“Good. I’m glad you finally came back home. Of course, it would have been nice if you were wearing a little more than just a man’s shirt… Poor Dennis down the hall is probably still picking up his jaw. When exactly did we switch roles? When did you become the wild one? Where are your clothes?”
“I left them. They just didn’t seem important,” she whispered.
“Would you like me to go with you to go get your stuff? Or maybe I can call Bruce, he used to play football. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind playing bodyguard for an hour or so. You know he had that huge crush on you…”
“No. They aren’t important.” Looking at Roxy she added, “I’d rather not see him again.”
“You’re probably right. After all, clothes can be replaced.” Roxy wrapped her arm around Willow’s shoulders protectively. “I’m just glad you’re back here safe. And if you ever need to talk, about what happened, or almost happened, I’ll be here for you. As a matter of fact, I’ll call Tanya and cancel for tonight,” Roxy continued, ignoring her sister’s protests.
“No,” Willow said a bit more forcefully as her sister began to walk away. She tried to smile when she looked at her. “I’ll be fine, Roxy, really. It’s nothing a good night’s sleep won’t fix. Besides, I’d rather spend a little time alone, if you don’t mind.”
“Alright, but if you need me for any reason, any reason at all, I’ll have my cell phone on all night.”
“I’ll be fine, sis. Go, have fun.”
With one final look back at her, Roxy finally nodded and headed for the door.
When it was closed, and she was left alone in the apartment, Willow went into her room. As the reality of what happened hit her, she began to shiver. Lying down beneath the covers of her bed, she couldn’t seem to get warm.
“It’s just shock,” she told herself. That’s all it is. After the scare you had tonight, is it any wonder your body is acting all strange? Closing her eyes, she tried to get some rest, but couldn’t get comfortable or warm.
Climbing out of bed, she went to the linen closet where they kept extra blankets. Willow added several extra blankets to her bed. Once she was mildly comfortable, and beginning to finally warm up, she drifted into a troubled sleep.
Chapter Seven
Willow was in a beautiful hallway dressed in nothing but a modest nightgown. Her lack of clothes didn’t concern her as she looked around amazed until she saw the familiar figure in the distance. She didn’t need to see his face to know who was waiting for her. She’d recognize him anywhere.
“Willow…”
“No. I don’t want to be here…” Turning, she ran as fast as she could away from him.
But the path she took led her right back to Seth.
“Go away! Leave me alone!” she screamed.
“Willow I just want to apologize…”
She didn’t want to hear the rest of his explanation. She tried again to run from him, from herself. Just the sight of him had her traitorous body screaming for his touch. She wanted to feel his hands sliding over her flesh, his mouth coaxing moans from her throat.
What does a little blood matter? What does it matter, when he can do such wonderful things to me? her body asked.
But every path seemed to lead back to him. When he appeared before her yet again, closer than before, she couldn’t fight her body’s need for him.
“Please, sweetheart, allow me to make it up to you…”
He sounded remorseful. Her body betrayed her. She went into his arms eagerly, unable to deny herself feeling them around her once again, comforting her.
As soon as his arms closed around her body, her senses roared to life, her p**sy growing wet from the simple touch. Seth lowered his mouth to her ear and she moaned with pleasure.
“I am so sorry, sweetheart, can you ever forgive me for deceiving you?”
She couldn’t talk, couldn’t think as Seth kissed her, his teeth nibbling down her neck. She wasn’t afraid that he would try to take another taste from her. After all, it wasn’t as though he had caused her pain.
“Only a dream…” she moaned.
“This can be as real as you wish it to be.”
She waited to feel his teeth slide into her flesh, but it never came.
“I’m not here for your blood.” He chuckled. “But I will go crazy if I do not feel you beneath me.” Seth tugged the modest nightgown off, not happy until it was on the floor in a heap beside her feet.
“You are so beautiful. Easily the most beautiful woman I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.” He took her nipple into his mouth.
Arching her back, Willow tried to give his mouth easier access to her body, pressing closer to him unable to get enough of his touch.
His sharp teeth glided across the taut peak, his tongue quickly following the same path. The sensation caused her p**sy to grow wetter, anticipating the feel of his tongue on her clit.
“What are you doing to me?”
“What would you like me to do to you?” He looked up from her nipple with a sly smile.
“I don’t want you to stop,” she admitted before she could control herself.
Seth picked her up and gently laid her down on a bed that mysteriously appeared behind them. He caressed every inch of her flesh with his hands, while Willow writhed beneath him. Again he lavished her br**sts with attention before continuing down her body.
Her back arched high off the bed again when he nibbled on her navel. Covering her, Seth dipped his tongue into the crevice before he inched farther down her body. His talented hands and mouth had her moaning, squirming to get closer to him as her body screamed for him to thrust deep inside of her.
Thrashing her head from side to side, Willow could hear the needy moans that escaped her parted lips. Every place he touched, her blood turned into fire, and Willow was certain if he continued teasing her much longer, she would burst into flames.
Opening her eyes, Willow could feel sweat rolling down her face as her sister shook her. No, her body screamed. Why did you have to wake me up now?
“Willow. Willow, wake up.”
“I’m up, I’m up. Why did you wake me?” She wasn’t sure if she felt more grumpy or sorrowful that she had been woken from the erotic dream.
“You were practically screaming in your sleep. You looked like you were having a nightmare. Why do you have so many blankets on your bed?”
“I thought you were going out…”
“I forgot my ID. I’m going to call Tanya and tell her I can’t go out tonight.”
“Please don’t, Roxy. I’m fine, really.”
“I’ll be back after I talk to Tanya.” Ignoring her, Roxy left the room.
The reality of what she’d nearly done hit Willow hard. She had practically succumbed to his touch yet again. The man had turned her into an addict, craving his touch, his kisses as surely as some needed drugs. He was her “fix”. Shaking her head, Willow firmed her resolve. No matter how much her body was still screaming for satisfaction, she refused to reenter her erotic fantasy with Seth. She climbed out of the bed and made her way carefully to the kitchen. Inside the small room, she began to make a pot of strong coffee.
* * *
“What is going on, Willow?” Roxy asked, her voice filled with concern.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, nothing’s wrong. Why would anything be wrong?”
“Don’t play innocent with me. You haven’t been sleeping well all week, the circles under your eyes tell me that. Pretty clearly, I might add.” Roxy shot her sister her no-nonsense look. “Ever since you came back from that guy’s place… What did he do to you?”
“Nothing.” He just f**ked my brains out. Oh, yeah, and he drank my blood, but that’s okay, because I got off while he was doing it. All of it. Even when he drank from me. The coarse language didn’t surprise her. She had been cursing like a sailor—inside her own mind—this last week as her bad mood increased. Ever since her sister had interrupted her dream. Like a true addict, she was going through withdrawals as she constantly fought her body’s craving for Seth.
Though she didn’t use coarse language in everyday speech, nothing would stop her from using the terms inside of her head. Sometimes Willow wondered if she even knew who she was anymore.
“That’s just what I mean. I know you. I know you have more to say than just ‘nothing’. We grew up together, remember? I was always the moody one, not you. Why won’t you tell me?” Roxy looked hurt that Willow wouldn’t confide in her.
Guilt washed over Willow, making her feel horrible for closing her sister out. Maybe she should tell Roxy what was going on.
Yeah, ’cause she’ll believe you were bitten by a vampire, right? Another part of her brain scoffed. What would you have done if she had told you the same thing just a month ago?
The answer was simple. She would have rushed her sister to the nearest shrink, as quick as she could. Looking at the troubled expression on her sister’s face, Willow decided to tell her part of the truth, to placate her. “Roxy, don’t worry about me. I just need to work through a couple of things in my head. That’s all. I’ll be fine when I finally figure it all out. You really should go out. Don’t let my funk keep you trapped in here instead of having fun.”
“After what happened the last time? Uh-uh,” Roxy shook her head vigorously.
A cold chill swept over her body. She just wasn’t sure if it was from the memory of Seth’s hands, or the fear of what she’d almost allowed to happen. Closing her eyes, she could still remember every detail of the dream clearly.
If she tried, she could still feel the things he’d done to her, feel his teeth grazing against her skin gently so he didn’t hurt her. Forcing the memory away, she tried to forget what would have happened if Roxy hadn’t woken her up when she did.
Since the dream, she’d refused to allow herself more than an hour or two of sleep at a time. She’d grown almost dependant on the pots of coffee she constantly kept full to help her remain awake. She was terrified that if she allowed herself to sleep he would be there. She wasn’t sure if he’d be ready to pick up where they’d left off or if he would tease her body more until she was ready to release her grip on sanity for him.
But one of the things she feared the most was the unknown; not knowing exactly what “powers” he possessed. She knew he could read her thoughts, but could he knowingly enter her dreams? Was that dream the result of her subconscious trying to provide her comfort, or had he broken into her mind, forcing his way into her dreams? Her fear, combined with the massive amount of caffeine she drank daily now, kept her awake when her body was ready to fall over from exhaustion—even if she was only just barely functioning.
“Why don’t you go out with us?” Roxy stared at her, breaking Willow out of her thoughts.
“What?”
“Where were you? Will, you need to get some sleep, you can’t keep this up.” Roxy’s face was full of concern.