Illusion (18 page)

With much love,

Dad

Handing the note to Stefan, I rubbed over my face with my hands.  How many more skeletons did I have in my closet?  Over the span of a week, I found out my father is a powerful vampire, my mother was killed by my him, I have a long-lost brother and it looked like I needed a new hanger for my expanding closet.  My adoptive father was really my Uncle.

“Interesting,” he muttered.  “Josephine?”

There was that word from him again. 
Interesting
.

“I’m at a loss for words.  What are your thoughts, because I know you have more to say than just
interesting
.”

It was his turn to rub his large hand over his stubbled chin, his blue eyes serious.  “Your adoptive father knew Kian was someone to be concerned about 28 years ago.  He then took the time and the risk to write you a letter 15 years ago and place it in an obscure book about Napoleon.  To me, that is telling.”

I leaned towards him and grabbed his arms to get his full attention.  “Go on.  You think there’s more, don’t you?”

“Possibly.  Napoleon was a very successful leader for many years.  He was cunning and intelligent, however his thirst for power led to his political demise and his imprisonment and exile in 1815,” Stefan theorized, his eyes taking on a distant look.  “Your adoptive father chose this book for a reason, Josephine.  Tell me about him.”

“His name was Garreth Anderson.  I thought he was an only child, but that doesn’t seem to be the case,” I said, turning my head to the side as I sorted through my memories of the man I called Dad for so many years.  Flashes of him laughing, helping me with my homework, watching me graduate high school ran through my mind.  “He was a librarian at the University where I grew up.  He loved books, collecting antiques and rare books.  He considered himself to be an amateur historian.  He was a wonderful man and an even better father.”

“He was obviously intelligent enough to have figured Kian out as well.”  Stefan took the book from me and closed it, placing his hand on the cover.  “What do you want to do with this?”

An evil smile spread across my face.  “Put that in our carry on bag.  I’m taking it back to New York and sending it to Kian as a thank you gift for the painting he sent to me.”

Stefan cocked his eyebrow.  “I thought you were sending the painting back to him?  What are you planning?”

“He lived during the time that Napoleon ruled.  Maybe he needs a reminder what happens to tiny men with gigantic egos.”

Stefan pushed the books aside and pulled me on his lap so I was facing him.  He wrapped his arms around me and leaned to kiss me, his lips as soft as feathers against mine.  When he pulled away, a smirk graced his handsome face.  “As I’ve said before, you are my match in every way, vackra.”

* * *

After a full day of sorting through closets, bookshelves and drawers, I taped the final box closed, picking it up and carrying it across the room and stacking it against the wall.  Standing with my arms crossed, I surveyed my work.  My life was now packed up in a series of 15 boxes that would be shipped via courier to the Chelsea condo in New York.  We’d be staying at Stefan’s house until we left for the US, so this was my official last night in my villa in Canggu, and I couldn’t help feeling nostalgic.

I thought of all of the lonely days and nights I spent in this house, thinking I was content with being alone for the rest of my life.  And then I met Stefan…he turned everything I knew upside down.  He showed me what it was to truly love and to be loved.  I’d take all of the baggage, all of the mysteries I’d yet to discover about myself to spend a hundred lifetimes with him.  My gorgeous, deadly, loving immortal other half, a walking contradiction in every way.

Turning and heading down the hallway into the bedroom, I was surprised to see Stefan propped up in bed, flipping through the book he’d chosen to stow away in my carry on bag for our flight.  Standing in the doorway, my eyes took him in.  He was simply striking, from his golden blond hair, his expressive eyes over his high cheekbones to the soft curve of his lips.  He was bare chested and his pale skin gleamed in the light from the bedside lamp, his muscular chest covered with a dusting of downy, blond hair.  I inhaled deeply, savoring the familiar scent of him that could either sooth or send my senses reeling.  Tonight his woodsy fragrance sent me reeling, my excitement and hunger for him burning deep inside of me, tiny darts of desire pricking my skin.

Walking to his side of the bed, I snatched the book from his hands, marking his spot and placing it on the table beside the bed.  He regarded me with surprise, his sparkling blue eyes darkening as he watched me boldly strip off my tight t-shirt and panties.  I stood naked before him, relishing in the heat from his burning blue gaze.

“You are fucking beautiful, Josephine.  Min enda kärlek.”

Pulling back the covers, a moan escaped from my lips when I found him to be naked underneath against the sheets.  Climbing over him to straddle him, my hands pressed against his chest as I captured his lips in a lingering, soft kiss.  His hands drifted up my arms to grip them lightly as he deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping into my mouth and meeting mine, tangling together in an unhurried, sensual dance.  One hand laced in the waves of my hair, pulling my head closer.  When I reluctantly lifted my mouth from his, the look of longing in his eyes was and would always be my undoing.

“Stefan,” I breathed.

In a blur, I was underneath him, his large body suspended over me, his hard cock pressing into my hip, encased in his powerful arms.

I wanted to lick him, taste his skin.  Reading my mind, he bent over me, wrapping my legs around his waist.  He slightly arched his back to bring his chest close to my eager mouth.  My tongue darted out, licking across his smooth skin.  It circled around his nipple before my lips closed around it, lightly sucking until he moaned, a heady sound that sent my senses trilling.

"Ah, vackra.  Bite.  Hard."
  His mental voice sounded strained as he pushed his command to me.

My teeth bit into the soft skin around his nipple and he growled deep in his chest.  Encouraged by his response and wanting more, my teeth scraped across his flesh, drawing blood.  I lapped at the drops of blood that seeped to the surface and I met his dark, nearly black eyes, the taste of his bittersweet blood still in my mouth.

“I want you,” I demanded softly, unwrapping my legs from around him and parting my legs wide for him to fully see my arousal.  He raised himself on one arm, his eyes dropping from mine long enough to look down, his thick fingers slowly moving to slip through the wetness that had escaped to coat my folds.  His eyes slid back to mine, his face transforming into the more primal Stefan that could so easily lose control: wild eyes, tight jaw, furrowed eyebrows.  His fangs dropped as his true nature took over.

In an instant he had me pinned back against the bed, his cock deep inside of me, his hips thrusting in deep, steady strokes.  His eyes were closed and he was whispering to himself, so fast I couldn’t understand his words.  His thoughts were difficult to read, mostly in Swedish, but I knew what he was doing.  He was trying to reign himself in, reminding himself that he didn’t want to hurt me.

"Come for me, Stefan," I begged, as I writhed underneath him, welcoming every vigorous plunge of his cock as he completely filled me.  The look of surprise and lust on his face sent need flooding through my veins.  "I want to watch you.  Come for me, Stefan."

He took a deep breath, opening his eyes and fixing them on mine until he simply had to look away.  His pleasure overtook him, making him close his eyes and convulse violently, his immense body shaking against me.  He curled into me, resting his head on my breast, letting out a satisfied moan that shook me to my very core.  My own orgasm barreled over me as I clutched and shuddered underneath him.  For the first time it was me that pushed him over the edge into sweet bliss, making him crumble while he dragged me over the edge with him.

Every single thought in my brain left me when Steftan’s fangs slipped into my neck.  I was still trembling with the aftershocks of my own release.  The feeling of his bite only intensified my pleasure, the renewed tremors making me tighten rhythmically around him again and again, softly whispering his name.

He kept stroking inside of me gently as he drank from me, soft purring timbres emanating from his chest as he swallowed my blood in greedy sips.  We were wrapped around each other, lost in our communion together.

“What in the fuck is going on?”

Chapter 8 – To Know is to Forget

We’d cocooned ourselves in bliss, completely unaware of our surroundings.  Georgia, being her normal inquisitive self with no boundaries, had stumbled upon more than she’d bargained for.  Her intrusion was unexpected and startling, causing immediate chaos.

Stefan withdrew his fangs from my neck and went into attack mode, streaking from the bed with his bloody teeth bared, grabbing Georgia by the throat.  She fought against him, her dark blue eyes large and filled with unshed tears.  Stefan's grip never faltered as he held her in place, his eyes dilated and unfocused.

Ignoring the blood that trickled down my chest from his bite, I frantically dove from the bed to calm the sudden commotion, hastily draping the sheet around me.

"Stefan, let her go.  It's Georgia," I tried to reason with him, my voice getting louder as I spoke.  Snapping my fingers in front of his face, I tried again.  "Stefan!"

His eyes darted between Georgia and myself.  His fingers gradually loosened their grasp on her and she staggered backwards, clutching her neck where his hand had been.  Her head bobbed back and forth between us, her mouth opening and closing with no sound coming out.

She whirled around on her heel, turning to run and I panicked.  Throwing my hands up in front of me, I let out a shriek.  "No! Georgia, stop!"

She came to an immediate halt, unable to move.  My inner shield had altered in some way, invisibly casting itself outward in my fear.  It encircled her, effectively holding her in place.  It felt as if an elastic web had stretched away from my body to securely wrap around her.

Stefan could only stare at me, his mind voice filled with awe. 
"Are you doing this, Josephine?"

I shrugged. 
"It appears that I am.  I have no idea what’s happening, Stefan.”

Slowly approaching her, I kept my hands in front of me.  "Georgia, I want you to sit down so we can talk, ok?"

Mentally directing her to the bed, I watched her unsteady gait as she moved under my control to awkwardly sit on the bed.  I began to lower my hands and I could feel the strength of the shield waver slightly.  Unsure how to manipulate it, I jerked my hands up and the power increased.  My fingers were trembling under the effort it took to control my new ability.

"Josie, why was he biting you?  And why can't I move?"  Georgia whined.  She looked as if she could burst into tears at any moment.

I ignored both of her questions.  “Oh, Georgia.  Why couldn’t you just knock on the door like a normal person?  This could have been avoided.”

"Don’t you dare put this on me!  You need to answer me, Josie.  Is he a va-vampire?" Georgia stuttered.  She looked at Stefan with apprehension.  He folded his arms across his broad chest and leaned against the wall, unashamedly naked.  He was watching both of us intently.

He sent his thoughts to me. 
"If Georgia does not accept the truth I will have no choice to either kill her or force my will on her, erasing this part of her memory.  It will be dangerous to remove so much, vackra."

"Georgia, I need you to listen and I need you to stay calm," I said softly to her as I crouched down beside her.  "Yes, Stefan is a vampire."

She swallowed hard and a tear ran crookedly down her cheek.  "Are you one too?"

I offered her an uneasy smile.  "Only part,” I corrected.  "I found out about my parents during our impromptu trip."

"Why can't I move?"

I put down my hands and concentrated, focusing on releasing her.  I felt my shield retract within me, the tension disappearing.  "I was doing it.  You can move now."

She moved one if her hands first, flexing and unflexing them, her eyes narrowing as she gazed at me suspiciously.  She then bent her arm and shook her legs, making sure they still worked.

"How long have you known that he's a vampire?"

I reached across to smooth her long dark hair away from her frightened face.  "Since the first night I met him."

"I just don’t understand any of this, Josie.  Did he do this to you?”  Her southern accent became more evident and she jerked her chin towards Stefan.  “What the hell does all this mean?"

I glanced over my shoulder at Stefan.  He hadn't moved and was as still as a statue, his thoughts closed to me, giving me the control in what I chose to tell Georgia.

"No, Stefan didn’t do this to me.  I was born this way.  When we were in New York I met my father.  He’s a vampire.”  I took a deep breath and continued.  “My mother was human.  Basically, I'm a mixture of both.  Maybe it would be easier to think of me as a more durable version of the Josie you know."

"You won't get older? Or die?"

"We can both die, Georgia.  Though we are much more difficult to kill," Stefan replied, his deep voice breaking into the conversation.  "Now that you know, you now have three options."