Blood Kisses (Nightwalkers Book 1) (11 page)

"But
don’t you celebrities like to keep your relationships secret?" Ashleigh
was so absorbed in her conversation with Caleb, she didn’t pay attention to her
surroundings. There was a great look of love on their faces, and any outsider
could tell how much they desired each other.

"Usually,
but…" Caleb’s smile grew as he leaned forward and pressed his nose against
hers, speaking in soft, flirty voice. "I can’t hide that I’m in love with
you, and I don’t want to be apart anymore. I want you in my bed every night. In
the crowd at every concert." He gave her a single kiss, his arms
tightening around her waist. "I’m tired of this long distance stuff. I
need you."

"What
do you think we should do?"

"Right
now, I wanna fuck."

"You
must be Caleb." Gramps walked up to them, the customers he had been helping
now leaving. He hadn’t heard what Caleb had said, but he did catch the naughty
chuckle that had escaped Caleb’s lips.

"Hi."
Caleb took one arm from around Ashleigh, leaving the other still wrapped around
her waist.

Gramps
held his hand out to Caleb, "My name is Henry Brown. I’m Ashleigh’s grandfather."

"Caleb
Mason." Caleb shook Henry’s hand. "Nice to meet you, Gramps."

"I
am not your
gramps
. It’s Mr. Brown, young man." Gramps regarded
Caleb’s black painted fingernails and the silver rings he wore on his fingers
disapprovingly. "Did she tell you what her job is?"

"She’s
a writer." Caleb kept up a friendly smile as he held Ashleigh, his hand
sliding into the back of her pants. Ashleigh glanced at him briefly when she
felt him grab her ass, but he seemed very calm, and no one seemed to notice. "I
know all about that Victoria thing."

"Really?"
Gramps laughed as he took a few steps away and put a book back on the shelf. "Then,
she must really like you."

"She
does." Caleb sent Ashleigh a gentle smile.

Gramps
started straightening some books on the shelf. "If you’ve read her novels,
then you probably know she’s into all that vampire stuff. For a while there, I
didn’t think she knew they weren’t real. I blame her mother for that, bringing those
weird, blood drinking rituals into the house and giving her all those
nightmares.”

"Grandpa,
come on." Ashleigh pulled away from Caleb a little as she sent an annoyed glare
Gramps’ way. Her voice was slightly whiney. "Don’t—"

"She
thinks murderous vampires are sexy, so God knows what expectations she has for
you, young man, but as a hardcore rock person like you might like that kind of
stuff. You probably do that kind of stuff with your groupies all the time."
It was apparent by Gramps’ tone that he didn’t like Caleb, nor did he want him
dating his granddaughter. He looked back at Caleb, now holding a book in his
hand that had been out of place. "My granddaughter’s a good girl. She went
to college—she's educated and successful. She’s not into all that sex and drug
orgies you rock stars are."

"I
don’t have orgies." Caleb’s expression didn’t change during the conversation,
but it was clear that he didn’t like what Gramps was saying. "And I have
no problem with Ashleigh’s love of vampires."

"Oh,
really?" Letting out an annoyed sigh, Gramps glanced at Ashleigh, who was staring
down at her feet. "And Spencer introduced you two?" Gramps studied
Robert, who had a slight scowl on his face. "Do you work for the same security
company as him or something? Or are you one of those drug dealers? Spencer
looks like a thug, and so do you."

Caleb
glanced toward Ashleigh then forced a smile for Gramps. "You know Spencer?"

"Yeah."
Gramps answered for Ashleigh, who was biting her lip nervously. "He comes
every week and doesn’t read a damn thing. Just comes to gawk at my
granddaughter."

Ashleigh
laughed as she turned to her grandpa. "He’s trying to make sure no one’s—”

"He’s
courting your lady, that’s what he’s doing." Gramps pointed toward Ashleigh
with the book in his hand. "But my little girl is too silly in love with
this rock star of hers."

His
words made them all laugh, but Gramps wasn’t smiling. "I don’t approve of
your profession, but if you make her happy…" He watched Ashleigh snuggle
close to Caleb as she stood next to him, both of them sharing happy smiles. "That’s
all that matters. And don’t you dare go cheat on her with your groupies because
this old man will make you regret it."

"I’ll
remember that." Caleb tipped the brim of his hat down slightly, a cocky grin
on his face. “And I wouldn’t do that to her.”

Ashleigh
ignored her grandfather and turned to Caleb. "So, when are we leaving?"

"Soon."
Caleb nodded as he turned to her, wrapping both his arms around her again. He
started to kiss her, forcing Gramps to retreat to the counter.

Once
they started, they didn’t stop. Caleb pushed her up against the book shelf near
them gently, his kisses light and playful.

"I
think…" Ashleigh’s breath was quick as she pulled away slightly, but not
enough to allow but an inch to lie between their lips. "I need to get
something at home."

As
she turned the key, Caleb was holding her from behind. He had her long hair
swept back and was kissing her neck. Robert didn’t seem affected by the
behavior and walked in front of them to open the door. When they went inside,
Robert shut the door and stayed outside on the porch, taking out a cigarette.

Ashleigh
giggled as she kissed Caleb, trying to walk him in the direction of the
bedroom. The sound of voices made her stop. "What is that?"

"Forget
it." Caleb covered her mouth with his, pushing her in the direction she
had been headed.

She
quickly pushed his hands off her, grabbed his arm, and pulled him toward her
bedroom. Ashleigh went to open the door, but movement in the room across from
hers caught her attention.

"Oh,
yeah!" Caleb laughed as he raised a fist in the air, his coat sleeve
falling down and showing the leather bracelet he wore. "Fuck that bitch!"

Ashleigh
was very surprised. "Whoa." An awkward giggle escaped her lips as she
covered them.

Natalie
was on all fours on the floor, her new boyfriend behind her on his knees. His
belt was wrapped around Natalie’s neck, his hand holding it like a dog leash as
he fucked her. She and her boyfriend both looked up sharply when they heard
Caleb’s loud voice.

"Submission
poses. All right." Caleb wasn’t a quiet person, and even after Natalie and
her boyfriend had scrambled to their feet and covered their naked bodies, Caleb
still didn’t stop laughing.

Grabbing
him by the front of the shirt, Ashleigh pulled Caleb toward her and kissed him.
This shut him up quickly, and his arms went around her waist as she struggled
to open the door behind her. Finally, she was successful, and they both
disappeared into Ashleigh’s room, the door slamming shut.

"Hey."
Playfully hitting Natalie in the arm, her boyfriend was out of breath. "Doesn’t
that guy look exactly like Caleb Mason from—"

"From
Armageddon. Yes, I know." Natalie crossed her arms over her chest angrily.
"Go shut the door. And lock it this time."

Caleb
had shoved Ashleigh onto the bed, both of them having stripped off their
clothes near the door. He pulled her bra off her shoulders before she hit the mattress,
his lips immediately leaving hers to go to her breasts. There was no foreplay
this time, Caleb not wasting any time before he dove right in.

Once
he was inside her and pounding her into the bed, Ashleigh couldn’t control her
loud moans of pleasure, something she didn’t want carrying over to the next
room or through the open window.

Her
hand reached over to the end table, trying to feel around for the remote to the
radio. It slipped from her fingers. Caleb looked at it, but only briefly. As his
mouth covered hers, the loud sound of music filled the room. Ashleigh had no
idea how it turned on, but she didn’t think much about it because she was so
caught up in making love to Caleb.

His
CD was in the player, and his angry voice filled her ears as his gentle lips caressed
her skin. She could no longer hear her own moans or the sound of their heavy
breaths. It seemed like the music was growing louder. Ashleigh glanced toward the
radio. Caleb was kissing her neck, and her hands were playing in his now messy
hair. She could see the volume knob move, but her eyes didn’t linger.

Caleb
had stolen away her breath, repeatedly beating on her tender spot and making
her wail with pleasure. A few more minutes passed, and Caleb reached his own
end. He now hovered over her, the music slowly getting lower and softer.

He
stared down at her, his voice breathless and soft, but sharp as it cut through
the, now almost silent, room. "Ashleigh?" Caleb rubbed the tip of his
nose and cheek against hers, his lips close to her ear. "Can I bite you?"

Ashleigh’s
voice was shaky "Caleb, I—"

"Please?"
He gazed down at her breasts as he playfully ran his fingers over the surface
of her skin. She saw him lick his lips, his very intense blue eyes falling upon
hers. Even though he wasn’t wearing his makeup, his eyes were beautiful, his
lashes thick and black.

"Do
you love me, Caleb?" Her voice still carried her fear, and he could feel
her naked body shake beneath his.

"I
love you." He kissed her lips. "More than I've loved anything."

"I
love you, too."

He
leaned forward and gave her a few very deep and heavy kisses before pulling
away and hovering over her. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes."
Her teeth began to chatter despite how tightly she was trying to clench them. She
remembered what Spencer had told her about the second bite. "Can you do so
it doesn’t hurt?"

"No."
Caleb smiled warmly, his voice soft but firm.

"Why
not?" Her voice came out whiney, like a child’s.

"Because
I can’t." He reached into his mouth and pulled out his false front teeth,
revealing his fangs. He ran his tongue over them now that they were exposed.

Her
eyes looked off to the side again. She was trembling, heat burning her vision
as she tried not to cry.

Then,
he asked again. "Can I bite you?"

Closing
her eyes as tightly as she could, Ashleigh sucked on her bottom lip as she held
back her tears. "Yes."

She
felt his fingers playfully dance over the surface of her skin, the tease of his
touch maddening. She just wanted to get this over with, and he was wasting time
touching her in ways he knew turned her on.

She
felt him move down her body, his movement making her jump slightly as the music
quickly got louder again, the pounding of the beat making her head dizzy and
her ears buzz. His hands followed his descent. She felt them move down her
torso then pause at her hips.

She
could feel his fingers tap to the beat of the music, bouncing playfully off her
small love handles. With every second, she tried to close her eyes tighter, clenching
her teeth as she prepared for his bite.

Her
eyes shot open when she felt him part her legs, something she was not
expecting. Then, he bit down, his teeth sinking into the flesh of her inner
thigh. She let out a blood curdling scream, but it couldn’t be heard over the
loud music. One of his hands held her leg down and the other held them apart,
his lips taut and forming a seal around the wound so none of the blood dripped
down her leg.

As
the time passed, she began to get light headed, the tenseness in her muscles
slowly letting up. When Caleb felt it, he pulled away from her.

"Feel
okay?" He climbed up her again, gazing into her tear-soaked face. Lovingly,
he moved a few strands of sweaty hair that clung to her face, his tongue
leaving his mouth to lick off her blood, which painted his lips.

Her
breaths were deep and labored, her dreamy eyes having a hard time focusing on
him. "I’m gonna pass out."

"Wanna
try it?" He put his wrist to his mouth, biting down on his own skin. His
nose wrinkled as he winced in pain. "Here." Blood flowed, Caleb
looking at it with a pained face. She could tell it hurt, and by the way he was
acting, he didn’t like the feeling. "Taste it. It’ll make you feel better."
Gritting his own teeth, Caleb’s words came out forced and slightly shaky.

She
placed his wrist to her lips, sucking slowly on the blood that pumped out of
his wound. Her sleepy eyes watched his face, Caleb’s breath quickening as he
watched her drink from him. He looked slightly afraid and nervous, his tongue
making several passes over his lips.

Her
eyes closed as she drank, the feeling of his blood inside her making her whole body
feel tingly. When his wound started to heal on its own, she could no longer get
any blood. She slowly pushed his wrist away from her, her fearful eyes staring into
his.

"We
can do this together next time." Caleb forced a smile, but he was shaky,
something Ashleigh had never seen before. His hand reached up to her face, his
touch light as his normally strong voice trembled. "I’ll take care of you."

Sitting
up abruptly, a loud hissing sound escaped his lips, a very pained expression on
his face. Holding his head, Caleb quickly got off her, his movements so fast
they were a blur. Now, he was standing at the foot of the bed. "I’ll be
right back." His body disappeared, Ashleigh quickly looking around because
she didn’t see where he had gone.

"Caleb?"
Ashleigh searched the room, her hand reaching down to grab the remote for the
radio. She winced when she moved, the wound on her leg still tender and bleeding.
Her blood had soaked the sheets.

Making
a sour face, Ashleigh got up and walked over to the bathroom. She washed the
wound and covered it with a bandage she had gotten from the cabinet above the
sink. When she was finished, she freshened up in the bathroom before returning
to the bedroom.

Caleb
still wasn’t back. This disappointed her, so she quickly redressed and stripped
the mattress. Instead of getting new sheets, she covered the bed with the comforter
and tossed the stained linen into the garbage. Looking at them made her angry,
so she just wanted them gone.

Her
head felt funny, a discomfort pulsing through her veins. She wasn’t sure if it
was because she had drank Caleb’s blood, or if it was her imagination blowing
it out of proportion.

The
sheets filled the garbage can in the bathroom, so Ashleigh took out the bag and
put in a new one. She left her bedroom and walked down the hall, where she saw
Natalie sitting on the couch in the living room by herself.

"Hey."
Ashleigh let the bag fall to the floor as she managed a small wave in Natalie’s
direction.

"About what I was—"

"I don't want to know." Ashleigh let out a soft laugh and
motioned for Natalie not to press the subject.

"Thanks."
Natalie frowned, but Ashleigh could see there was a smile hiding underneath. "There’s
some left over pizza in the fridge, if you want some."

"Okay."
Ashleigh picked up the bag again and walked into the kitchen, marching out the
back door. She tossed it in the garbage can near the shed then came back
inside. She peeked into the living room, but it was still only Natalie. "Have
you seen Caleb?"

"Isn’t
he in your bedroom?" Natalie gave her a confused look.

"Yeah."
Sighing, Ashleigh walked back to her room, but Caleb wasn’t in there. "He’s
not there."

"What?"
Natalie laughed as she stood up, "Come on, he is too." Clasping her
hands together excitedly, all of Natalie’s bad mood seemed to have disappeared.
"You can’t give me that tease and then let him leave without meeting me."

"You
can meet him as soon as he comes back." Ashleigh went to the kitchen again
and pulled out the box of pizza that was still warm. She checked out the front
window, but Robert wasn’t there anymore. "Hey, where’d Robert go?"

Natalie
shrugged her shoulders. "I haven’t seen anyone besides you and Caleb."

"Hmm."
Ashleigh plopped down on the couch, taking a piece of pizza out of the box she had
set on the coffee table. "Why aren’t you at the store?" She took a
bite, her cat jumping into her lap for attention. Ashleigh pushed the cat’s
tail away that was hitting her in the face.

"I
want to meet Caleb." Natalie giggled, playfully hitting Ashleigh’s leg. "Duh."

Ashleigh
took out her phone and dialed his number. His phone went straight to voice
mail. "Damn." She opted to send a text message instead.

Where r u?

"Right
here." Caleb came from the hallway, waving his phone at her playfully. His
hair was perfectly brushed up to the center of his head, his small Mohawk
perfect, as if he hadn’t been through a heavy make out session.

He
walked over to Ashleigh and sat down next to her on the couch. He grabbed her
hips and made her stand before pulling her over and placing her on his lap. "Hi."
His arms wrapped around her waist, his face nuzzling into her soft, black hair.

"Hi."
She turned her head slightly to look back at him, a piece of pizza hanging in
her hand as she giggled.

He
gave her a quick kiss on the cheek then moved her off his lap. "Ooo…pizza."
He grabbed a piece from the box and quickly ate it. He was in a playful mood
again, his hand resting on Ashleigh’s knee as he chewed. He glanced at Natalie,
who was staring at him with a dazed expression on her face.

Ashleigh
laughed, looking from Caleb to Natalie. "Natalie, this is Caleb."

"I
know who you are." Natalie sat forward on the couch, leaning over so she
could get a better look at Caleb. "I love your songs."

"Thanks."
Caleb smiled her way then turned back to Ashleigh. "Hey, babe." He
dropped his half eaten piece of pizza in the box. "You ready to go? We
should probably leave now."

"Can
Natalie come too?" Ashleigh put her hands on her knees excitedly, a giant grin
filling her face.

"No."
Caleb’s answer came out rude, his arm reaching around her waist and holding her
to him. His actions were playful as he cuddled her. "Don’t you want to
spend time with
just
me?" He rubbed his nose against hers, a sweet
tone to his voice. He tickled her sides, making her laugh. "This is my
biggest concert of the season."

Natalie
was motioning quickly with her hands for Ashleigh to say yes.

"I
know." Ashleigh laughed, brushing the whole thing off like it wasn’t
bothering her. "I can’t wait." There was a dreamy look in her eyes as
Caleb cupped the side of her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. Her voice
came out breathless and love struck. "I’d go anywhere you asked me too."

Ashleigh
was walking with Robert because as soon as they got there, Caleb had to get to rehearsal,
which he was very late for. He took her back to the green room where some of
the band members’ family and friends were waiting. Whenever Ashleigh had stayed
with Caleb, it was on his time off, and she didn't see much of the band members
except for Kris, who was like Caleb's shadow, so she didn’t know anyone.