He stepped aside to let me in. “I was just heading out to stake out Maria’s hotel room.” He looked at his watch. “I was hoping I’d catch her there since the sun is out. She could be holing up somewhere else but it’s worth a shot.”
I stepped into his foyer and set my purse down. “Vance, Leo told me about Maria. About the baby.” I held my breath waiting for his response.
He pressed his lips into a thin line and shook his head. “Karli, don’t do that. Don’t pity me. I’m the moron who couldn’t see who she really was.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked. “You had so many chances but you didn’t tell me. Why?”
He pulled me into the living room so we could sit on the couch. “Because I don’t like thinking about it. I don’t like thinking about what a fool I’d b
een, not being able to see the truth about her. More importantly, about the fact that she intentionally killed my child, Karli. They killed my child. The baby died during her transformation. I had wanted so desperately to become a father for as long as I could remember and she knew that. We were trying to get pregnant. She told me she wanted nothing more than to make my dreams come true and raise a family with me. It’s like she was living two lives. She was the perfect woman one minute and a lying, selfish, backstabbing bitch the next. I would have raised the baby alone without hesitation, but they never gave me the option. I didn’t even know about the pregnancy until…after. I found the test results a few days after she left. It disgusted me to think that she put her obsession over staying young above an innocent life. Her affair with Leo or her desire to become immortal wasn’t what killed me. I would have probably forgiven her eventually if she would’ve at least waited to become a vampire until after the baby was born. It took me years to get over it just enough to function with some sort of normal semblance. I don’t want to go back to that place. It was a very dark time in my life.”
I shifted my body towards him and grabbed his hand. “Vance, I’m so sorry. If I had any idea, I never would have---”
He put his finger on my lips. “Don’t, Karli. You have nothing to apologize for.”
I kissed his fingers before pulling them away. “No, you’re wrong… I do. I could have saved us both so much grief if I could have just told you how I felt. I was so confused back then, but I’m not anymore. Everything is so clear to me.” I framed his face with my hands. “I love you, Vance...and I don’t want to wait another second to be with you. I need to be with you.”
He covered my hands with his own. “What are you saying?”
I smiled. “I’m saying that I want you to make love to me. Right now.”
Thirteen
Without hesitation, he claimed my mouth in a punishing kiss. Our tongues dueled for control…nipping, sucking, and biting. My brain barely registered the change when he pulled me from the couch and started pushing me towards the bedroom, never breaking from our kiss. I was hit with the force of all of his pent-up frustrations at once. The passion exuding from him was almost too much to bear. Every nerve ending in my body tingled with the need to be touched by him. To be owned by him. To be one with him.
The back of my knees hit the bed when he paused and pulled away from me. “Are you sure about this, Karli?” he asked.
Panting, I replied, “Omigod, yes! I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life!”
He gave me a sexy smile as his fingers began to work the zipper on the back of my dress. “I’ve been waiting too long to hear you say that.”
I impatiently began unbuttoning his jeans. “Vance,” I began. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but shut the hell up!” I pulled his lips down to mine to resume our tongue play.
He finished pulling my zipper down and gently slid the dress strap over my left shoulder. He began kissing down my neck as he removed the other side. Once the silk had passed over my breasts, it quickly pooled at my feet. He paused to give me one long, appreciative gaze. From the look on his face, I’m guessing he approved of the black lacy lingerie. He lightly brushed the back of his hand over the swell of my breasts. “My God, woman, you are going to be the death of me,” he said.
I smiled as I pulled his blue t-shirt over his head and ran my hands down his well-defined abs. “Vance, what did I say about talking?” I scolded.
He laughed. “Right. Sorry, my mistake. I could think of much better ways to use my mouth right now.”
“Like wha---” He scooped my legs out from under me causing me to fall back onto the bed. “Oh!”
“No, no,” he admonished. “You’re breaking your own rules, Karli.” He resumed kissing down my body, making me forget any retort I may have had. His lips tortured me as he made his way over my breasts, to my abdomen, stopping to dip his tongue into my navel, before reaching the top of my panties. He lifted his head slightly and smiled as he ran his fingers over the lace covering my aching mound. I arched my hips and moaned in response.
“Vance, I---”
“Shh, baby…just lay back and enjoy this. I’ve been waiting a long time to have you under me and we are going to savor every second of it. Now let me show you everything I’ve been imagining over the past few months.”
My head fell back as he spread me wide and began nibbling my inner thighs. He licked the sheer fabric directly over my center right before he lifted my leg slightly to kiss the seam where my ass met my thigh. His head shifted from side to side as he repeated the gesture with the opposite leg while his fingers toyed with the idea of dipping beneath the lace.
“Vance, you’re killing me!” I shouted. “Please, stop teasing!”
The vibrations from his chuckle sent shockwaves through my core. Finally, he grabbed my panties with both hands and slowly pulled them down. He climbed half way up my body, but his head remained an arm’s length away from where I wanted him. Where I needed him. He shifted his gaze until we were staring at each other silently. Not breaking eye contact, he lowered himself until he reached my already slick folds and gave one long lick from the bottom up.
“Oh God, that feels good!” I screamed.
He gave me a sexy smile then began lapping urgently, working my little nerve bundle into a frenzy. Never breaking pace, he inserted one long finger inside of me, moving it up and down. Soon after, he added another, stretching and preparing me a bit more. My walls were already tightening in anticipation as he continued licking, sucking, and pumping me into ecstasy. He pulled me further inside his mouth as his fingers drove deeper and deeper. He slid his other hand beneath me to cup my bottom, pressing me into him even harder. Since both of his hands were occupied, I began kneading my breasts and pinching my nipples as he bewitched me with his tongue. Before I knew it, little volts of electricity were shooting throughout my entire body as my walls began clenching around his fingers. My knees were braced on either side of his head as I rode wave after delicious wave.
Upon releasing him from my vise, Vance stood up to pull off his jeans and boxers with a huge smile plastered on his face. I rose up on my elbows and removed my bra, leaving us both completely exposed. I scooted back on the bed as he leaned his perfect form over my body.