The Turning (10 page)

I opened the door and saw Brian standing right there. He was staring at his feet and pulling at the collar of his tux. “Brian, I’m sorry. You’re right.”

“No, Kelly, I am sorry,” he murmured, not meeting my eyes. “If I sounded like I was ordering you, I meant no such thing. I have not been with a woman in over a century and I seem to forget how to handle a woman and her feelings. I do promise I would never order you to do anything you did not want to. I was just trying to be spontaneous and exciting with you, plus you look so amazing all I can think of is touching you.”

Brian was hurt
again
and the guilt swelled within me. Knowing I caused that, I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a kiss. That kiss turned into another and another until I was almost so completely mesmerized that I forgot where we were.

“Okay you two, do I need to get a bucket of ice?” Nicole snorted, trying not to laugh. “I need to use the bathroom, and while I enjoy your show here, you are in the way.”

“Oh sorry, Nicole, we’ll behave.” We moved out of her way. I waited until she slid past us and went into the bathroom before lowering my voice. “Brian, are we fine now? I am sorry, this is just all very confusing to me. I didn’t mean to insult you.”

“Kelly, we are more than all right. Let us just forget about this. We are about to land and let us just enjoy the evening. Is that all right with you, my lovely lady?”

“Yes, that sounds perfect.” And with that I kissed him again before he took my hand and led us to our seats. Nicole rejoined us, and we were told to strap in for landing, which was textbook. Brian helped me and Nicole up and off the plane like the perfect gentleman I was now seeing him for. When we got to the bottom of the stairs, I realized there was another car there. This time a limo. I saw the chauffeur and another man standing with him.

“Ladies, this is my business associate, Trent Long,” Brian said, introducing us. “This is Kelly Murphy and her friend Nicole Thomas.”

“Miss Murphy, Miss Thomas, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said in between kissing our hands. I’ve never had men treat me like this, and I could tell from Nicole’s face she felt the same. “Miss Thomas, shall we?” He held his arm out for Nicole to take.

“Nicole please. May I call you Trent?” she asked him, and from the way her back arched to try and have perfect posture, I could see she was very cool with Trent being her date for the evening.

“Of course, Nicole, you may call me anything you wish,” Trent replied. His face lit up with an amazing smile and I could see he was just as pleased. I turned to Brian and before taking the arm he offered me, I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“What was that for? Not that I am complaining. You are welcome to kiss me at any time you like,” Brian welcomed with a warm grin. He moved his hand to my lower back and led me over to the waiting vehicle.

“It was a thank you. I’ve not seen Nicole this happy in a long time. We both worked hard in medical school, but she struggled more than I did. It’s like the perfect graduation present, this magical day, and she deserves it,” I finished, trying not to have another extreme emotional response. It would be hard to explain blood tears to two humans as we slid into the limo.

“You amaze me, Kelly. You are so happy to see your friend enjoying herself because she deserves it. I would bet my bank account that it never crossed your mind that you deserve just as much happiness and magic?” he whispered in my ear while we were in the car, so Nicole and Trent couldn’t hear us. I leaned in again and gave him another light, but deep kiss, this time on his lips. “And that was for?”

“Treating me like a princess. And seeming to even like my flaws, I appreciate you keeping me in line. Men have tried before, and not lived to tell the tale. But you are able to do it in a way that warms my heart because you truly care.” As I said that, while looking into his eyes, I realized,
Oh shit, I’m falling in love with him
. How could I fall in love with a vampire?

“You are welcome, Kelly,” Brian murmured and held my hand as we rode the rest of the way in silence. About five minutes later, we pulled up to what could only be described as an estate. This was someone’s house?

“This is someone’s
house
? Holy shit,” Nicole gasped as if she could read my mind. She glanced at me then, and I just shrugged. We pulled up to the main entrance and got out when the limo door was opened for us. It was like something out of a Jane Austen novel, all the women in gowns and men in tuxes.

I paused for a moment to simply take it all in, not sure I’d ever experience something like this again.

“Are you ready, my lovely Kelly?” Brian inquired as his hand moved to my lower back. I glanced at him and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Brian’s eyes never strayed from me… He hadn’t noticed any other woman there.

“Of course, lead the way.”

I was finally enjoying myself. Tonight would be magical, all because of Brian and how he felt about me. I stared as we entered this massive house, beautiful, absolutely beautiful. There were gorgeous tapestries, carved fixtures, and marble floors. It all seemed very old but well taken care of. And then a thought struck me, like being smacked upside the head.

I stopped, and turned to Brian. “We aren’t the only vampires here, are we?” I whispered in Brian’s ear so low no human could hear. “I smell blood that is different than in humans. Those people don’t have heartbeats that I can hear.”

He looked at me with a mixture of surprise and pride. “Yes, we are not the only ones here. The owner is like us along with at least a quarter of the guests.”

Now it was my turn to be shocked. “There are that many vampires who live among us like humans?” He just nodded, then he was about to say something but Nicole interrupted us.

“Hey you two, we’re going to miss dinner. Shake a leg and stop whispering sweet nothings to each other,” Nicole demanded with a grin on her face, the kind that told me she was happy for me.

“Absolutely, how rude of me, my apologies,” Brian said to Nicole, and then turned back to me. “We will make the rounds with Trent and Nicole, and then we will excuse ourselves to make the other rounds. Is that all right with you?”

“Yes, my dear, that sounds wonderful.” I stared at him like he was the only man there, my own personal Jensen Ackles… But even better. “I look forward to meeting all your friends. Now let’s grab some food.” I snickered, laughing at my own pun.

The four of us stepped out onto the veranda where the festivities were mainly being held. The party was done up to the nines, bars on either side of the large stone patio, twinkle lights in the trees, tables lit with candles, and tables of delicious looking food any way we turned.

We each took some food and nibbled politely, rearranging it on our plates so it seemed as if we had eaten more than we had. I did have a couple of Captain and Cokes, and it calmed my nerves. But not enough to even give me a buzz. Nicole and Trent were having a wonderful time drinking champagne and even holding hands when they thought no one was watching.

Brian excused himself to get another drink from the bar, and I couldn’t help but watch him. Even his walk was so striking, the way he moved was like music. Flowing throughout the party, he was the most handsome man there. I had to wonder why every other person wasn’t staring at him like I was? How could they not?

I realized how badly I wanted him right then and I made a snap decision. Telling them I’d be right back, I went over to him, caught his free hand. The other had the drink that the bartender had just given him.

“What? Where are we going?” he asked with a raised brow once he realized it was me.

“Just follow me, I have a surprise.”

“Well I like surprises.” I ignored his smirk. It was hard to keep cool when he looked at me like that. “Especially when a breathtaking lady is leading me.”

We made our way back into the house, and I led him up the gorgeous staircase where no one seemed to be. Once up the stairs, we walked down the hall quickly, no longer needing to hide our speed from humans.

I grabbed his drink and put it on the table outside the bathroom, opened the door, and pulled him in after me. This was a huge bathroom, very plush, about the size of my entire living and dining room. I pushed him up against the door we just closed and my lips started to devour his. I simply couldn’t seem to get enough of him. Brian pulled back from me with a gasp.

“What Brian? Don’t you want me anymore?” I purred like the evil temptress I could sometimes be.

“Kelly, yes of course I do. It is just very sudden, and I want to make sure you are not drunk. Is this really what you want?”

“Brian, just shut up and kiss me. Yes, I’m sober, and I really,
really
want you right now.” He looked into my eyes and spun us so that I was against the wall adjoining to the door. He kissed me on the neck and worked up to my earlobe until I moaned loudly. He really knew just where to kiss and touch me. It was like he had a map to my body, with the hot spots marked and which order to visit them.

He licked down my neck, slid his hands down my back until they were on my ass, and lifted me off the floor. I gasped in surprise, and then in pleasure, when he started kissing my chest. I wrapped my legs around his hips, once we got the layers of skirt out of the way, and held onto his shoulders. I’d never been lifted off the ground like that before, as if I weighed nothing.

Fuck was it hot to know he was that strong and powerful. Then again, I had never been intimate with a vampire before.

At least I didn’t
think
so.

His hands slowly moved off my backside and under my thighs. One hand stayed there while his other hand went under my skirts and between my legs. I let out a deep groan of delight in his ear. He started playing with my nub, driving me insane to get him naked.

“
Buíochas le Dia
, these don’t count as panties. But they are driving me wild, Kelly.” I could feel his excitement wash over me, and I finally knew what he meant that we would be aware of each other. I’m sure that was part of why we knew each other’s needs so well, we could sense when we were doing exactly what the other wanted. “Kelly, I can’t stand much more. I want to take you like you have never been before.”

I gasped in his ear, taking my hands off his shoulders, flipped the buttons open on the jacket, and pulled out his shirt. After undoing his tie, I started with the buttons of his shirt. And then I came. I finished so hard that my entire body shook with the same force as a seizure. I wrapped my arms around his neck, wanting to feel his lips on my nipples again.

It was like his whole body surrounded me and I could feel his shoulders tense with pleasure. He moved his other hand off my thigh balancing my weight in between the door and adjoining wall. In an instant he undid his pants and plunged inside me. I climaxed again, screaming out my pleasure and surprise.

I pushed back his shirt so I could see his perfect chest. Placing my hands on either wall in the corner we were in, I had a perfect view of Brian’s expressions. His face and eyes showed me the bliss he was experiencing, while the tendons in his neck spoke to how much he restrained himself. I cried out when he started thrusting faster and harder. Both of his hands held on to my ass in a death grip.

“Darling, I’m almost there, bite me!”

“What?” I blanched.

“Please, bite my neck. I want you to. I want us to be connected in every way, including you drinking from me,” he begged, almost shaking. I didn’t know if I liked the idea, but he spoke with such need I leaned forward and bit him. I felt his ecstasy. I kept right on drinking him until I felt his last shudder, then I licked the wound until it closed up right in front of me. “That was amazing, Kelly. I have never made love like that before, and I wish we did not have to get back to the party. I would much rather please each other all night, while losing more and more clothes each time.”

“If this is how you react to ball gowns, I hope we have lots of functions we get dressed up for,” I snickered while thinking how to phrase the question I needed to ask. “Brian, did I do the biting right? I mean, I didn’t hurt you, right? Was the timing okay?” I couldn’t look at him as he lowered me back to my feet.

“My love, you are way too beautiful to always have these worried thoughts in your head. It was perfect, you are perfect, and not just perfect for me, but perfect in every way,” Brian whispered into my neck as he adjusted himself. We didn’t say anything else for a few moments as we righted our clothes and regained our composure.

“Thank you, I’ve never had a man treasure me like you do. I will remember that and give you the benefit of the doubt from now on. It’s just all so new to me, like why the biting during sex?” We left the bathroom and made our way down the hall.

“I will answer on one condition,” Brian prompted. “If you answer me one.” I nodded as we walked back down the stairs. “The biting takes it to the next level. Vampires do not trust each other to bite them normally, but while making love, it shows the trust which makes the climax so much more intense.” I nodded again, understanding and realizing I wanted to try it next time we had sex. “Now answer me this. Why do you always call it sex? Why can you not seem to say making love?”

“I—I’m not sure,” I stuttered, his question throwing me for a loop. “I’m not sure I really know the difference.” I stopped and grabbed his arm. “I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told any other guy. I’ve never finished during sex simply from sex. And last night was the first time I ever fell asleep in a man’s arms and snuggled with him. I’ve never been able to lay there with someone after sex, I always just get up and either shower or get dressed. You’re the first one I’ve been able to sleep with, and such.”

I realized I was staring at my feet the whole time, so I looked up into his eyes and what I saw touched me. His eyes were filled with joy, and he was smiling.

“Kelly, I am honored to be your first in that way. I wonder if I might ask, how many men have you been with?” Brian ventured with a questioning glance.

“Yes, you can ask me that, sweetie. You make five.” He could ask and I was curious as to his response… But that didn’t make the conversation topic any less awkward.