Lover's Betrayal: Misfits of the Lore Series (17 page)

After dinner, Olivia bathed Julian and read him some short stories by Edgar Allan Poe. She agreed to one story, but he asked for more as always, and Olivia could not resist. She could not deny her precious boy anything. Finally he started to fall asleep. As Olivia rose from the bed, Julian woke up to tell her, “I love you, Mama.”

“I love you too, mio bambino.”

Olivia went outside and found Lucian and Kaden playing baseball. Kaden was pitching and Lucian was struggling to maintain contact. Kaden’s strength was increasing so much every day. He was growing too fast and soon he would be a man. For now, her family was together and perfect.

Lucian saw her standing there and paused to greet her. Just then a fast ball whizzed past his head, barely an inch away from him. Kaden fell to the ground laughing at the intentional near miss. He composed himself for a second to say, “You always told me to pay attention at all times. I was just reminding you of that.”

“You little devil.” Lucian appeared in front of Kaden within a split second, and the two started wrestling playfully. Olivia enjoyed watching their silly antics. There was no doubt how much father and son loved each other, and that knowledge filled her heart with such joy. She had the family she always wanted and soon there would be another addition. She rubbed her hand against her stomach, imagining the little life growing inside. She hoped it was a daughter, but she would adore another son just as much.

Finally, she broke up the wrestling match and sent Kaden to bed. She wanted alone time with her husband.

“That boy is going to be the death of me,” Lucian bemoaned as he embraced Olivia.

“He’s just like you,” Olivia reminded him. “It’s just now you have met your match.”

“I can’t compete with him, but don’t tell him that.”

“That will be our secret. That kind of knowledge would be dangerous for our precocious young man.”

Lucian kissed her gently at first, but the kiss quickly turned into something more passionate. The need between them was stronger than ever. “I don’t think I can make it upstairs.” Lucian kissed her again and started to unbutton Olivia’s blouse.

Olivia forced herself to pull away. “We have to make it upstairs. We don’t want the children walking in on us. They would be scarred for life.”

Lucian reluctantly agreed and before she could blink, they were upstairs in their room. Lucian locked the door and stalked toward her, slowly unbuttoning his shirt to reveal his muscular tanned chest. Olivia’s skin felt like it was on fire. She reached for his chest and felt an electric current as she touched smooth firm skin. She pulled his face toward her and kissed him with all the passion she had in her. They collapsed on the bed, tugging away each other’s clothes.

She heard him shout her name as she kissed his delectable chest. “Olivia!” he shouted again, but her desire was too strong to stop. She needed him too much.

“Olivia!”

Olivia stopped to look at Lucian, who was pulling away from her. She reached for him again, but he seemed further and further away. “Don’t leave me!”

“Olivia!”

She felt her body jerk. She reached for Lucian again as he faded away. Just like that, he was gone.

“Wake up, Olivia!” Lucian shouted.

“No!” Olivia shouted as she forced her eyes to open. Lucian was standing over her with a look of concern in his eyes. For a moment, she thought he had come back to her. She reached for him and kissed him passionately on the lips. A stunned Lucian collapsed on top of her on the bed, unable to react to this unexpected display of desire from Olivia.

Olivia continued to tease his lips with her tongue until Lucian finally gave in and opened his mouth to her. Their tongues dueled as they tasted each other. Lucian wanted to pull away, but his hunger for her was too strong. Hands that should have pushed her away tore at her nightgown, revealing her luscious body.

Olivia groaned in delight as Lucian’s hands explored her aroused body. She needed more. She needed to feel him once again. She ripped open his shirt, causing the buttons to fly across the room. She ran her fingers up and down his chest and then replaced her hands with her tongue as she tasted him. He was divine. Just the way she remembered. She could never forget the sweetness of his skin. She sucked on his nipple and Lucian fell back on the bed. Olivia, delighted by his response, focused her attention on the other nipple.

“Christ, Livy! We shouldn’t be doing this.”

Olivia paused for a moment and rubbed her heat against Lucian’s strained erection. “Try telling that to your little friend down here.” Olivia was surprised by her own teasing, but she felt like her old self. Like time had turned back and she and Lucian were curious teenagers again.

“My rather large friend unfortunately isn’t known for thinking things through. He’s all feeling.”

“I think I like your friend. Maybe he should come out to play.” Olivia reached for his zipper, but Lucian grabbed her hand.

“Olivia, I’m not sure you know what you’re doing.”

“It’s been a while, but I remember how to do this.”

“That’s not what I mean. Livy, you were in a frighteningly deep sleep and you awoke clearly disoriented. I don’t know what you were dreaming about, but I’m not sure if you’re ready for this. I’m not going to take advantage of you.”

“I know what I’m doing and I know what I want. Right now, I want you.”

“This doesn’t change anything, Liv. It’s just sex. No promises. Can you live with that?”

Olivia was disappointed, but she was willing to take Lucian any way she could have him. He might not be able to offer a future, but right now he could provide her with a pleasure she needed. She placed her other hand on top of his and gently tugged at his. “This is about satisfying a hunger tormenting us both. I can see it in your eyes and I know you can see it in mine. We both need relief. I’m not worried about the future. I’m focused on here and now. All I want is to taste you again and feel you inside me. So stop talking and rationalizing and overanalyzing everything. Let your little friend do all the thinking, and rest that brain of yours.”

Lucian released his hand and Olivia hastily undid his zipper. He was incredibly hard, long, and thick and Olivia could not help salivating at the thought of him in her mouth. She tore off his pants and grabbed his hard flesh. Lucian nearly jumped off the bed. Excited by his reaction, Olivia licked the tip and watched as Lucian fought to stay in control.

“Stop teasing, witch,” Lucian hissed.

“How long exactly has it been for you?” Olivia regretted the question as soon as the words escaped. She didn’t want to think about all the women Lucian had probably been with all these years. She could not blame him for finding pleasure with others. She wanted him to be happy, but she hated the thought of anyone touching this perfect body and tasting this man that was made for her.

Lucian did not want to discuss his sex life and possibly ruin this moment. He was no celibate, but no one ever compared to Olivia. “It has been 175 years since you touched me, Liv, and no one has or could satisfy me the same way.”

Olivia blinked away the tear that wanted to escape. She would not cry now. This was about pleasure and not the pain of the past. She gently kissed his engorged shaft and wrapped her lips around him.

Lucian clutched the headboard, nearly tearing it from the bed. He wanted this to last but his body was too excited to cooperate. Within minutes, he was spilling his seed in Olivia’s eager mouth.

“That was embarrassing.” Lucian covered his face.

Olivia pulled his hands from his face and forced him to face her. His cheeks were flushed. “No shame in being a ten-minute -- or rather three-minute -- man,” she teased.

Lucian growled and flipped her on her back so that her body was underneath him. “That was just a warm up. Remember, turnabout is fair play. Now it’s my turn. Let’s see how long you last.”

“I like a competition. Since you lasted three, I’m sure I could make it to four minutes.”

Lucian cupped her mound and felt her wetness. “You sure about that, cara? Your body is so wet for me that I doubt you will last a minute. You didn’t last that long on the couch yesterday.”

“Bring it on,” Olivia challenged and Lucian gladly took the bait.

Olivia thought she would die of pleasure the way his mouth tasted her and his fingers plunged deeply in her. She was trying to hold on to outlast him, but her resolve was fading in this bliss of pleasure he was tormenting her with relentlessly. Before she knew it, her climax hit her hard and her nails had shredded her sheets.

“I think you won, Lucian.”

“Not yet, cara, but I’m about to.” Lucian spread her legs as he thrust inside her tight moist heat. “I think you were made for me.”

“I know I was Lucian.”

Lucian continued to pound into her with a fury of desire. Olivia matched him thrust for thrust as her body reveled in the feeling of her Lucian in her where he belonged. He wanted to take her blood, but that would complete the mating ritual and he could not allow that to happen. As much as he was enjoying this time with her, he could not fully mate with her. This pleasure could not erase 175 years of betrayal.

He sucked on her nipples as he continued to plunge inside her. The combination was too much and Olivia erupted. She screamed from the intensity of the pleasure ripping the headboard from the bed. Lucian followed shortly thereafter as he let out a carnal roar. He collapsed on top of her and she held him tightly.

As he motioned to rise, the movement caused the broken headboard to fall on his back. Lucian caught it before it could do too much damage and they both marveled at the destruction surrounding them. The headboard was broken, sheets torn, and a window had shattered to the right of the bed.

“I get the headboard and the sheets, but what happened to the window?” Lucian asked.

“I think our primal screaming is the culprit.”

“I guess that means everyone in this house must have heard us.”

Olivia blushed. “Oh mio Dio. Julian must have heard. What will I say to him?”

“The truth, cara. He’s a big boy. I’m sure he would understand.”

“Lucian, what is the truth between us?” Olivia was almost afraid of the answer, but she could not hide from the truth she needed him to admit.

Lucian did not know how to answer. Making love to Olivia was like no other experience. No one else could compare. It was a long time after she left before he could make love to another. It always felt wrong, but he convinced himself to do it knowing that she was giving herself to Daughton. If she could move on so easily, he would fight for the strength to do so as well. Lying with her now brought back the memories of the pain of losing her and the deceit that marred their love.

“There is no truth between us and that is why there can be no future for us.” Lucian rose from the bed and grabbed what was left of his clothing. He walked out the door, never looking back at the woman who lay crumpled in the bed drowning in her own tears.

II

Olivia sat in the rocking chair beside her bed trying to understand how such a perfect morning so rapidly turned into a painful reminder of the past—a past she would never be able to escape. She refused to shed any more tears for the dreams she would never realize. This was it for her. There would be no happy ending. It was time she resigned herself to that fact and focused on the few fleeting moments she might be able to enjoy before it all came to a bitter end for good.

The physical pain was stronger today than it had been previously. She blamed it on the stress, but part of her knew her body was failing for good. It was taking longer to heal from the drug and the reality was that she didn’t want to heal. Despite the pain, that tiny leaf provided her only comfort. It gave her what she needed—peace. The punishment for such peace was the excruciating pain that followed, but it was worth every moment of the bliss she experienced during those dreams. The reality she faced when she awoke left her with a lingering ache that ate away at her soul. She hated waking up to this emptiness when her dreams left her so fulfilled.

A gentle knock from the door got her attention. Her heart hoped Lucian had returned, but her mind warned her to stop setting herself up for disappointment. It was not Lucian’s scent waiting outside her door.

“Mother, are you all right?”

Julian. He had come to check on her. Olivia should have been more pleased by that, but she was still too numb. “Please come in,” she forced herself to say.

Julian cautiously opened the door and stood awkwardly by it. He looked at the bed and saw the broken headboard and sheets. He tried to hide his blush, but Olivia could see the embarrassment on his face. No child wanted to think about a parent having sex.

Olivia had attempted to clean up, but to do so would be to wash away that perfect time she spent in Lucian’s arms again. She desperately wanted to savor every moment of that bliss and to hold on to its memory, as she feared it would be the last time Lucian would touch her. The disgust in his eyes portrayed the regret he felt as he left her room.

Julian felt increasingly uncomfortable as he looked at the destruction in his mother’s room. He could also see the sadness in her eyes and he knew that despite whatever passion was unleashed in this room, his mother still did not find that elusive happiness. Another thing they had in common, he thought. They were both destined for misery.

He could not look her in the eye when he spoke. “I got a lead on Kaden’s case. I did some research last night while you guys went to the club. One of the girls killed was from Las Vegas. Kaden had spent some time there last year. The girl, Madeira, was a witch. I checked Kaden’s phone records and I hacked into the system and got hers as well. It looks like they knew each other for quite some time. They spoke on the phone at least once a week for the past year. She came here two months ago, I suspect to see him, and that’s when she was killed.”

Olivia tried to make sense of what Julian was saying, but her head was pounding too severely for her to decipher this puzzle. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“I don’t fully understand either, but Madeira was not some girl Kaden just met one night and killed. It seems like they were at least friends for a period of time. All of the other victims appear to be one night stands, but not Madeira. It doesn’t make sense. Why would he all of a sudden snap and kill her if they were friends? He could have killed her a year ago when they first met. I thought maybe he tried to seduce her and she resisted, but the evidence from the police report indicates they had sex, consensual sex. There’s no obvious motive for him to kill his friend. It’s not like he has many, or any for that matter, but for some reason, he was close to this girl.”