“Come here,” I command gently with my arms open in invitation.
Apprehension clouds her features, but she doesn’t hesitate to climb back into my arms, her head resting in the crook of my neck. With shallow controlled breaths, I do my best to bury my own response to her nearness, because I did this to her. I need to take care of her.
“Why did I do that?” she whispers against my neck, which feels a little too good. “I mean after what happened you’d think… but I immediately walked over here.”
Running my hand down her hair, which is a mess thanks to me, I do my best to explain, “It’s an effect of the bite. You’ll want to be close to me for a while.”Yeah, that’s an understatement.In an effort to make her feel better, I add, “You’re actually doing really well. For a lot of people, it’s like being on a heavy dose of E mixed with a potent aphrodisiac, and they lose complete control of themselves.”
“Oh yeah, I’m a regular Buddhist monk,” she mutters, and unconsciously starts playing with my fingers.
The arousing effects of simply touching hands is seriously underappreciated.
After a quiet moment, she adds, “I really am sorry.”
I hate how guilty she feels when it really isn’t her fault. It was an accident. Not exactly a trip, fall, and land on my face or anything, but it just happened.
With the hand she isn’t playing with, I start the delicate process of detangling her hair, and murmur back, “It really is okay, love. I know you didn’t mean to do it. We got carried away, that’s all.”
“I’ll do better next time,” she vows, tracing soft lines up and down my inner wrist that I feel everywhere. Now that her blood is flowing through me, all my senses feel heightened, especially touch. “You were right. I didn’t know how goo... how it would feel, but now I do. I’ll be able to control myself.”
My pulse jumps, and what I should say is stuck in my throat. The ugly truth is I’m weak. I’m a selfish bastard that takes what’s offered. Every time.
“You don’t have to do this,” I rasp, the closest I can get to the right thing to do.
Callie shakes her head. “I want to help. We can’t let one…” she clears her throat, “um, setback keep us from giving you your life back. Or at least more control of it until we can undo the curse.” She leans away, cupping my cheek while she searches my eyes. “We will find a way to undo it. I promise.” She bites her bottom lip that was swollen only moments ago from my own teeth. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to talk to my aunt about it.”
For what might be the first time in my life, I’m speechless. I’m taking advantage of her, and she only offers me more. The desire to kiss her again balloons inside me, but this time, it isn’t because she’s beautiful and we’re both turned on. It’s because she’s generous and kind, and I have nothing to offer her in return. I’m good at one thing, and it’s something that she doesn’t want. At least not from a man whore like me.
“Yeah... okay,” I answer, which is so pathetic for what she’s offering.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure she doesn’t tell anyone,” Callie assures earnestly. “I know why you don’t want anyone to know.”
“Thanks.”
Callie offers up a real smile, the one that touches her whole face, then snuggles against me. She sighs contently, her hands still wandering in idle touches which is a sweet torture, but she seems more relaxed now.
This is punishment for all my one-night stands, isn’t it? A whole horde of people trying to climb back in my bed, and the one girl that is my own gift wrapped drug of choice, I can’t touch.
“Can I ask you a question?” she murmurs while drawing unhurried flower patterns on my chest.
I swallow a groan. “Sure.”
“Why is Gina so obsessed with you?” she asks, then backpedals, “Not that... I mean you’re attractive and everything, but it seems extreme is all.”
My laugh has a bitter edge to it. “Because I’m the only vampire she has access to.”
“Huh?” Even though I can’t see her face, I can feel her confused frown. “Why would that matter? She’s a witch.”
Her cluelessness is kind of adorable, and I give her a gentle squeeze. “I don’t know how much Connor told you, but Gina was the first person I’d ever fed from. We’d been dating a few weeks...” I sigh, trying to search for the right words. “Okay, first you need to understand since bagged blood has been more readily available for my kind, feeding is considered more intimate now. Or can be... Point is, she saw it as the ‘next level’,” I finger quote, “for our relationship.”
Callie slowly nods, but I can tell all the pieces haven’t clicked yet.
“She was…” I trail off, realizing I’ve never had to really articulate everything that happened with her. Everyone that knows saw it all in real time-- ish. I swallow heavily. “She was my first real girlfriend. The first person I dated that knew everything about me, and I didn’t have to hide who I was.”
She makes a sympathetic hum and reaches up to caress my neck, her fingers running over the short hair at the base of my skull.
“Anyway, she wanted to know what it felt like, and I wanted to make her happy.” My eyes drift closed, and like a drunken idiot, I lean into the sensation. “I was also curious if I’m being honest.”
“Makes sense,” she murmurs without judgment. My ex has been harassing her since day one, and still, she doesn’t judge me for dating evil incarnate.
