“Did you see Mark’s new girlfriend? Woof. Woof.” Natalie gestured over to the statuesque brunette on the arm of her ex-boyfriend, Mark Jessup.

The girl was anything but ugly, and I knew Natalie was just feeling sour that Mark had finally moved on from her. He was an A-list actor who had his choice of any movie role he wanted. His career was skyrocketing, and he’d taken Natalie to the top with him. Now that they were broken up, the press didn’t seem to care as much for Nat without Mark in the picture.

I saw the paparazzi and press photographers outside the Harlowe Theater lining up to photograph Mark’s new flavor of the month, and I almost felt sorry for Natalie. Her eyes shot daggers at the poor girl. It was a good thing Natalie wasn’t a vampire, because if she was, I knew she’d be one vindictive, evil bitch.

We checked our movie premiere ticket stubs, and found our seats inside the posh, historic theater. We were seated in the sixth row, center, with a perfect view of the large silver screen. The theater had been recently renovated, and had cushy director’s chair seats with deep red velvet upholstery. A lush, velvet curtain lined the walls of the theater. When I glanced over my shoulder, I saw a full balcony in the back. Some of the most famous movies of all time had premiered here at The Harlowe. It was like walking into a piece of Hollywood history.

The lights dimmed, and the rest of the straggling crowd took their seats. A hush fell over the theater, except for the occasional sound of someone powering down their phone. When we were in almost complete darkness, Caleb’s fingers traced a seductive path along my thigh.

“Your turn,” he whispered.

Caleb was getting me back for my under-the-table foreplay at Venom. He planned to drive me wild for the entire length of the two-hour movie, and I wouldn’t be able to so much as squirm in my seat. I inhaled a breath and let the feeling of euphoria rush over me as his silky fingers danced towards my clit. I closed my eyes and as warmth flooded my body. He felt incredible, sensational.

Just when I was close to my first climax, I heard a voice from my past boom loudly over the theater’s surround sound speakers.

“I’ve spent the best years of my life searching for you. I wish I never would have left you.”

My eyes popped open, and my mind spun dizzily.

It must be my imagination. Paranoia.

No, it was real.

My body tightened, and I let go of Caleb’s hand. I blinked twice, and rubbed my fingers across my eyes.

It couldn’t be.

It was.

Owen Masters, my high school crush, who’d once been the love of my life, was up on the screen, larger than life. He was the star of the movie, and he looked as good as ever.

How had I not known this? Natalie must have known. Was that why she invited me? Why didn’t she tell me?

I’d never really gotten over Owen. After we broke up, he moved out to LA, and we lost touch. I’d heard he tried to make it as an actor, but I never put two and two together that he was starring in this movie. It must have been his break-out role.

His flaxen locks and his boyish clean-cut grin lit up the movie screen. His lean, muscled body was golden from the sun. His shirt was off, exposing his etched abs, as he stood on the beach gazing out over the turquoise surf. His emerald green eyes were stunning, and his face had only improved with age. His handsome, trademark smile was what I remembered most about him. That, and his enormous, oversized cock. Owen Masters was in a word, masterful. A sexual god who’d rocked my world and taught me everything I knew about sex. He was my first, and I swore I’d grow old with him. Fate had taken a different turn.

“That’s Owen Masters,” Caleb whispered to me. “We’re auditioning him for the next Viper film sequel. What do you think?”

Think? What do I think?

I shrugged my shoulders. “He looks okay.”

I gazed up at the man who’d fueled my sexual awakening, and I felt the rush that only first love brings. His mesmerizing eyes and his soothing voice brought back memories of summers I’d almost forgotten. I felt Caleb’s warmth close to my skin and leaned into his strong shoulder. I scooted down further in my seat, closer to Caleb’s hand, as he gently massaged my inner thigh. With my fingers placed over his, I guided his fingers gently upwards until he rested on my mound.

A short, heated breath left his lips as he gripped more firmly. The squeezing sensation against my sex was overwhelmingly hot. I looked over my shoulder and saw Caleb’s tux jacket on the back of his seat. I grabbed it and laid it carefully over my legs like a blanket, so no one could see how he turned me on.

I heard a voice in my head, commanding me. Had Caleb entered my thoughts?

“Open for me.” Caleb’s voice boomed between my ears. No one else could hear.

My thighs gently parted, the wetness building in my panties. When his fingers hooked over the edge of the slick fabric, I heard a sudden groan escape Caleb’s mouth. I knew that however much he got worked up now, it was only the appetizer for what was to come later.

The movie kept playing, although I couldn’t concentrate enough to follow the story. One scene blended into another, as I focused on the more enticing drama playing out beneath the fabric of Caleb’s tux jacket. My hips rotated into Caleb’s touch, pushing him against me as I purred inside. I glanced over at Caleb’s lap and saw the outline of his erection through his pants. The hard ridge made a ripple, and it was all I could do to keep my hand from grabbing it. I’d always considered myself a shy, reserved person. But when I was with Caleb, nothing was off limits. He made me feel insatiably hungry with lust, a craving only he could satisfy.

“Like that?” He whispered as two of his fingers slipped deeply inside my soaked pussy. The feel of his fingers massaging me from the inside drove me to the brink of insanity. I pushed into his hand, desperate for the orgasm I craved.

When I glanced up at the screen, I saw Owen clad only in tight, cotton boxer briefs. His shirtless, sculpted abs glistened with perspiration. His powerful, lean arms looked like they were carved out of marble. He hooked his fingers around his boxer briefs and slid them down. When the camera panned down, he had turned to walk towards the shower. His firm, muscular ass swayed as he traveled the length of a long hall-way. I heard an audible gasp in the audience. Owen Masters was beautiful. Anyone with eyes could see that.

Owen looked insanely sexy with his chiseled jawline and his impressive physique. He looked so perfect, people probably thought he had a body double. But I knew better. That fuckable piece of man candy was mine once, and his moves were unforgettable.

Caleb’s fingers slid in and out of me as Owen stepped into the shower on-screen. He soaped his body and scrubbed himself with a sea sponge. Surely, this had something to do with the plot. I had lost track a long time ago. After a moment, he shook his glorious head of hair, and stepped out of the shower. As he bent over to dry off his glistening body, something caught my eye.

Amidst his golden, tanned flawless skin, there was a tattoo on the back of his neck. Small and subtle, but it was there.

I looked closer and saw the clear outline of a Celtic knot. It was the one we’d chosen as our symbol, our sign. I remembered the day he’d drawn it for me, and the words he’d said.

“Do you know what a Celtic knot is, Abby?”

“No,” I shook my head. “It looks like a loop that goes around in circles.”

“It’s an eternity symbol, because it has no beginning and no end. It has only one thread. See?” He kissed my forehead softly. “You only get one knot for your whole life. I want my life to be yours, and your life to be mine. Will you marry me, Abby March?”

I remembered how my cheeks ached from smiling. I dried my happy tears on the soft flannel fabric of Owen’s shirt. The warmth of the fading August sun over the Minnesota prairie wrapped around my shoulders like a blanket. The wind smelled like sweet corn, fresh from the fields. I took a picture of the moment in my mind, certain nothing would ever be so perfect again.

We’d never gotten married, and I’d forgotten about the Celtic knot until now. But he hadn’t. He’d tattooed our symbol on his body for eternity. When we broke up, I thought Owen had never looked back. I guess I was wrong.

Blood pounded in my ears, and my skin heated. My deadened vampire heart pulsed inside my chest. It was trying to come back to life. My body fought itself: I was loyal to Caleb, the vampire sitting next to me. But up on the screen, I saw my past and the life that might have been. Owen had never looked as seductive as he did at this very moment.

I let myself fall into the pleasure of Caleb’s touch while I watched Owen dry his shower-misted body on-screen. I was in a weird limbo, suspended between past and present. The visceral reaction to Caleb’s touch, and how he finger-fucked me, took over. I couldn’t stop myself. I squeezed my nails into Caleb’s arms as an overwhelming sensation of pleasure surged through me. It took everything in my power not to scream out in ecstasy as I came forcefully, pushing harder into Caleb’s hand. When I cooled finally, I relaxed into my seat and looked over at Caleb. A smile as wide as the Grand Canyon washed over Caleb’s beautiful face.