Chapter Eight
The headlights of the Shelby illuminated her rental car. Lyric licked her lips nervously, wishing she didn’t have to leave the comforts of Jade’s car. The Honda sat right where she’d left it, outside the club where she’d performed earlier. The time had flown since she’d been with him. It was hard to believe that it was already pushing three in the morning.
They had been talking for hours with an easygoing, natural repertoire. One moment they’d been making small talk while she sipped wine; the next she’d been laughing with a carefree ease that had surprised her. It felt like she’d known Jade forever. Nobody else had cajoled almost her entire life story from her. Before long she had told him all about growing up gifted, what that had been like and how she’d grown accustomed to it.
Sharing with Jade had felt right though, comfortable. It was a complete relief to her that he had accepted her vision so well. He hadn’t acted as if she was out of her mind. It was refreshing not to have to worry about that, to be in the company of someone far more outlandish than she was.
“So?” Jade looked over at her, his eyes shining in the dim lighting. “Would it be completely inappropriate if I asked you to come back to my place?”
She couldn’t hide the smile that lit up her face, curving her lips in manner that was more enticing than she realized. “I guess that depends what you have in mind,” she teased. Lyric couldn’t deny the incredible attraction that she had to Jade. He made her pulse pound in a way that no human man ever had.
Common sense told her to go home. Personal desire banished that idea. She knew if she said no to his request, she would live to regret it. And, not a single part of her wanted to leave him.
Jade raised an eyebrow and winked playfully. “I promise not to bite.” He looked away, out the driver’s side window at the night. His voice was low and smooth when he spoke again. “I’m not ready to let you go yet, Lyric. I’m enjoying your company far more than I should be.”
“Why do you say that?” She waited pensively for his response, fearing that he would change his mind. After the past few days with him dominating her thoughts, she wasn’t ready to let him go either.
When his gaze swung back to her, an icy chill slammed through her, like death itself. His pupils were deadly black and huge, obliterating any other color. Lyric’s heart increased its tempo, but she wasn’t truly afraid. Not yet.
“I’m a danger to you. The last thing I want to do is hurt you in any way.” Jade gripped the steering wheel, his jaw clenched. Only the trembling of his hands indicated to Lyric how difficult this was for him. She was confused yet taken with the urge to comfort him.
“You saved me.” It was all she had to offer, but in its simplicity, it seemed to be enough. Lyric was dying to touch him. She didn’t dare try it though.
He seemed to be battling a war within himself. Lyric watched as a series of emotions swam behind Jade’s predatory gaze. She saw that there was something more he wanted to add, but instead he nodded and said, “You don’t have to come if you’d like to get home.”
Lyric studied him, trying to analyze his body language and personal energy. He was nearly impossible to read. She felt like a smitten high school girl on her first date with the most popular guy in class. Of course, that was a scenario that Lyric had never experienced herself. She had always been the quiet, awkward girl. Always the best friend but never the chosen one.
“There is nowhere else in the world I would rather be right now, than here, with you.” Was that too much? Total overkill? She hoped not. It was how she felt, but whether it was right or not was another matter entirely.
Jade broke into a grin, and the sight of his sharp fangs in the dark interior of the car sent an excited tingle through Lyric’s body. It was sensual and spoke to the woman in her, seducing her with the promise of more.
“Well then,” he gave her a smoldering look that turned her insides to jelly. “Let’s be on our way.”
Though she’d worked hard to conceal it, Lyric had been terrified at the thought of never seeing Jade again. Was it unnatural to have been so heavily impacted by their brief first meeting? Perhaps she was influenced by the fact that he’d saved her. He was her hero.
Regardless of all of that, Lyric felt a calling to Jade, one that she had every intention of answering. He feared that he would hurt her, but she already knew better than that. He’d had hours in which he could have drained her dry. It wasn’t going to happen.
Lyric had been known for her boldness in the past. Yet, she had never done something this potentially dangerous. Walking into the house of a vampire in the middle of the night was beyond stupid. And, she was going to do it.
Vampires. Who would believe it? She was grateful to have a few people in her life who did. Growing up gifted had been hard, especially before meeting Storm.
Though Lyric hadn’t had personal experiences with vampires, she had been able to sense the difference in them, the undead presence and absence of living energy. Her grandmother had advised her to go out of her way to avoid attracting the attention of creatures like vampires and demons. That warning had been taken to heart.
Until now, she’d wanted nothing to do with creatures of the night. Ignorantly, she had believed that they were pure evil. Jade had disproved that assumption. Lyric knew that she might be rushing into this blindly, stupidly. However, if she didn’t, she would always wonder about Jade Kenyan and what might have been.
When they pulled into the driveway of a moderately sized house with a gorgeous yard, she realized that Jade was entrusting her with his most vital, sacred piece of information: his personal resting place. That kind of information could make him very vulnerable. She was overcome at the realization.
“Are you sure you don’t mind leaving that rental car until morning?” Jade climbed from the car and came to take her hand. His skin was cool to the touch yet left a warm tingle where it touched Lyric’s. His touch sent a rush of blood to her sex that left her breathless.
“Not at all,” she murmured, allowing him to lead her up the flower lined walk. Lyric was impressed with the lengths he clearly went to in order to make his home lovely. She said as much, admiring a giant rose bush next to the front step.
Jade made a dismissive noise, as if it wasn’t worth mentioning. He paused at the top step, reaching to pluck one of the vibrant red roses. Twirling it in his hand, he handed it to her with a grand gesture. “For you, my dear. Though, it certainly pales in comparison to your beauty. I can’t imagine anything that wouldn’t.”
Lyric accepted the rose, careful of the thorns. She quickly pressed her face to the soft, cold petals and inhaled deeply. Her heart soared at his words. The blush that turned her cheeks pink sent a hot rush through her body. A warning whispered through her mind, but she knew that it was already too late to guard her heart. With a small sigh, she followed him inside.
Jade’s house was decorated like any other normal home would be. Pictures hung along the walls, some of them appeared to be incredibly old. His home had a warm and cozy feeling that drew her in, made her feel safe. The house was large, but it wasn’t enormous. The warm-toned walls and soft carpet encouraged the illusion that Jade was no different from anyone else.
When Lyric sat perched on the cream-colored sofa, she gasped as Jade merely gestured to the fireplace and it burst into flame. “I guess it doesn’t come without its perks, huh?” she asked, nodding towards the fire when he pressed a glass of red wine into her hand.
“You could say that. It certainly isn’t without its downfalls though.” Jade sat next to her, close enough that their thighs touched. “Tell me how you like the wine. It’s some of my best, a gift from Griffin.”
Lyric took a gracious sip of the wine, rolling it around in her mouth to explore its full flavor. “He was nothing less than a gentleman. And, the wine is good. He clearly knows how to select it. It’s a shame you can’t partake.”
Jade’s low laugh stirred her. “A gentleman? Griffin? I’m shock
ed to hear it.”
“Really? But, he was so nice. He kept me from becoming a midnight snack for that disgusting animal.” Just the thought of the vampire in the trendy Goth club caused Lyric to shudder.
“He kept that piece of shit from having me personally tear him to pieces.” Jade glared at the floor, his hands clenched into fists.
Lyric was curious about Griffin and the past that Jade shared with him. She was entranced by the vast history that he had, the eras he had lived through that she could only read about. “Tell me more about him. Griffin. And you. How did you come to know this life, Jade?”
Silence descended, and after a minute, Lyric thought that perhaps she shouldn’t have asked. Jade’s eyes were still black as sin. The barest trace of gold lined the black, drawing Lyric’s eye. It was just so easy to fall into the abyss of his gaze, to give in to that predatory pull. It was almost too easy to abandon the notion of resistance.
When Jade began to speak, Lyric realized that she had been completely captivated. A jolt of fear shot through when it became clear that she’d been looking at him as if he were the potential food source. She wanted to feel him take her in his arms, to writhe beneath him as he sank fangs deep into her throat. It came as a shock to Lyric, how natural it was for the vampire to have such power over her. Had he even tried?
“Griffin has been a part of my life for almost four centuries. We happened upon each other one evening when out for a hunt. Unlike most vampires who prefer to hunt and feed alone, Griffin is the type of guy that likes to share a good time. Within reason.” Jade maintained steady eye contact, watching Lyric as he spoke. She settled deeper into the couch cushions, intrigued. “We formed a friendship, something that is not so easy for our kind. Trust isn’t something we dole out generously. Over the years we got into our share of interesting situations, many I was grateful to get out of.”
Jade chuckled and looked into the blazing fire. Lyric got the sense that he was reminiscing, and she wished she could see inside his head, see whatever he was seeing. She couldn’t say that her entire life was a snooze, but she doubted it was so exciting. Everything told her not to go down that dark path, but once the question formed in her mind, she had to ask. “Would it be wrong? If I asked you how…”
* * * *
Jade had known the question was coming. If she hadn’t asked tonight, she would have eventually. Wasn’t it better to tell her these things about himself now? It would give her the opportunity to change her mind before she got further involved with him …Before he could fall in love with her.
“How I became a vampire? Are you sure you really want to know?” He tried to smile playfully, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He was seriously asking her.
She was so close. The scent of her was intoxicating, sweet and seductively feminine. Inhaling it deeply caused him to grow hard. The need to taste her blood was like a drowning man’s need for air. He wasn’t new to the bloodlust, he could control it now. But, something about her threatened to strip that control away and release the beast caged inside him.
“Only if you want to tell me. I probably shouldn’t have asked.” Lyric peeked out at him from beneath her long lashes. “Sorry.”
Disobeying the voice in his head, Jade reached for her hand. “Don’t be. It’s no secret.” The warmth of her skin was enough to stimulate his hunger to a whole new level. He didn’t see her as a victim, though that’s not to say he didn’t find her to be a delectable blood source. He groaned inwardly and forced himself to keep talking.
“It was a friend, actually. Rafe. He was almost like a brother. I didn’t even know about him, what he was.” Even deep in remembrance, Jade watched Lyric as he spoke. She glanced down at their joined hands and gave his a light squeeze. “I was poisoned, after sleeping with a married woman. It’s not something I’m proud of. Her husband tried to have me killed. I was at death’s door. And, Rafe offered me a choice.”
“So naturally, you took the opportunity to escape death.” Lyric used her free hand to stroke a soft line up the back of his hand. “Most of us would in a moment like that.”
How could she be so understanding about everything? If she knew some of the things he’d done in his time, she would run screaming out of the house. Her touch felt like heaven, and he longed to drag her to him, to press his body to hers.
Jade’s undoing was his lingering fear, haunting him from days that now existed only in history books. This wasn’t the same, he knew that. Yet, he couldn’t shake the apprehension that crept through him like an unwelcome shadow.
“Well,” he said, shaking off the tension that had enveloped him. “That was the beginning of it all. It would take a lifetime for me to tell you everything. Literally.”
Lyric smiled up at him, her full lips enticing him. “The beginning of everything that led you to this very moment.”
The tension seeped from his body, gone as fast as it had come. She was right. Every single thing he had seen and done had somehow led him to be right here, right now, with her. And, for that, he wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Jade was beyond ensnared. She had him, and she didn’t even know it. He wanted her too much. The desire struck him with an agonizing intensity. God, how he wanted to love her in every way, in ways that humans could never imagine in their wildest dreams.
As he watched her lift the delicate crystal wine glass to her scarlet painted lips, he imagined the taste as she moved it around in her mouth before swallowing the fine, aged nectar. Everything inside him said that this was his moment, take it now before it was ruined. Jade stared at her as if she was sunlight itself, awestruck and a little bit afraid.
Acting on desire and abandoning logic, he reached for her. Tipping her head up, he closed the distance fast, pressing his lips to hers. The taste of wine greeted him and along with it, the taste of Lyric. When she didn’t pull away, he gently but firmly deepened the kiss.
She was sweet, and breathing her in was like the breath of fresh air that Jade didn’t know he’d been missing. The bloodlust was strong when he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Without doubt, a part of him wanted to drain her dry, to draw out every moment and revel in the bloodshed. Yet, the urge to take her, to make love to her until he was beyond the ability to do so, was even stronger than the urge to spill her blood. When Lyric began to kiss him back with an unexpected fervor, Jade was awash with relief and something more, exhilaration.
Jade swept the hot confines of her mouth with his tongue. The taste of her caused his erection to ache. He was afraid to touch her too much; her temptations could overcome him, and there would be no going back. He wanted her though, in a way that was thorough and all encompassing.
Wine splashed onto the carpet from the glass that Lyric held tilted in her hand. Jade grabbed it from her and set it onto the coffee table.
As his passion grew to consume him, he shoved a hand into her soft locks, the sensation targeting every one of his weaknesses. He devoured her like a lion with his kill. She was everything that he hungered for.
Lyric made a small sound, a combination between a murmur and a sigh. Her arms went around his neck, and Jade groaned. He couldn’t let this go too far. Not until he knew she was willing and not just responding to the allure of his predatory nature. Being intimate with a vampire was not without its sacrifices. Did she even know how close to death she walked?
The softness of her lips and her hands on his cool flesh was almost too much. He couldn’t remember the last time the touch of a woman had felt so right. Her long hair spilled over his hand, enticing him to bury his face in its warmth. Gently nibbling her lower lip, he kissed his way down her exposed throat.
Her pulse leaped when he pressed his lips to her jugular vein. Jade sensed the blood rushing throughout her body; he could smell her desire and excitement. She was absent of fear when his tongue lovingly caressed her skin. She tasted exquisite.
The urge to pierce through that satin soft flesh was too much. The sound of her heart beating reverberated insi
de his head, driving Jade to take everything he lusted for. An image flashed behind his eyes, blood running from Lyric’s neck to stain her pale white skin as he fed from her. His fangs grazed her throat, and she shuddered in his arms.
His hunger grew along with his physical lust. Only as he bared his fangs did he realize what he was doing. Jade all but pushed her away in his sudden attempt to put space between them. Fear coursed through him, and he stared at her, horror etched on his handsome face.
* * * *
“What’s wrong?” Lyric was breathless and confused. Jade was staring at her as if she’d just ran over his dog. “Are you ok?”
Her heart thundered in her ears, and she struggled to calm it by taking deep breaths. Her lips were swollen from his kiss, creating a tingle she felt all the way to the warm place between her thighs. She was ready for him; his touch ignited a passion that she had never known was possible.
When she moved toward him on the couch, he held up a hand to ward her off. “I don’t want to hurt you, Lyric. Please, try to understand. This isn’t easy for me. I don’t know how to be with you without bleeding you.”
“It looks like you’re doing fine to me.” It struck her on a deep level, this fear he had that he would harm her. She had more faith in Jade than he had in himself. Something was so wrong about that.
Slowly, cautiously, Lyric inched closer to him on the couch. He watched her warily, the tension within him showing clearly in his eyes. “Lyric,” he warned. “I’m serious. I don’t just kiss pretty girls and let them go. I kill them.”
She was sure that he was trying to frighten her, if only because he was so frightened of himself. There was no doubt in Lyric’s mind that if Jade truly meant her harm, he wouldn’t hesitate to feast on her blood. The fact that she wasn’t dead already told her enough.
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