Vampire Next Door

by Angela Snyder

  A large wave came towards her, and she went under the water for a few seconds. When she came back up, Sebastian was there. He held onto her hand. "Here comes another one," he said as a wave crashed over both of them.

  He pulled her up out of the water with his arms wrapped around her and kissed her deeply. "I'm so glad you're here."

  Jane smiled. "Me too."

  * * *

  After a few hours of being out in the ocean and walking and running along the beach, Jane was famished. She rooted through the fridge and made a turkey sandwich. She opened a bottle of water and took a long swig. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Sebastian grab a blood bag from the vegetable bin. He stared at the bag, his eyes becoming luminous. She knew he must have been starving after having slept over at her house the night before and not being able to drink.

  He glanced up at Jane as he tucked the bag in the pocket of his shorts. "I'll go in the bedroom while you eat," he said.

  She grabbed his arm to stop him. "Sebastian, you can drink in front of me. I don't mind."

  "Are you sure?"

  She nodded.

  He retrieved the bag from his pocket. With one of his fangs, he tore open the seal and sucked at the tube. Jane turned her attention back to her sandwich. She took a bite. The food tasted so good. Before she had time to take another bite, Sebastian was getting another blood bag from the fridge. She watched him drain the second bag just as fast as the first one.

  "Is it hard for you to be around me when you're hungry?" she asked.

  He nodded slowly. "You have no idea," he confessed.

  She frowned. A part of her felt sorry for Sebastian. She watched as his eyes slowly turned back to their normal blue. He threw the empty bags into the trash and retreated into the living room. Jane finished the sandwich and downed the last of the water.

  "Do you want to watch the sun set?" he called from the other room.

  "Sure. I'm going to go change first." She went to the bedroom and slipped out of her bathing suit and into a pair of black yoga pants and a pink hoodie. When she joined Sebastian outside, he was still in his swim trunks. "Don't you get cold?" she asked, taking note of the chill in the air.

  He shook his head. Jane realized she had a lot to learn about vampires. He sat down on the wicker loveseat and patted the cushion beside him. Jane sat next to him and curled up against his chest. He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

  They watched the sun set, and lingered outside as it grew dark. The solar lights around the porch flickered on and provided soft lighting in the darkness. Jane stared out at the moon's reflection on the water. "It's so peaceful here," she whispered. "No wonder I liked it here so much."

  An hour or so passed as they sat listening to the waves of the ocean crash against the shore. The night air was beginning to chill her to the core, and she thought a warm bath was just the thing she needed. "I want to try out that Jacuzzi tub," Jane said.

  Sebastian smiled. "Okay."

  * * *

  Jane slowly lowered herself down into the hot water. The jets of the tub were on full speed and massaging her muscles as she moaned in pleasure. Sebastian chuckled. "Hey, you're starting to make me jealous."

  She laughed. "This tub is amazing." She watched him strip and turn on the water in the separate shower. "Are you sure you won't join me?" she asked.

  He smiled. "I think you're having enough fun without me." He stepped under the spray of water.

  The door to the shower was clear, and Jane's eyes were fixated on Sebastian's naked form as he bathed. She instantly wished she would have opted to join him in the shower instead.

  Sighing, she dunked her head under the water. She grabbed a bottle of shampoo and lathered up her hair. When she was done rinsing out the shampoo, Sebastian stepped out of the shower. He dried off and wrapped the towel around his waist. "I'm going to throw some logs into the fireplace and pour us some wine."

  Jane smiled. "That sounds wonderful."

  He winked. "See you out there."

  Jane soaked in the bathtub for a while more. When her fingers started to get wrinkled, she drained the water and climbed out of the tub. She wrapped an oversized towel around herself and went to the bedroom to change into a pink and black chemise with matching panties.

  She ran her fingers through her damp tresses as she made her way into the living room where Sebastian was lying on a plush white rug in front of the fireplace. He was wearing a pair of black lounge pants. There were two glasses of wine sitting on the hardwood floor beyond the rug.

  He looked over at her as she sat next to him. "Did you enjoy your bath?" he asked.

  "Yes," she said, picking up a glass of wine. She took a sip. "Another great choice," she commented.

  "I try," he said with a grin.

  She smiled. They sat in silence for a few minutes watching the flames dance across the logs. The sizzling and cracking sounds filled the silence. Finally, Sebastian said, "I visited you in the hospital."

  Jane watched him intently as the light from the fire danced over his face. She stayed silent, hoping that he would say more.

  "I had spent weeks trying to find you. When I realized you were missing, I went crazy. Every second of every day I spent reading newspapers, watching the news, asking people if they had seen you." He swallowed hard. "I kept a picture of you with me always. I just kept going from town to town, city to city until I finally saw a sketch of your face on the news." He paused. "I didn't think I was ever going to see you again. I was so lost without you." His eyes narrowed as he stared into the flames. "If I had known for one second that Elizabeth was the cause of your disappearance —." His voice trailed off, and Jane could sense the waves of anger rippling over him.

  "Hey," she said gently. "We're here now…together."

  He nodded slowly. "When I saw you lying in that hospital bed, it was too much to bear. I gave you some of my blood to help you heal. You woke up a few hours later."

  Once again, the pieces were clicking into place. "Jack had always said it was a miracle that I woke up at all."

  He shut his eyes. "I should have been there when you woke up. I should have been there, Jane," he said, his voice wavering.

  "It's all right, Sebastian."

  He turned to her, and his blue eyes bore into her. "No, it's not. I —." He stopped talking.

  “What is it?” she prompted.

  “I watched you get married. I watched over you, but I kept my distance. Around six months after you were married, I went to visit you in your bookstore. I asked if you were happy, and you told me yes.”

  Jane’s brow furrowed. “I don’t remember that.”

  “I compelled you to forget that I was ever there. You told me you were happy, and that’s all I needed to hear. I kept my distance after that, but I was always there in case you needed me.” Suddenly, he was next to her, grasping her face gently in his hands. "I could have lost you forever if Jack wouldn’t have died. You would have been happy with him. Maybe had a couple of kids. You would have never remembered me." Tears formed in his eyes as he said, "But I would have never forgotten you." A single tear fell from his right eye.

  Jane leaned up, pressing her lips against his. His words meant so much to her. There had been someone out there who loved her all along. She hadn't been alone after all. She poured all of her emotion into that kiss. She needed him as much as he needed her. "I need you, Sebastian," she whispered.

  "I need you too. Lay down," he said.

  She did as he told her and watched him as his hands grasped her ankles. His fingers traveled up her legs to her thighs and grabbed the top of her panties. She lifted her hips up as he peeled them off. Down at her feet once more, he trailed kisses up her legs until he reached her inner thigh. His lips paused on her pulsing artery, and he pulled back slightly. Jane could see his eyes were glowing. He was hungry. She opened her legs further, inviting him.

  He stared up at her as his mouth enclosed on her inner thigh and he bit into her flesh
. A loud gasp escaped her lips. As he drank, his fingers moved delicately over her clitoris. Jane shuddered at the mixed sensation of pain and pleasure.

  She watched him pull back, licking his lips. "Did I hurt you?" he asked, biting into his finger and applying his blood to her wound.

  "You never hurt me," she breathed.

  He smiled as he leaned down and ran his tongue up the length of her sex. Jane quivered. Gently, he parted her lips, and his tongue lapped at the most sensitive part of her body.

  A loud moan escaped her lips. He had a wicked grin as looked up at her. "I'm just getting started," he said.

  She watched his mouth envelop her sex. His blue eyes stared up at her, and she held his gaze. The feeling was exquisite, and she felt her breath quickening. His tongue moved so quickly and expertly that she found herself on the edge of ecstasy after only a few moments.

  Her fingers entangled in his thick dark hair, and her body bucked against his mouth as he tortured her with pleasure. "Sebastian," she cried as she was on the brink of orgasm once more. Her lips parted, and she gasped as her body shook with one of the most intense orgasms she had ever experienced. Sebastian's tongue continued its pleasure-filled journey until she finally came down from the high.

  Still reeling from the orgasm, she watched Sebastian slip out of his pants. He kneeled back down on the rug and hovered over her between her legs. Looking into her eyes, he said, "I want you, Jane."

  She leaned up and kissed him. "I want you, too."

  Slowly and agonizingly, he slid into her. She gasped as he filled her completely. Her insides shook as he moved in and out of her.

  "I am so desperate for you," he whispered in her ear. And then his mouth was on hers, consuming her.

  Her fingers wound themselves through the thick pile of the rug beneath them. Jane felt her breathing quickening once more, and she gazed into his eyes as the orgasm washed over her.

  "Yes," he hissed. His lips covered hers, deepening the kiss and muffling her cries of passion. His tongue darted into her mouth, completely possessing her.

  He broke off the kiss and released shuddering breaths against her lips as his thrusts became fewer and harder. His moans filled the living room as he poured himself into her.

  He leaned down and kissed her softly before rolling onto the rug beside her. Jane curled up next to him, and Sebastian's fingers intertwined with hers as they laid there in complete bliss. As her breathing slowly calmed, Jane sat up and looked at him. Tears blurred her vision.

  "Jane," Sebastian whispered, concerned.

  "Sebastian. I love you," she said. Jane knew her words were powerful not only to him, but to herself. She loved him. She couldn't remember the life they shared before the accident, but Sebastian had made her fall in love with him all over again on a fresh slate.

  "You have no idea how much I love you," he said, pulling her to him.

  She laid her head on his chest. The fire crackling was the only sound in the room. Sebastian's fingers lazily trailed up and down her arm. "I wish this weekend would never end," Jane said.

  Sebastian's hand stilled. "It doesn't have to end," he whispered. "You and I could live like this…forever."

  His words made her heart constrict. Did she really want to live forever? If it was with Sebastian, then she was almost positive her answer would be yes. "Did we ever discuss this before?"

  He nodded.

  "And what was my decision?" she asked.

  He took a long time to answer. "I don't want your past to influence your decision in the future," he said.

  She leaned up on her elbow and stared down at him. Her fingers trailed along his strong jaw. She stared into his icy blue eyes. Sebastian would look the same for eternity. Eventually she would grow old and die, but he would just remain unchanged for eternity. She closed her eyes. "One day I will have to make a choice."

  He kissed her sweetly on the lips. "But today is not the day, so don't let it spoil the rest of our weekend."

  Jane nodded and rested her head on his chest once more. She wasn't sure what she would have chosen before she lost her memory, but at that moment she knew she didn't want to live without Sebastian.

  CHAPTER 39

  SEBASTIAN AWOKE THE next morning. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so peacefully or slept at all, for that matter. Having Jane safe in his arms had allowed him to sleep. Jane, he thought. She wasn't in the bed next to him like she had been just hours prior.

  He shot out of bed and slipped on a pair of pants. "Jane!" he called.

  His senses told him that she wasn't in the house. Panic seized his chest. He ran out the patio doors. The sun was just starting to come up, and Jane was sitting in the sand staring out over the water. A sense of relief washed over him.

  He walked across the sand and plopped down beside her. "You scared me," he said. "You weren't in bed."

  "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I had trouble sleeping."

  Sebastian stared at her. Her knees were pulled up to her chest, and she was hugging her legs. He knew she was upset, but he couldn't begin to understand why. Reluctantly, he reached his mind out to hers. Her thoughts were muddled. She was thinking over a lot of things, and that explained why she seemed so distant and melancholy. "What's wrong?" he finally asked.

  She stared off into the distance. "I wish I could remember you…this…everything."

  He closed his eyes. There was a way for her to remember, but he knew she wasn't ready for that option. If Jane drank enough of his blood, her mind could repair itself, and her memories would stand a good chance of returning. The only thing holding him back was the one memory that she wouldn't be able to erase — Elizabeth kidnapping her and beating her. Jane was so fragile and had been through so much. He didn't want to overwhelm her.

  They watched the sunrise together with the sound of the ocean breaking through the silence between them.

  Sebastian stood and held his hands out to her. It was a special day, and he had a lot planned. He definitely wasn't going to let her be miserable for another second. When she placed her hands in his, he pulled her up. "No more moping. I want to take you shopping on the boardwalk," he said.

  She smiled. "Okay."

  He reflected her expression and held her hand as they walked back to the house.

  * * *

  The day of shopping on the boardwalk was fun. As they walked back to the beach house, Jane glanced down at the bracelet Sebastian had bought for her. It was made of several shades of blue and green sea glass, pearls and sterling silver.

  When they walked into the house, Sebastian set a large decorative box onto the counter. He had disappeared during their shopping trip for fifteen minutes to buy whatever was in that box. Jane desperately wanted to know what was in it. "You won't even give me a clue?" she asked.

  "Nope."

  She pouted. He hadn't budged on the walk home either. She walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.

  Sebastian stood in the doorway. "I have something to show you," he said before disappearing from the room. "Maybe this will take your mind off of the box," he said, walking into the living room carrying a large plastic container. He set it down on the couch beside her.

  She carefully removed the lid and stared at the contents. There were pictures, a college degree, papers and memorabilia. "These are my things?" she asked with hopefulness dripping from her voice.

  "Yes," Sebastian confirmed.

  She picked up a framed photograph on top of the pile. It was a picture of her and Sebastian. He was holding her in his arms, and they were looking into each other's eyes. She had a big grin on her face. "I look happy," Jane commented.

  "That's because you were," he said simply.

  She looked at the next framed photo. It was a girl who could have passed for her sister. "Who is this?" she asked.

  "Your college roommate."

  "Were we close?"

  He nodded.

  She smiled. Maybe she could get in contact with her old roomma
te and learn more about her college days. The next photograph she pulled from the pile was of a little girl and a man and a woman. She stared at the picture and swallowed hard. She could tell from the long, dark hair and light green eyes that she was the little girl. "These are my parents," she whispered.

  "Yes," he replied.

  She clutched the photo to her chest and forced herself not to cry. There were plenty of other things to look through, and she didn't want to start the waterworks already. She placed the photograph next to her and moved on to other things in the container. There were concert tickets and various memorabilia from trips she had taken.

  "I'll be right back," Sebastian said before leaving the room.

  Jane nodded. She located a small envelope in the container. When she opened it, she discovered an old driver's license. Her eyes scanned over the information. Her gaze settled on her birth date. She hadn't been able to celebrate her real birthday for years. "May 13th," she said aloud. "That's today," she whispered.

  Right on queue, Sebastian entered the room. The flames from the lit candles atop of the cake in his hands illuminated his face. Jane realized that's what had been in the box that he had been so careful to keep hidden from her.

  "Happy Birthday," he said. He set the cake down on the coffee table in front of her. "Blow out the candles and make a wish."

  Jane closed her eyes, inhaled deeply and released her breath, blowing out all of the candles on the first attempt.

  "What did you wish for?" he asked.

  A cool smile curled her lips. "I didn't have to make a wish. I have everything right here that I need."

  Sebastian bent down and kissed her. "I love you."

  "I love you, too."

  * * *

  Jane put the last bite of cake in her mouth. It was a delicious white cake with buttercream icing. She set the plate and fork aside and stared at the memorabilia, papers and photographs scattered in front of her. "I was really an eclectic person," she announced.

  He smiled. "Yeah. I knew you for years, and I still had trouble figuring you out."

  She grinned. "Well, at least I kept it interesting."

  He nodded. "You definitely did."