Bless The Beauty

chapter Three




Outside police headquarters, Kellen stood on Main Street and held the passenger side door of his black Mercedes sedan open, grinning. “In you go.”

I forced my annoyance to remain at bay. I may be pissed, but it didn’t hamper the appreciation I felt for his display of manners. Kellen was born at a time when women were adored and treasured. Such niceties just didn’t exist anymore in the world today and I had missed being handled in such a way. Not that Chase wasn’t loving and thoughtful, just modern men didn’t do things like that. And I’d missed it.

“Thank you.” I slid into the leather seat, then he closed the door behind me, trotted over to the driver’s side and quickly got in. Once settled, he started the engine, put the car in gear and with a squeal of his tires, drove off.

I sat in silence—torn. The feelings surrounding Chase were sending a horrible gut wrenching pain to pool in the pit of my stomach. I loved him, but I had hurt him and nothing about that felt good. I couldn’t imagine what he was thinking now, and in truth, I didn’t want to.

We drove a while in silence as I watched out the window. The dark night surrounded us and the streets were not like Washington. Quite empty.

Finally, sick of the silence, I turned my attention to Kellen. “Nothing like making an entrance.” I gave him a little glare. “Was that really necessary?” I could only imagine what my team thought. I kept my husband a secret then he suddenly appears and plants a big wet one on me.

Kellen laughed, quite pleased with himself. “You know how I like to make a scene.”

I did know that of him. The man lived to shock people and I’d witnessed it happen on hundreds of occasions. I leaned my head back against the headrest and released an exasperated breath. “So my time is up, is it?”

Kellen’s gave me a sideways glance that showed his unhappiness. “You make that sound so horrible.”

Instantly, I regretted my word choice and for reacting like a cold, hard bitch. He deserved better.

I closed my eyes for a moment and breathed deeply trying to regain myself. “I’m sorry,” I finally said, opening my eyes to look at him. “It’s just complicated.”

Kellen studied me a moment then said, “Explain your relationship with the mortal.”

“I love him,” I responded without hesitation.

Kellen slammed on the brakes, which caused a horn to blast behind us. “You are in love with a mortal?” His eyes were wide with bewilderment.

I nodded, almost laughing at the disgust on his face, but couldn’t find it within me to let it out.

“Have been for years now.”

Kellen stared for many seconds before he clucked, shook his head and began to drive again.

I watched Kellen as he was clearly deep in thought. I knew him almost as well as I knew myself.

And that furrow of his brows meant he was trying to sort things out in his mind. Still, I couldn’t decipher what he was thinking.

Is he mad? Will he leave me too?

We travelled in silence for a while. Kellen’s gaze focused on the road then he blessedly broke the quiet that threatened to kill me. “You’re not willing to give him up?”

I suspected my expression came across as pleading almost to the point of begging. “I don’t want to.” And I didn’t.

Not one fibre of my being wanted that, but I doubted I had a choice here. Chase would want nothing to do with me now. I couldn’t blame him either. If the roles were reversed I would feel the same. It wasn’t that I’d set out to lie to him, but he just didn’t understand my world.

Kellen let out a deep breath then took a quick turn to head into an old abandoned car garage.

He pulled in behind the old rickety building, turned off the car and shifted in his seat to face me. “It has been thirty years since I have laid my eyes on you. Never once did I expect to be united with you and hear that you are in love with some mortal.”

I shrugged away his contempt. “Well…I never expected you to come here as a part of the FBI.”

Kellen snorted, leaned forward and took my face in his hands. His eyes and even the set of his mouth were soft and loving. “I will not waste more time with this. Does this life make you happy?”

I didn’t even hesitate. “It does. I’m very happy.”

“So you want to continue on here?”

I nodded as much as I could with his grip tight around my cheeks. “I love my job, the people, the life I have here.” I sighed softly. “I don’t want to leave, Kellen.”

Kellen lowered his hands, glanced away for a moment, focused on the steering wheel. After a few minutes, he drew in a slow breath before his gaze met mine again. I saw a depth of sadness I’d never seen in him before. “Do you want me to leave you?”

I was torn, desperately. I knew if Kellen stayed, Chase would be gone and I didn’t want that.

Having Kellen gone didn’t sound good to me either. I missed his smell, the certainty he possessed and the love he had for me…no one loved me like Kellen, not even Chase. I knew if I asked him to go, he would because that was just Kellen. He’d put his wants aside time and time again to see me happy. I couldn’t ignore any of that. Not now. Not ever.

Having him back, reminded me of all these things and that I had missed him terribly.

For thirty years, a part of me was missing and now it had returned. I sank deeper into his gaze and slowly shook my head. “No, I don’t want you to go.”

A sweet smile swept across his face as he began to lean in. “That is all I need to hear.” Then, he laid his lips against mine.

I let him explore my mouth. The familiarity of it was something I had missed too.

Kellen knew how to kiss me. He understood what it took to build me up until I couldn’t think of anything except being consumed by his body.

After a swirl with his tongue, he slowly backed away and opened his eyes just an inch away from my face. “You may keep a consort,” he said gently.

I laughed quietly at the word. I doubted Chase would appreciate being declared a consort. I’d known many vampires who did keep one or two around. Some were humans they had grown comfortable with, some lovers they just considered meals.

As much as I doubted Chase would agree to this, it surprised me even more that Kellen would offer such a thing. “That wouldn’t bother you?”

Kellen arched an equivocal brow as arrogance flashed through his eyes. “Am I threatened by a mortal, is that what you ask?”

“Knowing that I love him?” I wasn’t sure what his take would be on this. He was never partial to me having mortal lovers. He had them himself. Centuries of being alive called to stir up the sheets on occasion and I knew he wouldn’t object to my being with Chase. It was the feelings I gained for him that caused me to question if Kellen would be willing to accept.

He ran his fingers gingerly up my arm and it tickled all across my skin. His fangs had released from his gums and showed his mind was not on this conversation and instead on my body being so close to his. “Your heart has the ability to love many, I know that of you. If it pleases you to share time with this mortal then why would I object to that?”

With those few words, I understood why this wouldn’t bother him. Chase was a mortal. It wasn’t eternal. If it was, I doubted Kellen would be so tolerant. But before I could respond, he grabbed me by the arms and yanked me over the gear shift and onto his lap as he began to lavish my mouth with his talented kisses.

Nothing in me would refuse him. Hearing those words pour from his mouth filled my heart immensely and to be reunited with him burned in my body. I squirmed against him, rubbed against his hard erection, which caused Kellen to growl in response. He reached forward and pulled on my jacket.

His vampire strength was no match against the cotton suit. Quickly, the coat was shredded around me.

As he placed his mouth on my neck, I angled my head back and moaned at the familiarity of it.

He knew every spot on me that increased my pleasure. He didn’t miss a single spot now. He licked his way along my neck while his fangs trailed in its wake and sent an edge of pure desire through me.

I knew what he wanted, what he craved. I angled my head slightly to the side to allow him the right and he immediately nudged it further with his forehead. His breath grew raspy, and with a final lick, he sank his fangs deep into my neck.

My breath rushed out at the initial intrusion, then changed entirely. I felt like I was reborn. I began to grind against him harder, swirled my hips so that his cock could connect with my body. He groaned deeply as he greedily drank from my neck and soon I was spiralling in glorious sensual gratification. It’d been so long since anyone fed from me—too long.

After a long, hard pull on my blood, he licked my throat to close the penetration marks and I shuddered above him. He drew away, met my gaze and retracted his fangs as a dribble of blood rested on his bottom lip. I leaned forward and with a slow long lick, I lapped it up. His eyes flared to burn red-hot.

“I cannot wait any longer,” he growled. “I need to see you.”

He grabbed onto my shirt, moments away from tearing it to shreds when I latched onto his hands and stopped him. “I need this shirt.” I meant to sound firm but it came out as a soft purr.

“Then off with it.”

I kept my gaze focused on his while I unbuttoned my shirt slowly, punishing him. I enjoyed it—took pleasure in watching the burn that lay in his eyes. He might have had lovers since me, but no one could do what I did for him. And by his throbbing cock resting against me, I was assuming correctly.

By the time I was in my bra, he had already thrown me back over to my seat. His pants were off and he’d made quick work of mine.

The movement took me by surprise. I was so used to being around mortals that I hadn’t used that talent in well over twenty-eight years. The thrill of being with a vampire again consumed me.

Luckily, his need matched mine. Once my pants were gone, he raised my ass onto the console of the car, knelt between my thighs and plunged himself deep inside my slick opening. I arched at the spectacular feel of it. Kellen was a forceful lover. There was nothing gentle about him and the vampire aggression was something I had missed. The speed, the roughness, it was what made me a vampire. I craved this, even if I didn’t know it.

He pulled out of my body and then thrust back with enough force that I couldn’t withhold the scream that rose from my throat.

“More,” Kellen’s voice came out husky. “Let me hear more of you.” He thrust back in hard, again and again.

I didn’t disappoint him. With only a few hard thrusts, I propelled into orgasm. Before I could even recover, Kellen roared, “Again.” He came at me with even more force and quickened thrusts.

I screamed from the strength of each pound against me. My entire body was on the brink of something fantastic and when Kellen grabbed me in his arms to straddle him, took my hips and rocked me against him, I was completely lost.

The control over myself was gone. The strength that he possessed made me his puppet. He moved my body forcefully to get each other off and I teetered on the edge. I leaned my head down onto his shoulder as he continued to lift me above him then slam me back down. His moans became deeper and I could feel his cock growing harder and wider.

It was an instant demand of me and I was not opposed to it. As he sent me slamming back down against him, my restraint broke and I could only grasp his shoulders in an attempt to hold off a moment longer.

I let my fangs release from my gums then sank them into his warm neck. My mouth immediately filled with warm powerful vampire blood as he roughly thrust against me.

He groaned as I succumbed and allowed my orgasm to engulf me. My p-ssy clenched around him, urged him to come. His body grew with tension as I continued to draw blood from his body. Then, he worked harder. If I could have bruised, I would have. He grasped me around the waist hard and made an enemy of my body.

A second later, we both fell apart in a roar of completion.

When the sensations subsided, we were silent, unable to move. But when the warm taste of his blood dripped on my tongue, sense returned. I slowly licked the wounds on his neck to close them, then kissed the spot where I had my feast.

Kellen wrapped his arms around me, hugged me tight and I found myself sinking against him. I loved this man. How selfish I had been for leaving him. Now I questioned how I ever felt unhappy with him. He had been so patient with me, only wanted me to be happy. I had been wrong and would make up for that.

He pulled my head away from his chest then moved his hand along my cheek as he held my gaze steady. “I have missed you every moment you have been gone.”

I leaned into his hand, my eyes blinking slowly as wetness began to rim them. “Me too.”

His eyes filled with happiness as a sweet smile spread across his face. “Now that sounds better.”

I had to force myself to remain locked in his gaze. Shame began to cripple me. Tears of blood welled up in my eyes—yes we really cried, even if it is blood. “I’m sorry…”

He placed a finger on my lips, hushed my words. “No apologies. You needed the time to discover more of yourself.”

“But…” I started as a bloody tear escaped.

He shook his head, wiped the tear away with the tip of his finger. “I do not hold it against you.”

Then, he placed his finger in his mouth.

What man would allow their woman to go off and experience life without them?

Vampires weren’t known to be kind in nature. They were territorial and fiercely so. But as I racked my brain, the answer became clear—only a good man would allow such a thing. I gulped deeply, sickened. “I don’t deserve you.”

The night I left, he was heartbroken and I knew walking away from something good was selfish, but at the time, I chose not to care. Now here he was, arms wide open and welcomed me back without any explanation.

He rubbed another tear away from my cheek. “It is not important who deserves whom; it’s that we are bound. My life is yours as yours is mine.”

Okay, all that made sense, but that didn’t change the fact of how I felt right now. “I have been stupid.”

“You have never been that.” He gave me a chastising look, but softened when he said, “But now you know.”

I sniffed. “Know what?”

“Where you belong—where you’ve always belonged.”

A smile rose to my face at the truth of those words and leaned forward, but before I met his mouth, said, “Yes, I know.” After a slow endearing kiss, I backed away to see that Kellen looked pleased and content. I laughed and sniffed away the rest of my shame.

“You happy to finally hear that?”

His smile vanished as he nodded firmly. “Let me make this clear, I gave you leave once so you could discover this in your own time.” He grasped my face with an equal firmness. “I will not allow it again.”

I gulped deeply at the pain in his eyes. It cost him a lot to allow me to do this. He wasn’t lying.

One thing about Kellen was that his word was honorable. He never wavered away from it, and right now, I wanted nothing more than to be locked in his arms forever.

Here was where my heart belonged.

I kissed his lips once more deeply just so I could confirm to him that I knew my place—to show him my sorrow for the pain I’d caused him. Then, I slowly backed away and needed to remind him I was here to do a job.

“We have to get back.” My team would be waiting to get into the case and they’d be annoyed that we were taking our sweet-ass time. Even more than that, I could only imagine what Chase was thinking.

Chase.

I sighed and willed the tears to stay away. What a jumbled emotional mess I was in.

A state I’d never been in and one I could live without.

Kellen laughed as he placed me on my seat. “Yes, we have a serial killer to have a little chat with.”

I reached down, grabbed my bra and clipped it into place. As I reached for my shirt, I gave him a speculative glance. “You find that funny?”

Kellen nodded without hesitation. “Quite. You have the ability to kill a human, but instead, you’re saving their lives.” He winked. “It’s amusing.”

Finishing up with the last button on my shirt, I snorted. “Feels a hell of a lot better to save someone than see them destroyed.” It was hard to believe how much vampires had evolved.

Two hundred years ago, they killed for the pleasure of it. Now, they lived peacefully among the mortals. Considering the act of feeding on them gave the mortal enhanced pleasure during sex, they came willingly. Times had changed and I was glad for it. The killing never did sit right with me, even if I was a natural born killer.

I picked up my jacket and swore softly. I never went without my coat on the job and the implication would be obvious. Chase would know what happened. Not that I’d keep the truth from him, he’d been lied to enough. If he asked me outright, I’d tell him what happened here. I threw the shreds that were once my jacket into the backseat and grabbed my pants from the floor of the car. Lifting my hips, I pulled them on and zipped them up.

“So tell me, what you have been doing over the years?”

“Watching you.”

My hands steadied on the button as I turned my speculative glare on Kellen.

“Watching me?”

“I have stayed with you the entire time,” he answered, completely unashamed. “You think I would have left you alone?”

Why I suspected otherwise was just stupid on my part. Instead of voice that, I moved along. “So you have been living in Washington then?”

Kellen nodded, then started the car. “I have been working for Slade.” When he saw my next question rise on my face, he continued. “A shield.”

It took a moment to process what he had just said. Maybe because I couldn’t believe it. “You’ve joined the Mistresses?”

In vampire society, Mistresses’ vampires had many who worked beneath them. It was far more serious than what I did with the mortal governments and it wasn’t a job that appealed to me in any regard. You did a bad job or f*cked up—you died.

Kellen had finished buttoning up his shirt, then started the car and began to drive out from around the rundown garage. “Mistress Ellery was pleased to have me join her guard.”

This should not surprise me to hear, but it did. Kellen had once held a role within the Mistresses’

guard and hunted those who defied their laws. But he had moved on, tired of the death. Why would he return? None of this made any sense. “And you are happy doing that?”

He laughed loudly, clearly at my surprise. “Once a shield, always a shield.” He gave a firm nod of his head. “It feels good to be back to what I’m good at and I needed to keep myself busy in the time you were gone.”

After a moment’s thought, I suddenly realized just how great this was. If Kellen had joined Mistress Ellery’s guard that meant he had taken an oath to her. It also meant we wouldn’t leave any time soon. He wasn’t going to make me leave my job. I could continue doing what I loved and that made me blissfully happy. Feeling all warm and fuzzy, I felt the need to reciprocate that feeling. “You were always the best you know.”

He was highly respected within vampire society. His warrior skills were impeccable and I had always been proud of that.

Kellen grinned with superiority as he made a turn back on the main road. “Still am.”

A classic Kellen answer. “I see the arrogance about you hasn’t changed.”

“You know you’ve missed it.” He winked playfully.

I could only smile in return. I had missed him but until now hadn’t realized just how much. Being beside him, having his hand rest on my thigh, was right in every way.

But I also knew I needed the time to accept this. Accept that I needed him—couldn’t be without him. He’d been right in what he’d said to me the night I left him.

“We are soul bound, take this time, but you will return to my side and be happy to be there.”

Kellen made my life worth living. I might pretend to have moved on, and not need him, but it was all an illusion. We belonged together. However, realizing all this left an empty space in my heart.

Where did Chase fit into this? I needed—wanted to keep him forever.

Only one question remained…did he want to keep me?