They were heading north to Cambria, a small and picturesque town on the coast, known for its quaint architecture and stunning expanses of beaches. They were about an hour away from their destination and as great as this drive was with Cami, he couldn’t help but be destination-minded.
A smile crept over his face and when he glanced at Cami she grinned back at him. He knew she could ‘read’ his body scents and so she probably knew for sure that he couldn’t wait to get her between the sheets. Yep, he couldn’t deny it; he wanted that girl in the very worst of ways.
His body was still a bit achy from his intense workouts with Kenji this week but a long soak in a hot tub and plenty of ibuprofen had helped a bunch. He figured the next best thing would be exercising between the sheets, that would help a hell of a lot more. Again, another wicked smile played across his handsome face and he laughed this time when Cami caught him.
“Sorry, baby. I just can’t help it.”
“I kind of like it. I mean, what woman doesn’t want to know that the man she loves can’t wait to take her to bed, Carl?” she giggled.
“Um, well, I know that but I’m sorry for being so single-minded Cami.”
“What, you think you’re the only one of us who it thinking about it? Trust me, you’re not. I don’t even really know what is going to happen, well part of it anyway and I still can’t wait.”
“Yeah, about that. Cami, you were married; you must have had sex with him. What don’t you understand baby?”
“Well, I know what happens between a man and a woman Carl, but some of the details are probably unknown to me. I mean, well, I don’t think that we experimented much and Carl, I’ve never, well, you know. Um, I’ve never felt…satisfaction. I mean, I’ve read about it, I know it’s supposed to happen, but it never has, I don’t think.”
This was the second time she had mentioned that she’d never had an orgasm, or at least he thought that was what she meant. Was sex really so different then? People hadn’t really changed, physiologically that is. Was her husband just inept or were attitudes different? Completion of the sexual act seemed to be some mystical thing to her and he was trying not to panic about it. Suppose he couldn’t make it happen for her? That hadn’t ever been a problem before, but talk about pressure.
“Cami, if it had ever happened I’m pretty sure you’d know it! Seriously, you’d have known it. We’re going to make it happen, I promise. We’ll just go slow and find what makes you feel good and happy. We have all weekend.”
They were passing Cayucos and which meant that it was only a few more miles to Cambria and Cami looked around the charming little village with interest. There were several old structures there as well as some that were built to look old. She supposed that was for the tourists because even on this chilly November day there were many people milling about the town.
Carl’s SUV ate up those last few miles quickly and it didn’t hurt that he was speeding a bit too. Cambria was lovely, perched on the edge of the cliffs along the Pacific and as they followed the PCH through town they were both looking out for the turn off to the cottages.
Finally they spotted it and made a winding drive up to the top of a cliff and caught their first glimpse of the Pacific Breezes Bed and Breakfast. Carl pulled the car to a stop and unfastened his seat belt to go in. “You ready?” he asked.
“Race you!” she laughed.
Inside they went to the front desk to check in. “I believe you have a reservation for Davis? The, um, Sunset Cottage?”
“Yes Mr. Davis, we do indeed! Welcome to the Pacific Breezes; we hope your stay with us will be very happy. We have the cottage all prepared for you both, including a few special accommodations.” The proprietor, a smiling gentleman of indeterminate years smiled broadly at Cami; he was a vampire also and she nodded at him in acknowledgment. “Dinner will be delivered to you at 7 pm, as is our usual schedule. We only offer two entrée’s per service, if you’d like to make your choice.” He handed a menu to Carl, leaving him to wonder how the man knew who to hand the menu too. Then the obvious came to him and it made sense why this might be a ‘family’ friendly B&B.
Both choices looked delicious; Tiger prawns and scallops in a sweet and spicy sauce, fresh vegetables, salad and dessert. The other choice was grilled steak and mushrooms with all the fixings and in the end he went with the seafood; after all, he’d be a fool to pass up fresh seafood here where it was caught locally.
After they were given their keys and directions they climbed back into the car and drove up a long, winding lane until they reached the last cottage with a placard hanging on a post the read Sunset Cottage. It brought a smile to both of them as it seemed to grow right out of the rocks and landscape on the cliff. Carl grabbed their bags while Cami unlocked the door and they stepped into a striking room, lush with wood details and earthy colors.
“Wow,” Carl said, sitting the bags down. “Like, really wow!”
“Ooh, it is so perfect Carl,” Cami laughed, throwing her arms around Carl in her happiness. “Carl, look out at the balcony!” She headed across the room and slid open the doors and stepped outside onto deck. It was surrounded by glass railing that allowed a complete and uninterrupted view of the blue Pacific. The breeze that blew in was fresh and cool and to Cami it was exhilarating. The way the balcony was perched on the cliff it was possible to look straight down onto the water below.
Cami stepped back into the room and grabbed her suitcase, opening it and pulling out some shorts and a shirt to go with it. She was almost shaking with anticipation. “Come ON!” she laughed, pulling her blouse off before slipping the tee shirt on.
Carl’s eyes ate her up as she changed clothes; first the shirt and then heaven help him he watched as she unzipped her jeans and slid them over her long and supple legs that made his groin tighten in response. Finally he pulled his eyes away and changed into some shorts and a tee shirt himself, although he thought it might be a bit cool on the balcony. But somehow, he thought that with Cami to warm him up it might not be a problem.
They spent a few minutes admiring the view and one another before they finally settled on a double lounge on the balcony. Their arms wrapped around one another, they shared one heady kiss after another. Cami felt dizzy with yearning for something she didn’t quite understand yet. Still, there was one more thing to get to before they made love and she took a deep breath and said, “Carl? Heroku told me that before we make love that I should bite you, so - so you’d understand what it involved.”
Carl couldn’t repress a grin. Beth had told him that he’d like this part; a very strange thing he thought, considering that she was actually going to bite him. “Sure, I understand that. I’d imagine it will give both of us a chance to um, see how it goes?”
“Yes, I think so.” She swallowed hard, suddenly a bit shy. His arm or his neck? During sex she’d be more likely to bite his neck. She straddled him, sitting lightly on his lap and leaned down to kiss him again. She felt an immediate response burgeon upwards in his shorts and smiled as she leaned down to kiss his lips tenderly.
Carl ran his hands down her back and cupped the curves of her ass and pulled her a bit tighter to him. She pulled away from his mouth and looked at his neck and felt the change start within her. His blood was surging hotly through the veins of his neck and for the first time in her vampire life she ached to taste blood, straight from his vein.
Carl watched as her eyes shadowed and silvered and fangs glistened within her very desirable mouth. She was dazzlingly beautiful to him and he smiled before he reached up and ran a finger lightly over a fang. It pricked his finger and she stared for a moment at the bright red drop of blood that beaded up before she slowly licked it off, the essence of his being filling her with need.
One of her delicate fingers traced a vein on his neck and her eyes watched as the blood pumped furiously, a repercussion of passion and excitement, Finally her mouth dropped down and as her tongue swept over the skin that shielded his vein she found the right spot and her fangs sank lightly into him.
For a moment the shock of the bite startled him and he pulled in a sharp breath and began to relax. She didn’t pull on the vein, only let the blood flow and yet it felt as if it were being drawn from every part of his body. It was incredible and he let out a short gasp as the pleasure of the bite engulfed him.
His blood on her tongue, flowing into her challenged her. She wanted more, needed more of him and yet this wasn’t the time. After a minute she pulled her fangs out of the vein and lovingly closed them, soothing as she went. When she lifted her head she looked into his eyes, waiting to see what her fate was. Would he be repulsed or something else?
What she saw was amazement, hope. And love, more than she had ever thought possible.
It would be okay. This new chance, this beginning would lead them to forever.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
Lani glanced at the clock as she stirred the shrimp into her soup. Josef ought to be here anytime and is if on cue she heard his car in the driveway. Next the garage door went up and then closed as he pulled the Ferrari in. She smiled as she stirred the soup, anxious to see him.
All day long she had thought about this evening, what she wanted to say, what she needed to say. So many things and yet, it all boiled down to how much she loved him and needed him in her life. What almost happened had opened her eyes to the fact that they still had a few things to learn about one another - okay, maybe more than a few things.
She heard the car door close and wiped her hands on a towel, waiting for him to come through the door. And waited a bit more. Finally, she heard a knock on the door which was totally unexpected.
Josef stood on the other side of the door, suddenly nervous as hell. He’d knocked, instead of just going in as he would normally do. Would she be mad if he had? He didn’t want to take the chance and waited as she crossed the room and opened it, wearing a puzzled look on her face.
“Hi,” she said, stepping aside for him to enter.
She was wearing a smile and he could hear her heartbeat thumping in what he hoped was excitement. “Hi yourself. You look beautiful Lani.”
“Thank you.” She stood for a moment, lightly biting her lower lip in indecision. She wanted to kiss him hello and finally threw caution to the wind and wrapped her arms around him, loving the solid feel of his body against hers. When his arms closed around her, the world suddenly became brighter again and she knew it would be okay. She tilted her head up for a kiss and sighed as she felt his lips brush against hers.
It wasn’t a kiss of passion but it was a kiss of longing. The need for connection washed over both of them and when he pulled back she sighed happily. He rested his chin on the top of her head and continued to hold her firmly in his arms.
“I’m so sorry I showed up last night Lani. I hope I didn’t spoil the evening for you.”
She laughed and said, “No, you didn’t. Honestly Josef, I would have been more surprised if you hadn’t shown up. You did miss something pretty funny though. She told him of robot man and they shared a good laugh as she demonstrated.
“Smells good in here. What are you eating?”
For the first time she noticed that he had brought in a small travel bag and had sat it on the counter, his dinner no doubt. She’d actually had Rob bring some supplies for Josef, but at least this way he would be taken care of. “I’m making a soup called Tom Yum; it’s a Thai soup that I love.”
“Smells a little spicy; you don’t generally eat that much spice.”
“It is a bit spicy; not like Beth would eat it of course. But it has a nice broth and um, my stomach has just been on a roller coaster this week. It’s just nerves, don’t worry. I’ve always been like this Josef. Just can’t handle things well when I’m upset.” As soon as she said all that she worried that he would feel like she was accusing him of causing the problems and she hastily answered, “It’s not your fault, okay? It has much more to do with all the thinking I’ve been doing this week, about my past. I’ll tell you about it while we eat.”
He looked at her with uncertainty shadowing his eyes. He knew that what he’d done had to be a part of it but he couldn’t help but wonder what else was going on?
Lani turned the heat off under the soup and ladled some into a bowl and set it on the table in the dining room. She’d put candles on the table as well to make the ambiance a bit more relaxed. After she’d poured him his dinner he followed her into the dining room and helped her take her seat.
She decided to let the soup cool for a few minutes and said, “I guess I don’t understand why you were going to do that Josef - not really any way.”
He took a nervous sip of his AB- and then licked at the corner of his mouth. “In truth, I’d forgotten all about it. I contacted Ryder right after the night you first told me about your childhood. I’ll admit it Lani, I was enraged at your parents. I also wasn’t thinking clearly about it either. If I had been I would have just let it all go. It’s a vampire thing really, we take care of, protect and yes, avenge those we love Lani. It was stupid and if I would have saw that email before you did I would have told Ryder to drop it immediately, as I did when all this happened.” He reached across the table and took her hand, rubbing it lightly and added, “Lani, my love I would never do something like that to hurt you.”
“But you didn’t seem to understand how much that would have hurt me had it actually happened. Or think of this Josef, suppose it had? Who do you think they would have to came to for help and financial support?”
A quiet growl emanated from deep within his chest and he hoped she hadn’t heard it. He risked a glance and saw that the corners of her mouth were turned up, a sure sign she had heard it and was trying to act like she hadn’t. He had to admit, it had never occurred to him that she probably would have had to help them. He nodded, acknowledging his mistake. “I’ll never do anything like that again Lani, I swear.”
“I know that Josef. You have to realize how difficult and complicated my relationship is with them. Growing up I felt so alone Josef, abandoned even. But they were my parents, for good or for bad. I - I love them, but I hate them too, what they did to me and one another. This week all I could think about was how many times I wished that they wouldn’t have any money Josef because money stole their love from me. I wished on the candles on my birthday cake, that Dorothy usually baked and I wished on stars. I thought that if they didn’t love me then they should be denied something they did love. If it would have happened Josef, do you understand the pain and guilt I would have felt?”
Her confession stunned him; my god, he’d not thought of possible consequences when he had decided to ruin her parents and after hearing her story that night he’d certainly never once considered how she would feel. He had only thought that the bastards deserved what they got; but there was more to consider in the manner - there was Lani.
Family, it was all about family. You might have ambivalent feelings about them but family was about the group and the greater good. This was a very hard lesson for him because he’d not been a part of a family for 400 years. Now he and Lani were a family and those people that she was connected with as well, the good and the bad.
That thought brought up another one - marriage. He had no doubts that they were mates and one day he’d turn her. They needed to be united in marriage for that to happen. It didn’t happen too often but his Catholic upbringing did rear its head from time to time. He could hear his ma and da now, telling him shame on him for not marrying the lass.
“So, where do we go from here Sweetness?”
“We just try to be a bit more cognizant of one another’s feelings Josef and that means talking about things. We’ve always done that pretty well, and honestly Josef, I do believe that you just forgot about it, but if there is anything else to tell me now is the time,” she told him with a smile.
“Well, actually there is another thing I would like to discuss.” At her wary look he smiled and added, “NO, I haven’t done anything else. Lani, we’re mates; I think we both know that in our hearts and souls. Am I right?”
She nodded and he saw sudden tears rim her eyes. “Yes. Josef, I love you more than I ever imagined was possible and I know that we are meant to be together, forever.”
“Lani, we need to think about marriage then.” She opened her mouth, shocked that he brought it up like this. “No, this isn’t a proposal Lani, but it’s something we need to consider. Sweetness, when I propose you’ll know it’s happening and it will be something that we’ll both remember forever and trust me, as vamps we’ll have a very long time to remember!”
She grinned, silently acknowledging the truth in his words. “Okay, we both know that it will happen but I don’t want to marry you until I’ve been turned Josef.”
“Is that an attempt at blackmail?” he challenged, his eyes twinkling merrily.
“Nope, just an insurance policy I guess.” She frowned for a moment and added, “Seriously, when can we do it?”
“Lani, it takes some preparation. And keep in mind that you will be secluded from your human friends and family for a month or so. Dorothy is having her baby in a few weeks, you’ve got the shower coming up too. Lots of things to consider.”
She mentally conceded that he was right. “Maybe after the first of the year then? The babies will be here by then and we could make it a new year, new start?” she asked hopefully.
He sighed, knowing that she wasn’t going to let it go; finally he agreed. “Okay, in the new year then. That gives us time to work everything out. Now, we’re both finished with dinner so how about we light a fire in the fireplace and do some make up snuggling before I take you to bed and make love to you until you can’t walk straight.”
“Hm, I like the thought of that! Let’s go.”
The dishes were quickly rinsed and loaded into the dishwasher by Lani while Josef made a fire. When she walked into the living room he was stretched out on the couch and she laid down beside him, fitting into his arms and against his body perfectly.
“I don’t want to belabor the point but I’ve missed you so much this week Lani. I felt like I couldn’t even function without you. Not to mention that I’ve been a real bear.”
“That’s because you weren’t resting because you were following me so much!” she teased. She tempered that with, “I know exactly how you felt Josef. I just had to get those things figured out in my head, why I was so upset.”
His answer was a nod and a gentle kiss that quickly turned deeper. Before too long they were both aroused and trying to get the clothes off the other one. Finally he stood up and picked her up in his arms and carried her into their bedroom where he sat her down on her feet so that undressing was much easier.
Slowly and tenderly they caressed one another, sharing long and sensual kisses that went on and on. His hungry mouth devoured hers, his tongue driving in and out of her mouth until she was dizzy with desire. Her carried her to the bed and laid her down gently and almost before she could blink his own clothes were off of his body and he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her senseless.
Josef scented the warm rush of wetness that dampened the curls between her legs, and she waited impatiently to feel his caresses. His mouth traveled down her body, devoting lots of attention to the aching tips of her breasts and driving her wild. She begged him to take her, telling him how badly she needed him inside of her, but she realized he had other plans when she felt his mouth slide down kissing her in that wet valley of passion.
His hands gently opened her, and his tongue delved deeply, stroking her lovingly, gently. Her release came very quickly and he entered her then, and he felt her body contract around his eager hardness.
His mouth found hers again as his hands also found hers, their fingers intertwining as their mouths drank hungrily of one another’s. He started moving inside her then, and she wrapped my legs around him so that he could thrust more deeply into willing body.
He looked at her then, their eyes locked as they were both close to their release. Their bodies moved of their own accord then, driven by some primitive beat of their own making, and Lani said, “Josef, do it now. Turn me, please!”
As he stared at the vein that throbbed in her neck he almost gave into the desire to do just that. Only a small thread of reality that crept into his passion laden brain stopped him. When he did bite it was tender and loving and over very quickly.
She cried as she found her release, joyful at the beauty of their passion and sad because he hadn’t turned her. She knew that they needed to plan but she was so ready for it.
They clung to each other as their bodies shuddered and contracted together until finally they were still and gasping for breath.
“I’m sorry love, this wasn’t the time.”
“I know,” she told him, the words a mere whisper.
They fell asleep quickly after that and didn’t wake until early morning, when they made love yet again. Sleep gathered them into the arms of Morpheus once again and it was much later that they finally woke up. They both held one anther tightly before the crawled out of the bed and headed to the shower before getting dressed.
Over breakfast both of them felt wonderful. Their future seemed secure and for that they were both thankful.
To be continued…
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