Scent of a White Rose (20 page)

* * * * *

CHAPTER FORTY

Fire in My Veins

(Rose)

After reveling in the best experience of my
life, Christian and I laid in his bed, kissing and snuggling like
two newlyweds.

"I wish we could stay like this all night and do
that over and over." I nipped little kisses along his jaw line.
God, I just couldn't keep my hands or lips off of him. "God, you
are the most delicious thing I have ever tasted."

He laughed. "That's something the vampire should
be saying to you, not the other way around."

The smile on his face kept the comment light,
but the reality of it hit me right away. "Do you want to feed from
me?"

He started drifting the moment the words left my
mouth. His hair got darker and his eyes started to lose their
caramel swirl, and since everything I had learned about vampires
had been completely wrong, I didn't know if I should start to panic
or not. But then my heart caught up with my head and I realized
that Christian would never do anything to hurt me.

"I assume since you're drifting that it means
you're hungry?" I wasn't sure if I was making a mistake by talking
about it so openly, but what the hell...I was tired of keeping
secrets, especially if I was going to become a vampire soon,
too.

"Yes, I'm hungry. Horny, too! The thought of
feeding from you is a most delectable idea and it's playing havoc
with my brain as well as other parts of my body." He sat up and
scooted closer to me. "Before you knew that I was a vampire, it was
forbidden for me to feed from you because I was in love with you.
When a vampire feeds from the one he loves, there is no sedative
that can make you forget. So if I were to have fed from you, you
would have immediately known I was a vampire, and revealing
ourselves is something that no clan permits."

"I guess it's a good thing that I figured it out
all on my own then, huh?" I smiled as he leaned in to kiss me. "So
now that everything is out in the open you can feed from me without
getting in trouble?"

"Yes." His voice was low and steady, but I could
tell that he was actually straining for control.

I loved having this much power over him. To know
that it was me he loved and craved in so many ways was definitely a
turn-on. So with a surge of excitement burning like fire in my
veins, I let the sheet drop back onto the bed, revealing my breasts
as I tilted my head." So go on then...feed."

* * * * *

(Christian)

It was taking every ounce of will power I had to
stop myself from launching at Rose. With her beautiful breasts, the
memory of what we had just done etched in my brain, and the pumping
of blood just below her beautiful neck...this was excruciating!

But the moment I started to consider her offer,
my "new ability" must have kicked in. Because not only did I know
that this wouldn't be the right time, but that it would in fact be
a huge mistake. I didn't know why, and I didn't know how I was
going to explain it to Rose, but I knew, completely one hundred
percent knew, that I shouldn't feed from my girlfriend.

"Rose, I can't tell you how tempting you are
right now, but we really don't have time for me to feed. I can hear
Evie and the others starting to gather, and they know you are here.
They're very anxious to hear what you found out. I'm sorry." I
peeled myself from the bed and dressed in a flash of vampire speed.
Now who was the one hiding things?

As we made our way up into the club, Rose had
seemed quiet. I'm sure it was because of my rejection, but there
was just nothing else I could do. I also knew that I was going to
have to tell Evie what had happened.

When we reached the top of the stairs and exited
from under the stage, the smiles that greeted us were a good sign
that everyone would be accepting Rose into the clan. "Look what the
cat drug in," Tori teased.

Rose smiled and scooted tighter against my body.
"Hi, everyone."

Evie moved towards us and reached out to hug
Rose. "I can't tell you how it does my heart good to see you wake
with Christian. And hopefully soon, we can make that a permanent
thing."

Everyone gave their whoops and cat calls in
agreement. I was so proud to have Rose on my arm.

"So, Rose, what did you find out about
Meredith?" Evie motioned for all us to take a seat.

"Unfortunately, nothing. I found out her last
name and that her family was originally from the southern part of
New Mexico, but I don't see how either of those things is going to
help us in any way." I could tell Rose felt bad for not having more
valuable information to share.

"Well, that's okay. I think that we definitely
need to keep an eye on her though, so I'm going to send for Renard
and Loni. They are traveling in Europe at the moment, but I know
they will be more than willing to cut their honeymoon short once
they find out about the situation that we're facing." Evie finished
by telling Rose she could use the key to the club she'd given her
whenever she wanted, and now that she knew of our existence, she
could join us when the club was open as well. Since we no longer
had to hide our true selves from her, it would be easy to bite and
sedate any law enforcement that would question her presence in the
club.

As everyone headed off to start opening the
club, I pulled Rose close. "Are you going to be okay to go home and
face your dad? He's probably pretty worried about you by now."

"Yes. I should be fine. I'm going to call him on
my way and make sure that the demon bitch isn't going to be there,
and then maybe once we're alone I can talk some sense into him."
She rose up onto her tippy toes and kissed me goodbye."Thanks for
an amazing night. I love you."

"I love you too. Call me if you need anything. I
can literally be there in flash." I was so reluctant to let her go,
but I knew it was necessary.

* * * * *

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Father-Daughter Moment

(Jeremy/Dad)

Once five o'clock ticked by, I realized that
Rose wasn't coming straight home after school. I had tried her
phone, but there was no answer. I called Jillian's house, and as
expected, everyone was out. I hoped that maybe Rose was with them
and not somewhere on her own, but honestly, I knew better. I didn't
think that she was doing anything bad, but just taking more time to
wrap her head around everything that had happened. But damn it...if
she'd only come home or pick up her phone then I could tell her
that there was nothing to be upset about, and that Meredith and I
were over.

I literally sat there stewing, pacing, cussing
and almost crying for another two hours before she called.

"I'll be home soon." she said. She was safe and
sounded fine, but it was obvious by the tone in her voice that she
was nervous. It made my heart tighten.

Throughout our entire lives, Rose and I had been
extremely close. She wasn't exactly a daddy's girl, because she had
been just as close to her mother, but that was the beauty of it. We
had had the perfect family. Then Loraine was murdered, and even
though Rose and I remained close, there was a distance that
Loraine's death had put between us, and I was coming to realize
that it was probably all my fault.

I didn't know how else to behave. Protecting my
daughter was an almost primal instinct. But I had to admit, I
shouldn't have been so overbearing. I just hope I hadn't realized
it too late.

"Okay, honey. I'll be waiting. See you soon." I
tried to keep it light and not indicate just how upset I was.

By the time I heard a car pull up in the
driveway, I had practically worn a path into the carpet between the
living room and the front door. When the car didn't pull off again,
I realized that this wasn't Jillian dropping her off, but was in
fact Rose herself. That must have been where she went after
school...to buy her new car.

I tried not to let it hurt, but it was something
that I really had wanted to do with her, and now her anger had
robbed us of that father daughter moment. But since there was
nothing I could do about it now, I supposed as long as it was a
dependable car then I was just going to have to let it go.

When I peeked out the window and saw a suped-up
muscle car instead, I almost passed out. This was so unlike Rose. I
suddenly wasn't too sure that our conversation was going to go so
well after all.

* * * * *

(Rose)

The entire time I was driving towards home, I
kept trying to think of a reasonable excuse for my dad not to see
Meredith. But honestly, besides the fact that I thought she was a
demon, everything else I came up with just made me sound like a
spoiled brat who was upset that her daddy had moved on with his
life. Which, when I think about it is pretty damn ironic, since
that's exactly what I'd been complaining about for months.

The moment I pulled up into our driveway, I
stopped thinking about what to say about Meredith, and instead
wondered what the hell I was going to say about Christian's car.
Then again, I was so over this whole "sweet innocent Rose" persona
that everyone had always put upon me, that I was actually looking
forward to telling the truth. Coming out to Christian and his clan
had been a truly freeing experience. Now, I just had to see how
well I could pull it off with my dad.

As soon as I opened the front door, I saw him
sitting on the living room couch. "Hey Dad," I said. I really
didn't know how to start, or what the fuck I was supposed to say to
convince him to not see that bitch ever again, but I had to start
somewhere.

"I'm sorry that I ran off after our fight about
Meredith. But Dad, you have to see how upsetting it was to realize
that not only were you seeing someone and keeping it from me, but
that the woman you were seeing looks almost exactly like Mom. How
did you think I would react?" I flopped down into the chair
opposite his.

"Rose, I understand why you were upset, but I
cannot excuse the way that you reacted. We will talk about my
relationship with Meredith. But first, we're going to discuss where
you've been and why there's a hot-rod sitting in my driveway." Dad
was stern but not mad, so I guess it was time for the truth.

"It's my boyfriend's car. Remember, Christian?
He was the boy that I was seeing before you tried to turn me into a
nun." I guess the truth was going to come with a bite as well.

"I guess I hadn't realized that you were still
seeing him. I'm sorry." Dad really did look sorry, and like he
hadn't slept very well.

I could tell there was something on his mind and
I really wasn't in the mood to drag this out. "Why don't we just
get this over with? I'm tired and I have to study for an exam."

"Okay. Well, first of all I'd like to let you
know that I've broken things off with Meredith. I know that doesn't
excuse that I kept our relationship hidden in the first place, but
I just wanted you to know that before I tried to explain
anything."

I couldn't believe that this had happened. How
perfect. Now I didn't have to play games in order to convince him
to dump that bitch.

As I sat back in the chair feeling better than I
had only moments before, Dad continued.  "I met Meredith over
a year ago, and while she does have traits similar to your
mother's, the two of them are nothing alike. Besides, you know how
much I loved your mom. But when your mom passed, I didn't think it
was fair to bombard you with the pain I was feeling, so I turned to
Meredith since we were already close friends. She was
understanding, and really helped me process some of the emotions I
was feeling as a man who had lost his spouse. Only after I realized
that she had developed feelings for me did things turn intimate."
He took a deep breath and scooted to the edge of the couch. "I know
that it doesn't excuse what I did, but Rose, I'm an adult, and to
be honest, I don't have to justify my actions to you. But I want
you to understand that at that time I did not think that I was
using Meredith to fill the hole your Mother's death left within me.
But now, looking back, I think that is exactly what happened."

Dad sat back on the couch and I watched all the
air leave his lungs in a big rush. That must have been what he
wanted to get off his chest. I was just so happy that he had called
things off with that demon whore that I really didn't need to hear
any more. "Dad, I'm sorry for overreacting. You're right. You're an
adult and you don't have to justify anything to me. I guess that I
just felt hurt by the fact that you thought you needed to keep it a
secret in the first place. But with how much Meredith looked like
Mom, I guess I can understand that it was a difficult position for
you to be in." I walked over and sat down on the couch next to him
and gave him a hug. "I love you. And I do want you to be happy,
just not with a woman that looks like Mom. I just don't think it's
good for you, or for me."

"I love you too, Rose. And thank you for
understanding that even adults can make mistakes, especially when
our hearts are involved." Dad kissed the top of my head and then
guided us up off the couch. "Let's head to bed. All this worrying
and fretting has left me exhausted, and you said you have a test to
study for, right?"

"I do. But one last thing. Are we okay with me
having my freedom back? I really don't want to fight with you
anymore." I tried to say it jokingly, but I was dead serious.

"Yes, honey. I am okay with you having your
freedom back. I'll let Dennis know tomorrow morning that he will no
longer be driving for you. But...I really do think we need to get
you a car of your own, because the thought of you zooming around in
that thing out there completely terrifies me."

I laughed as I hugged him again. "Okay. Sounds
good. Can we plan on car shopping after you get off work tomorrow?
I'll meet you back here and then we can head out."