I tore off one third of the tube and placed the rest over his c.o.c.k. As thick as his c.o.c.k was, it was hard to get the cardboard over it, but at last I had it a good way down, exposing just the head. I went to town licking and sucking on him.

Tem's face went into multiple contortions. "Oh my G.o.d....Div...that...oh G.o.d...it feels incredible. G.o.d, I want you to f.u.c.k me but I don't want you to stop licking me."

I did not stop licking him, enjoying the buildup of pressure I could feel simmering in his c.o.c.k. The tip was bright red, and when I tore off the .

cardboard his c.o.c.k was so sensitive that, when I plunged my own c.o.c.k inside my man's steamy, open a.s.s, Tem came the second my belly rubbed against his shaft. I picked him up, holding him as he wound his legs around me. I held his a.s.s, feeling his o.r.g.a.s.m roaring through him. I could not get close enough...deep enough into him, and my canine teeth elongated.

"Yeah, yeah...bite me! Come on baby, I want to feed you!"

My head went to Tem's chest and his arms fell back so he could brace himself against the bathroom mirror. We'd fogged up the place like we'd taken a scalding shower, and Tem left long streaks on the mirror as his hands slid to the vanity. I thrust harder and faster and he started coming again as I bit into him, feeling his blood in my mouth, burning my heart, soothing my soul.

"f.u.c.k me!" he screamed, and I did not stop until both of us came. It was only then that I took my teeth from him, licking closed to the two little marks on his chest.

"Oh, Div..."

I picked him up, bringing him close again, my c.o.c.k still hard for him. His eyes were half-closed, his tongue running over his dry lips.

"Oh, Tem..." I licked at his lips, kissed his tongue, his cheeks, his eyes and his nose. I relished the taste of him, of us.

"Mele Kalikimaka, Tem. Merry Christmas." As if on cue, our baby fiend started to scream.

Chapter Nine.

lipping on our kimonos, Tem and I rushed intoSthe kitchen and found the baby's little fists screwed up into b.a.l.l.s of fury in his bed basket. I picked him up as Tem warmed the last bottle in the fridge, calling Hiroshi yet again.

"You know, he told me some of the herbs. I swear he was making up names." Tem cursed when he got Hiroshi's voice mail again.

The girls ran into the kitchen, looking disheveled but glorious in their flying outfits.

"We're going out to take a look around now...you sure you're okay with him?" Kalani asked.

"Absolutely," I nodded. "Hey, Kalani, maybe you could stop by Hiroshi's house and bang on his door and get some more herbs from him."

"Good idea." She took Hiroshi's business card from Tem, stared at his address, blew us a kiss and left as the bottle warming unit pinged. The baby must have sensed what that sound meant .

because suddenly he smiled up at me and I couldn't help but feel a rush of warmth for the little monster. He opened his mouth like a baby bird, ready for the magic in that bottle.

"You've done this before?" Tem asked as the baby suckled and slurped in a starved way.

"No, baby. Never."

Tem reached over to me, yanked the folds of my kimono aside and sucked in my left nipple. I groaned. "You know you look hot with our baby."

I laughed. "I do?"

We grinned at each other and the doorbell rang.

"Who the h.e.l.l could that be?" Tem glanced at the clock. Seven in the morning. He rushed out and rushed right back in again.

"Jesus H...honey, it's my parents. They're only six hours earlier than they should be."

The doorbell rang again.

"Where are they?"

"Outside."

"You left them out there? Why?"

"I was hoping they might go away. How the heck did they find us? I live here and I can still hardly find my way home."

The doorbell rang incessantly now and the baby was starting to get agitated.

"Let them in," I sighed. "Let the chips fall where they may."

Tem looked at me. "Chips? Your family is so .

obsessed with gambling."

In spite of everything, I laughed as he rushed out of the kitchen again. Gazing down at the baby, I whispered, "Are you ready to meet your new grandparents? Can you say, Aloha? Can you say that? Aloha? My love to you?"

The baby's eyes flickered and his little mouth laughed around the steel tip on the baby bottle. Dang. Less than a day old and the kid was already laughing at my jokes. I felt a huge shift in me. I knew in that moment I would do anything for this kid. I would protect his secrets, as those who had loved me when I was a baby had done for me. My fingers closed over the malformed left hand as Tem came back.

For a moment he just watched us, a look of tenderness for me and the baby who was still giggling. Behind Tem stood his astonished parents, and as they stepped forward, his mother's face registered shock.

"Whose baby is that?"

"Ours." Tem sounded defensive. "We're adopting him."

"But he's so ugly."

"We think he's lovely." I bounced the baby in my arms, determined to keep him in high spirits.

Tem was about to say something when his mother spoke again.

"Now that I think of it Tem, you were no oil .

painting either and you turned out great."

"Well!" Tem was wounded, but his father just laughed.

"What's his name?" he asked.

"Beel-"

I jumped in. "Billy. His name is Billy." I had just begun the process of shielding our child from the outside world.

Tem's father looked so happy. "After me? Heck, I'm so honored. And don't listen to your mother, son. I think he's kinda cute...in a nerdish kind of way."

I blinked a couple of times as Tem stared at me in surprise, which was quickly fading to joy. I'd scored bigger than I thought.

His parents were attractive people. His father, being a Maori, had the look of ancient warriors and was a very impressive sight. At around six feet tall, he was good-looking, built of solid muscle, topped with some gray and black hair that showed me my Tem would grow older and more and more gorgeous.

Tem's mother, being a mix of j.a.panese and Hawaiian, was a woman of contradictions. She was tall, around five eight, looked like a Hawaiian, walked with the seductive sway of a Hawaiian, but talked like a neurotic, ninety year old woman.

"What kind of a nipple is that on the baby's bottle?"

Her question made my man jittery, but I was very calm.

"You know Tem," I smiled. "Always on the cutting edge of fashion. Even baby couture...and accessories."

"Baby couture..." I could see Tem's mind already whirling with ideas. I let him take the baby from me, trying not to worry about the fact he'd just guzzled the last of the doctored milk. As Tem put the baby over his shoulder to burp him, I made sure my kimono was securely fastened, then shook his parents' hands.

"You've probably already guessed that I'm Jimmy. I'm so glad to finally meet you. We weren't expecting you so soon, we thought we were picking you up this afternoon. I'm sorry we're still in our pajamas."

Tem's mother flapped a hand at me. "Please, call me Anna, and don't apologize. It's all Bill's fault. He wanted to surprise the boys and...we were dying to meet you and...and...what's wrong with that baby's hand?"

She'd caught sight of the talon before Tem could cover it up again. The baby was crying now and Tem's distraught expression had me reaching for fresh excuses. I was becoming a lying linguist.

"It's a slight birth defect."

"Slight? What a b.u.mmer. Maybe he'll outgrow it? When Temeura was born I was afraid we'd .

have to get plastic surgery." She was oblivious to her son's steely stare. "The things they can do with a surgeon's knife nowadays are not to be believed. They can do miracles!" She turned to the sink, missing the snapping sound of Tem pretending to bite at her.

She stared out the window in awe. "You own everything we see out there? It's huge."

"It sure is." I grinned at her, glancing back at her husband. "Those are some impressive tattoos you have on your arms, Bill. Are they tribal?"

"Naw. Military tattoos. Well, you know, the result of getting drunk in various sea ports with the guys on too many lonely Sat.u.r.day nights."

Excellent. "Would you like some champagne? We can open up a bottle, get you settled in your quarters and you can take a shower or bath if you want."

"Oooh, that sounds fab." Anna was excited. Just as I'd hoped. I could keep them tipsy and under control. I popped a bottle of 1911 Moet et Chandon champagne and the sound startled the baby who launched one of his ear-piercing rocket howls.

"I'll hold him, Tem."

Tem gave him to me again and took over the champagne pouring duties. He handed his parents our best crystal gla.s.ses.

"Does he always scream like that?" Anna .

asked, wincing as her gla.s.s shattered in her hand. She yelped and poor Tem dropped to his knees, cleaning up the debris. I poured her another gla.s.s.

"My G.o.d," Anna gawped. "What are those bite marks all over your chest, Jimmy?"

d.a.m.n. My kimono had come loose. I gathered the folds back together and hugged the baby.

"Insect bites." I couldn't tell her we were vampires and that her loving son loved leaving his marks on me...all over me.

"You got an infestation in the house?"

"No...oh no." I shook my head. "We went hiking and..."

"They must have been big insects," Bill observed. "What kind were they? Big bees?"

"Bats?" shrieked Anna.

Bill laughed. "Vampire bats!"

They both thought this was hysterical. Tem just stared at them in mute horror and I quickly topped up their drinks.

The baby started wailing again.

"Oh. My. G.o.d. What's wrong with his tongue?" Anna looked appalled. "Is that another birth defect? Wow, you got one heck of a handyman's dream there, you know that?"

"Why do you keep insulting my baby?" Tem huffed.

She gave the matter a moment's thought. "Because I can. I mean, you're such handsome .

men, you could have come up with a prettier child with a surrogate."

"I love him. He's my son."

"You think I'm handsome?" I asked for some ludicrous reason, and I wasn't even drinking yet. I was so anxious for Tem's parents to like me I was turning into the biggest loser in the world.

"Except for the bite mark, sure." His mother giggled. We were going to need way more champagne. I needed to get to the wine cellar.

"Hey, where's Todah?" Bill, too, was slurping down that vintage booze. "Am I reading this label right? This is champagne from 1911?" His eyes were like orbs.

"Absolutely. Wait until you see the beautiful meal Tem has planned. He has had three Christmas puddings soaking in cognac in the fridge since October, and there's turkey and..."

"Is there any more champagne?" Bill wanted to know.

"Tem, why don't you give your parents a quick tour, take them to their room, and I'll ah...jump in the shower. We need to get this party started."