Boxed Set

by Brenda K. Davies

  He never stayed with his kind for extended periods of time, except for Brian, but Brian was his past, and he had no intention of seeing him again. The thought brought back memories he preferred to forget, memories of what he’d been, and would never be again.

  It was easier to forget about it when he was here. He had never settled down anywhere before, but when he saw how close and secure everyone was, he almost longed to have a place like it for himself. He enjoyed the laughter, the warm familiarity, and the stories. The bonds of love woven throughout the entire place would never break —bonds he found himself a little jealous of.

  He understood why David, Doug, Jack, and Mike stayed here, even though they were freer than the others to leave. He didn't know why Ethan and Isabelle seemed determined to stay so far away from the outside world though. They would always have a place to come home to, even if they did go out and see the world.

  Then again, he’d seen everything there was to see and been everywhere there was to go. He'd never felt the peace and comfort he did here. He was glad he'd found it. One day, he might even set up a home of his own somewhere and settle down for a little while. Although, it would probably be lonely with just him, and he'd probably be bored within a month, but at least he would have a home base to go back to when his wanderlust dimmed again.

  On second thought, his wanderlust had dimmed for the last fifty years or so. Ever since he killed Brenda, he'd felt oddly detached, without a purpose, and tired of traveling the world. His entire existence revolved around destroying her, and once she was gone, there was no reason for him to continue. At first, he’d at least had Brian, but when Brian changed, he'd lost Brian's friendship too.

  He’d only been going through the motions of surviving for a while now. He just didn’t want to admit it to himself. Now, he had a place to stay, one he liked, and where he felt a little alive in again.

  David had invited him to stay for as long as he wanted, and Sera and Liam insisted on it. He initially refused their offer, but after tonight, he'd changed his mind. For the first time in a while, he didn't feel as oddly disconnected, or lonely.

  It would be fun staying here, listening to stories, helping with the house, and getting to know Isabelle better. A lot better. He would enjoy taking the time to figure her out, and he would enjoy bedding her.

  There was no doubt in his mind he would get her into his bed, he hadn't met a woman yet who refused him, he just didn't know how long it would take. She was very hesitant around him, and for some reason, she seemed to be wary of him. Once he got past those two obstacles, he would be home free. He didn't even consider Jess as a possible obstacle, as far as he was concerned, she was already gone.

  A small thud in the kitchen drew his attention. Instantly, he knew who it was, and his pulse accelerated with the thrill traveling through him. Planting his chair back on the ground, he climbed to his feet. Moving noiselessly through the unlit dining room and hallway, he stepped into the doorway of the large kitchen.

  Isabelle was standing in front of the refrigerator, silhouetted against its dim light. The light blue nightgown she wore ended at mid-thigh. His mouth went dry, and his dick ached as he savored the sight of her long, shapely legs. The way she bent allowed him a tempting view of a pair of black, lace panties.

  He shifted uncomfortably as his cock jumped eagerly in his pants. She was the most tempting thing he’d ever seen. He was certain even the Goddess Venus could not compare to the lovely vision before him.

  She slammed the door shut as her back became ramrod straight. "Don't you sleep?" she asked coldly.

  Stefan forced himself to take a deep breath before answering her. "I could ask the same of you."

  She turned toward him, her violet eyes brilliant in the night. The gold streaks in her hair shimmered and danced in the moonlight, while the chocolate of it blended into the shadows. It caused a startling effect highlighting her enchanting beauty.

  "I was hoping they’d returned," she said.

  "Hungry?"

  Her eyes flashed as she tilted her delicate chin. "Not all of us have a ready supply available," she retorted.

  "By all means, enjoy Jess." He nearly snarled the comment, but he couldn't help it. She had him as hard as a rock, and her haughty demeanor infuriated him.

  Her exquisite mouth parted as she gaped at him. "What an awful thing to say! Don't you have any respect?"

  Stefan shifted as he leaned his hip against the large counter dividing the kitchen from the tiled entryway. "I wouldn't want to see you go hungry when there's a ready supply available."

  It took her a minute to realize he was mocking her. When she did, her hands fisted at her sides. "Are you always such an ass?" she demanded.

  He grinned cockily at her; his white teeth flashing in the dark, and his onyx eyes gleamed with the hunger she was becoming uncomfortably familiar with. Hunger that evoked the strange tingling sensation in her no matter how much she tried to fight against it.

  "Most women find me charming," he said.

  "I find you infuriating."

  "So I've noticed, and trust me, the feeling is mutual."

  She blinked at him in astonishment. Was it possible she affected him in the same odd way he affected her? She shook the thought away. He looked too unperturbed by her presence to be feeling any amount of the desire burning through her. Even standing a good ten feet away from him, she could feel the heat of his presence, the force of his power. It burned through her, made her heart hammer, and caused her legs to tremble no matter how much she tried to fight it. She didn't want this; she didn't want any of this.

  Her eyes darted toward the opening. All she wanted was to run from the kitchen and back to the safety of her room. However, she would be within inches of him if she left, and she didn't want to be so close to him, ever.

  She'd been so certain he would be in his bed by now, with Jess, and it would be safe to come out again. She kicked herself in the ass for her stupidity. After her earlier reaction to him, she should have realized there was never a safe time to come out of her room as long as he was around.

  "So, what is it you don't like about me, Isabelle?"

  His husky voice sent shivers down her spine. Suddenly she was seized by the insane urge to cry. She had locked herself away to avoid this, and he’d walked right into her yard, right into her home! And the absolute worst part of it was, he didn't feel anything like she felt. She’d seen the craving for her in his eyes a few times, but he didn't seem at all upset by her presence right now, not like she was by his.

  Maybe she was wrong, she thought hopefully. Maybe he wasn't her soul mate. If he was, then surely he would feel something too. Her parents couldn't keep their hands off each other, and both had told her there was an instant connection, even if they hadn't realized it at first. If Stefan wasn't feeling anything, then maybe he was simply the first man she’d ever been attracted to, and she was wrong about everything else.

  Surely she could be attracted to a man and not have to give her life over to him. Her sisters were forever falling in and out of love. Just because she'd never felt anything for anyone before didn't mean she couldn't feel it now.

  That made perfect sense, she decided. He was good looking, amazingly built, and the first vampire she met outside of her family. Of course, she would be attracted to him, but it didn't mean anything, it was only a mere attraction.

  "I don't dislike you," she finally answered, and she didn't, he just scared the hell out of her.

  "Could have fooled me," he retorted, his voice chillingly cold.

  "I um, I need to go to sleep. I'm tired," she managed to stammer out.

  "Spent all your energy cleaning?" The taunting tone of his voice raised her hackles and her temper. "You should have let Jess help you."

  He hadn't meant to goad her, but her need to escape from him as quickly as possible aggravated him. Her eyes turned a deeper shade of violet as anger burst through her. At least when she was incensed, she wasn't looking at him as if he were
the wolf, and she was the rabbit he was about to devour. Instead, she looked as if she wanted to kill him, and he found he preferred it.

  Isabelle clenched her jaw, thoroughly infuriated by the arrogant jerk before her. He deserved Jess; they were perfect for each other.

  "I didn't want to interrupt her important tanning, I'm sure you wouldn't want her to have any unseemly lines!" she snapped, acutely aware of the jealousy coloring her words. She only hoped he didn't notice it.

  He’d baited her, but he hadn't expected her to turn it back on him. He’d expected her to tell him the truth about Jess refusing to help her, not for her to go along with the lie, and not to have her blatantly remind him of his relationship with Jess. It took all he had not to reply in kind, not to grab her and shake some sense into her, not to grab her and kiss the wrath from her.

  Instead, he decided to change tactics. "Why are you scared of me?"

  The question had the effect he wanted as her luscious mouth parted. "I'm not scared of anyone!" she cried.

  He found it easy to believe, but something about him upset her, while something about her caused him to damn near burst out of his jeans. He shifted uncomfortably again and moved to the back of the counter, attempting to ease the pressure. He forced himself to keep his gaze focused on her face, and not the thin nightgown emphasizing her delicate curves and baring her creamy thighs. Thighs he was very tempted to touch, to taste, to have wrapped around him as he buried himself within her.

  He hadn't thought it was possible, he sure hadn't seen it yet, but she looked aroused. Her lips parted, her breath quickened, and her eyes were darker as they warily met his. He smiled as he finally deduced the source of her fear. She was as attracted to him as he was to her, but for some reason, she didn't like the feeling, and it frightened her. For some reason, instead of giving into her urges as any sane woman would, she was determined to fight him every step of the way.

  Isabelle trembled as the force of his lingering gaze slammed through her body. Everywhere his eyes touched her was on fire, particularly between her thighs. The tightening in her loins, the throbbing his gaze aroused, was unfamiliar, more than a little frightening, and yet oddly pleasurable.

  That realization sent a bolt of dismay through her so strong she almost stumbled backward. She needed to get out of here. She needed to get away from him. He had moved away from the doorway. She would still have to go near him, but at least she wouldn't need to go so close.

  "I have to go,” she stated.

  Taking a deep breath for strength, she hurried across the kitchen, refusing to look at him as she stepped through the doorway. He grabbed her arm the second she stepped out of the kitchen. His touch seared into her skin and blazed through her entire body as she turned wild eyes on him.

  "Let go!" she cried.

  The predatory gleam in his eyes caused her breath to catch in her throat. "Is that what you really want, Isabelle?"

  The way he said her name sent shudders down her spine and caused her legs to tremble with longing. "Yes!" she cried, while her entire body screamed no.

  "I don't think so."

  Before she knew what was happening, he pulled her roughly forward. She gasped as she was brought up against his massive chest. She didn't even have time to register the heat beneath her hand before he pulled her head back and took possession of her lips. The world seemed to drop away when his mouth, demanding and hot, claimed hers.

  His tongue ran lightly along her mouth, tasting her as he nipped on her bottom lip. He took advantage of the startled cry escaping her to invade her mouth with deep, penetrating thrusts as he tasted and teased. Isabelle whimpered in response to the searing waves of heat burning through her veins as he stroked the roof of her mouth, her teeth, and her tongue.

  "Kiss me back, Isabelle," he whispered hoarsely as he pulled a little away from her.

  His hand tightened in her hair as his steel arm encircled her waist. His eyes, burning into hers, took her breath away and she was unable to tell him she didn't know what he meant. Before she could catch her breath, his mouth recaptured hers. Her heart hammered as the tingling in her loins intensified.

  This time, when his tongue touched her lips, they parted willingly to his invasion. His tongue was hot as he thrust into her, and she hesitantly met it. A shudder rocked through him as he pulled her more forcefully against his chest. The fact he seemed to be as affected by her kiss as she was by his, served to make her bolder, and surer of herself. She eagerly began to mimic his movements, meeting him thrust for thrust as their tongues entwined in a mating ritual as old as time.

  She allowed herself to be swept away by the taste of him. The hand pressed against his chest involuntarily curled into his shirt. The warmth of his chest, the thick muscles bunching and flexing beneath her palm, burned into her hand. The strength and power of him enveloped and overwhelmed her senses. All she could feel, all she could taste, was him.

  He turned her swiftly, pressing her against the counter. His rigid leg braced between her quivering thighs as the hand at her waist began to caress the small of her back, causing chills to race up her spine. Unable to stop, she pressed herself more firmly against him. The feel of his solid chest against her nipples aroused delicious sensations unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.

  She relished the feel of his body against hers, so strong and different. He was hard where she was soft, broad where she was small. The rough bristles along his jaw rubbed against her skin and beneath her hand she could feel the crisp hairs of his chest as he held her within his steel embrace. Leisurely, the hand in the small of her back slid over her hipbones, along her stomach, and left a burning trail across her skin.

  Tremors shook her; her heart hammered in her chest as he clasped her breast through the thin material of her nightgown. Instinctively, she arched against him; her hands released his shirt to wrap around his neck. She clung to him as liquid heat spread through her. He rubbed and kneaded her, teasing her erect nipple with his thumb as she pressed into the exquisite heat of his palm.

  He released her mouth to travel down her neck, leaving a trail of burning heat as he nibbled and licked at her skin. Her knees gave out as she was swamped with a passion so fierce she could barely breathe through it. His thigh served to keep her upright as her entire world became filled with him.

  The feel of his thigh between her legs brought something new and unexpected forth. She rubbed herself against him experimentally. A gasp escaped her as a new bolt of pleasure caused her legs to tremble and her entire body to go weak. He groaned; his hands clenched on her as she rocked against him again.

  "Isabelle," he grated hoarsely in her ear.

  His mouth reclaimed hers with a frenzy that startled and overwhelmed her. Then, the apprehension vanished as she found herself consumed by his obvious need. Lifting her easily off him, he settled her on the counter. He grasped hold of her calves; his hands burned into her skin as he wrapped her legs around his waist.

  Everything was going too fast; the world spun as she turned into a quivering mass of nerve endings tingling everywhere. She should stop all of this. This was the last thing she wanted, the one thing she’d been denying, but it felt so right and so unbelievably good. He took hold of the collar of her nightgown, pulling it roughly down to free her breast. His hand instantly fell upon it.

  Any protest she might have made died as she writhed beneath his searing touch. The feel of his rough, callused palm on her breast was the most exquisite thing she ever experienced, and there was no way she could stop him. His arm wrapped around her waist, dragging her across the countertop, and pressing her against his pelvis. A cry escaped her as she felt the hard proof of his arousal pressing against his jeans and rubbing deliciously against the sensitive area between her quivering thighs.

  Stefan couldn't get enough; he felt as if he was drowning in the sweet taste of her and the way she reacted to him. Her skin was as supple and smooth as silk as he ran his hands along her thighs. She smelled of fresh air, soap
, and apples, but beneath it all, he could smell her delicious, natural womanly scent pulsing through her blood and body. Her smell enveloped him as it heightened sharply and he knew he would never forget it.

  She was so wild, so free and uninhibited. She responded to everything he did with enticing whimpers that made him harder and more frantic to have her. It took all the control he had not to rip her nightgown off and take her on the counter. If it weren't for the fact he believed her to be a virgin, he would have done so already, but he didn't want to hurt her any more than he would when he did enter her.

  He needed to slow things down, to get her downstairs, but the feel of her, the taste of her was driving him beyond all reasonable thought of control, and sanity. He wanted her with an urgency he’d never experienced before, with a longing coming close to making him break.

  Beneath his palm, her nipple burned into his skin as he rubbed and kneaded her. He lifted his mouth to drop kisses along her sensitive ear and neck; he traveled down her chest, before seizing upon her nipple.

  She moaned; her body bucked against his as her fingers wrapped into his hair. He licked and nipped, savoring her as he drew her into his mouth. He sucked until she squirmed with passion and ground herself against him with an abandon making him nearly breathless.

  "Stefan!" she cried, unable to stand the anticipation building inside of her.

  She didn't know what was happening to her, but she knew he could ease her, and she desperately wanted him to. Unable to help herself, she opened her eyes and looked down at him. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of his head bent over her breast, her nipple drawn into his mouth as his tongue teasingly circled it. It was the most erotic thing she'd ever seen. Unable to bear the tightening in her body, she dropped her head to his shoulder.

  That was when she smelled it.

  She stiffened instantly; her legs fell away from him. All her pleasure vanished immediately as anger and loathing threatened to choke her.