Becoming Forever (Waking Forever Series) (24 page)

Ash nodded, and swallowed the lump in her throat. The day - and the epiphanies it brought - was becoming too much. “Just tired.”

Emma smiled reassuringly. “Let me get you something to wear.” She pulled Ash by the hand the rest of the way into the bedroom, and then disappeared down the hallway leading toward the bathroom. She was back within a minute with a pair of black cotton shorts, and a dark gray t-shirt with the word Princeton in orange, block letters across the front.

Ash took the clothes and holding the shirt up in front of her shook her head. “I can only wear this under one condition.” She looked out the top of her eyes at Emma. “You can’t ever tell Alan about this.”

Emma frowned. “I don’t get it.”

“Well, regardless of the fact Princeton colors are sort of-maybe like UT burnt orange, if he gets wind I’m in anything other than Longhorn garb, I’ll never hear the end of it.” Ash started walking toward the bathroom.

“You know that’
s really a Texas phenomenon. Outside the state there are people who don’t know anything about UT versus A&M.” Emma started pulling the covers on the bed back. “Much less the whole bleeding orange thing.” Emma grimaced. “Which is off putting by the way.”

Ash shook her head as she closed the bathroom door. “Spoken like a non-Texan.” Shutting the door, it occurred to her she didn’t know where Emma was from. The realization that she was in love with a woman who she really knew so little about caused Ash to cringe.

Emma had asked her so many questions about herself over the past few weeks, it hadn’t occurred to Ash she wasn’t reciprocating.
You’ll make a great girlfriend, Haines.

As she was getting dressed there was a faint knock at the door. “There’s a new toothbrush in the drawer to the right of the sink. Help yourself.”

Ash pulled the drawer open, and smiled. “Thanks.”

A few minutes later Ash stood, dressed in Emma’s clothes, her breath minty fresh,
and trying to work up the courage to go back into the bedroom. Taking a deep breath, Ash opened the door.

She found Emma l
ying in the bed wearing a black tank top, the blankets pulled up to her waist. Ash walked to the edge of the bed, and pulled the covers back, catching sight of Emma’s bare legs as she was only wearing a pair of gray panties.

Sliding into bed next to Emma, Ash turned on her side to face the woman, noticing no residual heat from Emma’s body escaped. “Are you cold?” Ash asked.

Emma shook her head, and settled further down in the bed. “Nope. You?”

Ash reached for Emma, and draped her arm across the woman’s stomach. “I’m good.”

The tension in the room was palatable. “Are you nervous?” Emma’s voice was a whisper into Ash’s hair.

“God
, yes.” Ash jerked her head up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-” She stammered.

“I know what you mean.” Emma placed a light kiss on Ash’s forehead. “It can be this for tonight.” She said.

Ash laid her head back down on Emma’s chest. She didn’t know what she wanted for tonight, but she knew Emma holding her right now was perfect. Emma shifted slightly and a second later the room was plunged into darkness. Ash brought her legs up, and entwined them with Emma’s long muscular ones, a contented sigh escaping her lips.

Ash’
s eyes opened. There wasn’t a clock in the room, but the feeling that time had elapsed was definite. She was still lying with her head on Emma’s shoulder, and the woman’s arms were draped around her. Ash tilted her head up, and was surprised in the dim light of the bedroom, to see Emma’s eyes open.

Emma looked at Ash, and lifted her hand to gently stroke the woman’s hair. A feather light kiss was placed on Ash’s
forehead, and a quiet sigh escaped her lips. Ash shifted up, and found Emma’s lips, the kiss that followed quickly heated up. She turned Ash so she was on her back, and quickly slid the black shorts over Ash’s hips and discarded them on the floor.

Ash sat up enough
to pull her t-shirt off, while Emma took her tank top and panties off. Emma settled between Ash’s legs. Ash’s hands ached to touch as much of the woman as possible, and a loud moan escaped her lips as the weight of the other woman pushed down on her. She needed Emma to know how badly she wanted her.

Emma clung to Ash
, her arms hooked under Ash’s shoulders. Nipping and sucking on Ash’s lips as their tongues teased and taunted each other. Emma pushed her thigh between Ash’s legs, and the brunette gasped when Emma’s leg made contact with the juncture between her thighs. She clutched the back of Emma’s head, her fingers pulling at the blonde, loose strands. Emma’s left hand found its way between her thighs, where her knee had been pressed. She cupped Ash hard, feeling her straining and pushing against her.

Ash
clawed at Emma’s shoulders, pulling her mouth back to hers. Ash opened her eyes, and moved her head back so she could see Emma’s face. The woman’s eyes were slammed shut. Emma moved her mouth down to Ash’s breasts, placing kisses along the outer edge of her nipple, and then gently covering the hardened bud with her mouth.

Pressing
Emma’s head tight against her, something like a growl came from Emma’s lips. Ash shifted her hips, and a plea of frustration came in a whisper. “Please, Em.”

Emma
tilted her hand, bringing her thumb in contact with Ash’s swollen clit. A sharp intake of breath preceded Ash pulling Emma even tighter against her chest. Emma pushed the tip of her middle finger inside Ash. She couldn’t stifle her moan as she reveled in the tightness and wetness wrapping itself around her.

Emma
slid the full length of her finger inside Ash, and then after a single thrust, added a second. Ash’s arms wrapped tightly around Emma as she moved inside her. Her hips rocked in unison with Emma’s fingers, and she moaned as Emma quickened her pace.  Emma’s body began to shake uncontrollably as Ash neared her climax. Emma’s gasps, low and throaty, filled Ash’s ears as she tightened, and tensed around her fingers.  Ash’s body seized, and she pushed and pulled at Emma’s shoulders as her orgasm washed over her.

Ash
felt weak and she couldn’t stop shaking as Emma placed a series of kisses along her shoulder and neck. Not willing to move away from the beautiful woman, Ash clung to her. Emma pulled Ash’s face towards her. Her eyes still closed, Emma’s lips found Ash’s, and then she nestled her face in Ash’s neck.

Running the tips of her fi
ngers up and down Emma’s back, Ash couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. She should have felt silly, this being at least the third time she had cried with Emma, but the soft kisses on her cheeks and neck along with whispered reassurances comforted Ash. Whatever the tensions and the stresses of that day, the touch of these lips and these hands had found Ash.

Chapter 12

“Good morning.” Emma’s voice broke through the deep sleep Ash was in. She was lying on her stomach, and turned over to see Emma standing next to the bed with a tray of food in front of her. “I popped out this morning and grabbed a few things. Hope it’s to your taste.”

Ash rubbed her eyes, and sat up. The blanket fell and reminded her she was naked. A rush of heat shot to her face as she recalled the night before, and the memory of Emma’s hands and mouth on her. She blushed. “I’m sure it’s fine.” She pushed herself up further on the bed.

“Eggs, toast, bacon and
– ta-da! - coffee.” Emma smiled as she put the tray across Ash’s lap.

Ash grinned as Emma was
clearly pleased. “You’re setting the bar pretty high here, Atman. Just so you know, toast and tea will be the extent of my culinary prowess when you sleep over.” There was a flash of uncertainty across Emma’s face, and Ash wondered if she was assuming too much about what last night meant.

“I have to
go into work for a few hours, but don’t feel like you have to rush off.” Emma smiled as she headed toward the bathroom.

Ash felt a prickling at the back of her neck. The doctor’s tone didn’t feel right. “What’s wrong?” It was the first question that went through Ash’s mind, and it seemed the most direct.

Emma stopped and turned to face her. “I need to talk to you after you finish eating, and before I go to work.” Without another word, she went into the bathroom, and shut the door.

Ash put the piece of
buttered toast she had just taken a bite of back on the sea glass colored plate, her appetite making a hasty retreat. Lifting the tray up, and placing it on the bed beside her, Ash slid out from under the warm blankets. After a few minutes, she managed to locate the shorts and Princeton t-shirt from last night. She picked up the tray, and made her way downstairs, determined not to be in the vulnerable position of naked and in Emma’s bed when they had their
talk
.

“There you are.” Emma was pinning her hair back in a bun as she walked into the kitchen. Frowning as she looked at the still full tray. “Not hungry?”

Ash steeled herself. The woman looked incredible. She was wearing a black, knee length, Prada skirt, and a slim fit cobalt blue silk blouse that accented her eyes so they seemed to glow. “I’ll eat a bit later. After
the talk
.” Ash slid onto one of the bar stools.

Emma ran her tongue across her bottom lip nervously. “Right.” She walked around the island and sat next to Ash. She laid her hand bag down  next to her.
“I haven’t been honest with you, and I - given the turn our relationship took yesterday, I need to tell you a few things.”

Ash swallowed hard. Her throat suddenly tight.
She couldn’t imagine what the woman was going to tell her. Was she seeing someone else? Were her and Coleen serious? Did she used to be a man? A whole litany of possibilities shot through Ash’s head. “Okay.”

Emma
managed a weak smile. “Your suspicions about the Garrett case are correct.”

Ash stared blankly at Emma. The casual way she stated this quintessential fact was beyond Ash’s comprehension. “Wha-” The woman swallowed, the bite of toast from earlier threating to make another appearance.

Emma took Ash’s hand. “Paul Garrett was murdered by a vampire. More to the point, Paul was murdered by Ela. It had to do with a nearly century old feud between Ela and Rachel Collins.”

Ash felt the sides of her vision narrowing and she reached for the counter top to steady herself. “Are you fucking with me?”

Emma squeezed Ash’s shoulder. “I assure you, given the carnage of the past few weeks, I would not - I would not
fuck
with you.”

Ash gasped for air, trying not to pass out. “Explain.”

Emma went to the sink and got Ash a glass of water. “Here, take this. Try to breathe. I can only imagine how shocking this is for you.”

Ash took the water, and drank the entire glass. “Can you? Can you imagine how shocking it is to be told all the books and movies are true
?”

Emma cocked her head to the side. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

Ash looked at Emma. “How do you know all this?”

Emma bit her lower lip. “I agreed many years ago to keep secret certain aspects of the vampire world.”

Ash was shocked. “You mean you use your position to lie, and mislead authorities. Authorities like me.” The anger was righteous as it began coursing through Ash.

“Yes, but for the greater good Ash.” Emma’s eyes were pleading. “There’
s an order to things that must be preserved. It serves no purpose for humans to know about vampires.”

Ash got up and began pacing. “Like hell it doesn’t!” She turned the full force of her wrath on Emma. “Maybe if we knew those
things
existed we could protect ourselves. We would know what to look for, and people like Paul Garrett wouldn’t be ripped apart by some blood thirsty maniac!”

“They’re not all like that Ash. Ela is an exception to the rule.” Emma insisted.

“Says you. Says the woman who protects them.” Ash seethed. “Did Ela murder Cris and those other officers?”

Emma hesitated. “No. That was a lycan.”

Ash took a step back as if she had been slapped in the face. “For fuck’s sake!”

“Ash, please understand.” Emma took a step toward her. “It took me time to figure out what I should and shouldn’t tell you. Frankly what I
could
tell you.”

Ash clenched her teeth. “Why now?”

Emma looked down, and flicked her index finger back and forth across her thumb. “When I thought you were dead. When I - when we were together last night. I knew I lo-” The woman shook her head. “I knew I needed to tell you.”

“
You mentioned Rachel Collins. She’s a vampire?” Ash refused to acknowledge Emma’s near confession of love. She refused to acknowledge her own feelings right now. The feelings of safety and intimacy that had given her so much joy last night, were being trampled on by lies and deceptions.

“Yes. She and Ela were lovers when they were both human.
The records you found from the concentration camp, those weren’t relatives. It was Ela and Rachel.”

Emma looked down. “
There was a falling out, and Ela holds Rachel responsible. Killing Garrett was meant to complicate Rachel and Sara Glass’ lives.” Emma spoke quickly.