2

Kate had checked her schedule and given him the nights she was available to leave, and he’d rearranged his calendar to accommodate her. There’d been a few things to coordinate in advance, and when the night finally arrived, she seemed intrigued to where they were going. He rather enjoyed keeping her in suspense. She had asked him several times where he was taking her, he shrugged it off, saying, “If I tell you, it isn’t a surprise.” He was hoping like hell she’d remember this spot when they got there. He wrapped up some last-minute details before hurrying upstairs. He’d teleport her, just like he had the first time. As he walked into their bedroom, she was brushing out her hair and he smiled.

"You ready to take off for a few nights, mi amore?"

She caught his eye in the mirror before turning to him. He had a smug grin on his face, and she knew he was up to something. She had finished her makeup and was about to get dressed. "Any hints? I need to know what to wear."

Taking her hand, he lifted her from her chair and slowly spun her around. "No, you are fine just as you are. No hints. Just take my hand, we are teleporting there. No more questions, si?”

She was still dressed in her silk robe and started to laugh. "You can't be serious." But before she could even turn to walk to the closet, he’d taken her hand, and lifted her away. She clung to him, as she felt the soft silk robe flutter in the wind, her feet still bare. "Shade! I need to get dressed."

She was laughing, still thinking he was playing a joke on her, but he didn’t turn around. "Stop! Where are you taking me?"

He smiled but didn’t answer. She was so beautiful. He’d never tire of looking at her. As they approached their destination, he gripped her hand tight. "Close your eyes, mi amore.”

He heard her laughter and knew she had complied. He landed gently on the rooftop, Kate still in his arms. "Don’t look!”

He set her down on her feet and turned her around, so her back was against his chest, as he stood with his arms around her. He snuggled into her ear, whispering, "Open your eyes, tell me what you see."

Kate felt the rough surface under her bare feet, and the air was crisp and chilly. She clenched her toes and placed one foot over the other, as he held her against his chest. Her hand automatically clutched at the robe, pulling it more tightly around her as she opened her eyes and gasped. They were standing on a rooftop in Paris. It was the same rooftop he’d brought her to more than a century ago, on the night he first fed from her and she was still mortal. The mattress was on the far side of the roof, covered in white satin sheets, and red rose petals strewn carelessly about. She remembered he’d brought her here on a whim, when he told her she could have anything she wanted, and she’d asked for Paris. They had started to make love when he’d been summoned back by his warriors. It was a memory she’d half forgotten, lying dormant in her brain, but came rushing back to her now after all this time. The Eiffel Tower still sparkled in the background. She turned and looked over her shoulder to see the white travertine stone edifice of La Sacre Couer, on the high point of Montmartre. She never tired of this city. She turned in his arms, looking up at him.

"As I recall, there was some unfinished business that involved strawberries, and champagne. But I was mortal then. You may have to make a substitute."

His heart skipped a beat. "I was hoping you would remember.”

Taking her hand, he led her to the mattress covered in satin sheets. Without words, he untied her robe and let it fall effortlessly to the rooftop. He felt her shiver, but knew it was as much from his touch as it was the chill air. "Lay down for me, mi amore. Let me make love with you."

She lay down on the mattress, the sheets cool against her skin, and looked up at him as he towered over her. He pulled the black tee shirt over his head, and dropped it to the rooftop, his chest as broad and hard as when she’d first seen him. He placed one booted foot on the mattress, and she rolled to her side and unlaced it, tugging the boot from his foot, and then repeated the process for his other boot. He unsnapped his jeans and lowered the zipper before sliding them down his slender hips. She smiled back at him. "If anyone calls for help this time, just ignore them."

He chuckled. "If anyone calls, not only will I ignore them, but they are asking for their death. I have one thing on my mind, and I’m looking at her." He stripped off his jeans, as he laid down beside her. He asked her to lie on her back and close her eyes and watched as she complied.

“I’m cold,” she whispered.

“Not for long, mi amore.” He pulled a single long-stemmed red rose from the box by the mattress. Lying on his side, resting on one elbow, he lightly touched the rose to her forehead before drawing it down her nose. She wiggled her nose at the slight tickling sensation, and smelled the fragrant scent of the rose, as he dragged the velvet-soft petals over her lips. He watched as her lips formed a smile, and he reminded her, “No peeking.” He drew the rose down her chest, between her breasts, and watched as the trailing rose created goosebumps on her skin. The rose skimmed lightly across her abdomen and brushed across the patch of tight red curls between her legs, and he saw her bite her lip. He sat upright, and gently parted her legs, so he could kneel between them. His advance was slow and methodical, as he lifted her foot in his hand and kissed the inside of her ankle before licking his way slowly up her leg, savoring that lily-white flesh that glowed in the moonlight. Her body was no longer unexplored territory but a map he knew by heart. He nipped gently at the tender flesh of her inner thigh and felt her tremble. "Cazzo, you are so damn beautiful, you make my blood rush, and my heart race.”

His mouth and tongue felt hot against her bare skin, as he worked his way up her leg, and the soft nip of his teeth against her inner thigh caused a sharp intake of her breath. His touch was no less thrilling now. In many ways, it was better. He knew every inch of her, as she knew him, and knew where to touch with the lightness of a feather, and when to grip her hard and forcefully. They were like an orchestra that had played the same symphony, time after time, until it was perfection.

Sitting by their makeshift bed was a bottle of Midnight. When last they were here, he’d used champagne, but she was mortal then. He took a swig from the bottle before he gently poured it across her ample breasts and watched as rivulets streamed down her body, staining the white satin. He filled her belly button and let the rich liquid trail along her stomach and between her legs. Sitting the bottle aside, he licked the wine from her body, starting at her breasts. His tongue sucked at her nipple, rolling the bud inside his mouth, feeling them harden as his teeth nipped gently. He followed the trail of red wine down her abdomen, still tight and firm as he felt her hands tangle in his dark curls. Her body responded to his every touch, as her back arched and her breath came in sharp gasps. He burrowed his face between her legs, his tongue darting rapidly inside her, and lapping at her honey, until she writhed beneath him.

Sliding his hands under her, cupping her gorgeous ass, he lifted her hips slightly and began a long assault of her swollen sex, each lap of his tongue increasing his aching desire to be inside her. Sucking at her, she moaned and thrashed, and he continued to keep her on the edge of orgasm, backing off each time he felt her at the threshold. When he could wait no longer, he slid his body upward, letting his cock nestle against her wet curls and thighs. Crushing his mouth to hers, his tongue did its own dance inside her mouth. She suckled his tongue, tasting her own honey. His breathing became ragged as their tongues sparred.

Her breasts filled his hands as he fought to hold off his beast, when she took control, and rolled him on his back, crouching over him. Her hair hung forward, obscuring her face, and he felt its silky softness as her hair draped across his chest. Straddling him, she moved her hips in a seductive lap dance, sitting upright, and flipping her hair back over her shoulders. He wanted to be inside her, but her motions kept her just out of reach as she continued to tease. He gripped the side of the mattress, balling the soft satin sheets in his fists, as she teased and played, until he felt like he could move heaven and hell to be buried deep inside her. "Bel, please. I need you, now!"

"I seem to remember being teased with a strawberry." Her voice was breathy and labored, as her body screamed out for him. Teasing him caused as much sweet anticipation for her as it did for him. Still straddling him, she lowered her hips on his cock, sitting upright, her hands on his chest so she could see his face in the moonlight. She heard his deep moan, as his hands gripped her hips, and she settled into a rhythm of riding him. The noise from the street below filtered up to them, the sounds of the traffic and the voices of the people. They weren’t visible to the people on the street, but knowing they were there and unaware of what was taking place above their heads added to the excitement.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her pale skin lit by the moon, her face an open book, displaying the passion and pleasure she felt. As his erection slid deep inside her, she leaned back, and he slid his hands up her thighs, gripping her hips. He sat upright, as she repositioned herself, wrapping her legs around his hips. His fangs scraped along her collar bone, leaving a soft trail of her blood. He licked at the shallow wound, feeling her blood snap and spark inside him.

She hissed when she felt his fangs drag across her skin, followed by his tongue as he licked at her blood. She bent to him and sank her fangs deep into his neck and heard his beast respond. Drinking deeply, the fire ignited them both, as his hold on her hips tightened and his thrusts become more forceful. She had him on the edge and waited to feel the sweet sting of his teeth in her own flesh.

Each time she fed from him, their bond became stronger, and he thought he couldn’t possibly love her more. It was the feeling he craved more than anything else. He drove his cock deep inside her, feeling her muscles clench around his cock like a vice grip and his beast could stand no more. He bit into her neck and felt that spark and crackle in his veins as her blood hit him. It took them both to another plane, as they came together. He held her close as she rode out wave after wave of their ecstasy, until the sensations subsided, and he lay back on his back. She fell onto his chest, as they both lay quietly, panting, and their bodies covered in a light sheen of sweat.

"I know it took me a damn long time to make this up to you. I hope it was worth the wait."

She lay with her head on his chest, listening to the sound of his pounding heart. "You’re always worth the wait."