Pixie Dust (Karli Lane #1) (13 page)

“Um, okay. Is everything alright?” I asked.

“Don’t worry about a thing.” He replied. “I will be back in the room as soon as possible. Will you please close the drapes before you retire just in case I do not return before sunrise? I need to go now. Sweet dreams dearest.” Click.

Okay, that was weird. I wonder what he’s up to……

Knowing myself too well, I decided to brush my teeth and go to bed, rather than letting my imagination get the best of me. I closed the curtains as Leo had requested and crawled into the big pillow top bed. Oh my, these sheets were heavenly! They must have at least a one thousand thread count! And the pillows were like giant marshmallows!  I snuggled under the covers and had to stifle a moan from inhaling Leo’s manly scent. No bed should ever feel or smell this good; you’d never want to leave! I took a deep breath and let myself be consumed by ecstasy. It may have been the alcohol, but my body was so at ease that I fell asleep almost immediately.

I woke up in a dark room, feeling very disoriented. I started to panic, but then I remembered where I was and calmed down….until I realized that Leo was spooning me!  Omigod, I could feel his erection on my back. Oh… his
very large erection
. Wait, no…snap out of it Karli. I have to get out of this bed!

I tried slipping out of his arms undetected, but he just tightened his grip! Crap, I just felt his penis jerk to attention. He nestled in closer, cupping my left breast as he started lazily kissing the back of my neck. Oh God, that feels good!  No, no, no. I need to stop this! I can’t do this!
Oh my, that feels really good!
He started kissing my shoulder as he was pressing himself against me. His hot breath was sending shivers down my spine, making my body soften towards his. When his fangs grazed my skin, I almost came right then and there. My body wanted this so bad, but my mind was telling me to get away fast! In the end, my mind won as I jerked my body out of his grasp, rolling to the edge of the bed.

With a little chuckle, he rolled over and switched on the bedside lamp. “Good morning angel.” He grinned.

Trying not to point out the fact that he’s not on the couch, since this
is his bed
and all, I said, “Good morning. Um, what time did you get in?”

“A little after three.” He stretched as he got out of bed. He was wearing nothing but the pair of blue silk boxers I found, making no attempt whatsoever to cover his glorious body. Including the part that was currently about to escape his shorts. Oh yeah, he definitely knew how good he looked and he wanted me to see what I was missing.
Look away Karli! Look away!

What time is it anyway? I searched for the alarm clock, trying to divert my eyes. Just after eight. Ugh, I never get up this early!

“So what happened last night?” I asked, desperate for a distraction.

“All in due time my dear. I’m going to take a shower. Why don’t you order some breakfast?”

“Okay….can I get you anything? Wait, do vampires eat real food?”

Laughing he said, “You really haven’t spent much time around vampires, have you?”
Nope, I’ve tried to avoid them at all cost until recently.

“Is it that obvious?” I asked. I sat up in bed, desperately hoping my hair didn’t look as bad as it felt.

“It’s cute.” He replied. “Let’s see, how can I sum this up for you? You already know we need blood for sustenance, and that we have a very low tolerance to UV exposure. Yes, we can consume human food and drink, but we do not require it. Personally, I tend to prefer foods with a sweet taste, like fruits or fine chocolate.  I really don’t care for the rest of it. I enjoy a good scotch, as you are aware, or some nice champagne, like the kind you enjoyed last night.”

I blushed, feeling a little embarrassed about polishing off the entire bottle.
Why didn’t I hide the evidence?

“How often do you need to um…..drink blood? Where do you get it from? Can you just get some from a blood bank or butcher shop?”

Smiling, he said, “Quite the curious little one, aren’t you?”

“Hey, I figured if you’re answering, I’m asking! You guys could make it a lot easier on me by launching some
What it’s like to be a vampire
web site but nooo, you insist on being all secretive instead.”

He laughed. “Our suspicious nature has been in place since our creation thousands of years ago. I don’t think the technology of today will ever sit well with our kind, despite its conveniences. There is simply too much at risk if the world knows too much about us.” He paused. “Somehow I think you’re different though so I will answer any question you’d like. The frequency in which we need to eat depends on the age of the vampire. Newer vampires require blood every day. I only need to drink once every month or so, although I do so much more often because I enjoy the experience. We can survive on stored blood if necessary, but it is wretched. It would probably be the equivalent to you drinking spoiled milk.”

“Gross.”

 “Yes, well thankfully, most vampires I know do not have any trouble finding a willing host.”

“Why is that?” I asked.

“Perhaps you will find out one day, my love. I do believe you got a bit of a preview the other night.”
Oh God, it’s definitely not just a rumor! Yikes!

“How did you become a vampire?” I asked.

He sat down on the bed and looped his finger around the strap to my chemise. “You know, to a vampire that is a very personal question my dear.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Forget I said anything.”

“That’s quite alright. I enjoy talking with you like this.” He started rolling the satin between his fingers, tracing a line down to the vee between my breasts. “Have I told you yet how much I love this thing you’re wearing? I am very partial to red.”

I scooted back and brushed his hand away. “Leo.” I scolded as I pulled the comforter up.

He laughed again. “Let’s see, where should I start? I was born in 1494 in a quiet village on an island now known as Santorini. I relocated from Greece to London at the age of nineteen and was made vampire during my stay there, in the year 1522.”

“That explains the accent.” I said.

“What do you mean?”

“Your accent.” I clarified. “I just couldn’t figure out where it was from. Now I know.”

 He smiled. “Have you given it much thought? Do I dare to hope that means you’re thinking about me in my absence?”

“What? Um…….” Shit, I need to get back on track. “We’re getting off the subject. Who made you a vampire?”

“Her name was Renata.” He said. “She took me as her lover while I was still human and enthralled me from the very beginning. Back then, our existence was still shrouded in secrecy but I always knew something was different about her. Yes, her heart beat the same as mine, but I started noticing that she did not eat food and she would never agree to meet me during the day. One evening, while we were making love, she fed off me. I experienced a pleasure like no other I had ever known. Afterwards, she explained to me what she was and offered to give me the gift of being like her. I was always an enterprising young man, and the idea of being an immortal had appealed to me. She turned me that same evening and we were together until I moved to the U.S.”

“When was that?” I asked.

“In the early nineteen hundreds.” He replied.

“Wow…..you were with the same woman for almost four
hundred
years? Were you exclusive?”

“Yes, we were. Renata was very special. She was incredibly wise as well as sexy. She taught me the ways of a vampire; I would have never survived the early years without her. Times were very different back then.”

“Yeah, but that’s quite a commitment for someone.”

“She was quite a woman.”

“Damn, nobody can accuse you of being afraid to commit.” I remarked. “How did you leave her though, if she meant so much to you?”

He shrugged. “It was time to move on.”

“Just like that?” I asked. “Why do I get the feeling there is more to this story?”

“Just like that.” He repeated.

 Okay, so obviously he wasn’t going to elaborate. Time to change the subject. “So, that would make you over five hundred years old!” I said. “I can’t imagine all the wonderful things you’ve seen.”

“True, I have seen great change and progress throughout the years. But I have also seen far too many wars, famine, disease, and cruelty. In life, there must always be balance. You cannot have the good without the bad. That doesn’t change no matter how long you exist. You will come to see that in time.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“My pet, I can sense that your immortality is near. I could taste it in your blood. Once that happens, things will become much clearer for you. Hopefully by then, you will not feel the need to hide your true self.”

Oh shit, I do not like where this conversation is heading.

“I’m not hiding anything.” I lied.

He sighed as he held my face with his hands. “Karli, I do not know what you really are yet, but I do know that you are
not
a witch. You may be fooling the rest of the world, but the blood does not lie. A witch becomes immortal around their twenty-first year. You are almost to your twenty-fifth. A witch’s blood tastes woodsy, like cinnamon or cloves. Your blood is sweet, like honey….. with a nutty undertone. The contrast is too great to deny.”

“I……” I pressed my lips together and tried again. “Um…” Yeah, I really don’t know what to say to that.

He shook his head. “Look, I can sense that you are getting upset so let’s not discuss this anymore today. I just hope in time you will learn that you can trust me with your secrets. You
are
safe with me Karli, no matter what preconceived notions you may have of me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I really must take a shower. We have other important matters to discuss when I’m done.”

Fuck!

***********************

I started pacing uncontrollably while Leo was in the bathroom. What the hell am I going to do? I thought about leaving until I realized that would only confirm his suspicions that I was hiding something. Dammit!
 
I decided to stay and pretend things were normal.

I put on the complimentary hotel bath robe and ordered breakfast from room service. My omelet looked great but I really wasn’t hungry anymore. Leo came out of the master suite wearing a pair of black slacks with nothing else. His hair was wet and he smelled like that wonderful manly soap again. He saw the fruit plate I had ordered for him and smiled at me while grabbing a piece of pineapple.

While taking a bite he asked, “Is there something wrong with your eggs?”

“No, I’m just not very hungry.” I replied. I took a sip of coffee and continued poking at the eggs with my fork. “So, are you going to tell me what happened last night?”