CHAPTER NINE
With her breath hot against his neck and her small hands flattened to his chest, Chase knew what he wanted. He was tired of fighting his body around her. It was a battle he could never win. But that wasn't what he'd come there for. He'd been angry, no enraged. The thought of Cole touching her, kissing her, had run through his mind on repeat since the asshole mentioned her name.
All he'd intended was to make sure she understood the guy couldn't be trusted, so she would stay away from him, but that fell apart the moment he looked into her eyes.
She'd been upset. It wasn't the first time Chase had caught a flash of something behind her eyes that told him she had secrets. He wanted to know everything about her, listen to her tell him her entire life story, but he couldn't bring himself to ask for it. If he did, there would be no going back. He couldn't get to know her more, then leave her behind. He was afraid that it was already almost too late.
Chase needed to focus on coming to terms with being vampire, to learn and improve in his job. He was basically a toddler, Dex had said, just learning to crawl. How could he allow himself to get in so deep with a female, when he wasn't even sure who he was?
Willow was trouble. He knew that from the first moment he'd met her. He tried to keep his distance, but the universe had different ideas. He looked into her eyes, a blue that almost matched his own, and knew there was no way he was going to pull himself away from her. He wasn't even sure he wanted to at that point.
"You are beautiful." He pushed a stray hair from her face and ran his thumb over her bottom lip. His mouth ached for contact, to feel the warm wetness of her tongue as it danced together with his. But he held off.
Anxiety tingled through him, upping his pulse and making his stomach twist into knots. His brain kept telling him to turn around and leave, to end things then, before he was past the point of no return, before he broke his last shred of control.
But he stayed put, lost in the feel of her.
Willow batted her lashes a few times and nibbled her blood red lip. She was definitely not the shy type, but for some reason, in that moment, she was reserved, waiting on his lead. He wanted to question her, to know why she didn't just push him down and take what she so obviously wanted, like she had the other times.
Instead, he was frozen in place, only able to seek answers with his eyes. Which got him nowhere.
Burning into his chest, her fingers slipped down, landing on his stomach, and she grasped the fabric of his shirt into her hands. He thought she would pull off his shirt, but she didn't. She stayed there gripping the fabric, as if she wasn't sure she wanted to go further, but unable to let go.
"I want you," Chase growled, leaning his face into her hair. "Fuck, do I want you."
Her scent was strong, like fresh cut roses and warm blood, and it drove Chase insane. He wanted to taste her. Her blood, her skin, her need as it pooled between her thighs. He needed all of her. His focus shifted from what was right or wrong, responsibilities, and anything else that threatened to keep them apart. His only thought was getting her clothes off and making their bodies one again.
"So have me." Her voice was near whisper, but her meaning was undeniable. She slipped her hands lower and undid his jeans. She looked up at him and smiled before reaching in to release him into her soft hand.
Chase growled. His need was stronger than it had ever been, as in out of control strong, and he was afraid of losing it. As a new vampire, he wasn't yet used to his new strength and power. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. Especially after he'd almost killed his own sister when he lost control.
Panic rose up as flashes of nearly draining Ari flooded him. He grabbed Willow's hands, stopping her from going further. "Maybe we shouldn't do this."
He hadn't lost control before with Willow, but this felt different. His need for her was overwhelming. It grew every time they were together in leaps, but this was the first time he'd felt like the beast inside him had the upper hand.
"Then leave." The corner of Willow's mouth came up. She didn't believe he wanted to go for a second and she was right. He didn't, but he also didn't want to hurt her. Whether he understood it, or not, Chase would rather die than hurt her. The only person he'd ever felt that way about was his twin and at least that made sense. This made none whatsoever.
Chase didn't answer. He didn't want to leave, or stop, or even think. He only wanted to rip off her clothes, throw her down, and screw her silly.
"What is holding you back?" Willow looked up at him through her lashes and narrowed her eyes as if she were trying to see inside his head.
"I don't want to hurt you." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them and they sounded as ridiculous as he thought they would.
Willow laughed. "Hurt me? Are you kidding?"
Chase looked away, avoiding her judgment.
She pulled his face back to hers. "Chase, I'm not so fragile. You won't hurt me. Why would you worry about that now? It's not like this is our first time together. You didn't hurt me the other times."
"This time is different."
Willow's brow furrowed and she took a step back. Her eyes fell over him, scrutinized every inch of him, then came back up, settling on his mouth. "How is it different?"
Chase walked over to the couch and sat on the arm, facing away from her. "I don't feel in control this time."
Willow stayed quiet for a few moments, then spoke in a soft voice. "I never feel in control with you."
Chase spun around to face her. "You never seem out of control for a second."
"Well, I am. I'm good at faking it." Willow swallowed hard and continued. "Chase, I know you are new to the vampire thing, and I know that it's easy to lose control of your emotions when you're just figuring out who you are. So if you want to walk out of here, if you've changed your mind about me, I will understand. But you have to stay away from me. I can't keep doing this. You can't pull me in, then push me away. I have feelings too."
When Chase first met Willow, he would have insisted that she didn't have feelings. She came across as a cold, bitch, who took what she wanted and moved on. The more he got to know her, the easier it was to see that it was all a persona, a front that she used to protect herself.
"That's not what this is about. I haven't changed my mind about how I feel."
Or had he?
He still thought he should focus on work and getting his life together, but at the same time, he wanted her like he'd never wanted anything before. He wasn't even close to sure how to reconcile any of that.
"Then that means you still don't want to be involved with me, you want to keep your head on work." Willow took a deep breath. "Just walk away Chase. It's the right thing to do."
Without a second thought, Chase was to her, his arms wrapped tight around her waist, his mouth on hers. She fought for only a second, then melted into the kiss. He was never the impulsive type, but Willow made him lose all rational thought. His need for her drove him further, made his decisions for him.
Willow lifted her top over her head and tossed it on the floor. She stood there in only her panties, her milky skin called to him, begged to be touched. Before he gave in, Chase lifted his own shirt up and tossed it aside. His jeans were still open from her, so he pushed them down his legs and stepped out, leaving him standing there in boxer briefs, his chest heaving with each breath.
She was the one this time who went to him. Her earlier hesitation was gone. Before Chase had a second to think about what was right or wrong, she jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. The heat from her middle scorched his stomach and he felt her need soak through her panties.
With her hands tangled in his hair, she kissed him with everything she had. Her taste and scent overtook his senses. He wanted more, all of her, to be joined together as one. Chase pulled back from the kiss, and tossed her onto the couch. She bounced, landing with her knees bent, slightly apart. Her smile was all he needed to continue.
"Get up here." Willow wiggled her fingers, trying to coax him to her, but Chase shook his head.
"Not yet." He pushed her thighs apart and dove his face into her. The taste of her got better each time they were together and he couldn't imagine how he could go the rest of his life without the feel of her silky flesh on his tongue.
Willow shivered and reached down to grip his hair. Her knees clamped the sides of his head as he drove his tongue inside her. He had to physically pry her legs apart and push them open once again before she prevented him from breathing. As vampire, Chase didn't need the oxygen, but he was too new to handle the extreme discomfort of not breathing.
Panting and whimpering, Willow was lost in sensation as he licked, sucked, and flicked over her swollen clit. Her juices coated his face and tongue as he lapped over her, bringing her close to release much faster than he would have liked. If he could have his way, Chase would spend the rest of his life there, bringing her orgasm after orgasm, until one, or both of them died. And since they were both at least part vampire, that would be a very long time.
"Oh my God, Chase," she screamed, nearly ripping the hair from his head, as she tensed and exploded against his mouth.
Chase grabbed her wrists and pinned them at her sides to keep her from pushing him away from her sensitive clit. She squirmed and panted as he kept up the relentless assault, sucking her into his mouth until her back bowed off the couch and she came once again.
He considered keeping her in place until he brought her another orgasm, but his need for her was too great. He throbbed and ached to be inside her, and her begging for exactly that, was too much for him to deny. Using vampire speed, Chase was undressed, on top of her, and had himself positioned at her opening before she could blink. He waited just long enough for her to open her eyes and look up at him, then rammed into her with full force.
Willow wrapped her legs around his waist and hooked her feet together. Her hands came up to his chest and her nails dug into him with each forceful thrust in. Chase held back on the need to pound into her hard enough to make the couch jump, but he was losing the battle. There was something inside him pushing him forward, harder, faster, unable to stop.
With clenched teeth, Chase held back. The veins in his neck bulged from the strain and Willow easily picked up on it. "What's wrong?"
Chase smoothed her hair down from her forehead and kissed her. "Nothing is wrong."
"You're lying." Willow propped herself up on her elbows and tried to stop him from entering her. "Are you still worried about hurting me?"
Chase struggled, trying to continue his thrusting despite her sudden need for conversation. "Shh." He tried to cover her mouth with his, but she refused him.
"You aren't going to hurt me. I'm vampire too, Chase. I can handle anything you can throw at me." Willow squirmed out from under him and flipped him onto his back. She climbed on top of him and smiled. "If you are so concerned about hurting me, I can take over from here.
Chase nodded, though he wasn't thrilled with the arrangement. She settled over him and lowered herself onto him. Willow was in no hurry, no crazy need to impale herself onto him the way he'd been with her. In fact, he was pretty sure that she was going slow and easy just to torment him. It was becoming a pattern.
Yep, there was her smile as evidence.
Unable to hold back any longer, Chase grabbed her hips, digging his fingers into her soft flesh, and sped up her movements. He lifted and dropped her onto him, raising his hips to meet her, as fast as he was able to go. Willow tossed her head back, enjoying the ride as he directed them. Her lips were parted and she was back to panting.
His fangs ached to bite her once again, to be lost in that alternate reality of bliss that came from bloodsharing during sex. But he held back, refusing to let that need get the better of him when he already felt out of control.
Just the sight of her, the sound of her small moans, was enough to force Chase into overdrive. He flipped her back onto the couch and took over, slamming into her, no longer worried about hurting her, or losing control. Within seconds, they were both calling out in release, Willow first, with Chase right behind her.
Exhausted and confused, Chase collapsed onto her, caging her body with his. He wanted to stay there, in that moment, for as long as possible. When it was broken, he knew the real world would come rushing back. He would be right back where he was before and he wasn't ready for it.
As if Willow were thinking the same thing, she wrapped her legs around his, hooking her ankles around his calves, and her arms through his. They were completely entangled and the feeling was amazing. Chase felt like he could lay there like that forever.
The slam of the front door would make that impossible though.
"On the couch, really, Will?" Michael stood over them with his hand on one hip. He glared at Chase, but Chase didn't get the feeling he was as angry as he was trying to come off as.
Chase tried to jump up and go for his clothes, but Willow refused to let go.
"The bedroom was too far." She chuckled and slipped one hand up to stroke Chase's hair. She didn't seem the least bit bothered by the fact that they were completely naked with her brother standing right there looking at them. If he had walked in on Ari in that position, Chase would have ripped the guy right off of her and knocked him out. He got the feeling though, that this wasn't Michael's first time walking in on his sister.
And it likely wouldn't be the last.
Chase finally managed to get out from Willow's grip and hopped up for his clothes. Michael watched him, as if he were under inspection, and smiled just as Chase pulled his shirt over his head. It was weird, but not any more weird than Willow still laying there naked, sprawled out, completely comfortable in her nudity, even though her brother was only a few feet from her.
"I better go."
"Don't leave on my account." Michael walked into the kitchen, with only a passing glance at Chase on his way past.
Chase ignored him and leaned down to kiss Willow goodbye. She accepted the kiss, but stared up at him with confusion before he walked away.
"What's wrong?"
"You've never kissed me goodbye before like that."
She was right. He'd never even considered it. This time, it had just come naturally, like he didn't even need to think about it. He tried not to contemplate the significance and shrugged before heading out her front door.
It was just a kiss.
It didn't mean anything.
It couldn't.
***
It had been too long since Hayley heard the crying girl and it hadn't happened again. She was starting to think she imagined the whole thing by that point. Whenever the door was opened to slide in trays, or toss in bottles of water, Hayley strained to hear, hoping she could pick up on the girl again, just to prove she wasn't nuts.
A few times, when their meals were brought in, she caught sight of the bastard holding them. But little good it did her, because his face was always covered. The only thing she was pretty sure of, was that it was a male. Jack insisted it was also vampire by the scent, but she wasn't sure he knew enough to tell. A small part of her was pretty sure that he was just making things up to seem better than he was.
Hayley heard the footsteps coming down the hall, even though it wasn't time for food. "Jack, wake up." She shook him awake and he jumped with a start.
"What's wrong?" Jack sprung up on his feet and scanned the small cell. "What happened?" When he didn't see anything, he pulled Hayley up by her arm and looked her over for injury.
"I hear him again."
Jack pushed her behind him just before he pushed the door open and shoved someone inside. Hayley tried to get a look at him once again, but her attention was taken by the heap thrown onto the floor at their feet.
It was a girl.
The door slammed shut again and he disappeared, leaving her behind with them. She wasn't moving, and for a moment, Hayley thought she was dead. Jack reached down to poke at her and she jumped up, scurrying into a corner before even looking in their direction.
"Hey, we aren't going to hurt you. Jack took a few steps closer and she tried to pin herself flat against the cold cement wall.
Hayley grabbed his hand and pulled him back. "Just give her time to adjust, Jack. She's obviously afraid."
"Jack?" The girl peered over her arm and looked at Hayley and Jack. Right away, Hayley recognized her.
"Gracie?"
The girl was off the floor and throwing herself into Hayley's arms in a flash. They'd been in school together. Not that they were friends, but they did know each other, and in their situation, that was enough.
"How did you two get here?"
"Probably the same as you," Jack said. "Did you get a look at him? Any clue who it is?"
Grace shook her head. "No. He always covers his face. I did hear someone new get brought in this morning though. It was a boy and he was trying to fight with him. It didn't sound good."
One by one, they were being taken and brought there. If Grace was right, now there were four of them. That was a quarter of their group. What could he want with them? Hayley was afraid to find out. She slipped her hand into Jack's and squeezed. Eventually, they would find out what he wanted. Until then, she would imagine the worst.
Hopefully the reality wouldn't be worse.