Tag: Vampire

Blind Salvation Excerpt…: Kennedy

Kennedy stretched and relaxed back into the toasty warmth provided not only by the comforter that she was wrapped in, but by the arms of the man who had become almost like her guardian in less than 24 hours. She could hear the slow and deep inhales and exhales as he lied beside her with her body folded protectively into his arms; his body completely still and the perfect reprieve from the mundane existence that she had possessed for most of her life. She had never known what it meant to be fully contented, even with all of the amenities that her parent’s success had provided, her lack of sight had always proven to be a hindrance which made her feel like she was living a half-life. However, since the moment this man, Damien had saved her from a torturous and perhaps fatal encounter she finally had the feeling that life had given her a purpose: which meant that she would no longer be a prisoner of the dark.

She moved again, only slightly, desperate to not disturb him, but there was a sudden awakening blooming between her legs. She tried not to think about the way he kissed her with such gentle reverence; he was careful yet deliberate; his lips full and soft and a sensual delicacy that she wanted to secretly devour. No man had ever been successful in gaining her trust let alone her desire. She had grown to accept the possibility of spending the rest of her life alone unwanted and without unconditional love. She assumed that every man she would ever meet would only be able to love her conditionally: as long as she was financially stable he would give her his time and attention; he would feed that private longing of acceptance and when the time came for when he had had his fill she would be back to square one again. And yet, not even a full 24 hours later Damien had done more than earn her trust: he found the secret key to the unlocked chamber hidden beyond the gates of her beating heart.

Relax Kennedy, she thought to herself as she accidentally brushed her behind against the iron rod that protruded lengthily from between his legs. Could that be for me? She chastised herself again for wishful thinking and scooted further into the bed away from his hips. In response, he gripped her waist a little tighter and pulled her in closer, with that iron rod gently pushing, searching for an in, increasing the growing hunger for something a little more primal than food. With his arm around her waist he began to nuzzle the base of her neck and then he began to leave a trail of soft kisses from her neck to shoulder, and as much as Kennedy’s mind screamed for her to tell him to stop she surrendered to his silent demand. His body was calling her and she responded.  And then he began to purr.

The noise was barely audible, but with her eyes being weak her other senses had kicked into overdrive and so she knew what she heard. Strange, yes, she had never heard of a man purring in response to intimacy but hey, she was making noises too. She turned to face him and in the shadowy darkness she could see that internal spark that she knew everyone possessed and could be best identified as the “soul”; but his was not the golden light that she typically saw in regular people, no his was the color of a blue flame and she did not know what to make of it. She did not care. His purring grew louder as he took her mouth and eased his tongue into hers; guiding her, teaching her, showing her all the things that he could do to her if she let him. And she would.

He released her mouth and continued with his trail of kisses down her jugular and before she knew it he ripped her oversized shirt completely off. And then the purring turned into something else. He growled. Not the vicious snarl that one would expect from a dog, more or less like a lion who had its prey in its sights. But for her it was not frightening; it was orgasmic. The fire that lit through her had rocked her to the core. Her core had ripened and after a moment of contract and release the euphoria that flooded her system was maddening. “Don’t leave me,” he whispered huskily as he gently sucked, licked and teased her nipple until she exploded again. “Pleeeeaassse,” she begged. She could not have been sure what it was she was begging for but whatever it was she needed to have it. He slid his hands underneath her and pulled her sweats down and threw them to the floor exposing her. “You honor me,” he said reverently. “Oh God you honor me…” “Please be gentle…I haven’t done this before,” she breathed. Oh how she wished she could see!  He kissed the inside of her thigh before answering. “Don’t worry, I will not take you like this,” he said his voice having deepened. “But I will not leave you lost in this state either.” He kissed the insides of her thighs, sending more shockwaves into her core which reverberated throughout the course of her body, before he plunged in head first. She never knew that her voice could reach a pitch that high, but it did. He kissed, licked and ravished her until she could no longer take it and once she released she felt his body begin to vibrate uncontrollably with hers and they both cried out and he collapsed in a heap next to her. Wow was the only word that came to mind.

Blind Salvation Excerpt Post 3

Kennedy

It was almost noon when Kennedy stretched and yawned and proceeded to drag herself out of bed. What a night. Hubert was already in the living room as if he had been waiting for years for her to awaken. “Morning, Hubert,” she said as cautiously made her way into the kitchen. There was enough light for her to see into the kitchen and her stomach let her know immediately it was time for her to put something in it. Cereal would suffice and thank the Heavens she still had half of a box of Frosted Flakes waiting for her at the top of the fridge. Hubert had snuck up behind and barked, causing her to nearly drop the cereal, letting her know that his bowl was empty. So before she grabbed herself a plastic bowl that she kept in one of the many cabinets that made up the kitchen, she went to the cabinet underneath the sink and reached for a can of Purina and opened it and dumped the contents into his food bowl. She then grabbed his second food bowl which she filled with some of his dry food and last but not least she grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge and gave him some fresh water. “There ya go Hubert,” she said. “Sorry about that…”  It was then that she realized that Marisol was not there and being that her friend knew better than to leave a note, Kennedy thought best to give her a call. She didn’t mean to interrupt Hubert’s feast but she could not settle herself enough to eat without finding out what happened to Marisol. “Hubert,” she commanded. “Phone.”  Slightly disgruntled but obedient Hubert went into parent’s bedroom and retrieved her IPhone 6 and after she took it out of his mouth she patted his head lovingly and said “Good boy. Now go eat.” Hubert wagged his tail happily and then greedily went back to his food. “Siri, dial Marisol.” Kennedy spoke into the receiver of Apple’s best -selling product. “Calling Marisol,” the operating system responded. Marisol picked up on the first ring. “Hey girlie,” she said cheerfully. “Hey Mari, I was just calling to check on you,” Kennedy said as she grabbed a bowl and poured the contents of the cereal box into it. “I know my friend and thank you. I left early this morning because my pops wanted me to handle some business for him. Are you ok?” “Yeah sure, fine I just wanted to make sure you were ok. We had quite a bit of wine last night,” Kennedy chuckled. “Girl I know…I was knocked out cold. I didn’t want to wake you but if it makes you feel any better Hubert escorted me to the door this morning.” Marisol said laughing. “Always the gentlemen,” Kennedy chuckled. “But anyways, Kennedy I won’t be back for another couple of days. My parents have quite a bit of work cut out for me and I need some time to get everything sorted. But call me if you need anything or if you just want to talk.” “Thank you and same to you. I am so glad you are back Mari,” Kennedy said with a sad smile. “Me too. But look I gotta go mamacita. Talk to you later.” “Later,” Kennedy said as she ended the call. “Well Hubert it’s just me and you again today,” She said to the golden retriever who was too busy indulging himself in his food.

It was evening by the time Kennedy had found the resolve needed to head to the market which was a few blocks away. With Hubert leading the way, and her trusty cane, she was not all too concerned with the journey. All that she needed was a few things: some milk, bread, body wash and a couple of T.V. dinners and snacks and then she would be good to go. Dressed in some DKNY skinny jeans, a pair of black UGGS, and matching turtleneck and leather jacket she was good to go. She allowed her braids to hang loosely and she covered her eyes with a pair of dark sunglasses she bought at the mall a few years ago. She did not feel like “looking into the souls” of passerby’s along the way. She just wanted to get in and get out without any hassles-not that she was anticipating anything in particular but the point it she wanted to be inside before it was too late.

Of course Hubert was the center of attention in the local Safeway. All of the clerks knew him and random customers could not help being drawn to the laid back retriever. Hubert took all of the attention in stride and Kennedy could not be more proud. Once her groceries were paid for, she was out the door with Hubert leading the way. She was minutes away from her house when the catcalls started, and it was not long before she could sense the presence of more than one man looming behind her. “Hey baby, looking good tonight,” one shouted loud enough for the world to hear but close enough for her body to tense up. Hubert could sense her uneasiness and stopped where he was and turned around and growled and snarled at the assailants who simply laughed in devious glee. “Awww wook at da widdle doggee,” A man with a deep voice teased. “Baby girl wanna have some fun tonight?” Came another deep voice. Kennedy began to nervously tug at Hubert’s leash hoping for an easy retreat. “Its ok,” she said nervously. “We don’t want any problems.” Hubert’s barking became more incessant as she could sense the perpetrators move in closer. “Man fuck that dog,” one of the men snapped. “Get her!” Before she knew it she dropped her bags as one of the men kicked Hubert sending him whimpering. “Hubert!” She cried as she used her cane to swipe at the men. They laughed when they realized she couldn’t see where she was going. “This is going to be easy,” one man said as he grabbed ahold of her cane and snatched it out of her grip. Another came from behind and grabbed her by the waist when she heard the violent scream of another and sounds of flesh being torn from flesh. The man who grabbed her cane knocked her to the ground and she hit the pavement with a hard thud. “Hubert!” she called completely terrified and only slightly dazed. She cursed herself for being blind and she felt the familiar nuzzle of her wounded pet letting her know she was ok. “Hubert we have to get out of here.” But the dog wouldn’t move and when she tried to get up he used his 150 pound weight to sit on top of her to keep her down. She knew instinctively that Hubert was protecting her but she couldn’t help but wonder what made him do that. She could hear more screams and the crack and snap of bones being broken and she covered her ears.  It felt like an eternity before Hubert got off of her and as she remained crouched low on the ground she felt another presence staring down at her. “Please don’t hurt me,” she whimpered. “I won’t,” came the silky deep voice of a man that sounded nothing like the perverts that attacked her. “My name is Damien,” he said. “Take my hand.” She reached up to the dark shadowy figure’s outstretched hand and he hoisted her up with no effort on his part. “Do you need medical assistance?” He asked with concern. “I-I-I-I’m ok,” she stammered. “Some punks attacked me and my dog and-“ “They shall hurt you no more. They are gone. Are these your groceries?” It took her a second to process that question. “Yes, yes they are. But could you hand them to me please? I am blind and-““ No need to explain. I can see that. I will gather them for you. Here,” Damien said handing her her cane and Hubert’s leash. “Here is your cane and your dog’s leash. You have a good dog. He is very brave. He risked his life for yours.” She gladly took the cane and his leash. “I owe him my life,” she said reverently. “How injured is he? I heard the bastard kick him.” She started to cry.  Hubert nuzzled her, communicating that he was as shaken as she was but otherwise ok. “He is just fine. No visible injuries. I think he is just a little shaken but he is fine. Let me walk you guys home.” “No! That is fine,” she stammered. “We can take it from here…” “I can understand your apprehension but believe me if I wanted to hurt you I would have. I cannot walk away without making sure that you and Mr. Hubert are ok.” Damien gave her a minute to allow what he said to sink in and when it did, Hubert barked in agreement and she meekly gave him the ok with a slight nod. He grabbed both of her bags and motioned for Hubert to lead the way, in which of course of he did.

“By the way what is your name lovely lady?” Damien said as he walked side by side Kennedy the rest of the way to her home. “My name is Kennedy. Thank you so much for doing this.” “Where is your husband Kennedy?” “I am not married.” “Then where is your boyfriend?” “I don’t have one.” “Girlfriend?” Kennedy had to laugh at that one. “I’m not gay.” “Well lover?” “Uh no.” “Escort?” Kennedy laughed again. “Uh-uh.” “Confidante?” “It’s just me and Hubert in the world.” She said softly. “Oh, do you have any friends that could comfort you in this moment of crisis?” What an odd question, she thought. “Yes, but they are busy.” “I don’t think you should be alone.” Damien said plainly. “Yeah well, sometimes a person doesn’t have much of a choice.” “Well do you want me to call your family?” He said with increasing concern. Kennedy sighed. “My parents are dead. I have no one.” Hubert came to a stop right in front of her two story home. “Well this is it,” she said with a sigh. My parents are dead… Damien could not let that last statement go. She was really alone in the world. “This is your home? It looks quite lovely. I love brownstone houses…” Damien said unsure of what else to say. “Thank you. I guess the appropriate thing to do is to invite you in for some coffee. Hubert seems to have taken a liking to you. I guess he is as grateful as I am,” she smiled. And that is when he noticed her perfection: her smile. It was so big and welcoming and made him feel…whole. Strange. “I would love too,” he said with an all too big grin. “In exchange for your coffee I could help you put away your groceries.” Damien gently patted Hubert on the head. “Good boy,” he said to the dog who barked in acknowledgement. “You don’t have to do that. Once inside I know my way around and Hubert helps me. But, come in and have a seat.” Kennedy said as she dug for her keys and opened the door. Damien smiled brightly as he was thankful that she could not see blood stains on his powder blue top.  He followed them inside and shut the door.

Blind Salvation Excerpt…

Damien

Damien sat parked in front of the monolithic mansion that happened to be his parent’s not so humble abode. Yes he was of royal blood but damn it was the only mansion of its size in Bridgewood. They would have been better off living in Beverly Hills where they would have been able to fit right in with the narcissistic and self- indulgent celebrities and plastic surgeons that took up residency in that superficial town. But his parents had an air of arrogance and regality that put even people like Kanye West and Kim Kardashian to shame. They insisted that they not even breathe the same air as those miserable and feeble minded humans. His father, who happened to be the King of their bloodline, even went as far as to threaten to eradicate every last one of those so called celebrities that lived within a 20 mile radius of their home. And so Bridgewood was the choice.

Of course, they had the mansion built a hundred years before Bridgewood blossomed into existence and simply made renovations to every decade or so to ensure that it is appropriately modernized. Flash-forward to present time, the Bridgewood Estate as it has been dubbed in the local paper had over a hundred rooms and every amenity known to human and vampire. Every once in a while some nosy reporter will come knocking at the gate demanding an interview with the owner only to either never be seen again or his memory scrubbed which has protected the family for centuries. Now, the mansion has become the focal point of many horror stories both published and produced on the big screen and sometimes Damien wished his family would just return to the Old Country where everything was simpler and less complicated.

Damien sighed. He was still hungry but after abandoning the blind woman to her own devices, he decided to just go home. He could eat there because his mother kept a room full of willing participants that would be more than happy to quench his thirst. His parents could not figure out why he felt the need to go out and hunt at all when their staff supplied them with everything they could ever need or want. But nothing could replace freedom.  His thoughts went back to the blind woman and made a mental note to return the following night. He entered in the code to the gate and drove his very expensive 2015 custom painted blood red BMW in and went straight to the underground carport.

The underground carport was a quarter of a mile west onto the estate, beneath a row of various trees and greenery that made their back yard look like a damn forest. He parked into the discreetly marked driveway and pushed the button on his phone and became as still as a statue as he and his car slowly began to submerge into the ground. It was two minutes before his car was safely parked in the cavernous underground that looked more like one of those subway stations in New York. His father’s luxury car collection was parked down there along with his mother’s black Lexus. His sister’s car was the same model as his only hers was white and he unintentionally parked right next to hers. Great. Lucinda was home.

20 feet away was the elevator that took him straight to the first level of the big house. His room was on the third floor, way at the far end and overlooking the trees. He needed to get away from everyone and everything right now. It was simply one of those days. Or nights. Whatever. Once on the first level, he walked quickly in hopes of bypassing his father’s office only for his attempt to be thwarted when his father called his name. Begrudgingly, he went inside, dreading whatever it was father felt important enough to tell him. “Yes Father?” He said stepping foot into the immaculately kept room that was filled with books, a coffee table, a desk with a matching leather seat, desktop computer with a fax machine and colored printer. The color scheme was crimson and gold, his family’s colors and behind the desk sat the undisputed King: his father, Hadrian.

Hadrian was a menacing looking vampire and his looks matched his talents. His hair was kept in a long single braid and the color of a raven like Damien’s. Instead of dark blue, his eyes were an abysmal black and a long scar extended across his face from left eye to the right side of his jaw and whoever was fortunate enough to claim that victory was no longer walking this earth. He never retracted the four inch fangs that he used many a time to rip out the throats of enemies and prey and Hadrian, despite the deep scar still remained youthful. Even at 700 years, not a single white hair. He was as tall as Damien but his brawn was much wider and thickly muscled. He was a warrior back in his prime and which lead to the many disagreements that he had with his son.  “I have made arrangements for you to marry Stefan’s daughter, Guinevere by next spring. It is time you started taking your role in life more seriously and the next step is to bring more strong vampires into the world by birth and not those pesky little night crawlers that for whatever reason keep popping up through your bite. I told you to be careful with that son…humans and their immune systems are weak and disease prone. We cannot have our food populations diminish because you can’t remember to kill them afterward.” Hadrien waited for Damien’s response and after it dawned on him what was being demanded from him Damien exploded. “I don’t want to marry that simple minded twit of a vampire! She has the personality of a rock and there is nothing we have in common. Why can’t you marry off Lucinda to some schmooze who is desperate for the throne-“ “You will marry Guinevere or suffer the consequences of failing to do so! By law you are to marry who I tell you to marry because you are our bloodline’s future king Damien! I should have married you off a hundred years ago. I think I have given you enough time to live as you want but you have responsibilities to attend to.”  “I care not for the throne father and you know it.” Hadrian glared at his son who glared back. Damien could be as stubborn as him sometimes but this was serious. He would hate to have to punish his son for failing to follow his orders but unfortunately he knew that was what he was going to have to do. “You have 24 hours to come to a decision Damien and I expect it to be the right decision.” Damien stormed out of the office without another word. There was no way around his father. They could argue from sun up to sun down and nothing would change. His father’s word was final. Hadrian returned to his seat in front of the computer screen and continued responding to his emails without a second thought.

Damien marched down the winding corridors to another elevator that led to his room. Out of all the vampire females his father could have set him up with it had to be Stefan’s daughter? His father must have owed that tired old coffin a serious favor because Guinevere was at the bottom of the social barrel when it came to bloodlines. Sure she was easy on the eye with jet black hair that she wore hanging loosely to her waistline. Yes she had eyes that shown like emeralds and soft alabaster skin. But she was a fashion failure; all of that beauty and could not figure out what to do with it. And no grace to go with any of it. She barely uttered a word and was basically the laughing stock of his race and he was being forced to wed her? Damien shook his head. His father said he had 24 hours to come to a decision, so Damien figured it would be best to make the most of the 24 hours. But first he needed to feed. He made a quick right to one of the many rooms bypassing the servant quarters, then the kitchen and finally to his destination: the Blood Room. Yanking out a set of keys from his navy blue slacks that he bought from Nordstroms, he unlocked the door. On all four walls in the secluded room hung at least 30 humans of varying ages, races, and gender. They were barely alive, having only being fed though intravenously and some of them were slipping in and out of consciousness. In the beginning they were willing participants, until the realization that they would never see the light of day again and then terror struck and all hope dissipated. This was almost more cruel than stalking a victim and brutally sending them to their death. Waiting to die was much more torturous. He selected the Goth chick with the smeared dark make up and short black hair. Like the rest of them she was nude and semiconscious. Her body was not image perfect: she was disproportionate, and he could tell that she was not really meticulous when it came to personal hygiene. She had scars on both of her wrists from frequent cutting which made Damien not feel so guilty about what he needed to do. Not that he ever felt guilty about having to feed, but with this victim, he could tell that death was what she wanted. What she craved. And he was going to give it to her. He didn’t bother to unchain her, he bit her right where she hung. The strike was swift and hard and she screamed out in shock and horror awaking the other humans who were awaiting the same fate. They screamed and struggled against their chains in terror but to no avail. Once he was finished, he left the now dead Goth right where he found her. He ignored the panic stricken cries from the remaining 29 victims and wiped his mouth. He needed to freshen up first and then he would return to that two story flat where the blind woman and the dog resided.

New Novel Following The Family Curse: Blind Salvation

Chapter One

There was something about being blind that gave Kennedy an advantage that people with sight could not possess: the ability to see into people’s souls. It was a strange phenomenon really, and Kennedy had not been able to figure out what it was until her dying grandmother informed her that it was a gift to compensate for what had been stolen from her. Her sight. Kennedy was not totally blind. She was on the border of being legally blind. She could make out shapes, and shadows and some images but her eye sight could best be compared to a dim light: barely enough light to see what was in front of her but enough to prevent her from being surrounded in total darkness. And thankfully, she had her golden retriever, a guide dog, Hubert to help her along the way.

Sitting at the edge of a park bench located in the Downton area of Bridgewood, a mid-sized city barely noticeable on a map and yet, ironically loaded with stories of the supernatural, the abnormal and the twisted. California had hundreds of cities that made this enormous state what it was, but unlike Los Angeles, or even San Francisco where a nobody could become a somebody virtually overnight; where there was the superficial promise of glitz and glamor mixed in with the fear of the criminal element topped with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Bridgewood had its own appeal. It is the city where SyFy channel producers probe for stories of the undead and ghastly apparitions; where the die-hard vampire fanatics took up residence and formed their own covens in hopes of a chance encounter with a blood sucker; where the outcasts come to find acceptance and where the spiritually dead seek Purgatory. And Bridgewood was her home.

Like every city, town and locale there of course were schools, hospitals, police and fire departments; bars and local eateries, homes for every income level; shopping centers, malls…etc… Bridgewood did have a couple of junior colleges and one university that had a well-respected nursing program: Bridgewood University. So, the city did have a sense of normalcy. However, the mysterious air of the paranormal cloaked the city like an invisible fog, and as much as Kennedy loved the city, she found herself wondering why her parents had decided to move here 30 years ago.

With Hubert plopped down comfortably at her feet, she took in what little visual she could muster from her surroundings. The sun had begun to set, in a slow descend beneath the horizon leaving a trail of orange and pink and purple as a promise of its return. Children were still laughing and playing even this late in the evening with the crisp Autumn chill penetrating her beige sweater causing her to slightly shudder. She listened to the playful sounds of children running and playing in their attempts to hold on to their remaining moments of childhood freedom. It was nice. Kennedy found herself wishing for a childhood of running, chasing, jumping, without fear of bumping into someone or something or worse. And, now as the approaching holidays made their presence known with the advertisement of Thanksgiving specials and Black Friday Deals, Kennedy remembered that she was now alone in the world. Her parents dead; family distant; no siblings and hardly any friends. Someone might be courteous enough to give her a call on Thanksgiving and Christmas but no invite. Her mother died from cancer and her father of a heart attack, possibly from grief, and all in the same year which was in 2009, five years ago. Moreover, it made no sense to wish for a childhood where at least her parents were alive and well when in the present she was utterly alone. She patted Hubert gently on his side indicating she was ready to go home. He barked in response and as she grabbed a hold of his leash, she reached for her walking stick and bid farewell to the park. She would not be returning.

The walk home was brief and uneventful. Hubert led the way because with the encroaching darkness the shadows bled into one which made the darkness seem- all consuming. She lived in the same two story flat that she grew up in. Fortunately both of her parents had been successful in real estate; and through their success accrued a vast amount of wealth that not only made her childhood comfortable and bearable but now which is what she survived off of. As a matter of fact they were the most successful African Americans in the business when they were alive. She did receive her monthly disability check which is what she used to pay for her basic expenses, but for anything indulgent she used what her parents had left her.

With little difficulty she retrieved her keys from her pocket and struggled just a little with gloved hands to open the door. Hubert barked and then pushed the door open making room for both of them to enter. Closing the door behind her and releasing Hubert’s leash she had a strange sensation that she was being watched but quickly shrugged it off. Hubert jumped onto the wall nearest the kitchen with his nose flicked the lights on. It was bright enough for her to not have to be entirely dependent on the dog. Hubert then ran upstairs and proceeded to do the same thing in every room in the house (including the bathroom) so that she could have some independence. “Good boy!” She praised as Hubert quickly returned panting heavily and nudging her gently for a scratch behind the ears. She continued to pet the dog until he had his fill of affection and then he turned around and strolled to his favorite place by the heater and plopped down on one of the many extra- large pillows she covered the living room floor with.  Kennedy dropped her keys on the glass dining room table her parents had bought over a decade ago and removed her black and grey scarf, tossing it next to her keys. Running her fingers through her braided hair, she could not think of what to do next. Television was out of the question, she could barely see what was on the screen and she most definitely not listening to the radio. That made her feel antiquated. She sighed. “I need a life. I need a friend. I need SOMETHING!”  Hubert barked as if to remind her that he was her friend, and she shook her head at the dog. “I love you Hubert,” she said feeling suddenly exhausted. “But some days I do not feel human.”  Using her cane she took a seat on one of the three funny looking metal bar stools her mother purchased from one of those futuristic furniture stores and slipped her boots off.  “I’ll be in the room Hubert,” she said to the dog who again barked in response as if to say “Ok.”  Grabbing her cane she slid off of the stool and felt her way down the hall to what used to be her parent’s bedroom and collapsed on the King sized bed that they once used. “I need a change in my life,” she mumbled into the blankets. “A drastic change…” And little did she know that a drastic change was on its way.

Another Excerpt From: The Family Curse

Chapter 5

I awoke to the gentle sound of an A.C., while draped in the soft cushiony warmth of blue and black comforter. I sat up to witness the low light of a fire crackling in a fireplace. Nino was dressed in a pair of black pajama pants and nothing else while sitting across from me on a leather love seat. He smiled sheepishly at me as the realization of what transpired hit me like a ton of bricks. There are no words to describe my humiliation. “You had me worried for a second,” he said as he got up to approach the bed. “This is sooo embarrassing.” I say as I bury my face in the pillow. “No, it’s not. That was…” “It was what?”  “Intense. I didn’t know that you could do that. I always knew my love making skills were top notch, but you took both us to new heights.” Whatchoo talkin’ bout Willis? “Huh?” I remove my face from the pillow to face him. “You basically dematerialized both of us and then rematerialized us as you climaxed. In all of my years I have never experienced anything like that. It was terrifyingly exhilarating. And in the process you were glowing so brightly I wasn’t sure if you were literally going to combust.” “But I passed out.” “Yes, but not before you did all that and then some…and I have always managed to control myself with you but sweetheart you caused me to drop fang do something that I said I would never do…” “You bit me,” I sat up, still covering myself with the blankets having realized that I am still naked. “But, it’s alright…I’m ok. Really.” I place my hand on the spot where he bit me and I could feel the puncture wounds. It felt awesome at the time when he did it, but now I can feel it. It was sore as hell and slightly swollen. “I am immune so don’t worry. I kind of forced you to.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what the consequences are for that…I mean I feel different, but in a good way. I feel stronger and reenergized. But I will not take from you like that again. You have my word.” “Nino, I am fine. I can cover it with a band aid and some make up. And besides, I wanted it just as much as you…” I kiss his cheek. “So, where am I?”  In your new home.” Nino smiled at me sheepishly. Did he just say what I think he just said? “Uh, what?”  “A man tells his woman that she is in her new house and you have nothing to say?” I don’t know if that was a statement of pure sarcasm or if he felt a little disappointed in my lack of response or a combination of both. I needed a second to take everything in. Before our cosmic love making session on the beach he told me that he was giving me a house; and before I became a walking glow stick in the restaurant he gave me his heart. I gently reach over and touch that smooth, cleanly shaven, olive skin of his and place my lips gently on his. There are no words to describe how much I love this man-how much I need him. He returns what I offer but with much more intensity and that fire that I always keep on a slow burn ignites once again into a raging flame. He yanks the covers off of me exposing my naked, brown skin and I desperately want him to cover me with his. His body is built like a tightly coiled spring: lean and full of power.  Our bodies intertwine and he nuzzles the other side of my neck indicating that he wants more…he wants in…But then he kisses my shoulder and in an instant is off of me and slipping on a pair of grey sweats while at the same time giving me a lopsided grin. His sweats do little to cover a massive erection and I tremble at the thought of all the things I could do to it; and it to me. “Why must you do this to me babe?” I whine as a drape the comforter back over my body. “Because I really want you to see the interior of the house…” Before I could even blink he disappears through a pair of French doors and reemerges with a short, silk black robe and holds it out for me to see. “Here,” he says. “Put this on. I will have to eh…replace the clothes that you had on earlier today. We had to leave in a bit of a hurry.” He chuckles while he hands me the robe and I clumsily slip it on. I don’t even bother acknowledge his amusement because it is too embarrassing to think about.

Taking my hand he leads the way down a corridor which then leads to one of those Gone with the Wind type of staircases. Everything about the house was modern; the décor was of course a black and white theme with accents of red and gold dispersed sporadically in various paintings, vases, and other odds and ends that bring out the character of the house. The house was small compared to the monoliths and overpriced mansions that the ridiculously wealthy loved to splurge their abundance of riches on. But nonetheless, I love it. I love every inch; every nook and cranny; every centimeter of the four bedroom two story house that now belonged to me. The kitchen is a professional chef’s dream, with a state of the art oven and stove, a fridge cold enough to freeze over Antarctica and wide enough to store food for several winters. My mother would lose her ever lovin’ goddess mind if she ever stepped foot in here. I myself am not much of a cook but my dear mother can throw down in the kitchen. I would love for her to see it. I think if she saw how much Nino loves me and what he is willing to do for me, she will love him as much as I do. But, I cannot think about that now.

All I can think about is how fabulously well -furnished each room is; how carefully decorated; and my favorite room in the house is the last bedroom which happened to be turned into a mini library. Nino is the only man I have ever dated who appreciates my love of books. Since the day that I met him he has kept me well stocked with my favorite authors while at the same time introducing me to new ones. And, now here I stand in a room filled with bookshelves, and queen sized bed with several hefty pillows stacked on top of it, and placed smack dab in the center of it all. And when Nino drew back the sun colored drapes and allowed the last few rays of the sun soak up the room, the visual itself was an offering of complete serenity. Instinctively I wrap myself into Nino’s already welcoming embrace and we stand that way for what should have been an eternity.

Once the sun is set and it is the stars’ turn to light the sky Nino asks,” Will you accept?” “Do you really have to ask?” I smile. “Hell yeah I accept! What woman would not?” “Then will you at least move in with me? I want you with me all the time and I hate dropping you off to be alone in-don’t take this personal- that tiny apartment of yours.” “Hey,” I gently poke him in his ribcage. “That is still my apartment you know…” Feigning annoyance I pull away from him and turn around with my back to him. “I don’t know…” “What? Why?” Nino stuttered. “It is just that I like my tiny apartment…and then there is my job. Nino, what you are asking is to give up the little that I worked hard for. What I have is mine. I don’t know what the future holds-“ “ I will give anything to have you with me when the sun rises and when the sun sets Rita,” Nino says as he wraps his arms around my waist from behind. “I have waited for a woman like you for hundreds of years and I refuse to live another second with her living alone without me. The house is in your name so you can do what you want with it at your will. I will never override your need for independence. But, if I am willing to give you and have given you everything a man could give to a woman he needs as much as his own breath, all I ask is one simple request: say yes.” For the first time in my 28 years of existence, instead of listening to the screaming voices in my head offering me valid reasons why I should say no; I go with the beating voice in my heart… I say: ”Yes Nino. Yes. Should I call my job and quit over the phone or give them a two week resignation notice?” He unties the black robe and watches it as it slides from my shoulders and onto the floor and stares at me greedily. I want to be devoured.  So, I take it that the answer to my question is a very loud no. I won’t need any make-up for tomorrow

.Artemis The Family Curse will be available December 25, 2014.