I felt myself being moved gently then a little while later I felt arms come around me. I was lifted off the soft mound created by my jacket and Nicolas' shirt. Remembering what we had done, I opened my eyes just enough to see that he was carrying me back to his truck. It was still dark out with the moon beaming down on us brightly illuminating his face perfectly.
How he managed to get the door open while carrying me bridal style was a mystery but the next thing I know he was placing me on the seat gently pecking my lips as he fastened the seat belt across me. I love his lips. I can admit that now that I've felt them in every way possible and because I love them so much, my mind automatically made me kiss him back.
"I didn't mean to wake you." he whispered against them creating a path of goosebumps along my arms.
"You honestly expected me to sleep through you seducing me?"
He laughed lightly rubbing his open palms against my thighs. It was a casual movement yet it was sweet and sensual. The longer he touched me, stared into my eyes, and kissed me so sweetly I felt like a lover. Like his lover and it sent my heart soaring.
"I have not yet begun to seduce you, Querida, but when I do I'm sure your heart will be beating much faster than it is now." Leaning forward he brushed the tip of my nose with his own, "Go back to sleep now."
"Why? What if I want to stay up with you?"
He laughed again but this time there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes and the hands that were on my thighs were now inching up toward my center. "I plan to keep you up for the remainder of the night so you would be wise to rest now." His lips were now back against mine with his tongue and both fangs rolling across them. He moved slowly up my jaw and down my neck reigniting the fire I thought he'd put out in the field. "After we retrieve some of your things you will be locked in my bedroom with me until your body is so sensitive that a kiss to your toes will initiate an orgasm."
I felt him suck the skin at the base of my neck between his lips before he pulled back with a wink, closing the door. I took that time to get my breathing and hormones under control. If I fail to do one or the other, he and I will never make it to my apartment. Looking behind me into the back seat as he slid into the driver's seat, I laughed at the idea of us starting the party early back there.
Breathing and hormones...hormones and naughty thoughts.
All need and want for sleep had been lost after he kissed me. Now my mind was going over the many things he wanted to do but ever so often, I'd question that feeling I had when we were laying in each other's arms. I not only felt like someone was watching us but I felt like the presence was hostile. If they were in fact hostile, why had they not approached us? Was it another vampire that had been attracted by my scent and decided not to attack me because Nicolas was there, or something else drawn in by the sounds we were making?
I shouldn't be thinking about that when I have a good reason to smile and be happy beside me. Especially after his hand comes over the center console and holds onto mine. What he said to me about Simone makes me feel a lot better about there being a real "us" now. I feel like I don't have to worry about him just using me to get Simone back nor looking at me and seeing her. He understands that I am Rayne with Simone's memories; the mental keeper of his past and hopefully the creator of his future.
"Hopefully?" I glanced at him curiously. "There is no question that you're my future, Rayne."
"Ok, how in the hell did you--Oh don't tell me you can read my mind now!"
The laugh I was genuinely beginning to love sounded through the car, "I can now that I've had your blood. Don't worry though Querida, I will not intrude often."
"Often, huh?"
Nicolas smiled keeping his eyes on the road ahead, "I've learned through Armand and Claud that this ability comes to good use when your partner is unhappy with you and refuses to talk."
"Well, I can tell you right now that listening in on me when I'm upset with you won't make anything better."
"And I can tell you mi amor, that I am very persuasive. You will not stay mad at me for very long." He gave my hand a little squeeze grinning a little brighter to the point that I could see his fangs gleaming under the streetlights. For some reason that made me think of that little piece of paper that had the resurrection spell on it. If that was truly responsible for why things are, why I am, then why am I just now having these memories verses having them when I met Nicolas before.
"Resurrection spell?" So much for him not listening in on me often.
"I was doing some research...on you," I paused to gauge his reaction, "and I came across a small piece of old paper with a resurrection spell on it. The Library said she thought it might be connection to Simone's midwife."
Nicolas smiled warmly, "Anna. So this her doing." he shook his head his smile growing by the second. "She figured out what I had become the day we buried Simone and my son. She kept telling me 'recordar a amar'. That I would need to remember how to love for I would find it again. It is no surprise to me that she would've made up such a spell."
"But how? I mean, you said we met before so why didn't this happen then? What's different?" I was watching him for any kind of reaction but to true to his calm nature, there wasn't one. He did seem to be deep in though...either that or really focused on driving. "Nicolas?"
"My blood. The day before I took your memory you were hurt and I needed to heal you. To do so I gave you a large amount of my blood. Much more than when I attempted to blood bond with you."
"You attempted to what?"
"Nothing mi amor." His bright smile returned full force. In that moment he reminded me of the Nicolas I saw in those visions with Simone. He looked boyish; his smile reminding me of a teenager who'd almost incriminated himself in front of his parents but came up with a quick cover to save his ass.
I kept my eyes narrowed on him every second after that and each time he glanced at me he grinned. When we pulled up in front of my apartment building he got out and opened the door for me, kissing my cheek as I hopped out. He stood back leaning against the truck so I took that as he was planning to wait for me down here while I collected a few things. My whole way up to my place I was making a mental list of what I needed and also questioned how much I needed. If we were going to be naked the whole time--which is perfectly fine with me--then all I need is a few changes of clothes and plenty of underwear. I smiled at the idea of his actually ripping a pair off of me.
My smile decreased the moment I stepped off the elevator though. An uneasy feeling crept over me that I could not place. Suddenly I was wishing Nicolas had come up with me. Against my better judgment I pulled out my keys, shoved it into the lock and turned the knob slowly. Using my hand to locate the light switch on the wall I was still pretty much standing in the lit hallway so I didn't notice the foul odor until I moved in a little closer.
Once the lights flipped on I pushed the door open without going in. I didn't see anything right away but that feeling of unease was getting stronger and stronger. Get in and get out. That was all I had to do. Using one of the potted plants that was by the door to keep it open just in case I needed to run out, I took a few steps forward. I was smacked in the face by the pungent stink of something rotting.
Placing my hand over my mouth was a failing reflex to keep myself from gagging but it wasn't working. That was enough for me. I backed up with the intent to go back to Nicolas and tell him something was wrong but stopped dead in my tracks when I noticed what looked like a trail of blood on the other side of my couch going into my bedroom.
I've seen far too many scary movies to pull a stupid move such as the one I'm about to pull but curiosity is winning the battle over what I should do. Cautiously I moved toward the couch. What I was seeing was in fact blood and what I couldn't hear when I was standing by the door was my shower running. Since my bedroom door was still open I could see in their partially and what I saw was enough to send me running out of there and down the stairs rather than to the elevator. I flew down them like a fire had been lit under my ass, into the awaiting arms of Nicolas who was apparently on his way up to me.
"What was it Rayne?" he asked me repeatedly but I was a little too shaken up to speak at first. "Querida," he said in a much softer tone, this time reaching me through my fear and shock, "somehow you're blocking me from your thoughts so I need you to tell me what just happened?"
I pulled back from him while keeping my fists balled up in his shirt. I vaguely heard him ask me a second time what I saw when I started to shake and a voice I didn't even recognize came out of me. "Blood. There is blood all over my bed and what looks like some kind of head."