“So what does it feel like to be a vampire again?” I asked.
We were in Vivienne’s penthouse, in one of her spare rooms. Derek lay on his back on the bed while I rested beside him, holding his hand in mine.
“It’s… strange. Now that I’ve spent time away from it, I don’t detest it as much as I used to. I suppose it’s also a relief to not be constantly worrying about fire bursting from my palms whenever I get too, uh, excited.”
He winked at me. I grinned back at him.
I’d suggested that he rest after the trauma of the morning, in order to prepare for what he was to do. Now it was nighttime.
We both fell silent. Now that the time we had agreed upon had approached, blood rushed to my cheeks again. I was sure that we were both thinking the same thing.
I bit my lip as I looked up at him. His face was now serious, his eyes intense.
“Well,” I muttered. “I guess it’s time.”
Without another word, he stood up and, scooping me up in his arms, walked out of the room. As we passed the living room, we saw Vivienne and Xavier sitting together on the couch.
“You’re going to do it now?” she asked.
Derek nodded.
They both got up and approach us, but Derek shook his head.
“We won’t be needing either of you. I can handle her… whatever state she might be in once she’s turned.”
He rushed out before either of them could respond. We took the elevator down to the ground and he began whipping through the trees. His speed left me struggling to breathe as I tightened my hold around him.
We passed right by the clearing where Vivienne had turned Derek earlier.
“Where are we going?”
“You do realize that this is the last night we’ll both be the way we were when we first met? When I first fell in love with you.”
I nodded as his words sank in.
Derek, a vampire. Me, a human.
We ran along the beach, along the outskirts of the wall, until we reached a cluster of giant boulders. He climbed up over them. After a few minutes, it came into view.
The lighthouse.
All the memories that came with the place washed over me and I had to fight to hold back tears.
He approached it and sped up the stairs. Once we reached the top, he pushed the door open to the cozy circular room and laid me down on the four-poster bed we had brought up here especially for occasions when we took time away from everybody.
He walked around the room, drawing the red velvet curtains and lighting the candles that surrounded the bed.
“I had my fun earlier,” he said, approaching the bed and looking down at me through his dark lashes. “Now this is your night, Sofia. Your fantasy.”
My throat went dry as he removed his shirt, revealing his ripped torso.
“So, baby. What would you like to do first?”
“I… I, uh…”
He cocked his head to one side.
“Sofia Novak tongue-tied? What’s wrong?” He ripped off his jeans in one sudden movement, revealing his underwear. “Do I intimidate you?”
I swallowed hard.
He knelt down on the bed and pushed me back. Crawling over me until his face was above mine, he held my arms over my head.
What is wrong with me? I was breathless as a teenager whose first crush had just walked into the room.
I closed my eyes as his lips found the softest, most sensitive part of my neck, just beneath my ear. He ran his tongue against it, then I sensed the slightest scrape of his fangs.
I exhaled sharply.
“Do you want this, Sofia?” he whispered, reaching behind my back and unzipping my dress.
“Yes,” I breathed.
“Do you really want it?” he asked, pulling the dress over my head and unclasping my bra.
“Yes.”
Gripping the front of my bra between his teeth, he tossed it over his shoulder. Then he lowered his head to my panties and, biting through the elastic, disposed of them too.
“And you want me to do it to you?” he asked, now running his wide palms along my thighs.
“Duh,” I gasped.
The shadow of a smile crossed his lips.
I shivered as he positioned himself over my hips.
“All right,” he whispered. “If you insist.”