C16 Amelia Rose

I surprise myself sometimes. While I am terrified, I am also drawn to Eli. You know me, though, I’m ‘Captain Save ‘em’s’ reincarnated wife. Maybe that’s why I am sitting on a terrace with a stalker who could kill me if he so chooses and has yet to pass out from overwhelming fear. I don’t think he knows about our family secret, but I believe it plays a part in what draws him to me. When I am calm, I like to project it around me sometimes.

He must feel that change. And then there is the way he looks at me. I think I would believe anything he tells me. His eyes are so-honest. I want to help him more than I fear him. As we talk, his laugh lightens the mood, and I feel more comfortable with him. The sun has nearly outshone the darkness.

“Tell me more about your brother. Why didn’t you send him the letter?” His eyes shimmered, reflecting the last of the moon’s rays. I smiled, hoping to keep things light. He wrinkled up his forehead, and I knew I had hit a nerve.

“Luka?” I touched his hand, and every muscle in my body rippled. “He’s a vampire too, great control, enjoys being a vampire. It falls on deaf ears to vent my regrets to him. We trained very differently.” He looked out into the distance, still scrunching up his face. I could tell he didn’t want to talk about it, but I needed to know these kinds of things to help him.

“Trained?” I kept a hold of his hand and tried to catch his gaze, but he wouldn’t look me in the eye. Still looking out over the terrace into the garden, his chest rose, and he let out a long sigh.

“It amplifies who you were before the turn. I was impulsive and lustful, a free spirit. My brother was the thoughtful type. Not so much considerate as calculating. So, when it was his turn to make the change, they trained him to make that work for him.” He lowered his head, frowning. He still didn’t look me in the eye, but I held firm to his hand, reassuring him. “They trained me to channel my impulses into a singular target, pure women.” He swallowed hard, looking sick with grief. It surprised me how quickly I responded.

“They trained you to attack virgins?” My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped. He looked up but kept his head low. A faint smile spread across his lips. I guess he was glad the shock outweighed the fear. I turned beet red and pressed my free hand between my knees. Now I could not meet his eyes.

“I never stuck to virgins. That was my dad’s weird ideology. They led me to believe I couldn’t withstand completely, the curse wouldn’t allow it, so that’s the route they took with me-the art of seduction.” I found it increasingly hard to look straight at him, but I couldn’t refrain from touching him. I had no intention of letting his hand go. It was quickly becoming my anchor through this conversation.

I felt safe there. Holding his hand didn’t make me forget he was a vampire; it reminded me he was human. “When I saw you, I realized that wasn’t true. I haven’t-” my heart rate sped up, and my throat felt like it was swelling up. I was struggling to breathe. He must have noticed. He squeezed my hand tighter, making me feel brave and strong. I had to be strong for him if I was ever going to help him.

“You haven’t,” I lifted his chin, “killed anyone? That’s a big deal.” His smile warmed me.

“It’s been easy, actually. Do other women even exist anymore?” He breathed out a quiet laugh. My free hand found his chest, and my laugh stopped abruptly. Not because of his muscles; it was his heartbeat. It thumped abnormally loud and hard, calling to me.

I leaned in and pressed my ear to his chest, closed my eyes, and listened. He didn’t stop me; he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him. I, Amelia Rose, a virgin, the target engraved into his brain, was home, right here on this terrace in this vampire’s arms. Is this what it feels like to be in a romance novel? Falling fast and hard for the one who made no sense? We sat that way for a long time, watching the sun continue to rise.

“Do you see them often, your family, I mean?”

“For the better part of the century, yes, though in recent years I have kept my distance. My parents would only push my thoughts back into submission. The family business depends on our vampirism. Which is why I want nothing to do with it. Sending that letter would have brought them to my door.” I opened my mouth to ask about the family business, but thought better of it. His gaze had trailed over the terrace into the garden again, which I was quickly learning meant he was getting uncomfortable. I studied his scrunched-up face, growing weary of what to say. He appeared lost in thought, so I just squeezed his hand and leaned into his chest again.

“I don’t deserve her.” It came out in a faint whisper; I don’t think I was supposed to hear it.

I sat up straight, grabbed his face with both hands and said, “The first step to redemption is to stop being so hard on yourself. You’re a Vampire; blood tastes good, so what are we going to do about it?”

His pants bulge against his leg. His wide-eyed smile was growing wider in my hands. My heart raced, and my throat swelled again. My stomach twisted in knots, full of anticipation. My eyes fixed on his full lips, his eyes on mine. He must have been thinking the same thing. We leaned in at the same time; our lips nearly pressed together. The smell of fresh flowers wafted past me.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the fluttering electricity to explode, but he held back. When I opened my eyes, he wasn’t even on the couch anymore. He was pacing on the other side of the table, full of half-eaten pastries. I stood up and took a step toward him, but he held out his left hand, stopping me.

We had been on the terrace for hours; the sun proudly posted in the sky now. I felt so close to him already; like I was getting a fairytale love story. The night couldn’t end like this. After he shared all this with me, I felt safer. Crazy, I know, but I also felt bold. I put both hands on his chest and pushed him against the house. “Kiss me. Now.”

Smiling, relaxed, he pressed his lips to mine gently, savoring the moment, letting the electricity build up. My body melted into his tight embrace. Then we pressed harder, desperately needing to be closer. His passion was deepening with each passing second. My heart pounded, demanding I give in to him. He wants in; I want him in.

I opened my mouth slightly and let his tongue have its way. His hand slowly glided up my back, leaving a trail of prickles. He put his hand through my hair, pulling out my messy bun. Warmth heated between my legs when he moaned against my lips. I pressed my thighs closed tight, trying to put out the fire between my legs. He spread his fingers across the back of my head and tilted my head as he deepened the kiss.

We didn’t stop for air because we were each other’s air. Eli wasn’t close enough; I needed to be closer. His other hand gently caressed my cheek, his touch like static electricity, then fell to my thigh. My legs relaxed and opened a little. His hand was getting closer and closer to my innocence.

My right hand laid firm against his chest, my left absentmindedly on his thigh. I don’t know how long we kissed, but it wasn’t long enough. I had never been so overwhelmed and consumed by a kiss before. He sat comfortably against the back of the couch and put the pillow over his lap. Opening his arms to me, I lay against his chest, satisfied with just a kiss for now. Our hearts were linking. I didn’t know what to make of it. I still wasn’t sure I could fully trust him, but my body responded to him in a way I wasn’t used to.

“Can I ask you some personal questions later? I know it’s hard for you to talk about.” I paused, giving him an all-knowing smirk. “Although you seem pretty happy now.” Tingles bolted through my body as he gave me a seductive smile. “So, if we’re going to do this, I need to know everything.” He nodded, smiling.

“Let’s go have some fun. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this relaxed. You pick: Museum or bungee jumping?”

My eyes bulged, and I blurted out, “Museum!” He grabbed me by the hand and lifted me to my feet, then into his arms. Before I knew what was happening, we were no longer in the U.S. We were in an airplane headed to Paris!