NightFall: Book One: Bloodlust Is the Cure for the Immortal Soul (32 page)

Van smiled. “Yes. Surprisingly, she wasn’t as repulsed as I thought. I know it will take time for her to get used to it. She says she still loves me; that she couldn’t stop just because of what I am. She’s an extraordinary person. I love her very much as well. What about Indea?”

“I have not told her yet. I hope she doesn’t think I betrayed her.”

“Why would you think that? She’s obviously smitten with you.”

“Yes. I am of her, too. I wanted to tell her first, but she was so lovely and my hormones had had enough.”

Van eyebrows lifted
. “Ah.
It is understandable, Saldivar. I think you’ve repressed your needs for far too long.”

Saldivar nodded. “I will tell her soon.”
He just hoped it wasn’t too late.

CHAPTER XIV

Simone needed to go see Van. She had to come clean about being the reporter. That she was the one doing the stories, though she didn’t know at the time how dangerous it was to have written articles on them both. That she had absolutely no idea that these stories were meant to harm them and spy on their comings and goings.

She was still hurt that Mr. Brant had used her to infringe on Van and Saldivar’s life. Since Mr. Brant had asked her to do the stories, she didn’t question his motives until it was too late.
She just wanted to know why he would use her. Why would he
even think about betraying her?
They have known each other for over ten years. She wasn’t like a daughter to him any more. She was just a pawn in his twisted game. And she didn’t want to play any more.

She grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

Van had to understand.

*

“Why, Simone,”
Van said smoothly, opening the door wider to let her in. “I’m glad you came by.”

Simone forced a smile as she walked into the living room. “Me, too, Van. I–”

“Have you given any thought t
o what I have explained to you?”
He sat down close beside her.
“Do you think you could live your life in shadow as long as it’s with me?”

Tears fell gently, spilling onto her cheeks. “Oh, Van. I
do
love you.” She rested her hand on his hard thigh.

Van’s jeans were suddenly too tight. Oh, how he wanted to bury himself deep inside her. Van moved his head and breathed in the sweet fragrance of her hair.
Her skin.
It was intoxicating. “Simone,” he started roughly. “It will not be easy. Sometimes it can feel like a punishment. But with you by my side, it
could never be so bad any more
because I love you with every fiber of my being.”

Simone wanted him. All thoughts of telling him she w
as the one doing the stories were
so far in the back of her mind. She just wouldn’t do them any more. She was sure Van loved her enough to forgive her, especially since she had no inkling that Mr. Brant would use it against them. She lifted her chin and smiled seduc
tively, her eyes m
eeting his. “Punish me, Van,”
she
whispered,
her voice throaty and low.

Van sucked in an aroused breath. In an instant, he crushed his mouth to hers.
A bruising kiss.
Teeth clashed. Hands roamed. There was no time to make it to the bedroom. They had to have each other right here.
Right now.

They shed their clothes quickly and Simone lay on the plush rug and held out her arms to Van. Van fell into her arms and placed kisses lightly over her face.
Her chin.
Her neck.
Oh, how badly he wanted to pierce the skin and drink from her. He held off. She wasn’t ready for that yet.

Van lifted up on his knees and caressed her thighs before scooting down and grabbing her legs and wrapping them around his shoulders. He plunged his tongue into her. Simone cried out and her hands raked through his hair. Van ran his tongue up and down her moist folds.
Simone raised her hips, begging for
more.
Van tasted her sweetness, her passion. She was heave
n. She was fire. Simone lifted
up once more, reaching, as Van slipped a finger inside and stroked her softly. Simone thought she would explode i
nto a million pieces the way Van was touching her.

Umm, this wonderful torture.
How long could she stand it? Van continued to work her with his tongue and fingers, bringing her to new heights of pleasure. Before she climaxed, Van lifted up and pressed his thumb on her core. She cried out in sweet surrender.

Van positioned himself over her after protecting himself.
He did not enter her. He waited
. “What do you want, Simone?”
he asked h
uskily. “Tell me………..show me,”
he urged in a deep growl, looking at her intently.

“You……” Her voice shook. She reached between them and grabbed his throbbing shaft. She gently coaxed him toward her womanhood. As she slipped him inside, she finished breathlessly.
“……..inside me.”

Van grunted deeply, filling Simone with his aching manhood. She was warm, soft and made of hot velvet. He was hard and thick and the friction he created was sure to bring them to flames. Van massaged Simone’s breasts, pinching and playing with the nipples, loving the feel of them hardening against his fingers. He thrust harder as he bent down to take a pebble hard nipple in his mouth. He laved
at
it, b
it it softly as he ground his hips into her
. Simone clam
ped her legs around Van’s waist as he continued to massage her supple flesh.
She held him tightly, straining against him. Van lifted his head and took Simone’s mouth. He drank in her lou
d cries of passion.
Her pleas.
He felt her moan against his lips. He felt her womanhood clamp
down on him, milking him to pure ecstasy. He thrust harder.
Faster.
Higher.
The tension was almost too much to bear as they began reaching for the pinnacle of pleasure.
Both cried out as he spilled his seed into her, her warm honey spilling around him.

They lay, clutching each other in the aftermath, panting, sweaty and totally sated.

*

Simone lay in the crook of Van’s arm. They had moved to the bedroom, comfortable in their silence.

Simone was still troubled by the thought of Mr. Brant deceiving her into unwillingly violating Van and Saldivar’s privacy. She just wanted to know why. Why lie to her? What was in it for him? The only reason she could think of was money.

What a shame. It was awful how
the love of
money made people do terrible things. Horrible things to the people they supposedly loved like family. Simone felt a tear fall from her eye.
She should really tell Van. Make him understand that she had no clue as to what was going on. He loved her. He
had
to see. She sniffed.

Van tightened his hold on Simone. “Simone
? Something is troubling you,”
he stated. “Please tell me?”

Simone lifted her head, meeting Van’s questioning and concerned gaze. Oh, how she hated doing this, especially after making love with him.
“Van.
Oh, I don’t even know how to start.”

Van’s brows furrowed. “Just
tell me any way that you can,”
he coaxed softly.

Simone sat up in bed. She already dreaded the words before they came out of her mouth.
“The reporter that you despise so much?
Well, what if I told you that she
had no idea she was
being
misled in writing those stories on you and Saldivar?” She bit her lip. She didn’t know how Van was going to react when he found out that she was the reporter.

Van frowned. “Why do you assume the reporter’s a female and was deceived into writing those storie
s? Where are you leading me, Simone?”

Simone’s head dropped to her chin. The tears flowed freely now. “Oh, Van.
I’m so sorry. If I had known……
but I didn’t. I wouldn’t have done it.
If I had known what I know now, I couldn’t have done it.” She knew she was blubbering and not making much sense.

Van shot out of bed, naked as the day he was born.
“Wait a mi
nute. Don’t tell me that
you’re
the reporter causing all this commotion with the undead? You can’t be the reporter from the states.”
He didn’t want to believe it. He wanted Simone to deny it. He silently
begged
her to tell him she wasn’t the one.

Simone
got out of bed and put on her dress
she found lying on the chair.
In her haste
, she forgot to put
on any
thing else.
She sighed. “Van, please try to understand. I had no idea what was going on. All I though
t
my editor wanted was some highlights of Paris and clubs, yours included. I didn’t know you were a vampire until you told me. Like I said, had I known what I know now, I would have refused to write any of those stories. You have to believe me. I would never hurt you, Van. Don’t you see that? You can look inside my mind. You
know
I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you or lie to you.”

Van’s anger had clouded his mind. He wanted to look,
but he was too furious.
More at
the situation than with Simone.

“Saldivar told me about this reporter. You
knew
we were talking about it. You knew about it before we
even
made love. Why couldn’t you tell me before this, Simone?
Are you still going to write more on us?
Did
you continue to write about us after you found out I was a vampire?
Did you make love to me so you cou
ld write
about the mating
rituals
of vampires?
Did you
get your story, Simone? Was I good enough to print?
Do you want a little more before you go?”
He hated the words he was throwing at her, but he was saddened and angry.

Simone’s eyes were wide from shock. She said nothing. She turned and ran out of the bedroom, tears blinding her. How could she have been so stupid to tell him? It was plain as the nose on her face he was infuriated with her. He had every right, but it still didn’t stop her from hurting terribly.
She knew he was also hurting.
By the time she reached the door and grabbed the handle to open it, a hand shot out with lightning speed and stopped her from opening it.

Simone spun around. “What, Van? Didn’t you say enough? You don’t want to keep me here. I’m the reporter
,
remember? Let me go.”

Van’s jaw clenched.
“No.” He closed in on her. “We’re not finished.”

Simone crossed her arms.
Even in her state, she still noted that
Van didn’t bother to get dressed.
“I think you’ve said plenty.”