Chapter 6.

James helped me back to my room. I had a hard time getting dressed.

Packing on ten pounds in less than an hour will cause even the most prepared of girls to have clothing issues. I finally decided on a pair of blue jeans that laced up the front instead of b.u.t.toning. I grabbed a white tunic that tied in the front and put it on too. I debated on wearing a bra under it, and finally decided not to. My b.r.e.a.s.t.s were feeling a little sore.

I headed downstairs and expected to find that Pallo had left, but to mysurprise he and Caradoc were closing all of the green wooden shutters on the house. We had to do that every time the guys came to stay with me, the bas.e.m.e.nt of the farm house was a little less than cozy, it was small and smelled funny, and they couldn't very well sleep in an open room. If the curtain slipped a crack and allowed sunlight in, they would burst into flames. No, that simply wouldn't do.

I shrugged and went to find James. I found him in the kitchen making some scrambled eggs. They smelled delicious and I knew they were for me. I'd never seen Pallo or Caradoc eat and James wasn't too fond of breakfast foods. His tastes went more towards junk food.

I sat down at the table and poured myself a gla.s.s of orange juice. The smell of eggs made my mouth water. James had outdone himself, as usual. I glanced up at him, I just really loved being around him. I wanted to head into town and wished he could come with me. It would be fun to spend the day with him. He had a way about him. Carefree. Funny. Caring.

"Sometimes ... well most of the time, I wish you weren't a vampire." As I said it, I knew it had come out all wrong.

He turned and c.o.c.ked a dark eyebrow at me. He looked so silly with blue hair. I almost laughed. "What? You don't want to be around me?" he asked with a blank look on his face.

"No, what I mean is I wish you could come hang out with me today, that's all. The whole vampire-no-sun-thing kind of gets in the way ... I wonder if we got you some of that baby sunscreen, the kind with the SPF of like a million, if that would work." Smiling at him, I waited for my eggs.

James' crisp blue gaze raked over me. He looked so serious. I wasn't sure if I liked that look on him. "You know, Gwyneth, I am a vampire and I am not one of your girlfriends. I do not think it is wise for us to be spending so much time together. It would be better if we cooled it for a while." He did not elaborate further, as if his statement had explained everything, all it did was leave me confused.

At first, I was hurt by the sudden change in his demeanor. He'd been so jovial with me less than an hour ago. Why the sudden need to pull back from me? We'd not had an argument, at least not one I was aware of anyway. I'm sure he was still catching some much flack from Pallo on ourfriendship but still. Then it hit me. He never called me Gwyneth. No, I got hot-cakes, sweet-lips, sugar-buns, love, and occasionally Gwen, but never Gwyneth, that was reserved only for Pallo.

In fact, the majority of his statement sounded exactly like something Pallo would say. James had been ordered by Pallo to distance himself from me! That was such a Pallo thing to do. My blood boiled. I would not accept any more interference from him. I'd had my limit.

"I'll be back in a minute," I said to James, pushing my seat away from the table and standing quickly. I headed towards the kitchen doorway.

"Gwen, don't go p.i.s.sin' him off more. Leave it be. There are only a couple hours before daylight comes, let him sleep it off. When he gets up, you're free to have at him, and if we're lucky we'll get to listen in. I always love hearing you get your panties in a bunch." James got an odd look on his face, and then smiled.

"What the h.e.l.l's so funny?"

He gaze slid down to my lower half and he chuckled. "I was just picturin'

your red silkies bunched up, that's all."

I ignored him and headed outside to talk with Pallo. Stepping out and onto the porch made me second guess the whole tunic idea. I was cold enough as it was--being out at this time of the night, felt like winter.

I rubbed my hands together and cupped them over my mouth to try to warm them. It didn't work.

I headed down the wooden steps and felt the frost on my bare feet. I picked up the pace a little. Running around to the side of the house, I saw Caradoc levitating high off the ground. Guess I did expect that, I mean he had to close the second story shutters somehow, right? Still, I was a little taken a back. I was going to call up to him when something caught my attention across the yard, near the edge of the woods. I turned and looked, expecting it to be a troll. We'd had a little infestation problem with trolls a couple months back. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I realized that it was only Pallo standing at the edge of the woods with his back to me.

My feet were so cold they were burning. I looked at the amount of wet,cold gra.s.s I had to cover to get to him. I sucked in a big breath and made a run for it. Each step felt more like needles shooting through the soles of my feet and a lot less like gra.s.s. I had thought he would turn around. Vampires had amazing hearing and weren't sneaked up on often. I was close enough to touch him. Putting my cold hand out, I tapped his shoulder.

Pallo swung his arm around and I braced myself for impact but his hand stopped right next to my head. I let my breath out. He looked surprised to see me, guess it was possible to sneak up on them after all. Not smart, but at least possible. I was beginning to think they were invincible. It was nice to know they weren't perfect either.

"We need to talk," I said to him. I moved my legs back and forth a little, trying to get some body heat built up. It didn't work. I tried blowing on my hands again. That didn't help any. "Can we do this inside, please?"

"Gwyneth," he said as he let his hand touch my face gently, running it down my cheek slowly. I closed my eyes and leaned my face against his seemingly warm palm.

"Pallo." I took a step towards him and he stood his ground. The smell of vanilla with a hint of chamomile came to me. He owned expensive colognes ,.

I'd seen them, but he knew I preferred him to smell sweeter, more like himself. I knew that he did this for me and it made my heart heavy. My body craved him, even though my mind said he was wrong.

My belly was still sensitive but it seemed to calm with just the touch of his hand. "I'm tired of fighting with you. I don't care anymore about what happened. I just want to stop this. Forbidding James from hanging out with me isn't going to solve anything. It's just going to tick me off more and we've had enough of that."

"Ah, I see. Did James tell you I did this?"

"No, he didn't have to. I know you and I know how you can get."

He nodded his head. "Yes, I am sure you would like to think you know me well. I must confess I did suggest that James try to curb your new found want for his friendship. We are all aware of your self-control, or lackthere of. It is not wise for us to continue to taunt you with a man you have yet to f.u.c.k. Such a temptation could not possibly be left untouched by you. And as loyal as James is to me, he would still be foolish enough to test me on this. His attempt at playing the hero earlier proved as much."

That did it. I was p.i.s.sed--again. Pallo had a way of bringing out my temper. "G.o.d, you know, you really have some nerve. You parade in here to 'save the day' and pick up the pieces, but you never bothered to come prior to this. I don't know what you want from me. You got s.e.x, or excuse me ... f.u.c.ked. Someone who says that has no intention of being my friend, Pallo." I glared at him. "You never call ... you don't even answer my calls. You expect me to field all my questions through James and Caradoc, then are surprised to find me getting close to him ... err ... them."

"Him?" He glanced back towards the house. "Would I be right to a.s.sume that James is the one you singled out?"

I'd had enough of him. I was freezing and he was being a jerk. "Yeah, you'd be right to a.s.sume that. I like James. There I admit it. He's my friend, in fact, he's moving up the chain fast. Soon he'll be campaigning for top spot on my buddy list. h.e.l.l, I'll do you one better--I consider him my best friend. Do you want me to lie to you and say we won't get any closer? I could. What the h.e.l.l do you care, it's not like you've gone out of your way to give a d.a.m.n about me?"

"Tell me, Gwyneth, what bothers you more? Is it the fact I am jealous of your and James' relationship, or the fact that you and I do not have one?"

His words cut deep, and I couldn't hide the hurt on my face. My lips were quivering but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. For some insane reason he seemed to get pleasure out of hurting me.

Beating me down emotionally seemed to be his specialty--his forte. First, there were the comments he made after we'd slept together, and now there was this. I'd had enough of him. I tried to get us past this. He was the one who wouldn't let it go. Not me. If he wanted to spend another two hundred years being a bitter bloodsucker, he could do it by himself.

I looked up at the pre-dawn sky. "As much as I'd love to continue this little t.i.t-for-tat with you, the sun is about to come up, and well, all the people without a heart, oops ... I mean heartbeats, need to head into avoid spontaneously combusting." His lips drew in as I continued on with my verbal a.s.sault. "I think it'd be for the best if you high-tailed it out of here by nightfall. You see, I don't need you here. I didn't ask you to come, and I don't want you here anymore. You can say all the hurtful and nasty things you want to me, I don't care. You win, Pallo, I give up. I'll even admit that I was a fool to have given a d.a.m.n about you to start with! Get out of my life and get on with your death or whatever the h.e.l.l it is that you call your pathetic existence!"

He tipped his head to the side. His face was unreadable. He was a pro at that look. "You believe what you say. You wish for me to leave?"

"Of course I do!"

I was so angry with him. I wanted to punch him in the gut--to slap his face and claw at his eyes. I wanted to make him hurt like he'd hurt me. I wanted to hold him close to me and tell him that I still loved him, that he had and would always have the biggest portion of my heart. Hey, I never said I was consistent. I just hoped he wasn't doing that mind scan thing he was completely capable of.

A little twinkle came to his brown eyes. Yep, he was doing it. He stepped closer to me, and touched my shoulder. "You are cold. Come," he said and led me back towards the house.

The walk back across the wet gra.s.s was even worse then the first trot out. My stomach grew fluttery again, our hands brushed past each other and it stopped. I stared at his profile as he walked next to me. He was so chiseled, such a work of art. His wide jaw with a tiny dimple on it set the tone for his body. He looked like he was a body builder. No doubt about it he was a fine specimen.

We climbed up the steps and went back into the house. Warm air, yes!

Pallo stood in the doorway to the living room waiting for me to tell him what to do.

"I'll be right back. I need to get a sweater and some socks." I smiled at him and headed up the stairs. The knot in my stomach returned. Each step up I took made it grow tighter and tighter. I made it up about six steps and stopped to grip the railing tightly. It felt like someone was swirling a paintbrush around in a very small area of my belly. I tried to walk up another step but I couldn't do it, I couldn't get my body tocooperate.

Pallo's hand slid around my waist--he was suddenly next to me on the stairs. My stomach eased up rapidly, responding to his touch. He calmed my flu or whatever it was. Oh, pharmaceutical companies wouldn't like that getting out, that was for sure. Of course, people might have issues bringing home a dead guy to cure their ailments.

I put my arm around him and walked with him up the stairs. We reached the top and headed into the master bedroom. He tried to pull himself away from me. I held tight to him. "Just friends, just talking," I said to him softly. If he let go of me I knew that my stomach would be in knots again and I couldn't deal with that on top of being so d.a.m.ned cold.

"Gwyneth, I cannot be just friends with you, I know this now. I cannot be your James." He said this so calmly yet so full of pa.s.sion. My body responded to the sound of his voice. I missed the way his words seemed to wrap themselves around me like an invisible cloak. I put my hand out to touch him. If we walked through that bedroom door together, it would not be as just friends. I had to know--I had to know how much he still meant to me, and I him.

"Come on," I said as I pulled on his hand.

"Gwyneth."

He could take the truth. I knew he could. "Pallo, I need to know. I need to know if I ... if we can ever be ... I need to know how I feel about you. This can't continue. Caleb's asked me to marry him."

Pallo looked at me, shocked, and followed me into the bedroom. He stopped at the foot of my bed and stared at it with disgust. "This is where you and Caleb sleep?"

I didn't know how to answer that, so I just nodded. He closed his eyes and tipped his head to the side. His curly brown hair fell below his chin and just missed hitting his shoulder. I wanted to walk up to him and put my fingers in his hair. I made my way towards him. He stood very still, almost rigid. It was hardly the welcome I wanted. Something tugged on my insides. A cool, foreign energy ran through me. I sucked in my breath,unsure of what was happening.

As quick as the energy came, it left, but not without lingering effects.

I could hear his breathing. Normally, I needed to be very close to him to pick up on it. I think it had something to do with his being a vampire.

My brow furrowed as I noticed yet another change. I could smell his desire for me and that was a first for me. This was scary, exhilarating, and a most welcome surprise.

Pallo keep up his suave exterior, showing no outward signs of interest, but I knew better. The only problem was that I had no clue how to break down the emotion walls he'd erected around himself. I wanted him to let them down, allowing me inside once more. It seemed only fair. I'd allowed him, this creature of night, into my heart and loved him with every ounce of it. I'd fallen victim to his lies, his betrayal, and as much as I wanted to hate him, I couldn't. If anything, I had to stop myself from begging him to leave with me, to run away and spend eternity together.

Yes, I loved Caleb, but my love for Pallo was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. It was raw. It was real. It was terrifying.

Pallo looked up, his eyes narrowed on me, and I felt the slightest of tickles in the back of my mind. He was reading my thoughts again. I knew it. I had to avert my gaze to avoid begging him to take me. Being pathetic seemed too low, even for me. I'd spent years learning to block out others' thoughts, but here I stood, unable to keep the man I loved from reading my every desire. He carried so much anger inside him that I wasn't sure how he'd interpret my findings. Did he now know how much I loved him? How much I missed his dark humor, his fierce protectiveness and the way he made me feel? Did he know how much I craved his touch, even if it was nothing more than a bittersweet good-bye? Did he know the majority of the memories I had from my last life were of him--of how in love we'd been? Did he have any clue how quickly I'd throw everything with Caleb away for the promise of a future with him? As wrong as it was, it was still the truth.

Somewhere along the line, we'd made a mess of things, and I knew better then to expect a fairytale ending. Neither one of us could change history.

Glancing over at Pallo, I found him in the process of pulling his shirt off. He tossed it aside. A little silk puddle lay on the floor where it had landed. I stood in awe. He knew my bringing him in here was to be with him, if even for one last time, he knew and yet was still okay withthat.

Reaching up, I untied my white tunic. I wore no bra under it, so when it flapped open my b.r.e.a.s.t.s were completely exposed to him. I reached down and pulled on the string of my jeans, loosening it, as I walked towards him. He met me half way and put his hands on my b.r.e.a.s.t.s, caressing them gently, causing my nipples to harden.

"I need this. I need you," I said softly up to him. He reached down and slid his pants off his legs. He was left standing in front of me completely nude. I was beginning to wonder if any male over the age of one hundred actually owned underwear and if they had cla.s.ses specializing in seductive stripteases. Supernatural Stripping--101?

I let my jeans slide down my legs and stepped out of them. I stood before Pallo with my tunic open and a pair of tiny panties on. He grabbed hold of me quickly, wrapping his strong arms around me. He felt so warm to me, so good. He kissed my collarbone slowly and I tipped my head back for him. He kissed his way up my neck and to my mouth. A tiny moan escaped me. I let my hands run all over his back and shoulders, feeling how smooth and strong he was.

His hand slid down my breast and ran over my stomach. When his fingers skimmed over my tiny bulging abdomen, he stopped for a minute, and let his fingers dance along it.

I blushed. "Can you not play with my fat, it's kind of embarra.s.sing."

"I think it is divine," he said, laughing softly as he backed our bodies up and laid himself down on the bed.

The sight of him laying there completely nude took my breath away, his ruddy c.o.c.k stood at attention, ready for me, calling to me. I slid my panties down my legs and crawled over his body like a cat. A veil of long black hair covered my face and ran over his body. He reached up and pulled it back. I flickered my tongue over his marble member, extracting tiny moans of pleasure from him. Laughing softly, I drew him into my mouth. Pallo gasped as I moved my mouth all the way over him, deep throating him. He was almost too much for me and I had to draw back slightly. On my way up, I sucked hard, causing his hips to jerk. I pulled off him slowly, licked the tip of his c.o.c.k and brought my hands up tofist him.

"Ahh ... Gwyneth," he hissed.

Looking up from his groin, I met his eyes and held his gaze as I began sucking on him again. Knowing that he was watching me while I pleasured him made a torrent of cream flow between my thighs. I swirled my tongue against his shaft as I moved my mouth up and down. Saliva built up and pooled at the base of his c.o.c.k. I rubbed my hands in it, stroking him faster and faster as I sucked him.

Pallo tightened his grip in my hair. "Slowly, anima mia."

I couldn't get enough of him. He tasted so sweet, so good. I stroked him harder and ran the head of his c.o.c.k against the roof of my mouth, stimulating him further. He growled and grabbed hold of me. Instantly, I found myself being flipped onto my back. He trailed a line of kissed down my body, stopping only when he reached my s.e.x.

"Pallo," I said, reaching for him. I needed to feel him in me, now.

He grabbed my wrists and moved his head down to the apex of my thighs.

Once nestled before me, he looked up at me with a smile that held the promise of pa.s.sion and pleasure. "No, I want to taste you."

"I need you." Begging was not beneath me, at least not in this situation.

He laughed softly. "Ah, yes, and I need to taste you. It would appear we have a problem."

"Problem? There's no problem! I want you in me, now! How is that a problem?" I really did not want to have this end in an argument like everything else we did.

He parted my folds and ran a finger along my slit, sending shivers up my spine. I moaned and he smiled. "You see, I will take no further pleasure from you, unless you allow me to please you."

I slammed my head back against the mattress and groaned. Here I thought I was stubborn. He had over two hundred to perfect the art of resistance. I didn't. He inserted a finger into me and I writhed beneath his touch. My entire body lit with cool energy and I lost my train of thought. I'dwanted something, but what? Pallo's lips pressed against me. He licked his way around, tenderly, teasingly, leaving me whimpering. I reached for him and the moment my hands meet his shoulders, I knew exactly what I wanted--him.

"Yes, Pallo."

His eyebrows rose. "Yes Pallo what?"

"Yes Pallo, taste me ... then f.u.c.k me." Hearing those words roll off my tongue should have embarra.s.sed me. It didn't.

"Oh, I shall taste you, Gwyneth, but I will not f.u.c.k you." He drove another finger into my channel, f.u.c.king me hard and fast with them. "When I am done feasting upon you, delizia, I will make love to you."

My heart soared. Only Pallo could do that, make me so many promises with so few words. I could only hope he'd deliver on his pledge. If he did, would I be able to say good-bye to him once it was over?

Pallo continued to finger f.u.c.k me as he planted his full lips over my c.l.i.t. He sucked gently on it, causing my legs to quake and quiver. Cream trickled out of my body, and Pallo moaned as he lapped it up. The thrusting, the licking, the m.u.f.fled cries against my swollen bud, stimulated me to the brink of culmination. I jerked beneath him--trying to get away even though there was nowhere I'd rather be than with him. It was too much pleasure, too much Pallo. I screamed out and he licked harder, faster, cramming his fingers into me with supernatural speed. I came with a start and lifted slightly off the bed.

He didn't stop his oral siege. Bombarding my sense, he caused another wave of body numbing pleasure to crash into me. Animal noises tore from my throat as I shook my head back and forth, attempting to send the energy that was building within me anywhere but at him. I didn't want to hurt Pallo, and with my faerie powers so close to the edge of freedom, I feared for his safety. He, apparently, couldn't give a d.a.m.n about my magic building, because he sucked harder on my c.l.i.t, rolling it around with his tongue.

"Pallo!" I grabbed the sheets, clutching them for dear life as anothero.r.g.a.s.m hit me. Wet, slapping noises began as he continued to push his fingers into me. "No more ... please, no more."

"Come for me again, delizia." The sound of his deep smooth voice did it.

I came again, this time I laid there, barely moving as my entire body went numb from the combination of pleasure and power that now ran throug h me. Pallo withdrew his fingers from me, taking with him a line of my come. He put his fingers in his mouth and locked gazes with me.

Watching him lick my cream from his fingers was one of the most erotic things I'd ever witnessed. I wanted to reach for him, to take his face in my hands and pull him to me, but I was paralyzed out of fear of releasing my powers.

"Do not be afraid, fata mia, you will not harm me."

My power rippled just under the surface of my skin, demanding to be let loose, to be free. I went rigid with fear. The last time I'd lost control of my power while having s.e.x with Pallo, I opened a mystical portal and let the world's craziest psycho vampiress in with her h.e.l.lhound flunkies in tow. Gee, as much as I wanted a repeat performance of that horrible ordeal, I thought it best to pa.s.s.

Pallo chuckled and nuzzled his face back between my legs, giving me one long wet lick before moving slowly up my body. Working the full length of his muscular body over me, he left me no time to protest, not that I would have, as he spread my legs wide and thrust himself into me. His c.o.c.k rammed to the hilt and I screamed out from a mix of pleasure and pain. I knew that he belonged there, between my legs and I think he did too, but I still had no idea what my magic was capable of. Hurting Pallo would destroy me.

"Ahhh ... Pallo, no ... off!" I pushed on his shoulders, trying to get him to stop.

He swayed his hips slightly as he pumped himself in and out of me. I growled and wrapped my legs around his waist. He felt so good, so right.