Blood Kisses (Nightwalkers Book 1) (13 page)

She
could hear their laughter as they chased the party guests, her eyes trying to
follow Caleb. He was leaping over furniture like a gazelle, his movements
smooth and very inhuman. He jumped over the couch in his pursuit of a pretty blonde.
Ashleigh bent over and held her head near her knees when she heard him
approaching from behind.

After
a few minutes of this game of torture, Ashleigh turned to Victoria and Charlotte,
who were watching the chase and laughing hysterically. Aiden fell into a nearby
potted tree when Caleb shoved him to the side on his way back over to the
girls. Aiden sent him an angry look, but Caleb just laughed and didn’t look
back. Ashleigh wasn’t watching Caleb, though, she was looking at the woman that
Sam was bringing over to Charlotte.

She
heard Charlotte giggle when the woman bent down on the floor in front of her,
her flirty gaze focused entirely on Sam. Sam bent down and bit the woman’s neck,
and after the blood was flowing, he said something to Charlotte then motioned
for her to drink. Charlotte leaned forward and pinched his cheeks playfully before
sucking on the woman’s neck.

Victoria
looked on, watching Sam like he had just brought Charlotte an ice cream cone in
the park, not a person. She motioned with her hands as she said something, a
giant smile on her face.

Jumping
over the back of the couch, Caleb landed in a perfect sitting position next to
Ashleigh. His quick appearance made her startle, her hands holding tighter to
the bottle in her lap. Caleb’s lips were covered in blood, his hand held out in
front of him as he commanded the woman he had captured. She slowly walked
around the couch and stood before them.

"This
is for you." Caleb gave a sinister chuckle, his stare focused entirely on
Ashleigh. He could see the great fear in her eyes, but that didn’t make him
take pity on her. "I can make her do whatever I want." He took the
half full bottle out of Ashleigh’s hands and set in back in the case. "I
can make her dance."

With
his arm around Ashleigh’s waist, Caleb held her tightly as he motioned toward
the girl in front of him. She began to move to the music, her long hair swaying
around her head. "Or strip."

The
woman began to sway seductively to the music. Ashleigh’s bottom lip trembled as
she watched the woman slowly peel off her tight, black skirt, letting it slide
teasingly down her hips. It revealed her thong panties and a well-placed tattoo
on her back above her panty line. She then began working on her shirt, so Ashleigh
turned away and gazed at her knees.

Caleb
twirled his hand around gracefully, his voice soft and smooth like honey
infecting her ears. His gentle touch made her calm down, even though she didn’t
want to. His hand was resting between her knees, the long, silky fabric of her
dress shoved between them.

The
woman’s stare was focused on Caleb. She regarded him like her god. "I can
make her bleed."

The
woman picked up a bottle on the table near her, slamming it against the top and
breaking the glass. The liquid inside splashed to the floor, and Ashleigh jumped
at the sound. Taking the neck of the bottle, the woman held its now jagged
edges to her chest. Ashleigh tightened her grip on Caleb, one of her hands
going to his hand on her knee and holding it tightly in hers.

Making
a pained face as she dug the bottle down the flesh between her breasts, the
woman never once took her eyes from Caleb. Thick blood pooled over the wound,
the sharp glass shredding her skin. Caleb motioned for her to come closer, and the
woman kneeled near them.

"Try
it." Caleb kissed Ashleigh’s neck. Her long hair was pulled up into an
elegant bun, leaving the delicate skin of her neck exposed. The blood on his
lips transferred onto her. Ashleigh felt the thick wetness of it on her skin. "I
want to taste her blood on your lips and lick the drippings from your chin."

His
hand moved further up her leg, stopping inches from her hot spot, something he
knew made her more excited than actually hitting it directly. His other hand
motioned for the woman to lean forward, her hand with the bottle poised near
her neck.

"Don’t
be afraid." A naughty chuckle escaped Caleb’s lips as they paused by her
cheek. "You’ll like it." His next words rang in her ears, the hiss of
them like poison. "I promise."

The
woman dug the broken bottle into her skin, a few whines escaping her lips as
she pulled it from the back of her ear to the bottom of her chin.

Ashleigh
scanned the action across from her. Charlotte was making out with Sam on the
couch, and Victoria appeared to be passed out next to Aiden. Aiden didn’t seem
to care about her and was watching Ashleigh closely, a finger to his lips as
their eyes met.

He
had a quiet, calm, evil energy, something that made him appear very dangerous. He
was a true villain, a lot like her character of Nicolas.
No, Nicolas is different. Aiden is close, but still—he isn’t Nicolas.
Nicolas is strong, handsome, elegant…he—

"Come
on, baby." Caleb grabbed the sides of her head and pushed it toward the
deep gash on the woman’s neck, pulling her from her thoughts. "Drink for
me."

He
plunged her lips into the river of blood that was flowing from the wound. Caleb
didn’t let go until he felt Ashleigh latch on and begin to drink. It was hard
at first, but it wasn’t the taste that made her want to vomit, it was drinking
from this woman who shook under her touch.

As
she drank, she wondered what this woman was thinking. Ashleigh knew she could
feel, that was clear from the pained expression on her face and her quick,
labored breathing.

Ashleigh
looked up, her eyes going to the pair of hazel ones across the room. The weight
of Aiden’s stare was painful, but hard to break.

Caleb’s
hands went to her shoulders and guided her body to face him. Ashleigh closed
her eyes, a strange but wonderful feeling pumping through her body with every
beat of her heart. She could feel Caleb’s tongue slowly lick up her chest and
her chin. His mouth went to hers, his deep, open mouthed kisses sucking off the
blood that surrounded her lips. Then, Caleb pulled away from her, leaving her
dreamy eyed and slightly dazed.

"Are
you tired?" He stroked her cheek lovingly.

"Mmm
hmm." She felt amazing, every inch of her skin tingling with delight. The
feeling was so overpowering, it overloaded her senses, making her very sleepy.

"You’re
not a full vampire yet, so your body will react to blood this way for a while."
Caleb helped her to her feet, Ashleigh finding it hard to stand on her own. He
grabbed her purse and looped it over his arm. "It feels good though,
doesn’t it?" He led her out of the living room and down the hallway to one
of the bedrooms.

"Really
good." She smiled at him.

Everything
around her was blurry, and she couldn’t feel the burden of her own weight on
her feet. Caleb unzipped her dress. Now she was only in her panties, but Ashleigh
didn’t even notice her nakedness. He peeled back the soft covers then eased her
into a sitting position in the bed, covering her legs up with the covers.

Undressing
himself as quickly as he could, Caleb kept a sharp eye on her. Ashleigh lay her
head back on the massive headboard and closed her eyes. He took something out
of his pocket and concealed it in his hand as he stripped down to his boxers. He
set it on the floor near the bed then climbed in. He took her up in his arms,
which she happily accepted.

"I
liked watching you perform tonight." Ashleigh lightly traced the black
tattoo on his upper arm, her fingers barely kissing the surface of his skin. "I’m
sorry I didn’t talk to you all night. Being around all these rich people makes
me nervous." As she nuzzled her head into his bare chest, the top of her
hair tickled the bottom of his nose, and Caleb pushed some of it away with his
hand. "I didn’t know what to do or what to say. I don’t fit in with all
this."

"You’ll
get used to it." A soft laugh escaped Caleb’s lips, his hand taking one of
hers and holding it in his. "And I’m not mad that you waited so long to
come over to me. Next time, I’ll remember to go and grab you. I’m not used to shy
girls like you."

"I’m
not always shy." She turned her head toward them, both of their faces
filled with happy smiles.

"I
like that you don’t have a big mouth." Caleb rubbed his nose against hers
playfully as he turned her onto her back. "I’m tired of attention whores. Girls
trying to steal my limelight." He climbed on top of her. "I like your
real breasts." He grabbed one and squeezed.

His voice softened as he stroked her cheek lovingly. "I like how you
can be my greatest fan, and even if I wasn’t rich, you’d still love me and my
music. I’ve never met anyone who fits me as well as you. You're the piece of me
that I was looking for. The better half of Caleb Mason. Someone I can talk to
about anything. I love you, Ashleigh. You're my perfect."

"I
love you, too." Ashleigh giggled with a love drunk expression. There were
a few streaks of dried blood on her neck. Caleb glanced at them briefly and
then back up at her face.

"Will
you marry me?" He sat on her hips and pulled out a small box, flipping
open the lid to reveal a large diamond ring.

Ashleigh’s
jaw dropped, a hand going to her bare chest as she regarded him with shock. She
hadn’t been expecting him to propose, and right now, her eyes couldn’t break
away from the very expensive ring he was holding in front of her. It had a
large, square diamond in the center, set off by two diamonds on either side, and
black diamonds around their band as accents.

"It’s
pretty, right? So…umm…" He seemed very nervous, something Caleb normally
wasn't. "What do you say? Will you marry me?"

"I…umm…"
Biting her lip, she looked at Caleb’s eager face then to the diamond in his
hand.

"Here,
try it on." He grabbed her left hand. It was a perfect fit and as soon as
it slid onto her finger, Ashleigh began to cry. She could feel the weight of
the large diamond, but her eyes were watery so she couldn’t see it very well
anymore. "So, will you marry me?"

Shaking
her head a few times quickly, Ashleigh’s voice was choppy and wet. "Yes."
She wrapped her arms around his neck, her warm tears falling on his bare neck.

Ashleigh
was fast asleep in Caleb’s arms, the curtains were drawn, which made the room
very dark. It was silent until Ashleigh’s phone started to ring. She quickly
jumped out of bed to answer it, Caleb letting out a grunt as he listened to her
bang into things as she searched for her purse.

She
hadn’t turned the light on and neither did Caleb, who turned over in bed and
covered his head with a pillow. He had always been a hard person to wake up,
his night owl ways making it hard for him to be awake before noon.

Ashleigh
found the phone and used it as a nightlight to make her way to the bathroom. When
she was inside, she answered it as she shut the door. "Hello?"

"Hello,
dear." Hannah’s voice came from the other end, a calmness in it that Ashleigh
found slightly odd.

"Hey,
Hannah." Looking at her naked image in the mirror, Ashleigh made a sour
face at it. Her hair was all messed up, and she could now see the streaks of
dried blood on her neck. "Have you heard anything about the whole lawsuit
thing yet?"

"Apparently, this woman’s name is Nikki Astar, and she has done ten
interviews claiming to be you."

"Great, so now what?" Ashleigh took some of bobby pins out of
her hair that were hanging onto a few strands.

"We're working out a settlement but until then, all of us are on
damage control. I'd like you to write a statement to your fans about the
incident."

"I
can do that." Ashleigh turned toward the bathroom door when it opened, her
gaze falling upon Caleb. He was shuffling his feet and rubbing his face. Walking
past her, he went to the toilet and started peeing. Ashleigh shook her head as
she smiled and turned from him.

"I
do need you to come to Markston, though. We have some potential investors that
are coming to the main branch to speak to Mr. Castle and the board. We’ve
decided to hold our yearly workshops on that day as well. You know, as a way to
show off our talented writers, so they will invest."

"Sounds
boring." Ashleigh continued to pick at her hair, Caleb coming up behind
her and wrapping his arms around her middle. He took hold of her bare hips, his
lips kissing her neck as he gently rocked his body against hers. This was very
distracting, but Ashleigh was trying not to let her arousal show in her voice. "When
is it?"

"Two
weeks. I’d need you here on Friday, the fifth. We will take care of your
lodging and travel costs, so just book your flight and room, and we will
reimburse you."

"Just
for the weekend?" Ashleigh turned around in Caleb’s arms, her mind no
longer on her conversation with Hannah.

"Yes."

"Okay.
I’ll be there, Hannah." Ashleigh hung up, her hand going limp as Caleb
began to kiss her. She then set her phone on the bathroom sink, her arms going
up to hang from his neck. This flirtation led to the bedroom, where the pair
stayed until late into the afternoon.

Robert
had brought them new clothes, and when they left Aiden’s apartment, it looked
as perfect and clean as it did the moment they entered. Nothing was out of
place, and there were no traces of blood anywhere. Ashleigh found this a little
odd, but didn’t dwell much on the thought.

Caleb
had a little over a week free until he had to resume his heavy touring
schedule, so the pair got to spend it together. It was hard to say goodbye, but
it was easier knowing they soon would be together again.

She
hadn’t told anyone yet, but she was going to move to his home in Kingston when
he was done with his tour. It was something that would be hard for her to break
to Natalie, who she decided not to tell until she had come back from Markston. She
did tell her about her engagement though, that she couldn’t keep secret.

Sitting
in a writing workshop for romance authors, Ashleigh was listening to a woman reading
a passage from her book,
Hot in Verona.
All the people in the room seemed
very interested in what she was saying.

Because
Ashleigh’s books were both in the romance and horror categories, she got the
choice to go with whichever category she wished. For some reason, she wasn’t in
the horror mood this weekend.

The
new investors were walking around the supposedly
normal
yearly
gathering, which wasn’t anything like it usually was. This year they had begun
these discussion groups like Ashleigh was a part of, most likely in an attempt
to impress the investors.

Discussing
how to write a graphic sex scene with taste seemed pointless to her, and all
this talk about sex made her miss Caleb. The woman reading used the words “throbbing
cock” for the seventh time in the past few minutes. Right now, Ashleigh was
regretting not joining the horror group and listening to them talk about
killing all day. About blood.

It
had been on her mind lately, and after spending a week dining with her fiancé,
she had grown to like drinking it. The thought of it made her smile, her mind
wandering back to memories of Caleb. Memories of his “throbbing cock.”

Ashleigh
tried not to laugh as she turned to her laptop, opening up a program to send
text messages. It was easier typing what she wanted to say. She sent Caleb a
text that quoted something the woman at the podium was reading aloud

Your throbbing cock pulsed against my bare thigh, making
me wet and sending a wave of hunger through me. It was impressive at its full
length, a dangerous weapon I wanted to take into my flesh willingly. This is
what I learned in the romance workshop today.

About
an hour passed by before she got a reply.

Make it personal ;)

Ashleigh
held her lips together firmly as she read it and tried not to laugh. She was
sitting near the window, and no one was behind her to read over her shoulder.

Your throbbing cock nudged its way between my legs, its
full length making teasing passes up and down my thigh, but not yet shoving
itself into my depths. I could taste the
blood that lingered on the
insides of your mouth, my tongue exploring inside, chasing a taste.

She
was going to write more, but she heard someone call her name, her eyes quickly
looking forward as she clicked “send.”

"Miss
Brown?" The woman leading the workshop was smiling at Ashleigh. "Would
you like to share an example of your work with the group? You are the only
person who hasn’t shared yet."

Ashleigh
was taken off guard, and from the corner of her eye, she could see Mr. Castle
standing near the doorway with a group of people, but she couldn’t see their
faces.

She
had only met Mr. Castle a few times, even though she was one of his best-selling
authors. She had always gone through Hannah because Mr. Castle was usually
found at the main office in Corinth. He had loved the idea of having a mystery
author, and Victoria had gained a lot of publicity because of that, which made
him money.

She
hated speaking in front of people and sharing a racy passage she had written
was enough to make her want to vomit. "I don’t really have anything good
to share." There was a great nervousness in her voice, Ashleigh taking in
the eager faces staring at her.

There
were only two men in the group, and they were not the picture of a perfect
lover, but the women were dressed to thrill. Ashleigh, on the other hand, was
not dressed up or even wearing a skirt. She had on jeans and a tight black
dress coat, a flirty, neon pink tank underneath. Her trendy style and grungy
dress showed her rocker girl personality, something that was quite different
from the other people there.

"This
is a learning experience, my dear." The woman spoke dramatically with her
hands, a light happiness to her voice that sounded very fake. "If you do
not share, we cannot help you get better." She motioned for Ashleigh to
read something, "Come and share with us. No one here is judging. There are
only positive, helpful minds in this room."

"Okay."
Making a sour face, Ashleigh opened a document on her laptop that she had
prepared in case she was called to share.

"Do
you wish to share anything about yourself before beginning?" The woman was
looking at Ashleigh as she spoke, but her eyes kept wandering over to the men
with Mr. Castle. "Are you promoting a book?"

Ashleigh
forced a smile. "I don’t have anything to share about me personally, so
I'll just move onto sharing my passage." She glanced at the passage she
was about to read aloud, a slight fear in her voice. "This is from a new
book I’m working on."

Taking
a deep breath, Ashleigh scanned the faces around her. Then, she saw him.

He
was staring straight at her, his arms folded over his bulky chest, a cocky
smile on his tanned features. He recognized her right away, and that was
probably the only reason he hadn’t bypassed listening in on this workshop. His
stare was commanding, the piercing of his eyes painful. It was as if he wanted
to make her squirm, just like he did that night in his apartment.

Ashleigh
quickly turned from his eyes, looking down at the laptop in front of her. Her
fingers moved on the surface of her mouse as she opened another file. It seemed
more fitting a passage for someone like Aiden.

"You
can begin, Miss Brown." The woman waved her hand.

"Okay."
Taking another deep breath, Ashleigh smiled nervously as she began to read.

"She
could feel the tears welling in her eyes as his hands slid over her hips
teasingly, the silk of the fabric aiding his smooth action. He wanted her, she
could tell by the husky hunger in his voice and the tenseness in his hands that
he was trying to mask with a light touch. His thick fingers slowly inched the
fabric up her leg, revealing the crisp whiteness of her skin.

“He
chuckled at the sight of it, unveiling this protected princess of his enemy the
greatest trophy of the hunt he could ever gain. He would soon be able to delve
inside her, into the shadowy depths that only one had traveled. He had seen
Drake take her, seen his hands explore every inch of her skin as he made love
to her, that look of ecstasy on her face when he tasted her.

“He
wanted to make her smile for him like that, let her feel the tantalizing kiss
of his bite. He knew his was better. He licked his lips as he thought of her
taste, a taste his tongue couldn't forget. He had tasted it once, and since
that day, his craving for another grew.

“The
fight she had put up to run from him had deflated, and in his arms, she
couldn’t help but melt. Although she tried to fight it, he was making her aroused,
his hands caressing her now bare hips. The defeating feeling made her sick, but
she couldn’t overcome the power that he held over her. His voice was soft and
seductive, ‘Tonight you will become mine.’

“He
turned her around to face him, his action like the quick snap of a football. He
lightly cupped her shoulders and she fell backward onto the bed behind her in
surprise. She tried to sit back up, but he had swooped down on her before she had
the chance.

“He
was not pausing now that he had her, his body covering hers and warming it. His
thick member forcefully parted her legs. He was hard to resist, this gorgeous
killer. The alluring seed of the devil lay in his emerald eyes, his body
perfectly defined.

“His
lips went to her neck, his hands roughly scaling her legs and shoving up her
dress. His longing for her was apparent, the hunger of his passion showing in
the heaviness of his kisses."

Ashleigh
paused. "Okay, that’s it."

"Very
interesting." The woman smiled but didn’t seem as happy as she was
pretending to be. "Thanks for stopping at the most climatic part."

"You’re
welcome." Ashleigh laughed nervously, shutting some of the windows she had
opened on her laptop. She looked at a message that had popped up from Caleb

Hungry babe?

Aiden’s here. One of the investors I guess.

He wants 2 fuck u :P

Ashleigh
tried not to laugh, but it came out in a devilish smile as she typed him a
reply.

But I’m engaged ;)

The
woman spoke again. "Tell us about the story this passage comes from."

Ashleigh
briefly read Caleb’s response.

He doesn’t care. He has a cravin 4 u worse than blood.

Then, she answered.
"A
series I’m working on. It’s about a young girl being pursued by two knights
from opposing kingdoms."

"You
speak of him wanting to bite her. That sounds a little like vampirism. Tell us
more about that."

"There
are no vampires in this story. That was a typo, sorry."

Ashleigh
typed another message to Caleb.

Wat should I do?

I’ll talk 2 him.

"Miss
Brown. Can we speak with you please?"

Ashleigh
looked up sharply when someone called her name. One of the men with Mr. Castle
motioned for her to come over.

"Sure."
Nervously shutting her laptop, Ashleigh was afraid to speak with Aiden. He
scared her, and she didn’t want to be alone with him.

She
packed up her things, slinging her large laptop bag over her shoulder. It was
tattered, the surface of it covered with a few patches. Cute patches, like pink
skulls and big eyed kittens. She had a few buttons on it as well, most about Armageddon,
a large one pinned on the base of the strap with the words from “
Blazed
,” one of Caleb’s songs. Caleb and
Kris had also written on it, their signatures scribbled on the surface several
times.

Walking
with her head down, she went to the door. She held tightly to the strap of her
bag, her pink fingernails striking against the black fabric.