~ Alex ~
When she arrived with her sketch book, Edward glanced up at her. “Darlin’, you don’t look so good. Did you have a rough night?”
“My God, have I ever missed your slow southern drawl, Edward. Last night was awful. First night back from a hunt and you know how that is for me.”
He held out an arm. “Come on then, let’s see what you’ve been up to.”
Dakota smiled and slid into his arm beside him on the sofa. She held her sketch book and he began flipping the pages. He was shocked to see some very intimate sketches of her in the arms of a very attractive vampire in a shower and cuddled naked in bed doing very sexy things.
He gave a long whistle, “Not a word, not even to Nares.” He held up two fingers and said “Scout’s honor, doll.” Only when Edward said the word honor, it sounded more like ‘hourner’ because of his southern accent.
Edward recognized the man immediately and encouraged her, “So tell me all about him.”
“He’s that guy from the Christmas party a couple of years ago.”
Edward gave her a knowing smile. “You mean the sexy one who doesn’t like human women? He was quite mysterious. I always wondered what happened to him.”
“I think I am falling pretty hard for him but I’m very confused. He was a target and you how intimate getting to know someone is when you’re hunting for them. On top of that, he was in really bad shape when I found him so I fed him for a couple of weeks. Well, I found that my reaction to being near him was off the charts hot. I guess I need to figure out if all those feelings are for real or if it’s just the result of the intensity of the hunt and all that sexy feeding. God, you can’t imagine how it feels to have his fangs in my neck.”
Edward brought his hand to his chest briefly. “Remember who you’re talking to girl. I am married to the world’s sexiest vampire precisely for that reason.”
Dakota smiled and said, “I told him not to speak to me for a couple of weeks to give me a chance to sort out my feelings.” Edward asked, “How long ago was that?” She said, “Our waiting period is about up. Last night was horrible. I rolled back in from another hunt, was totally depressed, Durk came to the rescue like he always does, we got falling down drunk and I danced the night away with every gorgeous vampire I could get my hands on, except the one I desperately wanted.”
Edward smiled and offered, “I saw your hunt on the news. Good job there. Girl, you are always so over the top. Dancing with a million sexy vamps in one night doesn’t even surprise me. Now, wanna tell me why you’re even second guessing this thang with Mr. Right?”
She looked anxious and replied, “I am scared because I feel this terrible sense of loss when I am not with him. I just don’t know how I fell so hard and fast for him. I swear to God, it feels just like meeting my soul mate.”
Edward pointed out, “That is what you are supposed to be looking for, isn’t it?”
She sighed and replied, “You know that relationships never work for me. What if I give in to all those feelings and things don’t work out? I am already miserable and I haven’t even had proper sex with him. If I totally gave myself over and it didn’t work, I don’t think I could deal with the loss. Plus, he has children and his youngest is a feeding partner for Jared. I don’t want to screw up everything for everyone but being separated from him is a new kind of pain and intense longing I have never known before.”
Edward pulled her to his chest. “My dear, I can tell this is tearing you up inside. I say take a chance. If you can’t bring yourself to do that, then there is no guarantee that you won’t feel just this bad forever.”
Dakota looked doubtful. “I am also petrified that once the afterglow of being rescued by me wears off…well, I don’t think I will be hearing from him again in any event. I wonder if it wouldn’t hurt a lot less losing him now rather than after I have totally bonded with him.”
“Don’t worry, Dakota, if it is true love, you will hear from him and if not, then that means your true love is still out there looking for you.”
She smiled at her longtime friend. “Edward, you always know what to say to make me feel better.”
He smiled and responded, “Remember, I have you to thank for introducing me to Nares and for listening to all my insecurities about being with God’s gift to men.”
Dakota giggled and teased him, “Look, if Nares liked women instead of men, we would be having a very different conversation because I would have snapped him right up.”
Edward laughed. “Hands off my man, Princess, or I’ll spank you and not in a sexy way you might like.”
She smiled and replied, “You are always the most fun, Edward. I’ll make you a deal, if you promise to run off with me, I will give up this whole looking for Mr. Right thing.”
He laughed and teased, “Do you realize you say that every single time I talk to you? Besides, I am not going to let you give up on finding true love. It has only been two years of actually looking and you are so close to finding it with this last vampire. Don’t ever give up, girl. You give so much of yourself to others, Dakota. You deserve to be happy more than anyone I know.”
She smiled and they began to sketch together. Edward always drew sexy pictures of Nares because even after being married for four years, they were still crazy in love with each other.
She drew pictures of her latest hunt to try to get her mind off Alek. It didn’t work. All she could think was how warm and nice it felt to be in his arms. His cool body was heaven to cuddle up to and the lightheaded feeling of feeding him was something she had rarely felt in her relationships with other vampire males. She ended up working up a sketch of them kissing on the beach.
She loved that he was reserved and the way he had initiated intimacy with her the couple of times she was at his house left her with the impression that he was man who knew what he wanted and was not afraid to reach out and take it.
The tone of his voice had been deep and just slightly dominate. Hearing that tone in his voice was extremely sensual…it sounded needy, rough, and edgy…like sandpaper on gravel. She had instantly caved to his desires.
The feeling of his hands on her body had been incredible. His touch aroused every single nerve ending in her entire body all at once. It felt like coming alive after a long hibernation. Being intimate with Alek was the single most pleasurable experience of her entire life.
She realized he was like a highly addictive and sensual drug to her. She wanted him, longed for him, needed him in a way she had never needed anything or anyone before in her entire life. The more she thought of the situation, the more she realized that she would trade a lot to have him in her life…everything, in fact, except maybe her son. She was shocked by that revelation.