a jagged breath. He was stunned that he’d brought her to the height of pleasure without a single touch of his hand, exploration of his fingers, swipe of his tongue, or a stroke of his cock.
She remained transfixed on his stare. Steffan watched her as she rhythmically stroked herself against his hardness.
Her eyes suddenly widened.
She gasped for breath, as if someone was choking the life out of her. She shuddered on top of him. “Steffan,” she cried out.
Seeing Anya in complete ecstasy, hearing his name escape her lips amidst her pleasure, robbed Steffan of all his defenses. He lost the raging battle with willpower and self-control.
“Anya, don’t stop, please keep grinding on me,” he whimpered in sharp, frayed breaths. Steffan fisted strands of her long hair with both hands as he forcefully ground into her. “Look at me, Anya. Do not take your eyes off of mine.”
Steffan’s face strained. Anya’s eyes looked back at him with a devouring stare. Waves of pleasure crested in him.
“Anya, I’m coming!” Steffan let out a long moan as he exploded in his briefs beneath her.
Anya remained on his lap, her legs wrapped tight around him as his eruption slowed and came to a stop. Slowly, she backed from Steffan’s.
Still regaining control of his breath, Steffan flashed a big grin as he saw Anya’s face. “I can’t believe this!” Steffan said joyfully as he removed her pinky from the clenches of her teeth.
“Bad habit.” Anya said with a slight look of embarrassment.
“Funny, it’s mine, too. It’s pretty disgusting if you think about it.” Steffan laughed as he placed her pinky finger between his teeth and teasingly bit down.
“You do this, too?” Anya said in delight as Steffan released
his clench on her finger and started kissing her from her hand and up her arm.
“My husband hates when I do that.”
Steffan’s heart sank as he stopped and looked into her eyes. “Husband? Anya, you’re married?”
Anya quickly corrected herself. “Oh no, I’m sorry. I am a widow. I meant it in a past tense.”
Steffan shook his head, relieved that Anya had confirmed Eilian’s report on her widow status. “I am sorry, Anya.” He brushed back her hair and caressed her face with the back of his hand. Steffan searched her eyes. She looked as if she wanted to tell him more, but she remained silent.
Anya dismounted and lay sideways on the floor pillows alongside him, changing the subject quickly. “I don’t know what is with me. Steffan, I need you to know that I do not do this. I’m usually very reserved. I don’t know you, you don’t know me. I have no idea why you spark something in me to give in, why I say those things to you. It’s like I am a different person with you.”
It’s because I’m a vampire and you are my fated mate, Steffan imagined himself blurting out.
Instead, Steffan lay back.
Propping his head up with his elbow, he faced Anya and placed his other hand on her hip. “This was never supposed to happen. Anya, you must know that this wasn’t my intention. I want us to be more than just sex. We need to work on our control with each other.”
“You want it to be more than just sex? Where are you from? How were you raised? I’ve never met a man who could stop like that in the heat of passion.”
“I’m far from dignified, Anya. You terrify me. It took everything in me not to take you.”
“I terrify you? You terrify me. My ability to lose myself in you is so effortless and natural. You’re so familiar to me.” Anya traced her finger around his lips.
“There is no denying that our sexual attraction to one another is strong. But I think we owe it to ourselves to find out how deep our other connections run, why we were being drawn to each other in the first place.” Steffan caught her fingers and lightly planted his kisses on them.
“I agree,” Anya stated. “Do you think we’re the first couple to do what we just did? I mean to have an orgasm without flesh to flesh contact, without intercourse, did you ever have that before?”
“I can say that this is a first for me. Wait! Actually, no. There was the time when you were in my driveway.”
Anya sat up. “Wait, are you saying you had an orgasm the day I was outside your house?”
“Yes. Eilian said you looked if you were going into seizure in the driveway just as I was…’’ Steffan trailed off as he sat up in realization of the moment.
“That’s exactly what I was experiencing in your driveway! Seems we both had it at the same time,” Anya said, shaking her head.
“I had no idea.” Steffan reached up to caress her face. “Anya, do you have any plans for this evening?”
“Yes. I am spending it with you. Why don’t you clean up in the bathroom, and I’ll make us some tea. You like chai?”
“My favorite.” Steffan gathered his trousers around his waist in attempt to pull the material of the pants away from his soaked briefs and reached for his shirt.
“And Steffan?”
“Yes, Anya?”
“You wouldn’t have, by chance, brought your violin with you today, did you? I mean, after all, you are here for music lessons, correct?”
“I am so glad you asked. I’ll retrieve it from the car along with a pair of jeans I think I left in the backseat.” Steffan turned to head toward the door.
“One more thing…” said Anya as Steffan turned back to look at her. “Seeing that it’s warm out, maybe you don’t really need the shirt?”
Steffan smiled and let the shirt drop to the ground in an instant.
* * * *
Steffan stood in nature’s spotlight as the last few rays of the sunset spilled through the windows. He played a collection of self-composed music for Anya. He stood tall, bare chested, with his violin tucked firmly under his chin.
Anya watched Steffan, her eyes shining in complete veneration.
Darkness fell, and Steffan lit the candles in the hanging lanterns.
It was his turn to watch Anya.
He sat on the floor, mesmerized by each movement. The Moroccan motif designs glowed, projecting delicately on Anya’s body. She sat in her chair, her skirt high on her thigh and her long, smooth legs molding around the cello. Steffan was entranced, propped up on one elbow as he spread out on the floor pillows. He admired the beauty that she was and the beauty she was creating.
Their musical chemistry radiated in absolute harmony.
They were lost in conversation, the hours passing like seconds. Without any effort, they spoke and shared as if they were longtime friends. And when they played in unison, their music was enchanting. They were two dynamic resonances, dominant on their own, yet blending effortlessly, complimenting each other with sweet magic.
As they retired their instruments, Steffan calculated that he had two hours left on Consumption and suggested they order food, knowing Anya would be famished.
They decided on Chinese and had it delivered to the studio.
Anya sat between Steffan’s legs on the floor pillows, her back against his bare chest, feeding directly from the take-out cartons, no utensils needed. The sensuality of feeding each other by the candlelight was a first-time experience for both of them. Their tools of seduction were carefully selected—noodles, egg rolls, and dumplings.
Steffan knew neither one of them would ever look at Chinese food quite the same ever again.
At the end of their meal, Steffan reached in the bag to retrieve their fortune cookies. “They only put one in here,” he said with disappointment as he pulled out the cookie that was wrapped in a simple plastic bag.
“Then this will be for the two of us,” said Anya.
Steffan broke open the cookie and laid the two broken pieces and the small white paper in his hand. He fed one half to Anya as she fed him the other. Anya turned over the white paper as they both leaned in to read it together.
Those who have love and happiness, have wealth beyond measure
Anya looked over her shoulder at Steffan.
“I will have to agree with that,” Steffan said.
“As do I,” replied Anya.
Steffan bowed his head to Anya’s shoulder and planted a kiss.
* * * *
Steffan stood behind Anya as she locked the outside door to the building. They walked hand in hand to the parking lot.
Anya took a long, deep breath and looked up at the sky. “Such a nice evening out. And tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful as well. How would you feel about doing an outside session tomorrow?”
Steffan’s mind raced. She was suggesting an outdoor activity. He would have to calculate the time perfectly to assure coverage with the injections. He would not have the safety of a darkened corner of a building to shield him if he didn’t plan everything well.
“How early are you thinking?”
“Well, I already promised Michelle I would work until 2:00 p.m. tomorrow, so sometime shortly thereafter?”
Steffan calculated the time. 8:00 p.m. deadline. He would be fine. But the long days of summer were fast approaching.
A pang ignited in his stomach.
He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep the pretense going for very long and choosing to stay away from Anya was not an option.
She would have to know who he really was, what he really was, soon.
“Perfect. Why don’t I have Vaughn drive you into town in the morning, and I’ll pick you up at the shop after your shift? I would drop you off in the morning myself, but I’m working at that time.”
“Not a problem. Are you sure Vaughn won’t mind?”
“Of course not.”
“Great. Then you can meet Michelle tomorrow!”
Michelle. The mere mention of her name hit Steffan like a speeding train. He’d forgotten to cal
culate her into the equation.
How close did her ties to Anya run? Was she just an employer? Was she a close friend? Did she remember him? The questions fired in Steffan’s mind, making him sick to his stomach. How to effectively deal with her would undeniably take careful planning and precise timing. But if there was a silver lining to be had, tomorrow could at least answer the question that weighed on his mind about Michelle Ocsil.
“I’ll race you up the mountain,” Steffan said jokingly as he opened the door of the SUV for Anya.
Anya slid into the driver seat. “Race me? Looks like you could roll right over me and my Lexus in that! Steffan, are you sure you don’t want to come over for a nightcap?”
“Anya, I think for our safety, we should call it an evening rather than put anymore temptation in front of us,” Steffan said as he gave Anya a long, deep kiss. “I’m thinking that both of us will have very vivid dreams to share with one another tomorrow that will even further test our strength and willpower.”
“And why again aren’t we just giving in?”
Steffan laughed and pecked her on the forehead. If only she knew how hard he was fighting for control. “I will stop in front of your house and give you a proper goodnight, how’s that?”
“I’ll settle for that.”
“Anya, you will never have to settle, I assure you of that.”
Chapter Eleven
Rhys and Eilian shot questionable glances at each other as they stood with Ryan at the outside entry of Steffan’s castle.
The Hummer had long since disappeared from their view.
In the distance, Vaughn carefully maneuvered the limousine into the gated entrance.
“Yes, her name is Anya. Why do you ask?” Eilian asked Ryan
“I like it. Anya—it’s a very sexy name. I like women with exotic beauty and style. I’m growing tired of the selections available in the late-night bar scene. It’s the same ol’ song and dance. There’s the recently divorced, the blabbering alcoholic, or the midlife-crisis mess.”
