Chapter Thirty-two

We had all the time in the world, now. A lifetime. I didn’t tongue-dive immediately or push my hand into his pants. Instead I rubbed my lips slowly against his, just enjoying the touch of skin on skin. The warmth of his breath. The sound of his light purr. I licked his lower lip and got high on the taste of him, male and tangy and all Julian.

He folded me in his arms and caressed me with his lips. He backed me toward the bed, kissing me all the while. When my hips hit comforter, he lifted me in his arms, never breaking mouth contact. He laid me reverently on the bed. Eased himself on top of me, letting just enough of his weight fall on me to be arousing. I pushed up with my hips, my pubic bone meeting an already-heavy arousal. Oh yeah.

Julian broke the kiss. Before I could moan a “no”, he began to scatter little butterfly busses over my face, over cheeks and eyelids and jaw. His square, competent hands came up to cup my face while he kissed my mouth again, deeper this time, but no less sweetly. All the while his hard and sleek erection throbbed against me.

He left my mouth to kiss down my neck. Gently, lightly. Heating me with tiny tastes rather than branding lust.

His mouth skimmed over the sunny side of my breasts. The nipples poked their heads up in curiosity. He breathed on one and I swear she began purring too. I kissed the top of his black head. His hair smelled like fresh rain, felt like silk.

Julian slid his hand under my cami top, pushing it off my breast. I caught a glimpse of my nipple, pink and alert, before he lowered his head and suckled gently. Little points of pleasure lit up all over me. Everything was so light and silky that when he scraped his teeth ever-so-slightly against my nipple I nearly shot off the bed.

Shifting down my body, Julian licked the shade side of my breasts. His hands skimmed down my ribs, onto my hips. He lifted himself just enough to unsnap and unzip, and to peel back my denim. His mouth followed his hands, burning a light trail down my belly to my thong-covered mound.

Julian kissed and tongued me through the silk until it was damp and clingy. I arched, following the waves of need rolling through my body. Anchoring his lips in the cloth over my pussy, he opened his mouth and breathed. Heat spread over me. I felt slick moisture dew the thong.

His nostrils flared. He smiled up at me from between my legs. His fangs were long and graceful. Bending his head he slipped one under the thong. Levered the thong up and out. Replaced it with his tongue.

Hot passion licked my lips, slicked my slit. I jerked against his mouth, unseating him. The thong snapped back into place. Julian let loose a frustrated oath.

He slapped an arm over my hips, a band of steel holding me fast. I wiggled a little, found myself trapped good. Ooh. No more Mr. Nice Vampire.

“Now. Let’s try this again.” Julian slid his square, competent fingers into my thong. Pulled it slowly aside.

He gazed at my pussy, a look of awe on his beautiful face. His nostrils flared and his eyes closed, black lashes long and thick against his sharp cheekbones. He took two deep breaths, pulling in the last one like a man preparing for a deep sea dive.

And then he went down on me.

He licked me, kissed me, tongued me, suckled me. When I thought I couldn’t stand any more he latched onto my clit and sucked it like a cherry. Erotic hunger sang through me. It was so sweet it almost hurt. When he finally let up, it was only to raise his fangs over my mound.

He bit me and all hell broke loose.

The elegant teeth sank into my mound like tasers, zapping me with a thousand volts. My clit screamed and popped up. He lapped its little red head like a paddleball. My vagina began spasming, hard waves working me until my head spun. The orgasm turned me practically inside-out.

Julian phased out his clothes and climbed over me. “You rev all my senses, Nixie,” he said, his voice roughened by his purr. “Scent, sight…but especially touch.” He mounted me in one hard thrust.

As his enormous cock drove home it took my slickened lips with it, rolling them over. Not so much tugging at my clit as yanking it halfway inside. I gasped, half-sat. He pulled out. Rammed home. Pulled out. Drove in. Each thrust rolled my swollen clit like a marble between fingers. I felt myself ready to come again, an orgasm so deep it began in my throat.

Which is where Julian bit me.

His fangs sank into my neck, igniting the climax like a bomb. Fizzing down the trail until—boom! My insides exploded, starting at my vulva and rushing back up through my body, a foosh of flame to my head. It burned my brains out.

I lay in a daze. Julian collapsed on top of me, the duet of thudding hearts gradually slowing. “Uh,” he grunted eloquently.

“Uh,” I agreed. I would be living here, with Julian. I could get this any time. I could get this kind of sex every day.

My head burned out again.

Eventually he rolled off me. Lying on his side, he smiled down at me and stroked the damp hair from my forehead. “I do love you, you know.”

I looked down at myself. My nipples were soft and happy, my belly well-kissed. My pussy was happy-looking too, in an exhausted, drippy kind of way. “I kinda got the picture. Great present, by the way.”

“That too.” He kissed me. “But your real present is upstairs. We should get dressed and go get it.”

“Do we have to?” I closed my eyes. Did it get any better? Soft comforter under me, silky-skinned male next to me, warm love inside me. Not just the physical kind, but I didn’t say that out loud. “It’s a lot of work to put on clothes.”

He rolled my thong and jeans up. “Mmm. But think of the fun of taking them off again.” Growly-guy, my fave. “Okay.” I yawned. “Let’s go.”

We spent a little extra time dressing each other. Belts and shirts take a bit longer when you’re doing them backwards—especially when you add lips and tongue.

As we humped stairs, I said, “How long have you known you’re staying in Meiers Corners?”

“I only decided two days ago, although I think I knew the first instant I saw you. Why?”

“How did you get the remodeling here pushed through so fast?”

“The buildings were actually remodeled months ago. We knew from the Coterie’s rumblings and increase in rogues that we’d need more vampires protecting Meiers Corners. I just added a few finishing touches.”

Like the bed. Yum.

Upstairs, the party was even more crowded. All my friends and neighbors were there. Elena and Bo. Dolly Barton and lawyer Denny Crane. Rocky Hrbek and Drusilla. Chief Dirkson and his nephew Dirk Ruffles, lips still puffy but face not so haggard. Bruno Braun was even here, discussing security with Logan Steel.

Play by the rules when playing together. With family and friends. Improvise the solos.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Julian called out. “If I could have your attention?”

His voice was mildly hollow, with just a touch of what I was coming to recognize as vampire compulsion. Conversation dropped off. “Your attention, please. I have an announcement to make. As you know, I have decided to take up practice here in Meiers Corners.”

Cheering greeted that, along with some good-natured ribbing of Denny Crane.

Julian cleared his throat. “But while I have made many new friends in Meiers Corners, living here would be very lonely without company. Without someone special to share my life.” He signaled, and Bo brought him a package.

“Nixie?” Julian held the package out to me.

It was beautifully wrapped, gold paper with a huge satin ribbon. And the weirdest shape since the breaking of the continents. Not a box, or a tube. Not even a garment bag. No, this package looked more like a—guitar.

I took it like a zombie. How could Julian think…so soon…I couldn’t replace Oscar. That would be like getting a new puppy the day a beloved dog died.

I peeled back the paper with brittle fingers. Julian meant well, I told myself. He meant to make me happy. He didn’t mean to break my crayons.

A new guitar. With Oscar barely cold. My heart was shredding.

I looked up. Julian smiled brightly at me. He didn’t get it. I wanted to rail and scream. I had hoped…had dared to believe…but Suitguy didn’t understand me after all.

The paper stuck. I gritted my teeth, pulled it away. Saw the neck. Oh, fuck. He had gone to a lot of trouble to copy my defunct Strat. The Schaller machine heads were exactly the same. So was the rosewood fingerboard, even including the custom black opal inlays.

How could he? How could the Boston wonder hoag be such an ignoramus? With everything we’d been through…he didn’t get it!

I’d think of Oscar every time I looked at the guitar. It was exactly the same—C-shape maple neck with satin polyurethane finish, twenty-two medium jumbo frets, and the bent tuning machine on the E string.

And the bent tuning machine on the E string. Where my sister had stepped on it.

It wasn’t exactly like Oscar—it was Oscar. Reborn.

Julian went down on one knee. “Nixie Schmeling. I love you. I want to live with you, forever. Will you marry me?”

His face was even with my neck. Cupping his cheeks, I tilted his head to stare straight into his gorgeous blue eyes. “Julian! You do get it! This is better than a ring. Yes,” I said, laying a big smoochy one on his lips. “Yes, yes, yes!”

My friends shouted and toasted us with beer. And new Oscar—and my heart—riffed right along.