Odyssey (The Vampire Destiny Series Companion Book 1) (13 page)

Smiling, I leaned down slightly and pressed my lips against the shell of her ear.  “I was hoping you would invite me to your house so we could talk uninterrupted."

Rising back up to my full height, I watched the battle play out behind her green eyes.  First wary, they softened as she studied my face.  Her reply came out in a rush.  “Come on, Romeo.  Let's go to my house.”

“
Romeo?!?
” I echoed.  I had been called many things in my long life, but never Romeo.  I ran my fingers through my hair and my free hand slipped into the front pocket of my faded jeans.

“I like it, so let's just go with it,” she countered playfully, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the restaurant behind her.

I did nothing to stop her; I simply followed behind her, willing to go wherever she led me.  If needed, I would follow this woman to the ends of the earth and into the depths of hell.

Extracting my hand from hers, I sidled next to her and once again pressed my hand against the small of her back to steer her towards my car.  Retrieving the key fob, I unlocked it and opened the door, offering her my most seductive smile.  Seemingly unaffected, she glanced away from me long enough to slowly lower herself into the leather seat.  Her slow descent gave me the opportunity to admire the length of her long legs, observing how the hem of her skirt fell back on her flawless thigh.  I imagined that leg wrapped abound me, her hot skin against mine as we moved as one…

She cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow at me.  She had caught me staring and I could not stop the tiny smile that tugged at my lips.  She had made no effort to pull down her skirt; she simply was letting me know she was watching me.  As I closed the door and walked quickly around the car, I paused with my fingers on the handle, drawing in a ragged breath.  I had fought the temptation of her blood; denied my own needs for this moment.  It was not the time for me to push her or to force myself on her.  Yanking open the door, I slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine in one smooth motion.

“Where are we going, Josephine?” I asked softly.  She jumped and nervously twisted her hands in her lap, blinking for a moment.

Was she having second thoughts?  Her mind was chaos as she contemplated what might transpire next.  “Go right out of the parking lot, my house is about three miles down the road on the left.  28124,” she replied quietly.  She watched me intently as I backed out of the lot and pulled onto the main road.

We had driven in silence for a moment when she spoke again.  Her voice was husky and throaty, one of the sexiest sounds I had heard in many years.  “Your car is beautiful.  It's much nicer than my jeep.”

"It is an Audi TT.  I spare no expense when it comes to vehicles.” I shrugged.  With an unlimited income, I spared little expense on very few things.  Over the years, I had invested thousands of dollars in my search for her.  It was money well spent as the object of my quest was now sitting at my side.

Relishing my good luck, I hummed as I drove and tapped my fingers against the steering wheel.  Even though I was happy, I was still uneasy.  I had found her; however the battle was not over.  I had the task of explaining my true nature and the visions that had set my course to find her.

Occasionally, I would find myself glancing over at her across the console.  In addition to the conversation we were eventually going to have, I was unprepared for the changes she was triggering deep within me.  I had never concerned myself about how a human felt.  They had simply served a purpose.  Now…now everything was different.  I was lost in thought when I felt her warm fingers lacing between mine.  Her touch comforted me and I released a deep sigh of relief at the delicious pleasure of such a simple, sweet gesture.

Even more amazing, the energy between us soared in the small confines of the automobile.  There was so much I did not understand.  I had never bonded myself to another, yet we shared a connection that even I could not deny.

We had only traveled a short distance when I approached her villa.  As I turned into her drive, I took in her home.  It was small and modern, neither modest nor extravagant.  A large porch adorned the front of the house.  The driveway was long and gravel covered, and I drove slowly and came to a stop next to a jeep.  I smoothly exited the car, closing the door behind me and hurried around the car to open her door.  She stared up at me in disbelief as I stood with my hand extended to her.  She was observing me intently, her mind making calculations and observations most humans paid little attention to.  She had noticed the difference in my skin on the beach, the coolness of my flesh…now she was attempting to figure out how I moved so quickly.

She was more than human.  That had to be the logical answer.  My conclusion opened up a plethora of other questions.  If she was not human, what was she?

It was when she finally placed her hand in mine and I helped her from the car that I snapped back to attention.  With a quick jerk of her chin, she gestured for me to follow her as she led me up the steps to her villa.  She only pulled her hand away long enough to unlock and open the door.  She walked in and turned to look back at me, placing a hand on her hip as I stood waiting in the open doorway.  I refused to enter until I obtained her permission.

It came a second later.  “Come in.  Can I get you something to drink?  Water, tea?”  As she switched on a lamp, I took advantage of her invitation and sat on her couch, stretching my legs out in front of me.

“Nothing.  Thank you, Josephine.”  I smiled slowly and my lips parted to display my blunt human teeth.  I extended my arms across the back of the couch and watched as she kicked off her shoes and chuckled under her breath.  It was the perfect opportunity to dip into her mind.

Transfixed, she stood silently for a moment with her arms crossed under her chest.  Her eyes closed and I felt her mind reach out, struggling to make a connection with mine.  We had shared no blood so for the time being, my mind was blissfully still closed to her.  She was astonished that she was only greeted with blackness, a gentle hum, and the quietness of her surroundings.

Her preoccupation with attempting to “read” me, and her relief of the quietness reminded me of my own ability.  Could she be afflicted with the same ability as me?  Was she also a psychic?

And then I was slapped with the first worrisome thought of the night.  She wondered what I was.  She knew I was different than other humans.

She would be correct.  Now I wondered how long it would take her to figure out exactly what I was.

When she opened her eyes, they immediately found mine.  I pushed my mind out to her, attempting to push my will upon her.  I had no intention of acting on it…I simply wanted to see if she would respond.  The only reaction I received was one of bewilderment.  It obviously had no effect on her.

It was an interesting development.

I rubbed my chin and frowned.  My use of forcing my will upon her did not work, yet most of her thoughts were crystal clear to me.  She was a perplexing puzzle that I could not wait to solve.

With that thought still fresh in my mind, I slowly rose to my feet and crossed the room to stand in front of her.  Unable to resist her for long, my hands lightly traveled up and down the length of her arms.  She shivered and her nervousness was clear.   “Are you okay, Josephine?”

It was a rhetorical question.  A play of varying emotions flashed across her face and she was anything but ‘okay’.  In the matter of hours, I had turned her safe little existence upside down.  She was struggling to understand why she felt a connection with me, so strong it made her want to forget every rule she had set for herself.

"Yes, I'm just...” Josephine began hesitantly as her emerald eyes burned up into my own.  She seemed at a loss for words, searching for the right sentiment.

“Overwhelmed?" I answered for her.  Her eyes registered her shock at my observation and I traced a finger across her collarbones.  She shuddered and swallowed, and I had to admit I enjoyed the reaction my touch had on her. "I can see it in your eyes.  There is no such thing as coincidence, Josephine.  We were supposed to meet tonight.”

“We were supposed to meet?” she repeated quietly.  Her gaze never faltered, her body frozen in place.

“I suppose some would call it fate.” I was unable to stop touching her, obsessed with learning the feel of her skin under my fingers.  My hand wove into the hair at the nape of her neck, my thumb resting over her racing pulse point.  “You are not what I expected.  You are more.”

“More?” Josephine whispered, her tone filled with disbelief.  Her hand seemed to move in slow motion as she reached up to trace the outline of my lips with the tips of her fingers.  I wanted…no, I craved her touch and this unassuming action barely scratched the surface.  We both needed to reassure ourselves that this moment was real.  Her hands were soft against my mouth, and my lip curved upwards into a grin at her curious exploration.

Josephine’s lustful thoughts bombarded me all at once.  She had decided that all I needed to do was kiss her and her flagging self-control would snap in relief from the pressure.

Who was I to deny her? Without another word, my head lowered and my lips collided with hers. I wrenched her tightly against me, molding us together.  My hands roved over every inch of her exposed skin until my hands twisted in her hair.  It was at that moment she seemed to melt in my arms and her own hands became busy working their way underneath the back of my shirt, exploring the cool hardness of my body.  As our kiss deepened, my tongue begged for entrance into her mouth and she parted her lips to me, allowing me to explore.

Time ceased to exist and I was lost in sensation…lost in the sweet taste of her on my tongue and each of us battling for control in the uncontrollable passion building between us.

No longer maintaining the guise of being a gentleman, I wanted to see every bit of her naked skin.  I tugged on the tie to her dress, moaning into her mouth as it slowly opened.  Bit by bit the fabric fell away, exposing her ample, high breasts, flat stomach and long legs.  My eyes wandered slowly and deliberately over her nearly naked body.

I had seen many women naked and in various states of undress.  Nothing could compare to this perfection.  Nothing.

“Beautiful,” I murmured thickly, reclaiming her lips in a brief kiss.  “Where is your bedroom?”

Her response was a breathy, harsh rush of words.  "Down the hallway.”

I swept her into my arms and her long, lean legs instinctively wrapped around my waist.  My hands cupped her ass as I quickly carried her into her bedroom, softly placing her in the middle of the bed.  I stood motionless above her as my eyes covetously claimed her body.  She was mine.  As long as I lived, no other mortal or immortal would experience the splendor of her body.